I don’t think there is much to say about this project since it’s the same ad from last time. If you want to learn more about this ad, you can access my old post here.

GIVEAWAY

I “soooo” love cake stands (I’m a hoarder)! Every time I see one, I must get it or I will die wishing. Collecting them can be so addicting! Several of my favorite cake stands are made by a company called Mosser Glass. Their milk glass cake stands are quite heavy, super solid and extremely durable. I’ll be giving away a brand new 9 inch milk glass cake stand to one of my readers!

I purchased mine at Cambria Cove (just closed) but you can also check them out at the My Sweet and Saucy Shop.

HOW TO ENTER

Just simply answer my question by leaving a comment:

I love cake stands and tableware. What type of things do you love? 

You can also enter a second time by clicking the “like” button on the Art and Appetite Facebook page. If you have already done that, it still counts. Leave another comment here (on this blog post) letting me know you’ve liked our Facebook page for an additional entry.

One winner will be picked through Random.org
Contest ends on Saturday, October 8, 2011 at 11:59 pm PST
Open to international readers
Your number may change due to deletion of spam comments and addition of pending comments

Congratulations #239 Debbie Nguyen! I will contact you shortly.

For updates, you can subscribe HERE, follow me on Twitter or join me on Facebook. Good luck!

Las Vegas isn’t the ideal place to grow blueberries, but I’m going to give it a try. I planted seven varieties of blueberries in nine mini raised beds. Cross your fingers!

Above are my Bluecrop blueberries. These are commonly grown in the Northern states.

These ones are called Sunshine Blue. They are very compact and bushy.

My Misty blueberry doesn’t seem very happy. The leaf cutter bees are messing with her foliage.

This one is really neat. They call it Pink Lemonade. I doubt they taste like lemons, but their berries are actually pink when ripe!

Brightwell and Premier are rabbiteye varieties. They grow very tall and will produce bigger berries.

Blueberries love acidic soil. A mixture of peat moss, soil and compost should keep them happy.

I planted about 50 pepper plants in four beds and several pots. I also added marigolds on every bed to help keep some pests away.

Remember these from last time? The plants are already growing! In fact, I just harvested some banana peppers the other day.

This was originally my cabbage bed. I pulled out all the cool season crops and planted more peppers. Pictured above are the habaneros, bells and the hottest Bhut Jolokia ghost peppers.

Do you like banana peppers?

Or, are you more of a bell pepper person?

Maybe you don’t like peppers at all?

Focused in front are more pepper plants. The raised bed in the middle of the photo is my okra bed. I don’t really like eating okra but my family enjoys them. It find it too slimy in the mouth.

I originally had strawberries on this bed. Unfortunately, they didn’t do very well. I replaced them with okras instead.

In the very front are my eggplants. You can also see the L-shaped bed I built for the peppers. There are actually two facing each other.

I am currently growing two varieties of eggplants: black beauty and Japanese

Unfortunately, she will eventually turn into an eggplant parmigiana.

I’m also growing some zucchinis. I heard these are monsters.

My wonderful friend, Jason Tucker gave me this tree collard. This rare plant will produce leafy greens all year round. Isn’t that neat!

I also planted some tomatoes. I may have to plant more next year. In the background are my mint beds. I was forced to build them to keep all mints 100% contained.

Have you ever had chocolate mint before? They totally remind me of girl scout cookies! The mint on the right is the spearmint I moved from the herb bed.

On top is the yerba buena mint and at the bottom is the peppermint.

The candy mint and banana mint. I can’t wait to use them for desserts!

Finally, here is my herb bed. I dug out all cool season herbs and added new ones.

I harvested my boxwood basil daily until it became all twigs. This is why I replanted a new one.

This spicy saber serrata basil was ready to die until I chopped half of it off. It’s now looking bright and healthy.

Gosh, this is actually the third time I replaced my Thai Basil. It just kept dying on me! So far, this one is looking good. I pinched all it’s flowers off to encourage more growth.

I added this dark opal basil to my collection.

The sweet basil is definitely doing well. It has given me some good marinara and pesto sauce.

Italian oregano, anyone?

Or, do you prefer Greek?

Maybe you like yours variegated?

I had to move the lemon verbana on the upper herb bed because it was blocking everything.

