Day Ten: In A Nutshell.

Exhibit A:


Exhibit B:

And now to add in hot bath, cranked heater, pj's and Christmas slippers made by my Grandma. I'm a sucker for cozy feet, and these hot red little numbers will keep my toes toasty all night long!



Food is no fun when you can't taste it, so it's alright that my appetite is zero. I think if a cookie magically slipped under my door, I may even have to slide it right back... Soup and OJ will have to suffice for today.

Zzzzzzz......

Divine Femininity - In the form of CAKE!

With HUGE props going out to @CakeorDeathCA - This goddess cake was an enormous success at the Divine Femininity Themed Birthday party for Rosemary!

The goods consisted of:

Chocolate and hazelnut coffecake, with chocolate mousse, hazelnut chocolate filling and swiss mocha buttercream icing on the outside. The decor was fondant and bronze luster dust, and the yellow roses were simply because, well, Rosemary loves yellow roses!

We also need to give a shout out to Canuck Place Children's Hospice, as this was the first of our two gift certificates turned in from the silent auction we donated too. So happy to help the kids and make a gorgeous cake for Rosemary's party! Enjoy!







Can't wait for the next order to come in!!!

Day Nine: Airplanes, Kleenex and Cough Drops.

This morning I woke up with a cold.



Hrmm...interesting....

Instead of dwelling on this, I am taking this as a sign that some greater force wants me to continue to stay on track with my diet. Why else would I be blessed with absolutely no appetite on the day that I leave for my work trip? This is the time where I usually end up eating nothing but room service and vending machine goodies. Not this time! This time I will be filling up on fluids and sugar free cough drops, and watching my dress size drop overnight. Ok, maybe not overnight - and maybe not a dress size, but colds tend to make a few pounds melt away.

This morning I had chicken noodle soup for breakfast. Chicken noodle soup is amazing. My dad used to make it for us when we were younger, adding in a scrambled egg or two. Delish! I skipped the egg today, and stuck to the broth. I really had no appetite all day, but thought I should probably eat something to give my body some energy to fight this nasty bug.

At the airport, I decided to try a chicken sandwich w/ roasted potatoes. Meh. I didn't eat it all, because I really wasn't hungry to begin with.
You should have seen the looks on people's faces as they sat down beside me on the plane. I honestly was about as popular as the monkey from that movie, Outbreak. There's me, sitting against the window with my bag of cough drops, pack of tissue, sneezing and coughing like a madman. "Come on over! Have a seat beside me!" It's almost as bad as sitting beside the kid who ralphs all over your carry on bag...

Flight attendants cleaning up my seat lol

Now I am settled into my hotel, and after taking notice of the vending machine in the lobby - I marched right past it and up to my room. I looked at the room service menu - not bad - but only open until 10pm. EXCELLENT. It's not possible for me to consume any more food today, even if I wanted too. I guess there's always pizza delivery...but come on...who orders a whole pizza when they are alone?


oh right...I do.... shit.


Time for day 10. Ooo double digits, this should be fun!

Day Eight: otherwise known as "The Hangover"

Day Eight can be summed up in 3 words:
hangover
buffet
cake

And in that order too.


Saturdays are good for sleeping, especially when your Friday's are filled with red wine.

With a family birthday party to attend in the afternoon, my stomach lay dormant. Mostly because I was sleeping, and also partially because I knew what goodies were going to take place at my aunt and uncles house. That woman can COOK!! Amazing! And check out the spread:

I tried to stay with the fruits and veggies, and the part I am most proud of is that I didn't eat the spinach dip. Me. Candice. I didn't eat it. I ALWAYS eat it. There may be a light at the end of my tunnel after all!

Dinner will be veggie burger w/ salad and diet coke.

And then sleepy saturday will continue, which I am SO looking forward too. Day Nine finds me traveling to Saskatoon for a 4 day work trip. Nothing but eating out for the next four days - this should be super duper fun! (aka not fun at all)

Day Seven: I don't wanna to talk about it.

All day long, I was SO GOOD. So, so good.

I had peanut butter on toast for breakfast. Healthy AND yummy.

Then I had a pear - still on track.

My boss offered to buy me FatBurger for lunch today - I politely declined, kindly stating that he was not helping the cause.

I drank water instead, because water is way better then a cheeseburger. (excuse me as I make my fingers into a gun and 'shoot' myself in the head...)


We had a dinner party planned with a couple of bf's relatives in Vancouver, so I skipped the middle meals to allow myself some room to have steak and whatever other goodies were going to be served.
I went in the with mentality of: one glass of wine, some protiens, some veggies, maybe some rice or potatoes.....

Good intentions, right?

