Happy December!

You guys, it's already the 3rd of December. Where the heck does the time go?!

December is a wonderful time! Christmas is near and the holiday spirit is in the air. Seriously, London, you do Christmas season right. I am definitely amazed. However, sadly, December means I leave London soon, and worst of all, it means my time at Family Cakes will be coming to an end. My world is about to come crashing down. No more cake to bring home on Fridays, no more yummy food at work, and no more Andrew, Daniel, and the rest of the crew. So basically, no more fun. I should also mention Minnesota got about 6 inches of snow yesterday and it's only just begun. This is why we call it Minne-SNOW-ta. Regardless, December/Christmas season is a time for traditions and family. While I might be leaving a wonderful city and an awesome internship, I get to go home and see my family again.

For me, when I get home, I will be back just in time to partake in my favorite holiday activity--cooking and baking! I am going to share some of my favorite recipes with you and you should share some of yours.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup white sugar -- for decoration
• 2 (9 oz) bags milk chocolate candy kisses, unwrapped
• You can substitute any candy (i.e. rolos reeces, etc)

1 - Preheat oven to 190 degrees C

2 - In a large bowl, cream together the shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, and 1 cup

white sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, and stir in the milk and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the peanut butter mixture until well blended. Shape tablespoons of dough into balls, and roll in remaining white sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets

3 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from oven, and immediately press a chocolate kiss (or other candy) into each cookie. Allow to cool completely; the kiss will harden as it cools.

Taco Dip

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (16 ounce) container of sour cream
• 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
• 1/4 head iceberg lettuce - rinsed, dried, and shredded
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 3 chopped tomatoes
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 (2.25 ounce) can black olives, drained

1 - In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, and taco seasoning. Spread this mixture in a 9-inch (or a little larger) round serving dish. Top the mixture with lettuce, Cheddar cheese, tomatoes, bell pepper, and black olives.

Chex Mix

• 3 cups Corn Chex cereal
• 3 cups Rice Chex cereal
• 3 cups Wheat Chex cereal
• 1 cup mixed nuts
• 1 cup bite-size pretzels
• 6 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
• 2/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 - In a large microwavable bowl, mix cereals, nuts, and pretzels; set aside. In a small microwavable bowl, microwave butter uncovered o High for about 40 seconds or until melted. Stir in seasonings. Pour over cereal mixture, stir until evenly coated.

2 - Microwave uncovered on High 5 to 6 minutes, throughly stirring every 2 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool. Store in airtight container.

There are just a few recipes I like and are likely to be seen every year at Christmas, and they are really easy too. 

My question for all the readers is: What is your favorite thing(s) about the holiday season?

Leave comments below and let me know about your Christmas! You can comment about your favorite holiday tradition, the reason winter is your favorite season, or maybe it's not and your favorite this is when it's over, either way tell us your favorite thing! Since I won't be here for Christmas I want to hear all about it!

And of course, if cooking and/or baking is not your forte there are always places that can do it for you!

Guess What Yesterday Was..

You probably thought I, the American intern, was going to make another post about Thanksgiving. Well yes, you would have been correct because that was my initial intention. However, while I was searching for inspiration and interesting things to put in this post (like fun facts about cakes) I stumbled upon something that here at Family Cakes is more important that silly Thanksgiving. 

Yesterday, November 26, was National Cake Day!!!!! 

Your day should have been full of cake filled festivities, and since you probably wasn't, I made it my responsibility to provide you with as many cake activities, quizzes, and other fun stuff to help you get into the holiday spirit because lets be real, every day should be National Cake Day.



First, lets test your knowledge of cakes with this quiz - How Much Do You REALLY Know About Cake?

• I only got 3 out of the 13 questions correct.. I still have a lot to learn, but rest assured, I do not do any of the baking of cakes here. I only eat them and we definitely have some expert bakers at Family Cake Company. 

Now to answer the more important life questions - What Cupcake Flavor Are You? & What Cake Matches Your Personality?

• My results said I am a strawberry cupcake and have a carrot cake personality. So that's cool. 

