My crazy life in cake and Dora

I love receiving feedback from customers…. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Bring it on…… I like to hear it all. Of course I like a glowing report as much as the next person but I also need to know if something is not right!!! Truly, I’m not worried that someone is going to tell me that the cake was the worst thing that they have ever tasted. I have made enough cakes now to know that this is not my area of concern ……. what I do worry about is that someone may mention my tardiness when it comes to responding to emails or that several of my feral children frightened them at their appointment!!!
A mother to 4 children and wife to a small business owning Frustrated Painter, means that after hours cake appointments are sometimes fraught with several rogue children and danger. Add to this my unfortunate email tardiness and there is definitely a recipe for disaster.

Let me set the scene for you of an evening several years ago that still makes me cringe to this day. It was Thursday morning and with three of the four kids packed off to school and only one cake to complete I knew that “the Baby” and I could fit in a session at Mini Music. A time for Mums and Bubs to do some craft, eat morning tea together and then dance and jiggle away to music. It wasn’t until we got home about lunchtime that I realised I had actually double booked myself and all the time that I thought I had, I in fact, didn’t. 6:30pm and my appointment with the Bride-and-Groom-to-be came around quicker than humanly possible and I found myself, offering tasting samples and guidance, whilst still decorating a 3D Dora cake and managing all four kids (the husband was noticeable absent this particular evening).
Its a little difficult to maintain eye contact whilst talking up the 6 different flavours my Bride and Groom were sampling at the same time as attaching Dora’s head to her body, trying to finish her before the clients come to pick her up. BUT…… I gave it my best shot….discussing the strength of white chocolate ganache v’s dark chocolate ganache, I pushed Dora’s head down onto a wooden dowel and the two youngest chased each other around the kitchen. My hands, trying to create the perfect Dora, would not move fast enough and no matter how many times I looked at that clock, it just kept ticking. There was a distinct knock …… looking up, I was desperately hoping it was not the front door but rather one of my kids heads hitting the floor, as the fun and games had now turned physical and the giggles of delight hat been replaced with screams of frustration and pain as they wrestled each other to the ground.

Thankfully the Frustrated Painter walked through the door just before that fateful knock and he was on hand to welcome 2 more adults and 2 more children into the place of business cum wrestling arena. My Bride and Groom finalised their tasting and I wished them well as they left my house, more than likely concerned at how my house was run, let alone my business. The newest additions to the house were met with open arms…. Beer, football on television, coffee and several kids to play with. Chatting away as I finished off the grass around Dora’s feet, I vowed to take more care, never double book myself again and perhaps lock my children in cages or employ a WWF referee to live with us!!