So What Else Do You All Make Besides Cake?

Decorating By SammieB Updated 13 Dec 2011 , 4:48am by JennieS

SammieB Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
SammieB Posted 9 Dec 2011 , 11:37pm
post #1 of 22

Just out of curiosity, what else do you guys just love to make?

As much as I love baking and decorating cakes, lately I've been wanting to know the basic processes to make all sorts of things. I've done several batches of homemade wine in the past, but 2 pregnancies back to back kept me from getting to drink a lot of it, and now I have to wait to make more until I can finish off what we've got stored!

So in the meantime I've grabbed books on homemade pastas, bread, just about anything you can do with tomatoes since I had an overabundance this year, candies, and now I'm thinking about doing homemade cheese as well. My hubs thinks I may have lost my mind. icon_smile.gif I'll prove him one day when we have no access to premade anything and I can whip up a full italian meal with a few meager ingredients and bunches of flour!

Oh, and I want to start canning everything.

Does anyone else just spend days fantasizing about everything they can do in their kitchen?

21 replies
cakeyouverymuch Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
cakeyouverymuch Posted 9 Dec 2011 , 11:46pm
post #2 of 22

I used to can, freeze and make jams and jellies, and I may start again after the move. Losing my mother this summer has triggered a need to keep those traditions alive for some reason.

As far as baking other than cakes my passion is bread and biscuits. When my KA chewed up its own gears back in February all I could think about was that I had to have it fixed before the bread in the freezer ran out.

cakeyouverymuch Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
cakeyouverymuch Posted 9 Dec 2011 , 11:47pm
post #3 of 22

Oh, and I want try making limoncello.

SammieB Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
SammieB Posted 10 Dec 2011 , 12:36am
post #4 of 22

Oooh, limoncello sounds fun too!

I think that's part of what keeps me planning on cooking all the time. My grandmother is 87, and no one I know cooks like her. She has so few recipes written down, uses so few measuring tools, and her food is always great. So over the past couple of years I've been hanging out in her kitchen with a scale, making notes and helping/watching her cook. I really want to keep alive cooking from scratch for my kids, and teach them the importance of it. Not to mention it's super fun. I love knowing where my ingredients come from and exactly what's in my food!

Ashleyssweetdesigns Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Ashleyssweetdesigns Posted 10 Dec 2011 , 12:51am
post #5 of 22

Baking is my first love but cooking is a close first. I love making homemade italian food from scratch the way my grandmother made it. I wouldn't go as far as making my own cheese but hey more power to yah!

idreamincupcakes Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
idreamincupcakes Posted 10 Dec 2011 , 1:08am
post #6 of 22

Bread! I need so much practice! I would love to accomplish a good sweet roll, and beer bread.

mommynana Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
mommynana Posted 10 Dec 2011 , 1:11am
post #7 of 22
Quote:
Originally Posted by cakeyouverymuch

Oh, and I want try making limoncello.




Oh, I got a bottle of that in my freezer waiting for New Years Eve. And I love making my olive bread, Don`t even need the KA for it, It`s so easy to make and sooo good.

mommynana Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
mommynana Posted 10 Dec 2011 , 1:11am
post #8 of 22
Quote:
Originally Posted by cakeyouverymuch

Oh, and I want try making limoncello.




Oh, I got a bottle of that in my freezer waiting for New Years Eve. And I love making my olive bread, Don`t even need the KA for it, It`s so easy to make and sooo good.

mommynana Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
mommynana Posted 10 Dec 2011 , 1:12am
post #9 of 22
Quote:
Originally Posted by cakeyouverymuch

Oh, and I want try making limoncello.




Oh, I got a bottle of that in my freezer waiting for New Years Eve. And I love making my olive bread, Don`t even need the KA for it, It`s so easy to make and sooo good.

mommynana Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
mommynana Posted 10 Dec 2011 , 1:13am
post #10 of 22
Quote:
Originally Posted by cakeyouverymuch

Oh, and I want try making limoncello.




Oh, I got a bottle of that in my freezer waiting for New Years Eve. And I love making my olive bread, Don`t even need the KA for it, It`s so easy to make and sooo good.

imagenthatnj Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
imagenthatnj Posted 10 Dec 2011 , 1:24am
post #11 of 22

Cooking, from Italian to French to Mexican and everything in between. Totally from scratch. I wish I could grow all my vegetables and have some chickens and cows, but I'd be thrown out of the neighborhood.

Bread, lots of it. French and Italian desserts.

