Pretty Packages All In a Row

Ms. Muse always seemed to have her thoughts wrapped up in nice neat little packages. She preferred to capture every little crystallized notion and combine it for a total idea then hold them tightly until needed. Unfortunately every now and then an occasional black thought would wiggle its way into her day. She would try to wrap it into a presentable package, but usually ending up torturing herself in the process.

Isanti County News

Wednesday, 09 September 2009


That takes the cake

Shirl Chouinard, of Cambridge, was one of the top finishers in the Minnesota State Fair’s, C & H Cake Decorating Contest and in the new King Arthur Great Cake Contest. The judges looked for taste, presentation and texture. Fair officials stated that Chouinard’s flavors shined through. Texture is where people usually fall short. Cakes should be soft and moist; never crumbly or hard and her cake was soft and tender to cut. For the presentation, you want at least some basic eye appeal. As Chouinard is an exhibiting sugar artist, her cake stood out for how it looked. Her details were amazing as it was decorated to look like a King Arthur cookbook. Chouinard got to appear with Corbin Seitz on KARE 11’s Showcase Minnesota program, Monday, Aug. 31, and her rich Dark Chocolate King Arthur cake recipe was found on KARE’s Web site.

• 1/2 cup boiling water


• 4 Tbsp unsweetened Dutch Processed cocoa powder and 3 Tbsp unsweetened regular cocoa powder


• 1/2 cup softened butter


• 2 cups sugar


• 3 eggs


• 1 tsp vanilla extract


• 1 tsp Orange Liquor (such as Grand Marnier)


• 2 cups King Arthur (All Purpose) Flour


• 1 tsp baking powder


• 1 tsp baking soda


• 1 cup sour cream

Mix boiling water and both unsweetened cocoa’s in small bowl until smooth. Let cool and set aside. Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mix well and set aside. Add vanilla extract and orange liquor then mix. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda together. To butter/sugar mixture, alternately add portions of the dry ingredients, unsweetened cocoa mixture and the sour cream, mixing well after each addition. Divide into to two 8”cake tins. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-50 minutes or until cake tests done. Let cakes completely cool and slice across the middle to make four layers. Frost with your favorite frosting

Euterpe

Euterpe - Greek muse of music.

Image Art Show 2008

Minnesota State Fair Third Place King Arthur Cake Contest

On the set of KARE 11's Showcase Minnesota August 31, 2009.

With Host Corbin Seitz.

Surprised Host Rob Hudson when he discovered the cookbook was a cake.

Minnesota State Fair Third Place C&H Cake Decorating Contest

The theme was the 100 year anniversary of the Grandstand so I took the logo for the front design and made the seating chart with the royal icing lattice work .

Isanti County Fair First Place

Goddess of the Lake Legend

Ms. Muse was fascinated with the Lake Goddess legend. She likes to repeat the local folklore to anyone who will listen.

Reverently Ms. Muse begins her story, “It is told that a long time ago a young girl was paddling a canoe to meet her lover in the village aross the lake, but before she could reach the other side a violent vortex appeared out of nowhere and swallowed the canoe whole. Unfortunately the young maiden was never to be found.

When the young girl settled to the murky bottom the lake creatures told her that she was not human after all, but actually the Goddess of the Lake and she was accidently netted as a baby by her wicked family. The ill-mannered father decided to keep her instead of releasing her back into the lake, because he thought she might have special powers. He hoped to use her talents for his own means.

In the meantime her young lover was so distraught when he heard the news that he ran to the edge of the lake and prayed to the gods for help. It is said, because of one tear that fell into the lake during his prayer, the predestined Goddess of the Lake is granted the ability to appear once at the beginning of summer as a water spout bearing the lotus flower in honor of her lover and those fortunate enough to see her are blessed with a bountiful year.”