Ceramic Corsets by Nicole Moan

Cynthia told me about the corsets  but I wasn't prepared for their intricacy and beauty. Apparently during the opening of the exhibit women models walked around (,along with a 6 ft tall man). I 'm sure it was fantastic to see these pieces. The artist Nicole Moan's creations are in great demand . She was kind enough to donate a corset to be auctioned off for the benefit of the YMCA.

I admit the Rock of Love one scares me a little bit ... no slow dancing in THIS one !!

Bound to Please Corset Exhibit

This was a fascinating walk through the history of the corset.The museum is located in the old Carnegie Museum which has been beautifully restored.As you walk into the lobby you are greeted by an exhibit on patent medicine which my pal Cynthia created. One of the companies Cynthia highlighted was Lilliam Pinkum which made a large variety of patent medicines and whose products were sold by my great grandmother! In addition to the panels and historic corsets are beautiful ceramic corsets created by Nicole Moan.Guthrie is the old state capital for the state of Oklahoma. If you have a chance take a minute to  look at it  on the http://sandee624.zenfolio.com for more pictures.   

Large panel on the front of the museum advertising the exhibit was created by Cynthia.Quite the play on words Cynch !

Entrance to Corset Exhibit , Guthrie Oklahoma

Patent medicine posters created by Cynthia . Lillium Pinkum was sold by my great grandmother.

Cynthia created all of the panels for the exhibit. I was fascinated by the way she formed the text to enhance the background pictures she had chosen.

Corset created by museum staff during a corset making class.

Cynthia showing me the pieces necessary to create a corset.Modern bendable metal stays replaced wood or bone basks.You can take a class to create your own corset.

Notice the age of the children.If you look closely boys wor corsets AND dresses !

Ladies weren't the only ones to wear corsets.These  gentlemen were called Dandies or Hummingbirds.

World War 2 not only freed women to work but freed them from corsets !

Some of these people died of ruptured bowels and other health problems due to the compress of their organs.
I was delighted to see a full exhibit Cynthia had done.I can't wait to see the Route 66 exhibit she's working on.You go girl !!!!!!

Catnap Christmas Event

We had a fantastic time helping Catnap with their annual fundraiser doing what we do best..eating , dancing, shopping and you guessed it consuming cupcakes ,cookies and truffles made by you know
who !!  The theme was Catnap Cabaret and the dessert buffet reflected it.I used some vintage watercolors catnap had for sale in their antique booth to create the feel of the event.
Greg from Blue Water Martini Bar in Brookfield was the auctioneer and kept us amused with his repartee as he auctioned off some great items .  Sherry , Karen, Gaile and I spent months creating over 100 beautiful baskets from items we purchased and items we received from some fantastically generous folks.The best part of the night was watching the baskets go home with their happy new owners.

Let's Make a Gingerbread House !

John and Michelle called and asked if I could help them make a gingerbread house and I was thrilled to be a part of the project ! Being the overachiever I am I somehow convinced my friend Ann to take a journey to the Albanase Candy Company in Indiana to seek out the largest and freshest selection of Christmas and decorating candy in the area.They have a chocolate fountain that comes down from the ceiling that makes the room smell heavenly ! You can look through the window and watch the candy being made. This time of year Santa is around for kids to visit. They have a display of gingerbread houses to get the wheels turning on ideas to make your house. Next I visited the Home Economist in Clarendon Hills for sprinkles. They always have a fantastic selection of seasonal sprinkles and candy.

The kids arrived and after 2 recipes we were off !! Michelle and John patiently rolled out the dough and in the oven it went. John used his latent engineering skills to assemble the house with Michelle lending a steady hand to help the house dry. After decorating their images in gingerbread along with some future small family members ( smile !) they were ready for to assemble the display and decorate their house . I think they did a fantastic job !!!! I can't wait to do the same project in a few years with them and the help of their little gingerbread people!!!!!

Christmas is coming ....... FAST

Yesterday I was dipping in chocolate and decorating the 600 spritz cookies I had baked the night before and realized I hadn't shared with you the list of cookies on the Holiday Cookie Tray ! I have spent the last few months slaving away tweaking the recipes for the Holiday Cookie Tray. My family and friends have spent this same amount of time sighing and rolling their eyes as I redid recipes that seemed fine to them but didn't make it up to my standards. Me: " It needs a pinch of nutmeg "  F + F : " They taste fantastic to us but if you INSIST we will gobble up this batch !"  "I guess we're forced to eat them darn it ! ( Hee Hee Hee )"  It turned into a lot of fun so I hope you enjoy eating them as much as I enjoy baking them !

Rugelach  Triangle dough filled with apricots, chocolate and orange zest then rolled up to resemble      a  mini croissant.
 Lace Cookies Rich dark chocolate sandwiched between two delicate lace cookies
Cherry Shortbread Cookies Crisp buttery cookies filled with bits of dried cherries drizzled in silky white chocolate and topped  with slivered almonds
Peanut Butter Truffles Creamy peanut butter filling blended with bits of chocolate then dipped in    
 chocolate and topped with crunchy chopped peanuts
 Cappuccino Cups Velvety chocolate ganache blended with Baileys Irish Cream
Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes Rich chocolate cupcake topped with creamy chocolate frosting     topped with crushed peppermints and decorated with a mini candy cane
Chocolate Mint Cupcake Rich chocolate cupcake topped with refreshing mint frosting topped with mini chocolate chips and a piece of Andy's Candies chocolate mints
Each tray is topped with 5 festively Decorated Christmas Cookies
If you would prefer I can substitute a Coconut Snowball Cupcake for one of the Chocolate Cupcake selections.

You can email me at orders@hummingbirdcakery.com 
or call at 630-926-8643

I hope I can take some of the stress out of your holidays by doing your baking for you !

Thanks ! Jen

Chocolate Peanut butter Truffles

Chocolate Cappuccino Cups and Dark Chocolate filled Lace Cookies

Chocolate Mint Cupcakes and Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes

Coconut Snowball Cupcakes and Prune Kolachky