December 22, 2005
cake practice
frosting practice at the Culinary Academy, Canon Digital Rebel
Did you know that people in cooking school have to practice their loopy, chocolatey curves just like we did when we learned cursive?
Sometimes we see the end result (someone's web site, book, album, cake) and we don't see all of the blood, sweat and tears that went into it. We don't see them fail, try again, rip the paper to shreds, quit, start over, tell themself they suck, do it anyway. We don't see all the messiness of the process. We don't see their scales, their sketches, their first drafts, their cake practice.
If we did, we'd have a lot more compassion for ourselves, for our own messes and half-assed attempts at creating beauty.
Posted on December 22, 2005 10:25 AMamen sista! i needed to remember this!
Posted by: la vie en rose at December 24, 2005 02:44 PMThat's a beautiful thing to remember. THank you!
Posted by: amanda at December 23, 2005 02:35 PMA~
This is so true... it is interesting how we are able to forgive others faults but not our own, how we don't expect the best from others but always from ourselves. We should treat ourselves the way we want others to treat us. Lets start practicing that one!
I love this photo. It reminds me of my pastry school days.
Merry Christmas to you.
Jenn
Posted by: jenn at December 23, 2005 01:35 PMJust when you think you have the answers you find out there is still so much to learn. Thank you for your words, they are always inspiring...I am REALLY declaring that I will jump on my gift and make a living by creating beauty, I have kept fighting it forever but I am surrendering and have more compassion for my attempts, my failures and will celebrate HAPPILY every inch of success. Happy Holidays!
Posted by: Giselle Taminez at December 23, 2005 01:00 PMi always think of all the effort and struggle and thought that goes into something... anything, be it an art piece or yes, a cake, the building of a house or knitting of a sweater. it's all a learning process, no matter how good we finally get it. that's why i appreciate so much in life, because i think about all it took to create that one, singular thing. thanks for posting this... love the pic!
happy holidays, a! :)
jack
To practice writing with frosting, I used to use cheap toothpaste in a pastry bag. Same consistancy. Before I got really good at it I used to tell people I let my 8 year old neighbor write on the cake.
Posted by: Ilsa at December 23, 2005 12:30 AMWow! Looks beautiful and delicious!
Posted by: G-Man at December 22, 2005 05:54 PMI just want to eat that cake...food is such a gift in so many ways, isn't it!?! Once again, you've captured the mood today- thank you Andrea.
I've been thinking a lot about the holidays and what Christmas means to me now- I'm not very religious, I can't afford to go gift crazy, and my family are miles and miles away, so what is it all about? The love of my life and I are spending our first Christmas in our first home together, so for he and I it will all be about love and starting new traditions, but I'm just curious what it means to other people. I'd love to get some new perspectives and ideas!
Posted by: M Payne at December 22, 2005 01:13 PMLIFE is compassion and messiness and half assed attempts at everything....and we dust ourselves off and try again.
Posted by: Jennifer at December 22, 2005 11:16 AMthank you...yet again.
Posted by: blu at December 22, 2005 10:10 AMThis was just what I needed today. Thank you. And that photo is just splendid.
Posted by: Grace at December 22, 2005 09:39 AMWise words. I love the photo as well.
Posted by: kristine at December 22, 2005 09:36 AMAbsolutely.
We should all have more grace for ourselves in our sloppy attempts at chocolate curls. So often we take ourselves so seriously. We are so critical. Man, that isn't how it should be.
Posted by: Loony Lindsey at December 22, 2005 09:31 AMAMEN, SISTA!
How ya doing, Andrea?
love,
jen
Beautifully said.
Posted by: Gayla at December 22, 2005 08:55 AM