"it's Not As Easy As It Looks On Tv."
Decorating By llj68 Updated 21 May 2005 , 9:24pm by SquirrellyCakes
THAT was the comment I just got from my friend who tried to decorate a bday cake for her ds last night. She watched the show "Semi Homemade" the wedding edition on Food TV a couple of weeks ago. The hostess was saying that to decorate a wedding cake, all you need to do was put icing in a Ziploc and pipe on your decorations. No problemo and an easy way to get around using a professional decorator.
Well--my girlfriend tried it and after FOUR exploded Ziplocs (both the regular kind and the freezer kind) she gave up! LOL! I could have told her it wouldn't work very well since I have tried the same thing myself on a few occasions with the same result (I have since bought parchment paper for those times when I just need a bit of something.)
I hate it when shows (either food, home repair, decorating, etc) make stuff look SO easy that people start to think there really isn't much talent or knowledge invovled. My girlfriend definately learned her lesson. Cake decorating is NOT as easy as it appears and we should all be proud of our creations and our talents.
Lisa
It's interesting, I don't think a lot of people realize what may have ended up on the cutting room floor before the show aired.
That and all the little "elves" (ie production assistants) and work their tails off behind the scenes.
It's interesting, I don't think a lot of people realize what may have ended up on the cutting room floor before the show aired.
That and all the little "elves" (ie production assistants) and work their tails off behind the scenes.
LOL- I would love to have some of those "elves" in my kitchen to help with the clean up; I don't mind baking and decorating, I just hate the clean up afterwards.
I tried the Ziploc bag thing too... it works for piping the writing, but you can only put about4-5 tablespoons of icing in the bag at one time. Not good if you're trying to do a lot of work. I had to learn the hard way too! Wouldn't it be nice if we could just go to a cake supply store and buy one of those little "elves" like we buy our other supplies? I know I would buy one just to wash all the dishes!
I'm with you mouse, we need those cleaning elves, I sometimes feel like I spend more time cleaning up than I do actually baking and decorating!
I was decorating some cupcakes once for my daughter and some of her friends that were over and my DH says to me, wow, you make it look so easy and I asked him if he'd like to try, after one cupcake he also decided that decorating isn't quite as easy as it looks, a certain level of skill and patience is needed!
THAT was the comment I just got from my friend who tried to decorate a bday cake for her ds last night. She watched the show "Semi Homemade" the wedding edition on Food TV a couple of weeks ago. The hostess was saying that to decorate a wedding cake, all you need to do was put icing in a Ziploc and pipe on your decorations. No problemo and an easy way to get around using a professional decorator.
Well--my girlfriend tried it and after FOUR exploded Ziplocs (both the regular kind and the freezer kind) she gave up! LOL! I could have told her it wouldn't work very well since I have tried the same thing myself on a few occasions with the same result (I have since bought parchment paper for those times when I just need a bit of something.)
I hate it when shows (either food, home repair, decorating, etc) make stuff look SO easy that people start to think there really isn't much talent or knowledge invovled. My girlfriend definately learned her lesson. Cake decorating is NOT as easy as it appears and we should all be proud of our creations and our talents.
Lisa
I totally agree!! I saw that episode too and there were SO many things she didn't tell people, like using dowel rods, etc... I was thinking, "people are going to think there's nothing too it and try to make their own wedding cake, and end up with a disaster!"
I was telling a guy friend of ours that it takes me AT LEAST 3 hours to make the simplest of cakes, probably more once you count waiting for it to cool, mixing icing, etc.... And his reply was that once I got more experienced, it wouldn't take as long and I could just make up cakes like it was nothing! I don't think that non-creative people understand how much work goes into making stuff.
I spend 3 hours last night on the cake I'm making for tomorrow, and will most likely spend the ENTIRE day today on it. So yes, it really burns me up when people on T.V. do a show like that and make everyone out there think it's a snap to make a huge cake!
Melissa 
Ya know, our instructor told us a cool think!
with your icing... when your done and have left overs, fold the icing up in saran wrap... and the next time you decorate... take that wrapped up icing, cut a hole in the end of it and plop it in your decorating bag.. and decorate! it works great!
Amen to the cleaning elves! Bring 'em on!!
I make such a HUGE mess, it's not even funny.
I could use a cleaning elf, a laundry fairy and a NANNY! lol!!
That darned laundry fairy has not shown up all week. She must have quit her job and not told me about it.
I, too, make a big mess. I try and "clean as I go" but I have a small kitchen and sometimes it's just impossible.
Ok this makes me laugh! It's just like me. I just bought a canvas tool belt to keep my fondant smoother, scissors, and tape on hand because my kitchen gets to messy I spend forever looking for them. Does anyone have ideas how to cut the clutter while decorating.... and help the clean up precess. If i have two cakes in a the same day it takes two days to clean up!
