As a child, I created my own fashion catalogs and everyday cookbooks, the glossy photos and text snipped from my mom’s magazines and department store flyers. In college I papered my walls with my favorite advertisements and cutting edge photography, images that helped shape my blossoming persona.
I still subscribe to far too many magazines, though now my folders and boxes burst with home decor and beauty ideas. I’ve saved thousands of recipes over the years, first by cutting from magazines and taping into burgeoning three-ring binders, and for the last decade or so, saving into my computerized cookbook.
So naturally, I’m a sucker for Pinterest.
Millions of images, ideas, recipes, forever rotating, begging to be selected, “pinned,” and in some cases, recreated? Heaven.
It’s no secret I cannot bake. I am an inspired cook, but if the recipe involves an oven, I’m screwed. But I’m also persistent. There are just so damn many temptations — cookies and cakes other bloggers said were just so easy to bake — if they could do it, so could I.
Failure #1: Mini Chocolate Pies for an Oscar party. The pie: Demetrie’s Chocolate Pie (minus the ‘secret’ ingredient) from The Help via The Book Club Cookbook. The crusts: from an adorable blog I found via Pinterest. I won’t share disgustingly perfect little sugar cookie crusts they photographed, filled with delicate cream cheese and fruit, sitting atop a perfectly set table, as if waiting for a royal tea party. It all seemed so simple.
Place break & bake cookie dough in mini muffin pan.
Once baked, gently press down with your handy dandy Pampered Chef mini-tart press to form a little shell. And voila—
I ended up with lopsided crusts, which sat in the pan for two days, adhered to the non-stick surface with some type of buttery cement, until I was tempted to throw the entire mess away.
Project FAIL. The blogger said it was easy, the crusts should just drop from the pan like petals from a spent rose. I was a failure, with no gourmet treats for my party. I bought some yogurt covered pretzels and hid my shame.
Failure #2: Yesterday I gave in to a craving for cake. I’d pinned this lovely Red Velvet Snowball cake recently and, really, how hard could it be?
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| From Country Living Magazine via Pinterest |
I didn’t bother making the cake from scratch. Betty-In-a-Box, a fresh bag of coconut, and voila —
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It looked like a mauled albino hamster or something. It totally brought to mind the armadillo groom’s cake from Steel Magnolias.
It tasted good (only a slight aftertaste of a bottle’s worth of red dye), but it was certainly not pin-worthy. No one else would ever ohh or ahhh over it, follow the stunning photo’s link to my blog, and become a faithful follower.
And that’s okay.
We are all not pastry chefs. Or set decorators, food photographers, fashion divas, or craft gurus. But I’ll bet there’s something we each can do just a little bit better than the next person. The trick is finding that special talent, cultivating it, and rocking it to the best of our abilities…and then some.
Write on. . .
P.S. Click here to check out my occasionally delusional and often cool Pinterest boards.
*snort*
If I'd been drinking that chocolate milk one more second just now, it would have ended up all over my computer screen when I scrolled down to your… Lovely… red velvet cake. I'm totally thinking it was just the angle the picture was taken. *wink*
I don't accompany my recipes on my blog with photos for a reason. It ain't no Better Homes and Garden party in my kitchen!
The cookie dough crust idea actually sounds delicious. If mine turned out hard as rocks in a muffin pan, you bet 'yer cookies I'd have thrown out the whole thing!
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I love the armadillo cake reference…I cannot make or eat red velvet without thinking about that scene! Hilarious!
Pinterest makes me feel inferior too…but I'm still sucked in. 😉
Cheers, ~S
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At least you tried. I'm a pretty decent cook but haven't done too much baking, even though I love it. I wish I was as good as what the pins on Pinterest show!!!! 🙂
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I try to be really realistic about the things on Pinterest I can and SHOULD NOT do. That being said, I did this corn dip recipe for a party a few weeks ago that was divine. People could not stop raving about it.
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I should be so lucky to make the armadillo cake! I would giggle for three days. (And I love red velvet – win, win!)
I am seriously laughing. A while back I posted about a pin I tried that was a horrible failure. It was those cinnamon swirled pancakes. They looked so easy. Mine did not turn out and I totally melted a honey bear in the process. I'm glad I'm not the only Pinterest failure out there. The funny thing is that I still like to try some of the things I pin!
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And this is why I, too, do not pin photos of what I make from Pinterest. And I am a baker, so what does that tell you? Stopping by from PYHO.
Oh, I feel like your twin! I used to do all of the same stuff as a child. I recently found one of my magazines and got the biggest kick out of it. My husband could not believe I spent so much time as a child creating something. But I cannot bake a cake (even a boxed one) to save my life- even the 9×13's come out angled. What gives?? Love the post- love your blog!
Ha! So glad to have found you via PYHO.
I have to admit, I've tried a pin or two and it *usually* comes out okay. And maybe I'm a total glutton for punishment but I'm intrigued by the "cookie dough tart" idea. <– See? Complete craziness, right there. That's why I've all but stopped visiting Pinterest altogether.
I have so many ideas on my Pinterest boards… and a few fails and semi-fails to my credit as well. Mostly because I spend so much time finding ideas that I don't have time to actually try them out. 🙂
I don't have the talent for pin-worthy projects! Just not my thing!
Oh, I've had some noteworthy Pinterest fails, too. And I really don't think your red velvet cake looks bad! I'd certainly try some….
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I have had this window open since this morning and am just getting around to reading it now. YOu just made me laugh so hard I almost snorted girl scout cookie through my nose. Not freshly baked (break and bakes) as those were made yesterday and are gone. I think we might have to be new besties. You've got a new friend in me. 🙂
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I too have an addiction to pinterest as well