And just started reading my new ice cream book. Ice cream coming up. lol

MarvinCakes75 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
MarvinCakes75 Posted 10 Dec 2011 , 2:09am
post #12 of 22

I enjoy making bread, cinnamon buns, ice cream,cookies, pasta sauce, and I just learned how to make truffles. The community college here offers fun one day courses and truffle making was one of them..so much fun! Also, my husband and I just tried canning for the first time...so easy. I plan on canning everything next yearicon_smile.gif

Cakeopoly Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Cakeopoly Posted 10 Dec 2011 , 2:30am
post #13 of 22

I bake soap icon_smile.gif

SammieB Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
SammieB Posted 10 Dec 2011 , 3:57am
post #14 of 22
Quote:
Originally Posted by imagenthatnj

Cooking, from Italian to French to Mexican and everything in between. Totally from scratch. I wish I could grow all my vegetables and have some chickens and cows, but I'd be thrown out of the neighborhood.



I just put on my facebook status today how I want a dairy cow and some chickens! Seriously, I do, but my neighborhood would be up in arms. 1/4 acre certainly isn't enough. Heh. However, my dad has 50 acres out in the country and is retired, so I've been trying to hit him up! No luck yet, but I bet I could turn him into a farmer yet. He grew up on one, and I think he just doesn't relish the idea of returning to his boyhood chores. icon_smile.gif

I have convinced him to get back into planting a larger garden next year though now that he has the time for it. I actually turned one of my flower beds into a vegetable garden this year and did okra, tomatoes, blueberries, strawberries, carrots, onions, sweet potatoes, and lettuce. I also had some planters and filled those with more lettuce, plenty of herbs, and a large container for a grape vine. I was amazed at how well it did! I seriously cut back on some product buying. Next year I'm looking at doing that and joining a CSA program for farm grown meat and produce since I can't do too much here.

Keep it coming! I love hearing what everyone does b/c it makes me want to do that much more! icon_smile.gif

melanie-1221 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
melanie-1221 Posted 10 Dec 2011 , 4:01am
post #15 of 22

I started out with Italian cookie trays and pastries before I started doing cakes. The cakes keep me busy throughout the year but I don't take orders ( unless it's family or close friends ) in December.....this is Italian cookie tray month icon_biggrin.gif

melanie-1221 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
melanie-1221 Posted 10 Dec 2011 , 4:02am
post #16 of 22

I started out with Italian cookie trays and pastries before I started doing cakes. The cakes keep me busy throughout the year but I don't take orders ( unless it's family or close friends ) in December.....this is Italian cookie tray month icon_biggrin.gif

Phyllis52 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Phyllis52 Posted 10 Dec 2011 , 4:34am
post #17 of 22

Melanie - 1221 -

What kind of italian cookies do you make for your cookie trays? I usually bake pignoli, biscotti, anise cookies and of course struffoli.
Does anyone have an italian butter cookie recipe?

scp1127 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
scp1127 Posted 10 Dec 2011 , 4:43am
post #18 of 22

Everything. I'm a gourmet cook, bread baker, all bakery products, and now aspiring chocolatier. I make bath sugar scrubs out of my ingredients for family gifts. Currently, I'm developing recipes for lavender and voilet cakes and buttercreams.

tbkimber Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
tbkimber Posted 10 Dec 2011 , 5:19am
post #19 of 22

I love to cook as well. We had a wonderful garden this summer that I used as fast as things would ripen. There is something so satisfying to me to make marinara sauce using tomatoes, carrots, onions, and basil that I grew. I had a ton of tomatoes this year so I made several batches of marinara and froze it. Now when I need a quick dinner I just cook some pasta and heat of the sauce.

cakelady2266 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
cakelady2266 Posted 12 Dec 2011 , 1:50am
post #20 of 22

I love to cook more than bake. I have a garden every summer so I can and freeze vegetables. I love to grow flowers even though my thumb must be gangrene instead of green. And I make wine, although I don't drink much.

I would love to make pasta and bread but I don't because I am a bread/pasta/carbaholic. I don't entertain the idea of homemade bread and pasta anymore because we would have to get a dump truck to haul my ever widening butt around.

Gourmet71 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Gourmet71 Posted 12 Dec 2011 , 3:09am
post #21 of 22

Hi All!
I'm new to the site, just found it today, lol. I Definately do more cupcakes & mini cupcakes than cakes. I do make coffee cakes, pumpkin bread & stuff like that, but no occasion cakes. In addition to that I do cookies, cake balls, chocolate covered anything which includes popcorn, cheesecakes & pies. I just started about 4 months ago,wheni lost my job; so far so good! I love this site!!! icon_biggrin.gif

JennieS Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
JennieS Posted 13 Dec 2011 , 4:48am
post #22 of 22

I've been a hobby baker for over 30 yrs. Now I have my own in home baking business and I would have to say my specialties are cinnamon rolls and cheesecakes... icon_smile.gif

Quote by @%username% on %date%

%body%