Pampered Chef Party-- A Success!

I'll show some people pics later but I'll be honest they didn't come out well.  You know how we food bloggers are, we can capture the essence of cheese but not of Charles.  So hey, let's not feel bad about doing what we do better or best, right?

So for food pics, here's one of the overall food table:

Starting at the loaf of bread cake at top and going clockwise:  vegetable skewers, spinach dip, olives stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes, pepperoni bread, cheese, homemade-ish onion dip, and crackers. On the stove was a pot of homemade Chicken Noodle soup.  That seemed to go over well. I made 5 quarts and when everyone had left there was only one medium-ish individual bowl left of mostly broth.  My chicken noodle soup recipe can be found HERE.  Funny, the last time I served it was at a girls' night party. Hmmm...I have to rememeber it always goes over well.

The one sort of funny thing is that most of the veggies skewers weren't eaten.  Several people commented that they thought they were beautiful but I can't figure out if no one wants to be the guy to dismantle it, or what?  If anyone from the party is reading, let me know what you were thinking.  This is my favorite way to make a veg tray but when I do people always make a point of oohing and ahhing but not of eating. 

Directions for the veggie bucket set-up after the jump.

The cake:

From another angle:

I liked it once I got the whole thing finished and all of the stuff set up around it.  It's funny because I only see the flaws and all the trouble I had with it but a couple of people who were there didn't realize at first it was a cake and not a loaf of bread. That made my night!

With the exception of the salt cellar on the right, everything you see in this pic (okay except the platter and lines) is made of sugar. The cake is coconut layer cake with coconut buttercream filling, covered in fondant and hand-painted with a pastry brush.  The utensils to the left are sculpted from gumpaste.

Here's a close up of the vegetable skewers. This is my favorite way to make a vegetable tray--vertical!

Everyone just left. Everyone seemed to have a good time. Hope so. I know I did.  After the main presentation part of the Pampered Chef demonstration was over we basically sat and yacked about everything from eating rabbit and squirrels to Paris Hilton and her constant flashing of her squirrel. It was a bit of a running theme.

My friend Jennifer brought me knock off Paris Hilton perfume.  Ahhhhh, how much I loved it! Really. It's fun.  I love the thought of wearing the version she makes no money from.  Hee.  Jenn, you did mean for me to keep that, right?  Uhhhh, if not drop me an email. I just sort of assumed.

Ashley did a great job with the presentation and made fabulous Jerk (no men involved in case you were wondering like some of the rest of us) Chicken Salad.

Here's Ashley:

More tomorrow along with recipes for the coconut cake. Recipes are now posted. Click below. Also, there are more personal pics from the party on my personal blog, G's Spot.

UPDATE ON SHER'S CAKE:  UPS shows the cake as being scanned and leaving Springfield on the big jet 15 minutes ago and is scheduled to be on time for delivery by 10:30am in the morning. So far so good! Sher will let us all know the minute it arrives and what shape it showed up in.

UPDATE AGAIN ON SHER'S CAKE:  UPS shows it loggin in at midnight in the Kentucky depot and still listed for on time delivery.

LAST UPDATE BEFORE DELIVERY:  Sher's cake was logged in and then out again from Mather CA between 5am and 5:30am, then it arrived in West Sacramento at 7:05 and was then logged in at the truck for deliver by 7:15am this morning.  Wow. I'm impressed. 

UPDATE UPDATE:  It ARRIVED!  Go to www.whatdidyoueat.typepad.com to see Sher's reaction!

Coconut Layer Cake:

from The New Best Recipe Cookbook from the editors of Cook's Illustrated and America's Test Kitchen.  I highly recommend all three: the cookbook, which was what I replaced my old worn out general cookbook with, the magazine, and the TV show on PBS.  The web site for CI is www.cooksillustrated.com .

(Found at Price Cutter in the baking aisle, but in many groceries with the drink or liquor mixes.  1--15 oz can will make the cake and the frosting.  Make sure not this is CREAM of coconut, not coconut MILK, Cream of coconut is much sweeter and more condensed in flavor.)

