A concept...

As I raced through the aisles of the grocery store yesterday afternoon, eager to gain the essential supplies for the next cake-on-order before youngest daughter needed the car to go to work, I had a thought. Perhaps I could blog about every single ingredient, thought and tool or supply that will go into the cake I'm making this week. Perhaps that would be interesting to someone out there, to see the timeline/map of what all it takes to craft and deliver a cake.
So, what the heck. Here we go.

--July or August some time (I forget exactly when) -- the cake is requested for delivery on September 10. It's a birthday cake that will have to be shipped to NYC. I start to research how to ship a cake over 1,000 miles and have it reach there in one (still deliciously edible) piece.

--By early August (I think that's when it was), I've figured out how to ship it, and what shipping will cost, more or less.

--I then begin to contemplate what form the cake will take, given the recipient's personality, the birthday luncheon location in NYC, etc.

--By mid-August, after a few hours of internet research, I finally know exactly what cake I'm going to create. I make a trip to the cake-supply house to lay in any required supplies that I don't already have.

--Last week found me rounding up all boxes, boards and shipping supplies I will need.

--This week finds me ... 1. Securing communications on the other end, to ensure the cake makes it to its proper destination. 2. Racing through the grocery store gathering butter and sugar yesterday afternoon (how could I possibly be short of those two essential ingredients at this late date?) 3. Baking the cake.

That's it so far ... as of Tuesday night. More to come.