A (not so) Typical Week

Last week was a doozy! Brian was out of town all week and I was left to face one of my busiest weeks of the year all alone with my babies, Isabelle and Crockett. It was pretty crazy, but the truth is that my girls and I are never left all alone. My mom is always at my beck and call and last week she came to my rescue almost every day! It might have been easier to send Isabelle over to her house everyday (and night!), but so that I could enjoy time with her (or at least watch her from my workbench), my mom spent some time at my house and she even stayed overnight once, fixed me dinner and let me sleep in a little bit since our little morning girl is up bright and early everyday.

And it's not only my amazing mom who helps me get through weeks like that. There are many wonderful women who help make my life easier. Elise, Brian's mom, is always eager to help when she's not busy working at Encore Catering or taking care of other grandchildren. My new cleaning lady, Pilar, comes every Friday morning to help keep our home tidy and watch Isabelle while I work downstairs. And last, but certainly not least, is my assistant, Jen. Many people might not know that I have help in the bakement, but I'm not sure how I would get through the week without her. She usually only comes in once a week on baking day and together we bang out several cake batches (but recently she is the one doing most of the baking while I tend to Isabelle or check my endless emails). I hired her 2 years ago on a hunch that she would be not only a good employee, but also someone enjoyable to be around, and I was right! Although she works for me just a few hours a week, I don't know what I'd do without her. When you see her speed, energy and efficiency you would never know that she works 2 other jobs (one starting at 4:30 am almost every day!). Last week was not typical, since these days I rarely take 3 wedding cakes in one week. But then again, no week is "typical." This week I only have 2 small orders since we are leaving town early Friday, and that's certainly not typical. The fact is that in the cake business, there are no typical weeks. It's just not typical to be typical. Every week is different, not only in the amount of work, but in the type of cakes, what they're for, their flavors, designs, and customers. I do get bored easily, so that's one of the main reasons I love what I do. It's forever changing and I am always learning.

This is a random snapshot of my desk. One of my keys to staying organized is having a small desk, and lots of post-its. I am forced to go through the pile of stuff since I have limited space. And I make all notes on tiny post-its and place them all over my computer! A lot of people are curious about what a typical week is like in the world of For Goodness Cakes. When do I bake, how long does it take to decorate a cake, how in the world to I deliver these tiered cakes? I get these questions all the time and there's really no set answer since there is no typical week, but this is a pretty typical example of my day-to-day routine (and why I never really get a day off!):

Monday: This is what I like to think of as my "day off". I rarely have cakes to finish on Mondays and since most orders are for later in the week, the pressure is off. However, it can be a busy day. I catch up with customers by email and phone, finalize cake order details, and make sure I'm getting my wedding cake payments on time. I usually get my ingredients (or send Brian to!) at Sam's Club and Restaurant Depot, order supplies and organize my week. Sometimes I try to work on decorations I can make ahead, like gumpaste flowers and figurines.

Tuesday: Baking Day! That's right, we bake on Tuesdays. Well, you say, how do my cakes stay so moist and fresh all week for a Saturday event? I'm not afraid to say that the freezer is my friend. It locks in the deliciousness and allows every cake I bake to taste like it was just baked. And just FYI, all cakes must be baked a day ahead...have you tried icing a cake a few hours after it was baked? Didn't look so hot, eh? I rest my case. After conducting several experiments, it was clear that freezing cakes does not hurt and probably even helps the flavor and quality of my cakes! Afterall, they are only stored in the freezer for a day or two. Baking starts in the afternoon and there are usually cakes in the oven as late as 7 pm. That means I'm usually washing cake pans at 9 pm!

Wednesday: This is the day when I might work on designs that can be made ahead, like gumpaste flowers, figurines, or toppers. I also cut out all of my cake boards out of foamcore, and make cake boards and clean cake stands. I make fillings and buttercreams and do whatever I can to prepare myself for a very busy few days ahead.

