Sunday Sweets: Ombre Treats

Merriam Webster defines ombre as: "having colors or tones that shade into each other." I define it as "soooo pretttttty."

 Here, why don't I just show you?

 (By Sugablossom Cakes)

 That's ombre.

  Isn't it gorgeous?

 What I didn't realize until I started looking into ombre cakes was just how many ways ombre could be incorporated into a cake.

 Sometimes literally.

(By AK Cake Design)

The outside deserves a look, too:

(By AK Cake Design)

There are a lot of ways to achieve ombre.

 You can take a pristine white cake and "ombre it up" with some pretty piping:

(By Cake Coquette)

... or maybe a swirl of flowers -- like this one, inspired by a Steampunk-themed invitation:

(By Sugar Song Cakes)

(See, Steampunk doesn't have to be brown...)  

It seems like bakers are able to make ombre cakes out of pretty much anything:

 Pretty blue ruffles:

 (By Cake Central member ChrisJack1)

...big, swoopy swirls:

(By Charm City Cakes)

 ...pink fondant tubes:

(By Fat Girl Cakes)

...teeny-tiny flowers:

(By Cake Fixation)

...and sunset slashes:

(By Eat Cake Be Merry)

Sometimes, the shading is subtle:

(By Olive arts)

Other ombre cakes are a little more extroverted:

(By Frosting)

 You certainly couldn't accuse this cake of being shy:

(By Maggie Austin Cake)

 ... no matter how much it blushes.

One thing's for sure; ombre cakes will never fade quietly into the background.

And thank goodness for that!

Have a wonderful Sunday!

*****

P.S. Brace yourself for our cheesiest product review yet:

King Arthur Better Cheddar Cheese Powder

So John is a popcorn fanatic, and has spent a lifetime sampling every kind of cheese popcorn he can find. His all-time favorite is from a mall kiosk called Doc Popcorn, where they pop and mix it fresh, but he reports the next best thing is adding this cheese powder to a bag of microwave popcorn.

John's tried half a dozen top-rated cheese powders on Amazon, and reports King Arthur is the winner for the most tangy cheesiness - with Hoosier Hill Farm at a close second. (And Hoosier Hill has twice as much for the same price, so it's the better bargain.)

So hey, if you love fresh-popped, punch-you-in-the-face cheesey cheese popcorn, try this! And according to the reviews you can also use it to make cheese sauce (just add butter and milk), sprinkle it on veggies, soups, baked potatoes... I mean, it's cheese, y'all. What's not to love?

"Tall And Tan And Young And Lovely, The Girl From Ipanema Goes Walking..."

If you hadn't heard, today is National Talk In An Elevator day. Each year, we use this day to step out of our comfort zone, go beyond the small talk, and really open to each other in that delightfully confined space.

For instance, let's say Doug held the door for you. You might say:

But why not try something that will really get the conversational juices flowing?

Something like:

See? Now you're sure to have a lively conversation!

Oh no! You stepped on Nelah's toes on the crowded elevator?

You could say:

But why not lean in close and scream:

This works especially well if it's not your birthday.

Brad from Marketing just made a big sale. Normally, you might greet him with something simple like:

But you hate Brad.

No better place to start a rumor than an elevator.

Eventually, you'll reach your floor and it will be time to get off. (heyooooo)
You could say something boring like:

But why not leave them with more to talk about?

Make sure they all know you're talking to Brad.

He knows what he did.

Thanks to Lucas K., Andrea H., Emiline P., Robin, Stacie J., Kate R., David P., & Alex H. for the cake that's sure to go viral.

*****

P.S. Speaking of painful things, a friend recently got me this gel cap for my migraines, and sweet icy Stay Puft, y'all, it's amazing:

Migraine Hot/Cold Gel Cap
 

 I have a huge head and a lot of hair, so it's pretty snug on me, but the extra pressure with the cold is heavenly during a migraine. I used to hold a cold pack and keep shifting it around from side to side, but this wraps my entire skull in a cooling hug. Ahhhh so good.

I keep the gel cap sealed in the fridge all the time now, so I can grab it as soon as a headache starts up. The cold does only last 15-20 minutes, but it's 1000% worth it in my book, highly recommend.

*****

And from my other blog, Epbot: