Helping Aspiring Bakers Everywhere With Online Cakes

Watch all the cooking competitions, but if your own secret (or not-so-secret) are aspirations to being a great cook or baker, tuning into the following can only help. 

Image by jwalsh via Flickr

Some of us watched “The Great Australian Bake Off” in rapt attention because we are sweet demons. Some of us may have been accused of salivating in front of the screen in the way a teenage boy looks at Margot Robbie or a teenage girl looks at Liam Hemsworth. Nonetheless, all we can imagine is sampling the delights. Then again, there are those who tune into TGABO and other cooking competitions because they adore the drama, the emotional outbursts, the…epic fails.

But there’s a strong minority of viewers whose emotions and intentions are geared more towards their own spirit of the game. Meaning, sure, you’re happy Nancy Ho and her 22-year-old self and her signature white chocolate mud cake with sour cream and white chocolate ganache won the whole kit and caboodle. But there’s a side of you, one that you might not want to voice, for fear of reprisal: you know you could do well on the show. You’re not entirely sure you’d win (that’s a whole combination of elements, all falling into rightful places), but you would be a fierce competitor. If you could just get a little help to prep you… luckily, there are well-established and highly regarded services like Planet Cake offering online cakes Sydney and world-wide (all you need is the Internet) with courses that will push you towards your goal of master baker.

Get motivated by keeping up with the best and brightest Australian television has to offer chefs, cooks and bakers – and anyone who just likes a good TV show. Here are some shows you must tune into:

MasterChef Australia

We couldn’t write about TV cooking shows/cooking competitions without mentioning the juggernaut that is MasterChef. Since it first aired in 2009, the Logie Award-winning series captivated Aussies everywhere. And, in the interest of transparency, it elevated the original inspiration, Britain’s MasterChef.  When a “mere” I.T. office manager (38-year-old Julie Goodwin) won the first seasons, audiences were addicted. The drama only increased when second-season winner Adam Liaw took the prize over next-best competitor Callum by the tiny margin of seven points! Four more seasons only garnered more viewers. The second series final became the third-highest rated show of all time. The show was so profoundly successful that it sparked spin-off fever (“Celebrity MasterChef Australia,” “Junior MasterChef Australia,” “MasterChef Australia All-Stars,” and “MasterChef Australia: The Professionals.”)

Planet Cake TV

No matter how many steps your favourite on-air baker or chef goes through on one of their television shows, you’ re going to need better and more thorough directions. That’s where Planet Cake TV comes in. The online cake decorating school allows anyone who has Internet the opportunity to bake and decorate like a professional. Planet Cake has the distinction of its uniquely decorated cakes, so this is definitely a situation where they know what their doing. Subscriptions are available monthly and annually and members have access to all Planet Cake TV courses and the new tutorials, which debut monthly.

My Kitchen Rules

What can we say? We love a good cooking competition show and “My Kitchen Rules” certainly qualifies. We love the “grace-under-pressure” moments, especially “Rapid Cook-Off,” “Showdown” and “Sudden Death,” because if you’re rooting for a chef, and as the time seems to speed up, it’s effectively emotional and stressful. At my house, we refer to the series as “Amazing Race in the Kitchen.”  The “Video Diary” is dubbed “Top Model in the Kitchen.” The results (food cooked) on “My Kitchen Rules” are consistently out-of-the-box and are interesting and lively. Yes, the show has borrowed from others, but they borrowed the best and the show is very strong.

Given the success of the aforementioned series, it’s likely you’re already watching these shows. If not, it’s definitely the right time to try it out. You’ll feel honoured and supported.

My Top 8 Subscription Boxes

When I was younger, I loved when they had grab bags at stores. I used to buy them every chance I got. They had them at the dollar store and sometimes at the drug store full of teen toiletries. It was always exciting to get a surprise. You never knew what you would find inside. You usually knew what kind of items you would find, but never what. I used to love when I went to a party and they would give you a wrapped up surprise as a party favor or as a party game. Now companies have updated the same idea of surprises in the form of subscription boxes. They are monthly boxes that you don’t know what is inside but they usually have a theme like kids, pets or beauty items. You pay a small monthly fee and every month you receive some awesome goodies.  They also make a great gift!

 
 There are so many different types of subscription boxes. If you don’t know where to look you may miss some really great subscription boxes. Thankfully there is CrateJoy who has them all in one place. Sometimes I hear about them from TV or a friend but I always forget which one they are mentioning. CrateJoy makes it so easy, gives ratings and you can even sign up for multiple subscriptions really easily.