Here are some fun facts about cake to impress all your friends with! 
(I did not fact check these. They could be false, but if they either way they are pretty fun)

• Although in existence long before, Victorian England popularized the Fruitcake between 1837 and 1901. It was a custom at the time for unwed women to sleep with a piece of fruit cake under their pillow so they could have sweet dreams about the man they would someday marry.
• The world’s largest Sponge Cake weighed in at 2.5 tons and measured 26 x 16 feet – the size of a small New York City apartment! It took 3 days to bake and more than 3,000 eggs and 1,102 pounds of blackberries, pineapple, and strawberry were used. The dessert was then cut into 10,000 pieces and shared with the town of Seiersberg, Austria where it was baked.
• 29 cupcakes in 30 seconds is the record for eating cupcakes.
• The most expensive wedding cake ever commissioned cost $30 million.
• Queen Victoria was one of the first to have pure white icing on her wedding cake.

I will not leave you with a website where you will find a bunch of computer games about cakes. Enjoy yourself!

Click the link to enter a world of fun --> Cake Games

If this post left you wanting cake, check out our website - Family Cake Company

We can make your cake dreams come true. Check out some of the cakes we have done these last few weeks!

Intern Jenna

Hi there!

I’m the new intern here at Family Cake Company. My name is Jenna Paszkiewicz, but people often call me JP because my last name is hard to pronounce. I am from Minnesota and study accounting at The College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University (CSBSJU). I will be at FCC for the next seven weeks. 

I have been in London since 2 September and have loved it so far. However, I am really excited to get started here at Family Cakes. For the last five years I have worked as a waitress at two different restaurants so the food industry and the hustle and bustle that comes with it has a special place in my heart. I will admit though, my favorite part of working in the food industry is, of course, the food, which also has a special place in my heart. It's only my first day and I have already had the most delicious croissant. It is a good thing I walk everywhere in London or else I would be in trouble. 

While I hope to gain a lot of experience while working here I think the best part is all the friends I'm going to make because of all the goodies I will probably bring home. After my first day I got to bring home a little carrot cake and everyone wanted a slice of the action. I think we have all come to a census - I have the best internship.  Aside of the treats, I think I do too. The Family Cakes crew here is great and I'm looking forward to taking up space here for the next few weeks. 

That's all I have for now. Stay tuned for cheesy jokes, a few bad puns, pictures of what's cooking over here at FCC!

Bye for now!

JP

Bastille Day

 

Hello,

I'm William, the new French intern at the Family Cake in the Marketing. This is my first blog.

Coming soon on 14th July 2015 Bastille Day in France.

Celebrated on July, 14, Bastille Day is French national day and the most important bank holyday in France. the 14th July has become a major public Holiday, traditionally considered as the symbol of the french révolution.

The French Bastille day is definitely a joyous nationnal day that brings many celebrations in the street as well as political events. The best way to enjoy  the 14 july Bank Holiday - widely known as le 14 juillet - is to go to Paris, More precisely on the Champs Elyssé. Expect military parades,  public speeches and fireworks, but also jovial gatherings in all cafés and restaurants

Military parade on Champs Elyssé.

 

 

 

 

 A cake to match

 

 

A Plane in the sky.

 

 

Make a plane with the Family cake.

 

 

 

 

Are you up for the Challenge ?

Yes, we think so 

 

 

 

Every single town in France actually commemorates the Bastille Day with excitement and pride as your ational day. on July,14, many french people wear blue, white and red, "tricolor" clothes or make-up and sing the typical" La marseillaise".

Listen to my music

 

Perfect cake to celebrate 14th July

 

 

it means a great stenght for us. Imagine eating this and enjoy

 

" Vive La France"

And

" Paris est magique"

 

 

See you Soon.

 

Please, give me your opinion to improve the next acticle. 

 

 

 

by William

Happy Father's Day!

"Any man can be a father but it takes someone special to be a dad."

Whilst researching ideas for this blog post, we stumbled upon this quote and realised this basically says it all.
Probably everyone has the memory of a moment where your dad just knew exactly what to do or what to say and how to cheer you up after a bad day or how calm you down when you were stressed out. These moments will be in our hearts forever and remind us that we always have our family looking out for us.
Today is dedicated to all the loving fathers who always put us first and made us feel special. We want to thank you for always being there and shaping us as the people we are today, thank you for knowing better and not always giving in to our will and thank you for believing in us.

Okay okay we will stop with the cheesiness.

Well, when it comes to gifts, it really does not matter how much money you invest its just the thought that counts and your dad will be happy to hear from you if it is in person or you just give him a call.So don't worry if you do not have any brilliant ideas for a gift, you are the best gift to your dad.

Woah, we will stop now, promise!

Below we have collected some special fathers day things that you might enjoy!

