Cupcake Wars Goes to Sea World

Last nights Cupcake Wars centered around the twelfth birthday of Killer Whale Sumar at Sea World San Diego. All of the nights challenges centered around not only looking the Sea World part but very much tasting the Sea World part.

After Hollis Wilder's lemon-scented lox cupcakes I was beyond excited for "the taste challenge", where the first chosen flavours were borrowed from the sea and the bakers were given sea weed and sea salt. Instantly, plans for sushi cupcake creations swirled around my mind (which would be in terrible taste for the Sea World theme).

Allyson Fiander's idea of rimming the cupcakes with brown sugar and sea salt didn't sound as appealing as it did plain. I thought the idea of rimming a cupcake with salt would be fantastic for a Margarita cupcake of some sort - "to-cook" list you just got bigger.

Bret Thompson chose to break out some spirulina, an idea that was only a taste the originality he had to dish up. He then powdered the spirulina and mixed it with vanilla as the base for his cupcake. This is a cupcake I may just leap at the chance to taste.

When it came to baker, Lindsay Morton, I got distracted by her choice to use honey frosting which is a refreshing change from so many butter cream frosting's that seem to await you atop a cupcake. The cake underneath however, didn't sound as special to me.

The star of the "taste & presentation" challenge for me was once again, Bret Thompson with his cherry coke ice cream cone cupcake with cream cheese frosting and hot fudge ganache topped with a maraschino cherry, pink lemon aid and cotton candy cupcakes with marshmallow frosting, and dark chocolate squid ink infused cupcakes topped with a Sumar marzipan garnish. Squid ink is an ingredient I have been dying to get my hands on for my own at-home use. I agree with the judges that these all came out looking a bit more fun-at-the-fair than they did see-Sumar-at-sea-world.

This round left me sick of seeing lemon and fondant. It felt like nearly everyone was using it and none of it really "popped".

Here's hoping the next episode is much better than last nights which despite the culinary inventiveness of Bret Thompson, left me unaffected.

Fancypackness Is Next to Rachel Rayliness . . .

. . .well, sort of. "Next to" meaning, also used by Kim White, Rachel Ray's makeup artist.

Carla Morales, graduate of one of the art schools I begged my parents to let me go to (RISD), has the solution for anyone else out there, like me, who frequently has no pockets and just enough times that you don't feel like carrying a purse. The solution comes in the form of an adjustable belt with a bow containing two pockets, cleverly named - the Fancypack.

Examples of great times to Fancypack-it-up:
*Walking your dog
*Amusement parks / zoos / fairs
*Airports
(so you can carry a little more than you already have in your purse and carry-on)
*Firework fights
(Hey I'm a girl from a family of boys that married into a family of boys. This comes up more often than you might think!)
*Country kiddies who need to carry a small amount of ammo out into the woods

Carla was kind enough not only to work with me to create a custom made Fancypack that fit the Om Nom Nom spirit, but to also make sure to get it to me in time for my birthday. Ultimately we decided the extra-large sized Fancypack would best suit my possible needs. Here is the mock-up she came back to me with.

I was able to pick the belt colour as well as the kind and colour of the clasp. I chose a slimming chocolately belt with strawberry heart accent clasps.

My Fancypack arrived today - two days before my birthday. I intend to test it out and report back on my Fancypacking all weekend long and let you know how it stands up.

For all of today's Fancypack pictures you can see them here in the Om Nom Nom Studios Flickr stream.

How 'Bout Them Cupcake Wars?

Last night marked the beginning of The Food Network's Cupcake Wars. I thought about warning your earlier but somehow felt that most of you already knew. If you didn't, I apologize. But no matter what - if you don't have your DVR's set to record the series, what are you waiting for!?

Each episode will feature four amazing bakers going head-to-head-to-head-to-head in three elimination challenges until, but much like Highlander, there can be only one. The winner not only absorbs all the other competitors baking prowess (that is if judge Florian Bellanger doesn't beat them to something similar after his Simon Cowell-esq remarks) but an opportunity to display their delicious cupcakes at an A-list event, ten-thousand dollars, and sugary glory!