Here are my top 8 subscription boxes:

Box O’ Munch is a subscription box for those who love to snack. I love to snack but, I don’t always like to have healthy snacks. Box O’ Munch contains things like candy, chips and cookies. You receive 10-15 pieces of awesome treats a month. https://www.cratejoy.com/box-o-munch

Nerd Block is a monthly subscription box that is full of nerdy things. My son would love this subscription block. It could have Star Wars items, Pokémon, and other “nerd” items.  It would be a fun monthly surprise for kids or anyone who likes Star Wars, comic books, or Pokémon. It also comes in its very own block which is really cool. https://www.cratejoy.com/nerd-block

Benko Box is a box full of everything you would need to make a masterpiece for kids. Noah is a great artist. This box contains 10-12 art supplies each month. This box is great because buying art supplies can be expensive. You also have to plan out what you want to make. Benko Box gives you other art supplies to use that you might not think about using. https://www.cratejoy.com/benko-box

Faithbox is a subscription box full of items that will help inspire Christian living. It contains items that are good for the planet and others. They also feed a needy child for every box you buy. Faithbox is truly inspirational and would make a great gift for my neighbors who are always helping others. https://www.cratejoy.com/faithbox

A Little Bundle would be a great gift for a new baby. A Little Bundle is a subscription box full of items for baby and mom. It contains items that your baby will love. It’s a great way to keep the gifts coming after they are home from the hospital.  There is a clothing item in each bundle. Such a fun surprise for any new mom. https://www.cratejoy.com/a-little-bundle

 

Hamptons Lane is the ultimate kitchen monthly subscription box. You can find recipes, kitchen gadgets and Artisan food items. I love to cook and try new things. This box would be something fun for me because I have a kitchen gadget collection. Each month there is a different theme so you will always get a great variety. https://www.cratejoy.com/hamptons-lane

Flicker Box is a really cool artisan candle subscription box. You receive candles from candle artists from around the United States. I love candles and I really think that they help make your home warm and welcome.  I don’t think you can ever have too many candles. https://www.cratejoy.com/flicker-box

Darby Smart is a mystery monthly box full of DIY items. You never know what you are going to get to make that month. It could be perfume or it could be a cool craft for your kids. I would love this box because I love to make things and I love surprises. I know I would wait each month for it to arrive. https://www.cratejoy.com/darby-smart

What are your favorite subscription boxes? For more information and many more subscription boxes check out Cratejoy.

Pack your Own Lunch Day with Klosterman Bread

We eat a lot of sandwiches at my house. So, naturally we go through a lot of bread. I have this memory of Noah when he was three, he had taken a loaf of bread off the counter that I had just purchased. Went to the couch and started eating it. It was pretty funny that he decided to just help himself like that. Even though I had specific plans with the bread, I caught him in time that he had only ate a good sized chunk. Noah loves bread probably more than I do. We love to make sandwiches. He has started making his own peanut butter and jelly sandwiches some times. He also loves grilled cheese. It is important to have quality bread when you are making your favorite sandwich. Bread is definitely a huge part of a sandwich. You may think about what’s inside is the important part but really it’s a whole package deal. There are so many different types of breads, you have to figure out not only what bread will compliment your sandwich but what kind of bread you like. Some people are really picky about their bread. Some only like white, some only like wheat, and some like breads like rye or pumpernickel. I am definitely a white bread girl. I remember growing up, at my grandma’s house she would buy us white bread. So I was able to have white toast. My mom usually only bought wheat bread. I know that’s silly looking back but it was kind of a big deal for me.  

Today is National Pack your own Lunch Day. As adults, we tend to eat our lunch at restaurants, or pick up something during a lunch break. You can save a lot of money by packing your own lunch instead of eating food you pick up.  I always pack Noah’s lunch. His lunch of choice is peanut butter and jelly. He also likes tortillas that he dips in applesauce.  I think he has dipped almost everything in applesauce. He has a very unique palate sometimes. Klosterman Bread is giving away a whole year of Klosterman products to a lucky person. It’s really easy to enter! All you have to do is vote for which sandwich you would prefer on their Facebook page. You can enter once a day so if you have a hard time picking you can mix it up.

Enter to win a year of Klosterman Products.

Good Luck! What is your favorite kind of bread?