 We also got some ideas concerning special cards to give to your awesome dad. But we understand that these are probably not exactly what your looking for.

Hopefully, you do not have to put up with these sayings anymore, but if you do, just for today, act like it doesn't bother you!



















So for father's day, give your dad a nice sweet treat, whether it's breakfast in bed or a delicious cake.

He's earned it because let's be honest raising you probably wasn't just a piece of cake.


Have a great Father's Day and tell us about your plans and great gift ideas on our other social media platforms:
Like our Facebook page for great cake pictures: https://www.facebook.com/FamilyCakeCompany
Follow us on Twitter @FamilyCakeComp
Follow us on Instagram @familycakecomp

Your familycakes Team

'Tis the season...

Nope, we are not talking about Christmas obviously. 

'Tis the season to get married!

Just like we talked about in our latest blog post, the weather is getting nicer every day (well, we will probably never fully get rid of those typical rainy days in London) and everyone likes to spend as much time outside as possible in nature. 

The months leading up to summer are the most popular times to get married which is totally understandable because nature is just incredible and puts a smile on your face. In our opinion, definitely a better time to get married than in those gray gloomy winter days where sometimes all you want to do is curl up in your bed in you PJ's with a cup of hot chocolate and never leave the house. I'm not saying this is necessarily a bad thing, but you might want to change out of your pajamas before getting married.

Here at family cakes, we probably have produced as many wedding cakes as there are flowers blooming in London right now and every single one is as unique as those flowers. 

On your very special day you do not only deserve the most beautiful cake but also one that matches your personality as well as the one of your soulmate. 

Of course, a wedding is also always stressful because of all the organizing. Huge family get-togethers are always a good way to stir up some trouble and drama but with us, if there is one thing you do not have to worry about, we assure you, its the wedding cake. If you like it simple and elegant or would rather prefer big and extravagant, we have got you covered.

And now, what you've been waiting for! Here's just a glimpse at some of our finest wedding cakes, we have made so far: 

We hope you enjoyed those cakes and maybe you will keep them in mind and may remember us while planning your own special day no matter if it is in the near future or it has not even crossed your mind yet. And if you want to order a wedding cake for yourself, we won't judge you either.

Have a great week!

Bye bye,

Your Familycake team

Summer Festivals London 2015

Hi all,

We're feeling like summer over here at family cakes, we're already looking forward to all of the music festivals coming up in London this month. Here we have our top 5 music festivals for the month of June!
And if you're not into music festivals scroll down for some nice summery cakes because who doesn't like cakes, right?

1. Spitalfields Summer Festival - June 2nd to 16th @Spitalfields Market
This is the 39th year of the Spitalfiels Summer Festival, highlights include: Emily Hall, Shabaka Hutchings and La Nuova Musica. There are even little performances in historic Huguenot houses and the Tower of London with a bit more intimate atmosphere. So, if you're interested check their website for bookings.
http://www.spitalfieldsmusic.org.uk

2.  Bushstock Festival - June 13th @ Shepherds Bush
This cool festival has often showcased the best up and coming music artists. Artists like Bastille, Hozier, and George Ezra have performed here and now highlights include Bad Suns, Hozier (again), and Villagers. The cheaper tickets are sold out but for 30 pounds you can still get yourself a ticket, it's certainly worth it.
http://www.bushstock.co.uk

3. Cally Festival - June 14th @ Caledonian Road
For one day only each year Caledonian Road is closed down to throw a huge party. A lot of people come to celebrate, there's music, performances, art, food, and other activities. A huge recommendation from us, it is really close to the family cakes office, therefore we always go every year.
http://thecallyfestival.co.uk

4. British Summer Time - June 18th to 27th @ Hyde Park
For the 3rd year in a row, Hyde Park becomes the place to be for some of the biggest stars! Not only in music but comedy/performing arts as well. They've got all the music genres covered, from indie with the Strokes all the way to the pop sensation Taylor Swift. There's even an outdoor film festival that's for free with a Street Food Market and other fun activities to do. So go check it out, you will not regret it!
http://www.bst-hydepark.com

5. London Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival - June 28th @ London Regatta Center
Dragon boat racing originated some 2,500 years ago in central China, and today it's still a very popular water sport in China as well as other countries. Definitely worth a visit if you want to experience some Chinese culture, and donate to a good cause. This year they will be donating to Chinese schools around the M25 area.
http://www.lhkdbf.co.uk

And now for some dashing cakes to steal the show:

How about a refreshing strawberry cake, perfect to bring to a summer picnic at the park!