When I get finished with a cake, I swear it looks as though a tornado went through my kitchen and just threw stuff everywhere... I will have icing on my stomach, my behind and have even had it on my forehead when I've wiped the back of my hand across it in frustration... I just really don't know how I manage, but I can make a total disaster out of my kitchen!! amen on the elves... I could use a dozen of them to clean my messes up after baking/decorating!! lol
I love this conversation!
I keep a big bowl on my counter top where I'm working. I put things in it when I'm finished using them. When it's full I dump it into the sink to soak & put it back on the counter to fill up again.
After I'm done w/ the decorating I chunk it all in the dishwasher! I HATE THE CLEANING UP PART!!! 
I'm pretty organized w/ the cleaning BUT I still get icing everywhere!!! Plus I'm so tired by that time that I can barely stand up!
That's why I usually make my icing one day & the cakes another day & decorate another day!!
We had a fire call last week & everyone that came near me could smell cakes!! They said I must be up to decorating again & that I smelled so sweet. That's probably why the mosquitoes ate me up too!! I had icing all in my hair & on my pants! 
I NEED A ELF!!!!!!!!!!!! I need one for everything!!!!My hubby is one when he feels sorry for me!! LOL!! That's not often though. 
I just tried to organize my "decorating cupboard" (I'm also slowly commandeering the entire pantry), and I've never seen so much stuff!
Well, before you know it, I was baking another cake (if it's out, you might as well use it!) and now, I've still got stuff on my counter top waiting for a decent home. 
Another thing is, I just got a cake decorating job where the uniform is completely white head to toe.... I'm giving it 5 min. tops. Bring on the bleach fairy! 
Ya know, our instructor told us a cool think!
with your icing... when your done and have left overs, fold the icing up in saran wrap... and the next time you decorate... take that wrapped up icing, cut a hole in the end of it and plop it in your decorating bag.. and decorate! it works great!
HEY! I love that idea! Think I might "steal" it... I'm getting toward the end of a job and I know I'll have icing left over. I just love it!
I also hate when shows make things look easy.......
I tell my husband that it will take something really big to impress me.....He always likes to tell me about shows that i should see.......I almost never learn anything new.......which is why when I found this site I went nuts because I think I can find something really interesting everytime Im on.
I ALWAYS have a mess, but its my mess and Im proud of it.
2 things I use that I love to help keep me organized
1. An artists roll, it is a canvas roll with pockets on the inside that artists use for their brushes, it rolls up and ties, got it at Michaels. Handy for spatulas, cake testors, dowel rods, paintbrushes, anything long, travels great.
2. The silverware keeper out of a dishwasher, I use it while I am decorating to put my frosting bags and dirty spatulas in, keeps them from messing up the table and I just throw it in the dishwasher when Im done.
Ya know, our instructor told us a cool think!
with your icing... when your done and have left overs, fold the icing up in saran wrap... and the next time you decorate... take that wrapped up icing, cut a hole in the end of it and plop it in your decorating bag.. and decorate! it works great!
HEY! I love that idea! Think I might "steal" it...
I'm getting toward the end of a job and I know I'll have icing left over. I just love it!
YES JON! ITS awesome!! I do it all of the time! works great!
I have read a few articles and seen a few programs on serious food safety issue errors that some of these programmes on Food Network and such demonstrate.
I think that is something that I find really upsetting. Some of the advice is really bad too.
There were several shows and chefs that were critiqued for some of the things that they did that would make Board Of Health folks cringe. Like tasting from a spoon and putting it back into a pot or bowl. But some of the issues were also food handling regarding storage, food kept at room temperature and such.
I have often seen shows on wedding cakes where there was absolutely no mention of any kind of support or dowelling being used in a stacked cake.
Everyone is a book author these days and many of the recipes and instructions were not tested and were not proofread.
And you are right, these folks have oodles of assistants and a clean-up crew and they can always re-shoot a take. Heck some of these cakes are styrofoam and caulking and plaster.
Guess there is only so much reality in reality tv, haha!
Hugs Squirrely Cakes
You know guys I agree with you on your points about Tv shows portraying this stuff as easy and in a snap.
You know squirrelly i agree about that food safety stuff too, i actually have stopped watching food network because i've seen chefs do that..
I was always taught when you taste test use a small spoon take your sample and place that spoon in a sink somewhere never put the testing spoon back into the pot or take a little of whatever you're testing put it into the palm of your hand and test from there.there's no harm to any consumers.
It just makes me smile when i see people order a cake then think the price is too much and they say they can make it themselves and the attempt by some misguided relative's efforts turn out a disaster!
I'm glad for this forum it keeps us all encouraged to " go forth and decorate"
...Lemon
I think when people start bickering about prices that it is a good idea to agree with them and let them try doing it themselves. Most of us undercharge drastically anyway, so if they think they can do it cheaper, let them.
To me, the worst part is the clean up. There is no way with the prices we charge that we are actually even working for minimum wage in most cases and if folks want to bicker, let them go elsewhere. Heehee, that way you can keep your kitchen clean for that hour that they think it takes you to do these cakes, haha!
Grrh!
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes
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