Who Wants to be my Friend?

Friends of the jin are a special lot
Lucky they are, abundant they are not
But e'er once in a while I give them a gift
Might be a big cake they can't even lift!

This cake went to my Great Auntie Em
from whom some of my talent surely does stem
For her 80th birthday a few years ago
She treated us all to dinner, don't you know



As always, she said "No gifts please!"
So I made her this cake to try & appease
I overdid it, we were only 8 for dining
We shared with the restaurant so they'd quit their whining.

Had to prove to them it didn't just look nice
That the flavours & textures were sure to entice
The most finicky of taste buds & connoisseurs too
Him; her; them; me; & best of all YOU.

My blogfriends are amazing I LOVE all you guys!
I want to shower you with cheesecakes & pies!
(Not literally, of course, for the pervs in this bunch
I meant not a shower, but merely some lunch!)

So here's a sweet toast *jin raises her glass*
(Immediately a fellow blogger tries to grab her ass!)
She giggles & spills the coffee on the floor
& runs with her Turtle Cheesecake right out the door.

Now if you want it, you'll have to catch me
If you don't, you can't have it for free!
I'll charge you double or even triple this time
That's just for dessert, the jin & half of this rhyme!

There's a Leprechaun in my cake!

I came upon
a Leprechaun
He said, "Ye want me Gold?"
"Hell YES!" says me.
He says, "Who told
ye where I be?"
I say, "Is it too bold
for me to take yer Gold?"
He says, "Ye take it from me
'n Blimey you'll see
if it's too bold
to be takin' me Gold!"

But then jin remembers how this wee Leprechaun acted & decides she'd best not fuck with him. She proceeds to set up her wedding cake & walks away briskly from the end of the rainbow.

Sweetness of Life

In this life full of turmoil & pain
I am pleasantly surprised again & again
When things get so bad that you can't continue
Suddenly you're surrounded by friends so true
Words that are spoken or commented or sent
Straighten my perspective that somehow got bent
I try to reciprocate the best I know how
But sometimes I just sit here and say, "Oh WOW!"

Gratuitous Cake Shot

The client brought in her drawing & specified what colours she wanted the cake decorated in.

This is how it turned out!

Being a woman in a small business is not easy. We are not treated equally no matter what the statistics tell you. Even with a shining credit record we were never given any business capital what-so-ever. Turned down time & time again for very small equipment loans...renovation loans...etc. Even after 5 years in business we were not allowed a delivery vehicle lease under my name, my partner's name or even a combo of the 2 of us. The dealership told us right out: "We need a man's signature. You need to get one of your husband's to come down & sign the lease." Well, yours truly wasn't married, so I had to go & ask my Dad. How pathetic is that?! 25 years old, in business for 5 years with an exceptional credit record & my Dad had to sign for a car lease which was a mere $350.00/month with no money down.

It hasn't become any easier at all throughout the years & come April we will be celebrating our 14th anniversary. We struggled, but hung in there just the same, and for that length of time we managed to get by. But it seems to be getting harder every day. Especially since my Dad was hospitalized on December 21st. I'm the only one in the family who has a drivers license so all of the chasing came crashing down on my shoulders. (Well, my Dad does have a son, a sister & a brother who have NOT lifted a finger to help him even though they are quite capable of doing so. Most of you know the story behind that one & if you don't, let me know & I'll direct you to it.)

Another Gratuitous Cake Shot

This design was inspired by a swatch of material.

My schedule has drastically changed, working all night long to keep up with the custom orders & wedding cakes (which I SO enjoy creating...it's like jin therapy! :-) while days are spent running errands, doctors appointments & hospital visits. My body has grown surprisingly comfortable with only 4-5 hours of sleep per 24-33 hours. Yet there still isn't enough time in the day for me to keep the shoppe open to the public as I had in the past. Two days every month were "Open House" days. December 23rd was the last date I was able to have an Open House. I had hoped things would be getting back to normal & I would be able to do one this Saturday for St. Patrick's Day, but... alas... it looks as if I may have to admit my Dad to the hospital again tomorrow (Monday).

Why am I telling you all this? I do have a point! It was basically to explain why I felt the need to add the new "Donation Button" in the right-hand column. I never really wanted to have advertisements plastered all over my blog & I was hoping for a couple dollars every now & again...maybe the equivalent of a newspaper, magazine or even a cup of coffee...I expected nothing grand & even felt a little guilty for putting it up there. Well, I already got my first 'donation' & that poem up there was inspired by the very hard-working individual who left me a much more than generous tip. I can't thank you enough!

Times are tough. I read so many blogs where you're going through health/money/marital problems, etc. I feel for every single one of you & am always wishing you the best. In fact, I'm going to leave you all with a charm...why? Because I can! Read it 3 times out loud while you think of wonderful things, like chocolate!

This is my jinCharm
To protect me from all harm
Please keep my blues at bay
for the rest of the day
I will be kind to whomever I can
Be it a lady, animal, child or man
In return I'll feel so happy
Instead of thinking my life is crappy.

It's my Blogiversary!

I can't believe it's been a whole year already!!!
Time flies when you're having FUN!

I wanted to vary a bit from my norm for this post, so I've decided to show you 3 of my fave things in the shoppe that I couldn't live without. (Besides chocolate, my computer & blogging stuff. ;-)

Neilsen Massey Vanilla

If I open this bottle 20 times in a day I inhale the aroma 20 times.
OOooohhhh......it's that good.

Bernzomatic Propane Torch

I use this every single day.
Great for:
- warming buttercream whilst whipping in the Kitchen Aid
- releasing cheesecakes, etc. from pans
- caramelizing Crème Brûlée
- punishing annoying customers

The Professional Pastry Chef
3rd Edition
by Bo Friberg

I <3 this book.
A lot.

Thanks everyone for celebrating with me!
jintrinsique is 1 year old today
Here's to many many more!!!

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

The jin believes whole-heartedly in Fate.
She believes that paths cross for a reason.
Incredibly interesting souls always seem to find my 'out-of-the-way' shoppe.
I truly enjoy meeting, chatting & creating pastry bliss for them.
Check this cake:

FUN, yes?!
It was ordered by a local couple.
I swear the lady that picked up the cake was
the classiest dressed woman I have ever had in my shoppe.
In fact, if I didn't look like me, I'd want to look like her.

This couple has a website showcasing their art.
They are absofuckinglutely brilliant photographers.
I want you all to go here & click everywhere.
But, come back when you're done!
Don't leave meeeeee! Not before you comment! ;-)

A close-up of the piped Retro Snowflakes.


I should be back on the 6th with a special post.
Would you believe it will be my
1 Year Blogiversary?!!?
I'm not sure what to post about, though?
Any suggestions?
Any requests?