INGREDIENTS

Cake
1	large egg
5	large egg whites
3/4	cup  cream of coconut
1/4	cup  water
1	teaspoon  vanilla extract
1	teaspoon  coconut extract
2 1/4	cups  cake flour (9 ounces), sifted
1	cup  granulated sugar
1	tablespoon  baking powder
3/4	teaspoon  table salt
12	tablespoons  unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into 12 pieces, softened, but still cool
2	cups packed  sweetened shredded coconut (about 8 ounces)
Buttercream
4	large egg whites
1	cup  granulated sugar
	pinch  table salt
1	pound  unsalted butter (4 sticks), each stick cut into 6 pieces, softened, but still cool
1/4	cup  cream of coconut
1	teaspoon  coconut extract
1	teaspoon  vanilla extract  1. For the Cake: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with shortening and dust with flour. 2. Beat egg whites and whole egg in large measuring cup with fork to combine. Add cream of coconut, water, vanilla, and coconut extract and beat with fork until thoroughly combined. 3. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix on lowest speed to combine, about 30 seconds. With mixer still running on lowest speed, add butter 1 piece at a time, then beat until mixture resembles coarse meal, with butter bits no larger than small peas, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. 4. With mixer still running, add 1 cup liquid. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 45 seconds. With mixer still running, add remaining 1 cup liquid in steady stream (this should take about 15 seconds). Stop mixer and scrape down bowl with rubber spatula, then beat at medium-high speed to combine, about 15 seconds. (Batter will be thick.) 5. Divide batter between cake pans and level with offset or rubber spatula. Bake until deep golden brown, cakes pull away from sides of pans, and toothpick inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes (rotate cakes after about 20 minutes). Do not turn off oven. 6. Cool in pans on wire racks about 10 minutes, then loosen cakes from sides of pans with paring knife, invert cakes onto racks and then re-invert; cool to room temperature. 7. While cakes are cooling, spread shredded coconut on rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven until shreds are a mix of golden brown and white, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times. Cool to room temperature. 8. For the Buttercream: Combine whites, sugar, and salt in bowl of standing mixer; set bowl over saucepan containing 1 1/2-inches of barely simmering water. Whisk constantly until mixture is opaque and warm to the touch and registers about 120 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 minutes. 9. Transfer bowl to mixer and beat whites on high speed with whisk attachment until barely warm (about 80 degrees) and whites are glossy and sticky, about 7 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-high and beat in butter 1 piece at a time. Beat in cream of coconut and coconut and vanilla extracts. Stop mixer and scrape bottom and sides of bowl. Continue to beat at medium-high speed until well-combined, about 1 minute. Level the cake layers and assemble with buttercream in between.  Frost entire cake and then sprinkle on or pat on coconut over surface of cake, toasting if desired.  Personally, I like the cocount to stay soft and chewy. Vegetable Platter: Basket or container or your choice Assorted vegetables Bamboo skewers Mini cookie or cake decorating cutters 1 loaf day old bread, left out open for at least one day to crust and dry out Kale leaves 1. Wash and prepare veggies. 2.  For the sweet peppers, cut off the bottom and top, make a slit down one side, unroll and remove core and seeds. Lay out as flat as possible. For cukes or cheese or any other items you want to cut out, clice at least 3 times as thick as the skewer so it will hold. Press out with cookie/decorating cutters. 3. Assemble skewers as desired, some small some tall. 4. Place bread into bottom of basket or container, cutting into pieces as needed to fit entire bottom as uniformly as possible.  Cover with Kale leaves.  Place skewers in as if arranging flowers, and layer Kale with extra veggies. Sometimes I'll prepare all the veggies in advance, even making the skewers in advance, covered in a plast bag into the fridge until just before serving when I assemble the basket.

Comments

[sher]

First off: Don't defame squirrels everywhere by comparing Paris' naughty bits to them! My squirrels don't want to be associated with the likes of her!!

The pictures are marvelous. I loved seeing them. Maybe you should put a little sign on the veggies flowers next time that says, "Please eat me!" They are adorable! And the "bread" is perfect. It's quite a compliment that people thought it was real! You put on a wonderful party and I wish I had been there.

[Auntie Miranda]

Sorry I couldn't be there. It LOOKS wonderful. I agree with Sher on the sign. Something that looks like it belongs in Farmer Brown's garden. Besides the fact that they look much to beautiful to eat, it could be the fact that when you take a skewer, you're locked into everything on it. When it's a "horizontal" tray, you can pick just the stuff you like. When I first saw the picture, I thought you hadn't used the utensils ON THE CAKE. Then I realized those WERE the untensils NEXT to the cake - at first look I thought they were REAL ones. Way good.