Our beautiful table setting for an awesome night with family :)

Good intentions are only good if you intend on actually following them...

By the end of the night, "Some protien" was an entire steak, complete with mushroom gravy (drool), "Some veggies" was asparagus w/ cheese (again - delicious), and "Some rice or potatoes" was a hefty serving of risotto. Mmmmm risotto...
Right - then there was the appetizers of brie w/ aged balsamic vinegar, crackers and olive tampanade. I helped myself to a few of those, actually. Who the hell says no to Brie? I'm dieting not punishing myself. It may possibly be the best cheese ever created. Ever.

Oh yah - and that "One Glass" of wine? Well, technically it was "one glass", but the problem was that the glass never emptied...all...night...long....

This was after the 437th refill...give or take..

Which brings us to Day Eight. And what a groggy day eight it has been. Is the weekend a total write-off? Hard to say right now, but all signs seem to point to "yes"

6 steps forward, 2 steps back - hmm...at least that still means I am 4 steps ahead from where I started!

Day Six: no cookies and no candy make Candice a dull girl.

Day Six:

I think I've lost it.

Today was insanity. Between life, work, and cake - nothing was going quite right.

On top of that, I couldn't even fix my problems with Big Macs. Malarkey.

With the chaos of the day, I don't even think I consumed a healthy amount of calories but some days, that's just how it goes. It's alright to make a mistake, don't lose sleep over it. It's not as bad as ruining Day One...

So today, all I had to eat (sadly) was:

-boiled egg (of course), with pepper and a ww mini wrap, with a tangerine and lemon water. Jump starts the metabolism, don't cha know.

-rice, chicken and w/ spicy salsa.

-one little (little little) boneless hot wing. I know, but they smelled soooooo good and everyone else was doing it!

...........

......

...

That's it. It was a long day and it's not even over...32 minutes to go. Time to drink some water, watch some Ace of Cakes, and get my butt to bed.

I made it to Day Seven! One Week! I think I deserve an award...what will it be??! Stay tuned!!

:)

Day Five: Yah, that's right, I tasted the cake...

I had to make sure it was "coffee" enough!!

It was. Phew. Good thing I checked...

So tonight we whipped up this little diddy, that I thought I would share since we are trying to start a cake business not a weight loss business! Rowrrrr! This little cutie is ready to go!




As for the diet, it is also ready to go. Right out the window.

Haha, I kid, I kid. I'm actually holding up well. Not sure where this new found mentality is coming from but I welcome it with open, chubby arms.

Today consisted of:

-oatmeal and almond slivers for breakfast, with some watermelon

-cucumbers, which are wayyyy better with dip :(

-lunch was a left over tuna wrap with spinach salad

-tangerine

-Rice for dinner, with chicken onions and one scrambled egg. Not surprising my fav meal of the day.


Then we started baking. I swear on my life that I only had two tablespoon sized bites of this coffee cake, and it was just enough to satisfy the craving. If faced with spinach dip, I can't promise the same outcome.

It's a bit late so now I'm going to fill up on water, and probably mow down some of the leftover chicken breast, and then off to bed. (Not recommended but "who cares")


Day Six - Bring it.

Day Four: Bring on the Diet Coke!

Day Four was a rough day. Not so much food wise, but mood wise. Maybe it had something to do with the food, but that's not fair. I love food. I miss food.

Laying in bed this morning, looking at my chubby belly through the covers, I thought to myself, 'If you want to getter done, you better get to the gym' I didn't want it to have to come to this. Honestly, there's nothing I can put off like exercising. I don't mind the sweating part, it's just that when I'm exercising, it feels like minutes are hours, maybe even days! I do know, however, that the combination of proper diet and exercise can do some amazing things in a very short time. If there's anything I learned from being on The Last 10lbs Bootcamp, it's how to kick my own ass. 28 days. 24 to go.

So today, I threw in some Diet Coke. Mmmm. The diet of champions, or rather, the diet of the cast of America's Next Top Model.





Ahh, such a nice break from 3 days of water!

Aside from the diet coke, today we had to bake 6 cakes. And I only taste tested the batter twice, instead of licking the bowl clean. (I don't actually do that, and if anyone says different they are lying).




I thought this cartoon nicely sums up my feeling for cake.
But today, the scraps are going in the garbage - even my bf said 'enough with the cake' lol I knew the madness had to stop - and we had to resist the deliciousness of chocolate icing.

Ok, So on the menu today was:

-boiled egg w/ pepper (so amazing) on a ww wrap with raspberries

-watermelon slices to munch on at work

-leftover chili for lunch - chili is always better the second day and I was incredibly happy about that this afternoon

-diet coke.

