Can some of you please recommend your favorite cake, cupcake, fondant/ gumpaste decorating books?
I want some that show lots of pictures and lots of details if possible. If there are step by step "How to's" that would be great too!
I'm going to be in bed and basically flat on my back for several weeks after a surgery and need to get my fix in and pass the time somehow
I won't even be able to use my laptop
What will I do without CC??
So i'm hoping to find some great books to get me through this long haul, and who knows hopefully i'll learn some new teqniques along the way!
I'm going to try and order as many on Ebay as I can to save money, but if you know of other places with good prices I would appreciate knowin about those too.
The surgery should be sometime in April if everything goes right.
Thanks for all you help in advance!

Teri,

I hate to hear it i hope things go well. I would go to the library first to see what they have. You can check them out right before and can renew by phone in most places. They are the "right" price. Then go and buy ones that you really like. I have yet to find one I don't like. Some I like more than other though. LOL

So sorry to hear about your situation...I don't know what I would do without CC or my laptop...I'm so dependent!!!

Amazon.com has great deals on books too. They have new and used that can be purchased. If you don't mind a dog-eared page here or there or maybe a slight pen mark the used ones are a great find. Good luck with everything. K'ly

I've tried our library, they have absolutely NO cake decorating books or anything related to it. I asked them to look them up and they don't even stock them. They only carry recipe books.

KlyKat do have some favorites you could recommend? I deffinately don't mind used ones, especially if they have peoples notes in them
Other peoples comments are always great!

I'm actually looking forward to the surgery, been in a lot of pain for way too long...so hopefully this will help.
My main concern is my kids and my DH and me not being able to be there for them like I want to. My other concern is no CC and getting through being bored silly!


So please i'm begging all you great CC'ers out there help me out with some book or author recommendations...pretty please with buttercream on top??

Can you watch TV? I know its more expensive than the library books but I would suggest the Sugar Shack collection of DVDs. I started my boxes and bows dvd last night and was up late watching it. I could watch it over and over again. I have 4 of her DVDs and I have just learned so much.

Also I love the Debbie Brown books. She does mostly fondant but you can see where you could sub buttercream for a lot of the base icings etc.

Good luck with your recovery. If you had just a ton of money, I would say buy an ipod touch (around $200), it's tiny, not heavy like a laptop and you could surf CC if you have wireless connection at home. Maybe a friend or someone might have one you could borrow.

Best of luck in your recovery.
Cristy

Hi Silly
Thanks for you input...the IPOD touch is a great idea! I hadn't even thought of that!!I'm sure my MIL will let me use hers! Or maybe someone in my family will feel for me and buy me one...hehehe!! Just kidding!
I still want to get the books, and this IS a good excuse to buy them without feeling guilty for spending the money. Besides DH and my mom and others are willing to help to make things mre bearable for me. I'm not sure about the DVD's, I have a hard time getting into them. I'm more of a book person

I'm so glad your mom has a Touch. That will really help keep you sane. And I love Debbie Brown's book and if you're looking for recipe books the Cake Dr. book is awesome. Lots of tricks you can apply to other cakes not just the one recipe.

I would say normally I'm a book person too but Sharon's videos are so different for me. She does EVERY step, usually a couple of times so you can really see it. When I think of step by step books, I want a picture of how it looks at each phase. Most books I've purchased skip images of some of the between steps. Sharon doesn't...and I can rewind
You can watch samples of her work on the sugared.com website and see if you like the DVD format before you buy them so if it's not your thing, you're not out the money!

I have Toba Garrett's "The Well Decorated Cake". It has lots of pictures and great ideas. I also have her cookie book, ditto on the pictures. If I were in your position(not being able to bake during recovery) I would have to have a notebook to write down all my ideas so I wouldn't forget them by the time I was back on my feet. Nothing is worse than having a great idea and not being able to remember what it was. I have to write things down and draw pictures.

I hope your surgery goes well and that your recovery is quicker than expected.

Tastyart thats funny...I keep a notpad with me at all times. I write notes to myself constantly, about everything. I had a neck and head injury that has affected my short term memory, so i take lots of notes. When its comes to anything with a cake I draw pics too. I really want books with a lot of picitures because I enjoy looking through them, but also want to learn techniques.