Congratulations to last nights winner, owner of Sweet bakery in Orlando, Florida, Hollis Wilder. From the moment that woman dared to try a lox cupcake I was in her corner and now can only think of finding a way to score such a sweet sweet treat!

New Yarn Storage

Yesterday hubbo and I helped some good friends of ours move. A turn of fate that was possibly long overdo for us. Our pasts are littered with moves military and otherwise but I can't actually remember staying anyplace long enough to need to help anyone.

Perfect also got some quality time with her friend Sissy Von Rauch, named after Princess Sisi of Bavaria.

As is the case with so many moves, in the end our friends had things they either had no space for or for which they no longer had any further use. We were given this (the tan closet-y thing):

I have no idea what to call it. Whatever it is, it's now yarn storage. So here is my new "work area" as it is right now [and unfinished.]

Liz Lemon Break

This Liz Lemon break is brought to you by Fuck Yeah Liz Lemon, the letter G, and the number 7.


Liz: [to Jenna] What’s going on? Why are you being so happy and nice?… Are you soaking your tampons in vodka again?
30 Rock 4.19 - “Argus”

So. Much. Fur.

It's that time of year again - flowers are in bloom and dogs are shedding. Perfect, regrettably, is one of those blooming shedding dogs and somehow this year it seems worse than ever.

Vacuuming doesn't do the trick. I have to use our [borrowed] hand-held wet/dry vac to pull up the hair and then vacuum.

To all you other dog owners out there with fur working its way as deep and it can into your carpets the Om Nom Nom household feels your pain.

Junior's Most Fabulous Cheesecake & Desserts

A few weeks ago I was flipping through my foodie friend SiamKittie's Facebook photos and saw this photo of what turned out to be a slice of strawberry shortcake cheesecake, and instantly needed info about how I could make this happen for myself. SK was kind enough to direct me straight to where I could buy my own online (and currently on sale too!)

Before ordering I did my usual online search to learn a little about what I was getting myself into. In an online forum I saw someone said that Junior's Cheesecakes make Cheesecake Factory's cheesecakes taste like Sara Lee. It was ordered within the next 48 hours. Then I played the waiting game, in fact while I played I avoided all other desserts until my cake arrived.

Finally the day came, and much to my chagrin UPS didn't show until very late in the day; however it did show right as we were about to have dinner. UPS pulled a bit of a ding-dong-ditch and was gone before my husband answered the door. They also set the box on its side which had me a little worried about the state of my cake. There was minor squashing on one side but nothing like the pizzas that have obviously carried the under a delivery guys arm.

The cake was incredibly well packaged and was shipped with dry ice to keep it cool.

My initial response to the cake was that it fell short of my now somewhat hyped expectations. It was alright, and I liked the shortcakey bits, but the cheesecake was still slightly frozen. Still more cake to go I decided that I would just wait until the cake was entirely thawed and see how I felt about it then.

The thaw was just what the cake needed. The icing is light, nearly fluffy, leaving me wishing there was just a wee bit more to enjoy; it complimented the cake perfectly. Sandwiching cheesecake in between the shortcake was an interesting call on the part of Junior's and I must say as a girl who adores a sandwich - I approve! Inside the cheesecake was mixed just the right amount of fresh strawberries. There wasn't a strawberry in every bite but one sure seemed to show up when you wanted one. When it comes to the shortcake two words come to mind and those are springy and spongy.

Overall I'd have to say each individual piece that went into making this creatively layered cake was well crafted.

Was it the best cheesecake of my life? Since there's more life to live it's really too soon to say; but whenever I am back in New York I have every intention of seeing what other freshly concocted desserts Junior's has to offer.

Final rating? Three and a half stars - I really enjoyed it but didn't fall head over heels, I wouldn't turn down a piece if offered, and would actively pursue trying it again fresher than I was able to get it here in Ohio.

If all of this has you interested in placing an order of your own two good facts to have are that the cheapest available shipping is $11 for 2-day shipping. The alternative is $20 for overnight. And that you can choose your delivery date.

All of the pictures from this can be found in the Om Nom Nom Studios Flickr stream.