So most of you will know by now that I’m bipolar. I am also a stay at home mum and study part time, I often have to take time off study when having a depressive episode, but one thing that often keeps me going is baking, i’m a bake geek. I don’t really love eating a great deal of cake, but i LOVE creating different things, so i thought i’d try out posting pics for the first time and share some things I’ve baked
Husband’s Green Lantern Cake
Inside of husband’s green lantern cake, chocolate with ganache layers
The above cake took me about six hours, the decoration was quite fiddly but hubby loves green lantern and superman and all those kind of guys, so i made a three layered chocolate buttermilk cake with chocolate ganache in between, it was pretty good!!
My Daughter’s Angry Birds birthday cake
The above one took me about 16 hours, it was a chocolate layer cake with fondant angry birds and decoration. One of the hardest ones I’ve done but it was so much fun. It felt like going back to kindergarten molding all the figures.
Ferrero Rocher Cupcakes
These are the ferrero rocher cupcakes, SO SO rich, ridiculous. But really tasty, I love the chocolates.
My daughter’s pikachu birthday cake
The pokemon cake took me about ten hours, it was very fiddly and precise but she loved it. I get so much joy making things like this for my kids, they get pretty excited.
Donut eclairs
And lastly, possibly the most decadent. Home made potato donuts with stabilized whipped cream and home made raspberry jam. They were so tasty but I could only eat one, you could feel your heart clogging up! Haha.So i would encourage anyone who gets stuck in a down swing to find something you love to do, something you can do at home by yourself and get into it. Just doing SOMETHING can make all the difference, I’m a creative soul and so creating anything, be it a song a poem a painting a cake, it’s all cathartic for me.
thank you sooooo much for that taste bud satisfaction!!
If only cake would stay fresh enough to send across the ocean! I’d feed all my WordPress friends 🙂
That would be awesome; however, enjoying it in pictures is less fattening! Your baking all looks very yummy!
Very true, I don’t eat a great deal of what I bake, it’s usually for the kids or friends 🙂
Very cool. I don’t have the kind of patience it looks like you need to do such creative cakes. They look amazing! My son (also bipolar) goes through baking binges when he’s on his manic phase. One year he made home made pumpkin pies, from picking and cooking the pumpkin! They were delish! Maybe there needs to be a Manic Bakery?
Haha it’s a good idea but unfortunately depressive episodes can never be predicted and most of the staff would only turn up when “up” – its definitely something I do alot more of when I’m manic but it’s also something I push myself to do when in down because it picks me up a little. Maybe you could encourage him when he’s down to bake, or pretend you have a need (us bakers love to feel needed and like we are helping) – it may help pick him up a little like it does me. Thanks for the kind words 🙂
Yeah, when he’s down, he’s really down. Though lately he has been mostly better (except for our big fight a few weeks ago, but a lot of that was on me). It’s hard when one of us is bipolar and the other has major depression (me). Luckily my husband doesn’t have mood problems.
A big fight with a loved one can certainly make one spiral, it must be tough at times with both of your mood disorders in the house. How old is your son?
He’s 32 and certainly needs to get out on his own. I am working with him to get through some of his issues. If things continue to improve and we are able to help him get some sort of health insurance I hope to have him living on his own by this time next year. Fingers crossed.
I’m 32 now and have my own family, it’s probably best for him to be out on his own I agree. I hope it all goes well, I’m assuming you’re in the states, I don’t know what I’d do over there, Australia’s medicare system has it’s fault but I’ve been very lucky in finding a pdoc and therapist who will “bulk bill” they make less money that way but it doesn’t cost me anything
We will soon have “Obamacare” though we already had Medicare, I guess this makes more care available to more people. I haven’t seen anywhere that explains how to apply though.
We have Medicare here but I’d say it’s something quite different, I lived in England for a while and had my kids there and really loved their NHS system. They have some long wait times but overall it’s fantastic IMO. Could you explain your Medicare to me? And what changes “obamacare” will make? I’m most curious
Karlie
Medicare is the national health care system we have had since the 1930s. Basically it covers the retired, elderly and disabled. Obamacare (as I understand it) covers basically everyone else who for various reasons do not otherwise have health insurance.
IMO we’d be better off without insurance altogether…I need health care, not health insurance.
Wow those are awesome. You’re incredibly talented, I could make anything as elaborate as that. I can barely spread a single layer of frosting without ruining the cake! hahah That’s an excellent coping method!
Aww thank you kindly. It took a bit of practice and I’m still not as good as some of the folks out there but I do get asked to do a lot of cakes for friend’s kids lol it’s definitely a fun coping mechanism if not messy
These are all amazing!!! I love that you have something to help occupy your mind, we all need that. These really make me want cake, I really want some of that green lantern one, oh my goodness looks delicious!!! 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the comment! I’m trying to get back into it at the moment, I feel the icky creeping back and I’m trying to stay on top, no easy feat. I haven’t been able to write much lately so I need something 🙂
You are welcome and I do really understand. I’m glad that you have found something else that helps. It’s always good when you are struggling to still find a way to be productive. 🙂
OMG – they look fantastic – I think I’ve gained weight just looking at the photos !!!!
Thanks! Like I said, I don’t eat much of what I bake lol I’d be in big trouble