This cake definetely is the perfect combination of chocolate and fresh summer berries! 

Or this summery cake which will make every child happy!

Winter's a good time to stay in and cuddle
But put me in summer and I'll be a ..... happy snowman!

What goes better with a glass (or two..) of sparkly prosecco than white chocolate and summer fruits? 

...and something for our crazy cake lovers!

But now, we let you enjoy the beginning of summer while the weather is cooperating!

Ciao,

your familycake company

Eurovision 2015

Hello all

It has begun! The first semi finals were last night. What am I talking about? Well the Eurovision song contest of course! If you have never watched Eurovision you are missing out. It is an unusual part of European culture and opinions are divided, however I personally love it! The countries go all out to stand out, with crazy costumes, props, background dancers, and the music. Sometimes in their native language, which usually sounds weird to anyone that does not speak the language, but it's mostly English. Then after everyone has had their chance to show their act, Europe votes. In the finals, the winner is decide with points. All the European countries can vote for their favourite act, except for their own. They tally up the scores and tadaa a new Eurovision song contest winner!

During the acts they have little films of the country performing next, they focus on one or multiple aspects of the country together with the singer. Then the performance starts, and speaking of performances here are some of the weirdest Eurovision contestants:

Space aliens

Ukraine 2007 - Verka Serduchka

Grannies

Russia 2012 - Members of Buranovskiye Babushki

Bearded ladies

Austria 2014 - Conchita Wurst

Gay vampires

Romania 2013 - Cezar

Gnomes on unicycles

Moldova 2011 - Zdob si Zdub

Even my own country.. what were they thinking?

Indians???

The Netherlands 2012 - Joan Franka

and then we have...

Finland really outdid themselves...

Finland 2006 - Lordi 

The finals are THIS Saturday! Go watch it!

Happy Eurovision,

Anouk

Comic Con London 2015

Hi all!

Here is a post for all you comic lovers out there! The twice yearly MCM London Comic Con is coming up again. For everyone with a passion for all things anime, sci-fi, video games, and more related things, go get yourself a ticket!

The first MCM London Comic Con was in 2002 and it has been a success ever since. Many people go dressed as they're favorite characters, if you do extreme cosplay or just a little bit, it's still great fun to dress up. There are many different stands with movie and TV studios, as well as different comics and characters.
They also have panels where famous actors and voice stars take part in, you can hear your favorite characters talk about your favorite shows, or you can get their autograph and picture taken with them.  On the Saturday there is a panel for BBC's Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, which will feature Nick Hirshkorn, Toby Haynes, Peter Harness, Bertie Carvel, & Paul Kaye.

You must be thinking, why is FCC blogging about Comic Con? Well, here we all enjoy comics and of course all of the endless cake designs. Now for some of our favorite designs that we made:

Are any of our readers going to MCM London Comic Con? Let us know if you are going to dress up and as who!

Cheers

Anouk.

Another One...

Good morning everyone! My name is Anouk Segers and I will be taking over the Family Cake Company blog till the end of June. So you are stuck with me for a while.

So a bit about me, I’m 19 years of age, I was born on a little island called Aruba, lived there for 14 years. Aruba is everything you would want for your ideal vacation, white sandy beaches, beautiful blue ocean, and its always nice weather. People call me crazy for leaving “paradise” but after a few years it gets (believe it or not) a bit boring. I was ready for a change (as well as the fact that the educational system wasn’t that great in Aruba at the time) and then I moved to the Netherlands (no not Amsterdam). I moved to the “beautiful” city called Eindhoven, where Philips was founded. Actually our football team just won the national competition, so proud. Finished off my secondary education there and now I’m doing my second year of International Business and Management Studies at Avans University of Applied Sciences in Breda. They make you do a 6-month internship in a foreign country so that is how I ended up here.

I really love London, it’s a great city and so different from any other city I have ever lived in. Everyone is always busy and you can really notice the fact that 8.3 million people live here, which is like half of the entire population of the Netherlands. Once you do all of the touristy things you start to feel like a real Londoner, even though I’m not really, I like to pretend I am and get annoyed by all the tourists in the underground hehe.

Anyway enough about me, I’m looking forward to gaining more experience at the Family Cake Company, on my first day I got a nice image of the company and the people in it. I will be continuing on where the previous intern left off so no need to worry!

Speak soon!

Anouk Segers