Baby Showers and desserts!

Hello all!  So, even though I am done with my lab classes for the summer (I am still in a lecture called Purchase and Cost Control once a week), I have been busy the last few weeks doing some really fun personal stuff!!  First, I helped make the food and desserts for my sister's baby shower in Cleveland.  

It all started with a trip to the West Side Market downtown to get some great produce and meats...

After about a day and half of prepping, the food went out...

Here are some pickled vegetables (on the left) and raw veggies with hummus and curry yogurt dips

Assortment of cheeses on the left with a fruit chutney (in the martini glass), spicy black bean dip with fruit salsa garnish, and assorted crackers and chips

Clockwise from the left: fruit platters, thai chicken lettuce wraps, potato, egg, and cheese "tortillas"-these are Spanish and made like a frittata, salami and pepper relish canapes (fancy word for 1 to 2 bite appetizers)

Another angle...

We put a lot of the food items on floor tiles which I thought turned out really neat looking!

And, here is my cake again!  It made it to Ohio (after melting a bit in the car) and after a little TLC turned out pretty good!

I added some birds and lady bugs for a color contrast (plus it mama animals with their babies!)

Here I am with Nena and my cousin Rachel, looking good!!

So, after getting back to MI and recuperating for a few hours, I had another major project to complete: my first non-family dessert catering!  I made mini desserts for a co-worker at the hospital, including: chocolate truffles, macarons (the cookies not the coconut balls!-which I have made before in class and posted...), lemon bars, and cake ball lollipops.  Here's how they turned out!

Here's my "production line" for the truffles... they started as a basic chocolate ganache (good quality chocolate and heavy cream), then half were rolled in toasted almonds and the other half in toasted coconut

Here they are ready to be delivered!

Here are the macarons: the green ones are filled with pistachio butter cream and the purple with strawberry and raspberry butter cream

Here are the cake ball lollipops, which were actually pretty tricky to get right-the white chocolate wouldn't melt enough to dip and then some of the cake would fall off the sticks...ahhh!  But, they are a hot item right now, so I better really start loving them!

Lemon bars, which I cut into triangles

Here's all the stuff ready for delivery!

I delivered all of this on Friday (because then I was headed off to Columbus for Nena's second shower!) so I couldn't actually set up the desserts for the reception, but Emily did share some pictures with me...

I bought the lollipop stand for the cake balls and then Emily's family set up everything else, complete with a candy station-love it!

I also made raspberry sauce for the lemon bars which they drizzled on top...

I'm really happy with how everything turned out and Emily said the desserts were a big hit!

So, then it was off to Columbus!  This shower was less people and took a less complex approach to the food.  Here's how it turned out!

One of the first things I did was made homemade hot fudge and honey butterscotch sauce for the ice cream sundae bar for dessert.  Here I am getting started... do I look tired??

Here is the boiling honey, sugar and water for the butterscotch sauce

Next goes the cream... it gets very steamy and bubbly!!

Then, it is finished with butter, yum!

Here I am with Nena a week after Cleveland... did she get bigger??

Here's the beautiful watermelon carving made for the centerpiece (can't take credit for this... thanks sweetie!!)

Veggie platter with root vegetable chips and homemade French onion dip

Red bean dip with tortilla chips

Pretty fruit tray!

The main course was shredded pork tacos (bottom right corner), then there were mac'n'cheese cups (middle left) made in silicon cupcake holders (great idea mom!!)

Another view... to the right of the bean dip were other homemade condiments: mango salsa, guacamole, and chipotle sour cream

The party was great!!  I didn't get a picture of the ice cream bar, but that was a success as well!

So, later that night Nena threw a surprise 30th birthday party for Kevin (her husband) and a restaurant in town.  He was surprised!!

Guess who was asked to make the cake??  (Hint: it wasn't Walmart...)  His favorite candy is Reese's PB cups, so I made a peanut butter cake with chocolate frosting and mini PB cups on top and in the layers...

It was a hit!!  (This picture reminds me of the importance of wiping your knife in between each cut... the anal student in me had to come out!!)

Okay, just reviewing this post is making me exhausted!!  I did have a busy few weeks, but I learned a lot and am starting to build a name for myself here in MI, so that makes it all worth it!
Coming up, I am taking an awesome weekend trip to Chicago, then have some family coming to visit, and finally doing a Michigan tour, including Sleeping Bear Dunes, Traverse City, Mackinaw Island and Pictured Rocks (in the UP, Upper Peninsula).  I am looking forward to relaxing and having some really delicious food, of course!!  I can't wait to share my experience with you all soon!  Hope everyone is having a great summer =)