Welcome!: Monkey Business

Some cakes just make you smile.

I had the opportunity to be a part of another first birthday this week. The mom asked me to make a monkey cake based on the fact that her little boy was always referred to as their 'monkey'. I was thrilled to do this for little Ryker.

This whole cake has more of a story to it than just being a monkey cake. Early last week I was approached by our university television station and asked if I would be willing to be a part of their show, Diner in the Rough. This is a show that is a little like Food Network's 'Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives'. I was a bit hesitant at first, given that I'm not so much a 'location' as I am, well, my kitchen! I wasn't sure if my venue would be what the show was after, but decided to give them a chance to try.

I had my first attempt at being a food network star on Friday afternoon. The producer asked that I have some sort of a project to work on during the shoot, so I chose Ryker's monkey cake. The college students that came to film were absolutely adorable, and took their work very seriously. I allowed the host, Aaron, to be my assistant on the cake. I was thrilled with his willingness to try new things and he did a really great job. I did some finishing items after the crew had left, but overall Aaron helped me with 90% of the cake!

I have new-found respect for the ladies and gents who work on television. Of course, my tiny little show was nothing compared to what those individuals do every day. However, I found it both distracting and a bit disconcerting to talk about what I was doing as I did it. I'm so used to being 100% alone during my work day, that it was hard for me to articulate my process. After a few minutes, I got really comfortable with the host and was able to settle into a pretty good groove. I believe the show will air sometime soon on the university television network. As soon as they get it posted on You Tube, I'll review it and see if I've got my 'Rachael Ray meets Paula Deen' groove on enough to share with all of you!

Here's the final monkey product!

We also had another HUGE moment in our family this week. We celebrated my husband Matt's 40th birthday. It was a terrific surprise for him, and great fun to plan for me! He even got his very own cakes. Finally, something from the business that he was allowed to eat!

I made the black and white fondant cake. He requested something with a chocolate mousse filling, so that's what he received. Avery also made him a special cake. I think she's ready to take over the business!