The curry plant is already blooming flowers.

I also moved my lavender and added another variety.

I also added a pomegranate tree/bush.

I love pomegranates!

See you again next time! Happy gardening!

For updates, you can subscribe HERE, follow me on Twitter or join me on Facebook. Thanks!

What I really want to talk about is growing your own food. I have always wanted to grow vegetables and herbs but the desert climate keeps intimidating me. Remember, when visiting Las Vegas for the first time, you should either bring a fur coat or a swimsuit. That being said, it either gets too hot or too cold over here. We have our occasional good weather but it never lasts long.

So, what grows in the desert? Not just cactuses that’s for sure! Take a look at my herb bed.

I built this stacked herb bed a couple of weeks ago with just regular, construction lumber. I would actually prefer to use Trex, redwood or cedar (rot resistant) but since we are just renting, I didn’t invest too much. Also, when building your raised beds, make sure not to use treated wood. Chemicals will leach into the soil and contaminate your food. Of course, if you are just growing ornamental flowers, that is okay.

I added the dividers to keep each herb contained. I also think it looks more organized this way.

This boxwood basil is probably the lushest herb in my bed.

You can use chives in endless possibilities!

Italian parsley for pastas, salads and garnishing dishes! Doesn’t it look like cilantro?

How about some lemon verbena on your iced tea?

I haven’t cooked with Thai basil yet but I’m sure they would be great for Southeast Asian cuisine.

Sweet basil is definitely a staple in Italian dishes. This is probably my commonly used herb, too.

Doesn’t this lemon thyme look beautiful in the herb bed?

This one is called pineapple sage. When I first saw it, I was intrigued by the name. It actually smells like pineapple!

Ready for some lavender ice cream?

I was surprised to see some curry at our local nursery! I love the aroma!

There was a huge variety of rosemary to choose from and I only get to pick one. One day, I’ll have a rosemary garden!

Keep your oregano and mint trimmed and contained so it doesn’t spread all over. These herbs actually inspired me to add the dividers.

Do you like adding dill to your tar tar sauce and potato salad?

I also have a raised bed with three varieties of strawberries. A few days ago, I picked off all the strawberries and blooms. I wanted the plant to first focus on growing some leaves than bearing fruits. That way, I get a better harvest next time.

I’m also growing six varieties of peppers. Peppers are actually perfect in the desert; as well as eggplants, okras, melons and some varieties of tomatoes. I wish I can plant them all!

I planted several of these collards and I’m not exactly sure of the variety. I’m guessing they are Georgia collards?

Of course, I can’t forget my bok choy. They are wonderful for stir fries and stews!

As you can see, plenty of things can actually grow in the desert. Of course, you wouldn’t want to plant cabbages during the desert summer nor plant tomatoes in the freezing winter. Keep in touch with your local nurseries and see what grows well in each season. Get some good organic soil and compost; plus don’t forget to water them regularly (just don’t water them too much).

Special thanks to Jason Tucker for giving me advice on growing edibles here in Las Vegas. I couldn’t do it without him! Also, I would like to thank John Kohler for inspiring me to start gardening! Thank you!

What are you waiting for? Start growing now!

For updates, you can subscribe HERE, follow me on Twitter or join me on Facebook. Good luck!

Okay, so I’ll keep this post as short as possible so we can proceed with the giveaway. You can scroll down at the end of this post if you really can’t wait. GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED. Check below for winners.

Here are some of my recent works:

Cake Central Magazine October-November Issue

This black and white cake was featured in the Now & Then article on Cake Central Magazine. I was asked to recreate Rod and Kathy’s vintage wedding cake and make something a little more updated. The vintage cake had the traditional pillars that were very common during that time. Since I wanted to challenge myself, I decided to incorporate that element in my design. But instead of using the actual pillars, I asked my dad to build me a cake stand that would mimic the architectural details of the columns. I think he did a fabulous job! What do you think?

Honestly, this was actually my very first square cake. At first, I could not get the edges look as sharp as what I envisioned. After many attempts, I had to settle down with the paneling method (think of laying tiles). Once the panels were attached, I spackled the seams with royal icing. It was so time consuming that I would never do square cakes again!