Thursday: It's go time. I start torting, leveling and filling cakes. Sometimes I start icing them and doing some decorations. Shaped cakes are sculpted and crumb coated. This is when I make the inside of the cakes ready to look good on the outside. This is a crucial part of the process because a tiered cake will not be level, smooth, or clean on the outside without a perfect inside.

Friday: I can count on staying up late and working into the night (sometimes into the morning) on Fridays. We don't ever make plans to go out because on the rare occasion that we do I always end up backing out or hating myself later. Usually I stay seated in one position with my right elbow in the air as I ice the cakes for hours, or crouched with my shoulders stiff as I concentrate on piping delicate decorations with my eyes just inches from the side of the cake. That's why I'm very thankful that my husband is great at massages! If I'm smart I finish everything - get dowels in the tiers and complete all decorations so that I can just stack them and deliver the next day.

Saturday: I assemble the tiers and finish any final decorations borders. I pack up my bag with emergency supplies, back up the car to the end of the driveway, and put my "cake in transit" sticker on the rear window. Ready for delivery! Most cakes are delivered in the afternoon with the help of my mom or husband (sometimes Jen), and sometimes I place flowers or finish final details once I get to the venue. On the drive home my exhaustion hits me and I'm ready for a relaxing evening and maybe a day off...???

Sunday: Not a chance. Just when I think I might have a day all to myself I look at the calendar and there's at least one cake tasting (sometimes 3)! Cake tastings are usually scheduled on Sundays because it's the only day suitable for both me and potential clients. And I can't forget the most dreaded part of the week...I deep clean the bakement, wash dishes, mop and scrub the floors and equipment, about a 2 hour job if I do it right. You wouldn't believe the mess I can make!

And the cycle continues...

Now for the 3 wedding cakes of the week...a couple were very non-traditional designs with different shapes and colors - an unusal amount of dark icing colors made my hands turn purple!

Next was my fun cake of the week. I was asked to make the baby shower cake for my childhood friend, Jane. She's having twins (Henry and Loulie) and I was so excited to make a very special cake in honor of her little ones. Jane has had a particularly difficult pregancy (not just because she is carrying two!)...her little boy has a heart condition that requires surgery immediately after birth. We are all praying that those babies stay snug in the womb for as long as possible so that Henry's weight is optimal for the surgery. Jane and I grew up riding horses together, so when she told me she (an interior designer) was decorating the nursery with a cowboy/cowgirl theme, my mind started churning with ideas. This is what I came up with....complete with miniature hats made from gumpaste for the twins and of course horseshoes for good luck! The part of my week that is the most fun of all is the time I spend with Isabelle. As hard as it is to get any work done with her around (especially now that she is into everything!), I count my blessings everyday because I know how lucky I am to work out of my home. Last week she learned to crawl on her knees (rather than slither across the floor slowly) and she is ON THE MOVE!!!!

She loves going under everything and it's almost as if she prefers obstacles! Her expression when she sees something she wants to go after (in this case, the camera!) Isabelle absolutely loves crawling underneath Crockett. She will go back and forth if Crockett lets her!

And when Crockett isn't standing, she still tries to get under her! Loving this gorgeous weather!!! It's hard to believe that when we moved into our house 5 years ago our yard had NO grass! It took about that long to grow a lawn, just in time for Isabelle to frolick around! Well, there's some grass among the weeds, but it's still fun to play in! The crawling face...on a mission! Being outdoors means new things in the mouth...mmm bark. When Daddy came home after his week in California, we were SO happy!

We decided the pull out all of the cheesy paraphernalia in honor of the men in her life. Ladies, take note on the small print (and single)! He's a catch! Isabelle and her "dorky" granddaddy playing with the ipad, of course. Her shirt should have said "I have a belly like my granddaddy"...look at that gut!Another moment with her granddaddy Norfleet...he is just a little bit obsessed with his first grandbaby.