It’s hockey playoff time folks!

Can you feel the excitement?

Ya, neither can I!

I just don’t.

I apologize to my brother, who has to live in the US where there isn’t enough hockey coverage (or at least as much as he thinks there should be), I apologize to my family, as I was bred into a hockey loving group, and I apologize to myself, as I promised I would jump on the bandwagon!   Who is proud to be a wannabe bandwagon jumper?  L.O.S.E.R.

I just couldn’t be bothered.  The bandwagon went too quickly by my place, and I missed jumping on.

Oh well.  There’s always next game right?  Next round, next series, next year?

When is that next game anyway? Someone’s going to have to help me out!

I have been successful at entering my school’s hockey pool though!  I put a lot (*cough* a-hem) of thought into my picks, and relied heavily on my deep, insightful choices (*cough* a-hem) . . . I randomly chose with the alphabet’s help!  A- Alexander Ovechkin, B- Kevin Bieksa etc.  Aren’t I clever?  I hope for my sake, and everyone else’s who actually chose their players with real rationale thought, that I don’t win, or even get close to winning!

Vancouver Canucks Hockey Cake:

This cake was a customized cake done for a loyal customer for her husband’s surprise birthday party!  I hear he loved it . . . doesn’t every Canadian male want to see their name on the back of an NHL hockey jersey?  It was a biggie . . . chocolate cake, with chocolate buttercream covering the cake, and vanilla buttercream for the piping design.

I love doing these kind of piping cakes.  I love the order to it, I love the rigid lines, and I love to watch the picture/pattern slowly develop as I get into the piping groove.

What I don’t love is the cramp in my hand that I get!  You have to get your icing at the perfect consistency: not so soft, that it doesn’t maintain it’s shape, but that it is not so hard, that it makes piping difficult on your hand and forearm.

I like to test the icing when it is in the bowl still.  If you put a knife into the bowl, and wiggle the bowl around, you can tell how stiff your consistency is.  If the knife slowly wobbles as you wiggle the bowl, you most likely have medium consistency, and if the knife stays stuck, you probably have yourself some pretty stiff icing!  For a piping cake like this one, you want medium consistency.

Happy piping hockey fans!

And, hey, if you see that bandwagon anywhere, and there’s still room for me, send it on over to my new address.  Thanks!

Stay Tuned: Next Up in the Man Cake Posts- a Tank and an XBox Remote