As you can see, the birds have finally evolved its wings and ready to fly away from my mind. Maybe those eggs will hatch one day and once again appear on one of my cakes. The bands and ribbons were made of  gumpaste while the monogram was painstakingly hand-cut by hand. Now, does anyone want to send me a Cricut Cake Machine?

I was also asked by Cake Central Magazine to create an Asian inspired cake for their issue. I wanted to think outside the box (too much, maybe?) and stray away from the bamboos and cherry blossoms. So, I came up with this design using handmade, silicone molds of Chinese coins and ornate carvings. Again, I used a paper puncher over gumpaste to make the scalloped trellis border and then used a fluorescent light cover to leave the quilted impression on the bands. I wished the camera captured the actual shade of yellow but unfortunately, it didn’t. The magazine got it close with editing, though.

Last but not the least, the book finally came out! Two of my cakes were featured in the book 1000 Ideas for Decorating Cupcakes, Cookies and Cakes by Sandra Salamony and Gina M. Brown. The cake pictured above is one of the two cakes that were printed. It was such a pleasure working with the authors! I’ll be giving away two copies of this book to two lucky winners! Take a look below for details.

GIVEAWAY

To enter, just simply answer my question by leaving a comment below:

What do you enjoy making the most? Cupcakes, cookies or cakes?

Two winners will be picked through Random.org
Contest ends on Thursday, April 21, 2011 at 11:59 pm PST
Open to international readers
Your number may change due to deletion of spam comments and addition of pending comments

Congratulations #126 Elena and #18 SheBakesCakes! I will contact both of you shortly.

For updates, you can subscribe HERE, follow me on Twitter or join me on Facebook. Good luck!

I’ll keep this post short and simple. All you have to do is guess how many pieces of chocolate chips are on the photo above. You can enter by leaving a comment on this post and/or leaving a comment on the Facebook page (look for the official “status” post). I will pick TWO winners; one from this blog and another one from the Art and Appetite Facebook page. You may only enter twice; once on this blog and once on Facebook. Yes, you may ask anyone from your household to enter. Prizes are not redeemable for cash. You must have a valid email address to enter (so I can contact you).

The winner on this blog will recieve four books:
Wedding Cake Art and Design by Toba Garrett
Sugar Orchids for Cakes by Alan Dunn, Tony Warren and Tombi Peck
Sugar Roses for Cakes by Tombi Peck, Alan Dunn and Tony Warren
Satin Ice Sugar Craft by Mercedes Strachwsky

The winner on Facebook will recieve two books:
Wedding Cake Art and Design by Toba Garrett
Satin Ice Sugar Craft by Mercedes Strachwsky (autographed copy) 

Contest ends on Friday, October 22, 2010 at 11:59 PST. CONTEST IS OVER. WINNERS  ARE ANNOUNCED BELOW.

What a close match! Thank you everyone for participating! The chips are triple checked by two people for accuracy. The total number of chocolate chips is:

968

Congratulations to the winners! Blog winner Lily #227, guessed the correct number of 968 chocolate chips while the Facebook winner, Valentine Chandra was the closest at 969 chocolate chips.

For updates on future giveaways, you can subscribe HERE, follow me on Twitter or join me on Facebook. Good luck!

A few months ago, I worked with Jackie Shaffer of Cake Central Magazine to create a cake for their August issue. The magazine has monthly trends, where they feature different cakes of the same theme. This time, they wanted something Chandelier inspired. Here is what I came up with.

I went with something simple yet clean. Simple isn’t always easy because there is very little room for mistakes. A huge chunk of my time was actually spent on getting the fondant smooth and clean. I barely cover a cake at night because there is very little light to spot the flaws. The sun is definitely my best friend when it comes to cakes. The black accents in the other hand were done using molds found here. I then enhanced them by brushing a couple layers of confectioners glaze.

This cake was featured in the summer section of the magazine. It was actually my first topsy turvy cake and also my first experience with giant roses. Thanks to my good friend, Jacqueline Butler for her guidance. Comparing my roses to hers, I wish I could have done a better job. She is a flower empress!

Oh, and I used this mold to create the floating effect on the bottom tier, while the other elements were done using  custom molds.

