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19 Random Things About Me

02.19.13

Natasha in Peru

Since today is my birthday, I thought I would take a moment to tell you a little bit about myself. I always wanted to do one of those 25 random things about me notes on facebook, but I never got around to it, so, better late than never! I love getting to know my readers, so feel free to leave a comment with a random or interesting fact about yourself.

1. I was born on February 19th, 1982. That falls right on the cusp of Aquarius and Pisces, but I’m a Pisces in every way. And I only sort of believe in that stuff.

2. I am a coffee addict. I buy espresso beans from a local coffee shop, grind them fresh everyday, and make a 1 shot, 6 ounce cappuccino with organic 2% milk every morning.

3. I’m a certified scuba diver.

4. I have 2 cats that I love dearly, but I’m a dog person at heart. I hope to adopt one in the near future.

5. Layer cakes are my favorite desserts to make. I find the process of baking, frosting, and decorating them to be therapeutic. That being said, the dessert I crave the most (and make the most often) is chocolate chip cookies. Does that count as 2 things?

6. I’m a night owl, and the only time I will voluntarily get up early is when I have jet lag.

7. I have never liked milk, and the only time I will ever drink it is in my coffee or with warm chocolate chip cookies. I rarely put it on my cereal, and I will absolutely never drink cereal milk.

8. I’ve never met a vegetable I didn’t like. As much as I love sugary treats, I also love broccoli, brussels sprouts, and spinach.

9. By day, I’m a musician. It’s not the most lucrative job in the world, but I can’t imagine doing anything else.

10. I love British period dramas. I’ve read all the Jane Austen novels, I have a crush on Mr Darcy, and I’m completely obsessed with Downton Abbey.

11. I’m still trying to get my students to teach me how to use Twitter, and I totally don’t get the hash tag thing.  #iamreallyold

12. I’ve been playing tennis since I was a kid, and even though I’m still not especially good at it, I love to play. I’m currently on a women’s doubles team called the Lob Stars.

13. I am a pescetarian, which basically means I’m a vegetarian who occasionally eats seafood. I’ve tried to convince myself that it was because seafood is more sustainable, but really, it’s just because I haven’t found the discipline to give up sushi.

14. The only soda I like is Cherry Coke, and I will only drink it at the movie theater. With buttery popcorn. And Buncha Crunch.

15. I’m not much of a girly girl. I still don’t know how to put on makeup, I can’t walk in high heels to save my life, and I don’t like shopping (unless you count grocery shopping).

16. After grad school, my friend Cat and I wanted to take an international trip. We chose the location by the cheapest plane ticket we could find, and ended up having the trip of a lifetime in Peru.

17. My secret dream is to be a ballerina. I think ballet is an amazing form of art, but I’m way too old and not coordinated enough to take ballet, so I live vicariously through movies and documentaries about ballet dancing. I have seen Center Stage at least 50 times.

18. I turn into a whiny baby when I’m cold. I grew up in Indiana, so I’m happy to be living in a warmer climate now.

19.  When I was a kid, the only acceptable cake for me was chocolate. Now that I’m older, I have a new respect for vanilla, and this is the first year that one of my birthday cakes (I always make 2) will be vanilla. I can’t wait to share the recipe with you!

 

 

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Mini Funfetti Birthday Cakes

02.18.13

FunfettiBFFF-2

It’s birthday week here at The Cake Merchant, and I can’t think of a better way to start the week than with a post over at Best Friends For Frosting. If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you know that I love layer cakes and miniature desserts. These mini funfetti birthday cakes combine both of these things.

Tomorrow is my actual birthday, but I like to prolong the celebration, so this week is sure to be filled with lots of sugar and gluttony! Stay tuned for more birthday cakes, but for now, click over to Best Friends For Frosting for this Mini Funfetti Layer Cake recipe.

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Happy National Ice Cream Day!

07.15.12

Did you know that today is National Ice Cream Day?  In 1984, Ronald Reagan named July National Ice Cream Month, and the third Sunday in July (today) National Ice Cream Day. I don’t know how I missed this, since ice cream is one of my four major food groups, but I will definitely devote a few posts to ice cream the rest of this month. In the meantime, here are some ice cream resources I like. You can also check your local ice cream stores to see what they are doing to celebrate. Many offer special deals, and some even offer free ice cream!

Books
The Perfect Scoop
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home
Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones
Ben and Jerry’s Homemade Ice Cream and Dessert Book

Blogs
David Lebovitz
Scoop Adventures

Archie would like to wish you a Happy National Ice Cream Day!

 

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Welcome to the Cake Merchant! I’m Natasha, the cake maker behind this blog. Here, I share my favorite cakes, baking tips, dessert experiments, and the occasional picture of my dog... READ MORE

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