Hi

I just wanted to come and off-load a little. I hope you don't mind.

I've taken on too much for next month. And my husband gets cross when I take on too much, because I get exhausted. And I don't get a chance to do any housework at all.

I'm not the world's fastest worker. And I'm a perfectionist (I'm not perfect - I know there are so many people who are so much better than me. But what I mean by that is that I do everything to the best of my ability).

Anyway, I've taken on way too much for the end of next month.

I bake all my cakes fresh. I don't freeze them.

For next month I've got:

9th Sept: 50th anniversary cake. It's a 5 and a 0. Luckily, it's rich fruit cake. So that's already baked. And because it's fruit, I'll be able to decorate it a couple of days ahead of when it's needed!

25th Sept: 8" square anniversary cake.
27th Sept: It's my mum's 65th birthday. I've baked a 7" round fruit cake but I have no idea yet how I'm going to decorate it. I also wanted to throw a dinner party for our family, but I don't see how I'll have the time now. I'm so, so upset.
29th Sept: I have two cakes for twins' birthday. The mum wants edible Winnie the Pooh characters on the cakes. The modelling will take me over a day (remember, I'm a slow worker).

AND (and this is the main worry)

I offered to make some cookie favours for a charity event. That was BEFORE I knew how many people would be at the event. It's going to be between 300 and 400. I can't believe it!!!!!!! Apart from the cost (which my husband is furious about), I don't know how I'm going to do them all. The charity ball is on the 29th, so I don't know how many days in advance they'll need the cookies. As you can see from the attached link, they're not overly complicated. I just cut thin strips of coloured sugarpaste and put them on the cookie (used a little royal icing to stick it) But because of the sheer number required, I'm terrified.

http://www.patacake-parties.com/party_favours.htm

It's the bottom right hand one - the memorial cookies.

It's for a charity called CWAC (Children With AIDS Charity) which was founded by some very close family friends. I can't let them down now.

I know that there's no advice you can give me, really (other than to learn to say no). I just needed to get it off my chest!

Thanks for reading.

Suzanne x

oh wow, good luck with all of that. i hope everything works out for you. and when you get it all done sit back and relax cause you will have definitly earned it.

Feeling overloaded isn't much fun!!

Being that your Mum's cake is fruit, you could get that covered and decorated a couple of weeks in advance. The Winnie Pooh characters could also be made a lot earlier. That would spread the work out over the whole month rather than a lot at the end!

Sorry I don't have any other suggestions. All the best!

Like scgriffiths said, make your winnie-the-poohs early ( now if you have time !!) can you make the cookie dough ahead of time & freeze it ?
Any decorations for the other cakes that could be made early ?

Good luck with it all !! I'm exhausted just reading about it

i'm encountering the same prob also...i make cakes 7 days a week and the only time i get to relax is an hour drinking coffee at starbucks....i drink coffee most of the time to be awake.. but it's true that after all the tiredness and backaches you get to enjoy the fruits of your labor.. although rheumatism kills me. a lot i do my household chores at 3 A.M in the morning.. i say no to my clients when i feel overloaded. well.. GOODLUCK to you! only mean one thing..success.

Since the cookies are for charity, could you maybe get your family and friends to help you with those? Get one to cut out shapes, and another to decorate, or something?


Just a thought..


I wish you the best of luck!!!


Holly

I made 200 of the pink ribbon memorial cookies for the Breast of Friends Cancer Charity.

I made the cookies in advance and froze them. I took out 100 of them 5 days in advance and iced and bagged them, then the 3 days before I took the other 100 and iced and bagged them.

I used royal icing though, as I found it much faster than trying to cut out fondant and place it on and "glue" it down.. took more time than just using the royal icing. Could do each cookie in less than 15 seconds.

Once the cookies are bagged they stay fresh for quite some time. So you could definately even decorate and bag them a week in advance with no problem.

HTH

As far as the furious husband because of the cost; can you total your reciepts (or do an invoice) and get a tax receipt since it's a non-profit? Then at least you'd have a tax write off.

Thank you for your replies. It was nice just be able to get it all down!

I think I will definitely make the cookie dough at the beginning of September and then freeze it. At least, then, that's one job out of the way.

I've already put my sister and brother-in-law on stand-by to come and help me. Once I've baked them, bil can help to decorate and my sister can bag 'em!

Thanks again.

Suzanne x

I agree with previous posters about doing everything ahead that you can- making the Pooh's, freezing cookie dough, cake boards, etc.

For your mother's cake, maybe you can make royal, fondant, or gumpaste flowers ahead of time so they will be ready to put on the cake.
And since, it's a fruit cake, you will be able to do ahead.

I make fondant or gumpaste daisies & leaves ahead of time and when I need a quick cake for something (like family reunion today), I just color some icing green (or whatever color I want), stick those daisies and a few leaves, and I'm ready to go. It's simple but everyone always loves it.