[Alisha]

Wow, looks like an awesome spread! I agree with Sher on the sign too ... I bet people just thought they were for decoration and didn't want to it them. I'm going to be stealing that idea for my next stamp camp, though. :-)

I can't wait to hear/see about the cake -- I'm almost on pins and needles waiting for it to arrive and I have nothing to do with it! LOL

[Glenna]

Sher--Yeah, no kidding. Squirrels are way better than that white trash spoiled brat rich kid! Thanks so much for the compliments. I do love the way the pics came out. For a cheap camera the colors are so vivid and the detail is very good. Thanks!

Auntie Miranda--You were missed! Now that you say that, it does make sense. About a half dozen of the skewers are gone but they were the smaller fill in ones that only had a tomato and a radish or a tomato and a carrot. Nobody said anything but after I thought about it the ones nobody ate were the ones that would have been our favorite, the ones with both a purple cauliflower and a sun-dried tomato stuffed olive. mmmm...the olives have been good!

Alisha--Steal away! There are so many ways to do that concept. I used to use a basket but I loved the idea of the little silver bucket. More rustic to go with the calico table cloth. Also, just so you know, in the bottom is a dried loaf of French bread to poke the skewers into. Thanks!

[Mark Vane]

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[Alanna]

Okay guess which idea I'm stealing! (As much as I want on that Cake of the Month list, and I'm sure shipping from Springfield to St. Louis is lots cheaper! Heck, I could arrange a pickup!)

[Glenna]

Alanna, vegetable queen :-), I think I have a clue! You know STL isn't that far and I do go there occasionally...

[Kalyn]

I love the veggie skewers! You know I'm not much of a cake girl, but those I would definitely make. I might even make them for myself to take for lunches. Bet that would start a conversation in the faculty room (where I keep reminding people that "what Kalyn is having for lunch" is not really that interesting of a topic for conversation.

[Glenna]

But it is a great conversation! Either that or I'm in the same boat. Okay, so I haven't been to work in over 2 months because of my knee but when I had been taking my lunch in that new bento lunchbox that I love, people were always fascinated. It hink lunch is one of those things that we all think we should eat healthy, like the veggie skewers, but it's just so easy to go grab a burger or crap instead. I like the skewers too because it makes me feel like I'm eating something fancier than what it is, if that makes sense.

[April]

I can't imagine why they didn't chow down on the veggies! I know my daughters would eat anything with such great presentation. Flower peppers AND purple cauliflower? Yes, please!

[brilynn]

I'm so impressed that you mailed a cake adn that it arrived in one piece, and that "loaf" cake is awesome!

[Glenna]

April--I thought they were great too! Ate two myself. Oh well. Such is life!

Brilynn--Thanks so much! It was fu-- Okay, I won't say fun because I went through hell to make it but I enjoyed looking at it once it was done! :-)

[Tara]

I too will be stealing your veggie skewer idea... They look gorgeous, they remind me of a flower bouquet I once ordered for a friend that was made out of chocolates and lollies - but your version is a lot healthier!

[Glenna]

Tara--Go for it! Just don't forget the bread in the bottom of the container to stabilize the skewers.

[utbtkids]

The veggies skewers look awesome. Can I steal the idea for one of my parties??! Will take no credit for the idea, will follow all anti-plagarism rules to the T!
You are one talented person!

[Cynthia]

You're one heck of a talented lady. Hope you and Gene had a good weekend.

[Glenna]

utbtkids--Go for it! I promise I must have gotten it from somewhere too or a variation, I've just been making them so long I don't remember. Just do it. No plagiarism suspected. :-)

Cynthia--You are so sweet! Thank you and you too.

[Jennifer DiCamillo]

I think the utensils were amazingly realistic. The bread cake was very cool. And the little bucket of veggies...

all too pretty to eat!

I had never tried lemon cucumber water either. That was an interesting and refreshing beverage.

Thanks for inviting me.

[Glenna]

Jennifer--thanks! I really appreciate that. I was served the cucumber water by a massage therapist one time and that's exactly what I thought. It was so refreshing and summery that I felt like a million bucks. Have been drinking it ever since.

[Treehouse Chef]

Wow! That is some feast! I can't imagine having such talent. Everything was almost too pretty to eat. My stepdaughter is studying to be a pastry chef. I will make sure she checks this out!

[Jenn]

I am in LOVE with your veggie display!!! I'm going to try that this weekend for my Grandmothers 90th Hawaiian themed birthday party... thank you!!

[Glenna]

Thank you and go for it! Would love to see pics of your creation. Hit the email button on my blog and I'll blog yours!