4th of July Parade

On the 4th of July we went downtown to the annual parade. Jerry and Marc went ahead and set up a place for the whole family. We had a pretty good spot for viewing the parade. Someone even had the great idea of creating our own shade by tying an umbrella to a parking meter.

Before the parade someone passed out flags and the kids made good use of them by waving them. The kids were dressed in red, white and blue so they looked very patriotic.

Tracie, Marc, Olivia, Marcus, and Emma pose for a picture.

Everyone enjoyed watching the parade. This was Jared's and Tavein's little guys first parade. But he really didn't have much of a view.

Terry and I take time to poise with Marcus. This doesn't happen very often because he is allways moving.

I don't know if you can find him, but Jared marched in the parade

and then he joined us to watch the rest.

Things got a little loud when Lewis and Clark fired off their guns. Marcus had to cover his ears.

Taylor sits with Marc and Marcus to watch the parade. She looks very patriotic in her striped shirt.

Lots of candy for all. Here is Marcus picking up some. They just keep throwing it at him.

He gathered quite a lot. Needless to say he didn't get to eat it. In fact, its all hidden in my pantry.

Marc's mom and dad joined us for the weekend. It was great having them and we hope they come back again.

Taylor taking care of Marcus. The kids sure like their cousin Taylor. They relate her to Taylor Swift. But Marcus told her that she has the same name as Taylor Swift, but she is just Taylor.

The kids ran out into the parade to hug the squire. Olivia came back very excited that she got to do this.

Riley shows us a tootsie roll that had a red, white, and blue cover. He was very impressed by this.

The parade was enjoyed by all.

It's A ????

Tavein and Jared went to find out the babies sex on June 30th. They decided to announce it to the family on July 3 with a cake. If a girl the cake would be colored pink, a boy the cake would be colored blue. It's a boy:) Now they need to find a name. I think the girl cousins were disappointed, but the boy cousins are thrilled.

We Got One Also

Okay, so everyone is talking about Trader Joe's. Well we have one here in Great Falls. I would guess it is the original Trader Joe's and I'll lay odds that it doesn't carry what yours does. Honestly when delivering a cake on Saturday we drove by this place and I had to take a picture for Terry. I don't think I will be shopping here much. Really I just couldn't resist posting this.

Four Cakes

Three More Cakes

Tavein and Jared

What a nice looking couple. Take note of Tavein's dress and shoes. Jared took her shopping and picked them out for her. He even gave her a gift certificate so she could go and get her hair done. What a guy. I think he is a keeper!! The pictures were taken after a military affair that they attended together tonight. They are so darn cute.

Busy Week

Emma would of loved this week. It was like a Cake Boss Week. This was a very busy week. I had 1 wedding which I did the centerpieces and the cake. Plus I had a graduation, birthday, and christening. The christening cake has the best story to go with it. A year ago a little girl by the name of Sidney died from aides. A few months after Sidney's death a dragon fly flew into the kitchen and settled on the mother's shoulder for a while. Then flew back out the door. That night the mom had a dream where Sidney had come to her and told her she was going to have a little girl and her name was going to be Valentina. Valentina is now two weeks old. The parents are convinced that Sidney is a dragonfly and will look over Valentina.

The wedding cake. A night mare. The flowers for this cake was suppose to be real. But when I pick them up from the florist they were awful. I couldn't put the flowers on the cake. So I ran to Joanne's in hopes of finding flowers. I had bought all the Calla Lilies in town to make the center pieces. In fact, I even called Tracie to see if she could find some in Spokane.Which she couldn't. Thanks Tracie for trying. But I was lucky they had just enough of the materials that I needed to make the flowers for the cake. With only three hours before delivery, a sheet cake still to frost and 2 other deliveries I must say the cake is beautiful. The bride was blown away when she saw her cake.

The lady bug cake was a hit. The mom said it was better than what she had envisioned. The graduation cake was for Dawn's brother who graduated from Kalispell and the family was celebrating it here. It was a busy, busy week.

Happy Birthday Tracie

Sending you balloons and a cake for your birthday!!!!!!


Wish we were there to help you celebrate your 38th Birthday. What a special gift you are. You are a wonderful daughter, great mother, awesome wife. Someone we are truly proud of. Hope you have a great day and a super great year. Love mom and dad.

Cake Delivery

Today Jerry and I delivered a graduation cake to Historic Fort Benton. While we were there we took a tour of the town.

Lewis and Clark stopped here to map out their route.

Lewis and Clark's boat.

Some of the historic buildings downtown.

An old bridge that is now a walking bridge.

The Grand Union. I have a wedding cake this summer to be delivered here.

The 1888 fire house.

Statue of Shep. A dog that became famous because he stayed at the railroad station waiting for his master to return from war. His master never came back. But Shep waited until he died.

The cake we delivered was shaped like a tennis racked. The young lady the cake was for is a tennis player and has a full ride scholarship to college because of her tennis playing. This cake was chocolate and everything is eatable. This was a replica of her racket.

Happy National Apple Pie Day

Today is National Apple Pie Day

Here is a super simple way to celebrate!

Rustic Apple Pie Recipe

It is also called and Apple Crostata. It might not be so pretty, but it is extra delicious and quick!

I adapted the recipe from one of my favorite cooks, Ina Garten. My apples were extremely tart and I felt they needed to be tossed in sugar but I didn't want to lose Ina's yummy topping on her apple crostata........ so I did both.

Make or purchase a pie crust. If you are making yours Ina's version includes a recipe.Flour a rolling pin and roll the pastry into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer it to a parchment lined or sprayed baking sheet.

The Filling for the Apple Crostata

about 6 cups thinly sliced apples

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

For the filling, peel, core, and slice the apples. Toss the slices with the mixture. Cover the dough with the apples leaving a 2 inch border.

The Topping for the Apple Crostata

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup granulated or superfine sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

Combine the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and allspice in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Pour into a bowl and rub it with your fingers until it starts holding together. Sprinkle evenly on the apples. Gently fold the border over the apples to enclose the dough, pleating it to make a circle.

Bake the crostata for 20 to 30 minutes, until the crust is golden and the apples are tender. Allow to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Happy National Pie Day!