For this next cake, I worked with Victoria Smith and Suzanne Shade for the Minted Ad they were working on. This beautiful ad is featured in Town and Country Weddings Magazine Fall/Winter. Also, check out the Minted website for beautiful invitations.

Victoria wanted a cake similar to my signature “birds and buds” cake. With very little time on creating this cake, I was glad I kept the extra buds I made from my last project. This is one actually turned out to be my favorite version. Check out Victoria’s beautiful blog to see the behind the scenes.

You know, I really missed blogging. To celebrate my come back, I will be posting a book giveaway next week! So stay tuned!

For updates on this giveaway, you can subscribe HERE,  follow me on Twitter or join me on Facebook. Thanks!

Have a nice week!

I know, I know. I told you this will be my last cake with buds and birds. I did this cake way before the Sweet Country Birthday Cake.  Anyways, Jackie wanted a cake with a dark base and colorful accents. I would have used bright flowers but since I only had a few days to work on this cake (shipping of supplies took days to arrive), I settled with the gumpaste buds instead. 

I love the look of chocolate on chocolate–I think it gives the cake a contemporary aura. I added stripes to create texture without the busy appearance. The stripes were easy although time consuming. If you are a cake decorator, you’d know how difficult it is to make a single band straight. The rest of the elements are made of gumpaste (yes, it is all edible). I then used a Martha Stewart cake stand to add some extra height. 

Overall, I’m very much satisfied with the cake (although I wish I could have made a grander cake). The magazine was a big hit! Sold out everywhere. It was such a pleasure to be on Cake Central Magazine with all these talented decorators. Thanks Cake Central Magazine!

This cake is inspired by my other competition cake that didn’t make the trip back home (it broke into pieces). I wanted to make a cake that looks fresh and soft. This is the reason why I chose this particular shade of blue (it looks a bit teal-ish in person). 

I achieved the floating effect on the bottom tier by elevating it on a small seperator. Those curled pieces were made out of gumpaste using a modified hydrangea leaf cutter. I made the fleur de lis using a custom mold and then made the flower buttons (altered) using a purchased jewel mold. I’m telling you, mold making is addicting! 

The topper is actually a foam egg covered in the same pieces as the ones from the bottom tier. If you want the whole thing edible, you can make a giant chocolate egg. One of my favorite part about this cake are the feathers. I hand cut it from gumpaste and then attached them on the sides (I really love the flow). Finally, I then used a  frill cutter to give the board a finished look.

I’m pretty much satisfied with the cake. It’s something I a bit more different than what I usually do.

Happy birthday Minnie, Tita Jovy and Tita Airline!

Fact of the day:

Iron Chef Cat Cora (my favorite) was pregnant the same time as her partner. The boys were born 3 months apart.

I had to travel this cake stacked for 5 hours. Yes, it was nerve-wracking and super cold (we had to turn the AC on high the whole trip) and raining. I also brought my dog, 6 gigantic boxes, plus a week worth of luggage. Not to mention, we were driving a 98 Honda Civic–yes, we had to take the passenger’s seat off. I can already imagine the 18 hour drive to the Oklahoma Sugar Art Show…oh my.

Anyways, I incorporated my signature buds and birds (again) on this cake. Don’t be surprised, the magazine cake also had a similar look. Hehe, I’ll make sure my next cake won’t have any of those. The standing trellis were made by rolling a rectangular piece of gumpaste and punching out squares using a square cutter. I let it dry on a curve (I used a dummy) and then filed the edges. The lace appliques were molds I got from Jennifer Dontz while the stripes were done with a ribbon cutter from Sharon Zambito. One of the most time consuming part was covering the cake in fondant. It literally took me 12 hours to cover and recover all the tiers. I was being so meticulous that I made sure every square inch was smooth.

This year, there were celebrity judges from the Food Network Challenges, TLC’s Ultimate Cake Off, WE TV’s Amazing Wedding cakes and other Master Sugar Artists. I was pleased with their comments on my cake, saying that it was flawless and clean.

In the end, it was all worth it. I am still surprised I won! I can’t believe it!

To see some of the cakes from the competition, check out Casey Wither’s amazing shots.

Tip of the day:

Don’t have a scrub pad to clean your dirty pans? Use scrunched up foil instead.