Lil P's 5th Birthday

This year Lil P wanted to cook for her birthday.  I found a local culinary school where she and her friends could make their own pizzas and decorate cupcakes.  It was a success! 

The culinary school provided aprons for the kids to decorate.  To complete the look, I bought kid-sized chef hats and personalized them with each guest's name using iron ons that I photoshopped.  The mini chefs looked so cute.

Lil P also requested a Frozen cake.  Every cake I've made over the last few years has been a learning process.  This was no different.  This was the first time I put fondant over a cold buttercream coated cake.  While it produced a nice top and edge and smooth finish, the next day the fondant started to sag in some parts due to the softened buttercream.  Next time I will try a ganache coating under the fondant.  The tree also turned out a little wider than I had planned but I had just enough leaves prepared for one tree so there was no redoing it.  The icebergs in the back were fondant with tylose powder mixed in.  It could probably have used a little more tylose powder to firm it up more but otherwise, the dowels I used provided great support. 

Dear Lil P,

     You have grown in leaps and bounds this past year.  You started pre-k4, and your new teacher tells me you are the "model student."   You are also such a big help to me at home too, always playing with baby T and attentive of his needs.  You always understand what he's asking for and interpret for us.  You are his "Bom-bee."   It's no wonder that he always looks for you when you are at school and happily hugs you when we go to pick you up.  You are an awesome older sister and I hope you will always look out for baby T.
     With each year, I see your vibrant personality come out even more.  You wear your heart on your sleeve. Your smile can light up a room.  And, even when you stick out your lower lip and hunch over in disappointment, you draw the attention of onlookers who say you are so cute.
     You still love to dance and sing.  I think you may become a performer one day.  You've made up your own "dumpling" dance which makes me laugh every time you do it.  You know how to pose with sass.  And you still love to belt out songs from Frozen or these days, Taylor Swift's "Shake it Off".
     You are one tough girl.  You have no problem keeping up with your big bro.  I often find you two sword fighting or trying to best each other.  You've even started learning nun chucks in TKD.  You are fierce and determined.  Sometimes I have to remind myself that you are still a little girl.
     Lil P, I pray that you would grow to be a strong, woman of God, confident in your identity and knowing you are so very loved.
love,
mom