-dinner was a ww wrap (did I mention I love wraps? love em) w/ tuna, red onion and tomato with some seasoning and a salad. With enough leftover tuna, I'm set for lunch tomorrow. Proper preparation is the key to success when it comes to meal planning (unfortunately :P)

-diet coke.


Oh - there goes the timer. Time to throw in the last cake and catch the end of The Biggest Loser. I can't believe the girl who got kicked off last week and Daniel are dating in real life...so strange..

Till Tomorrow - eat air and drink water :)

Day Three: Time to Spice it Up!

Dear Cookie,

You are powerless today.




Day Three was unexpectedly easier then Day Two. I didn't think about cookies once, except when someone on Twitter was kind enough to inform me that they had cookies for breakfast and I thank them, oh so much, for that..

Thankfully, the day time meals and snacks were prepared the night before thanks to some proper planning on my part. If there's one thing I like more then cookies, it's sleeping. And there is no way that I am getting up any earlier then necessary to prepare food that I can't eat right away. I've learned that by getting the meals ready when the stomach is stuffed - I am less angry at the preparation process.

This whole diet business really is a science. The science of trying not to lose my mind.

Love Your Cake has a busy week ahead of us, so we sat down today and discussed what we were going to do for our orders. This was probably the most mouth-watering, tummy grumbling moment of the day. Sonja had just got a cake book from her Grandpa in Slovakia, complete with photography of the most delicious looking cakes you can imagine. Banana coconut cake with honey coconut filling? May as well kill me now.

Day Three, in food:

-boiled egg w/ pepper, in a ww weight watchers wrap and raspberries

-sliced green pepper

-chicken, rice and onion leftover from dinner last night. Threw in some salsa to try and hide the blandness of it all...If anything, it was the onions saved the day

And then we have dinner...

All day long I thought of dinner. What could I possibly make that would prevent evening starvation and actually taste good?! I had thought of taco salad, but then soon realized that without sour cream, cheese and tortilla bowl - the name looses all meaning....and ultimately makes me sad...

I ended up making a healthy chili, consisting of 1/4 cup of extra lean ground beef, seasoned with chili powder, and added a whole bunch of veggies: onions, green peppers, tomatoes, chick peas and mushrooms. Boiled it up for 30 mins, and it came out pretty good. Since I was feeling creative, I decided to wrap up my chili in another one of those weight watchers wraps and toast it on the grill! Mmm...wraps....

Anyone else remember Wendy's Chicken Ceasar wraps? Good lord...the flatbread was amazing....

Anyways, back to healthy food (boooring). Presenting Dinner! Ta Da!



Had to throw a salad in there for good measure, but I am left feeling satisfied and ready to take on "the munchies" when they come calling.

And we all know they will....


Bring on Day Four: "Caking and Dieting- Interesting Combo..."

:)

Day Two: Use distractions to avoid eating cookies

It's day two and I don't know how I made it through the night.

I had to keep reminding myself that the first night is always the worst. The reason why it's the worst, is because it's THE FIRST DAY.
If you can't get through Day One, and it has been ruined by any form of pastry, dough or chocolate - you have failed miserably. Not to mention if you have shared this diet plan with anyone because then not only did you fail, but now you are a liar. No one wants to be a liar...

Last night I may have mentioned that I wanted a cookie once or twice. Ok, fine...it was more then twice. I may have even sent my bf an email at some point with the subject: "cookies" He stayed strong and I do applaud him and his ability to reject my constant requests for vending machine goodies.

Today was spent with things that keep me distracted, since all I can think about is what I'm going to eat next, what I actually want to eat next, and why I hate letting myself go.

Instead of having a pity party, because frankly, what is a party without dip?

A bath, a chick flick and a cleaning spree later - we have come to the end of the day.

Food Journal - Day 2:

-oatmeal, raspberries, slivered almonds and lemon water. I actually quite enjoyed this.

-3 slices of seedless watermelon.

-single egg tuna omelet with red peppers and onions. And so began my day-long obsession with:

The Egg.

Wow, I love eggs. How exciting that it can taste that good and still be good for you? I won't over do it on the eggs, even though I want too. After lunch - all I can think about is how I can incorporate egg into dinner. And possibly breakfast tomorrow. YUM!

-cucumber slices for afternoon snack, grown locally and tasting fresh-picked from the garden

-dinner time: brown rice with chicken breast, egg and salsa. with salad.


Right now, tummy is content. I will fill up on water and maybe the odd berry. No cookie cravings as of yet, but the night is young my friends. If you are in the same boat as me - I feel your pain. Stay strong. On a side note, if you have any great healthy recipes involving eggs, I would love to know more ways to incorporate this deliciously yummy protein.

Tomorrow's Post: Day Three: Answering the Question - "How did I get in this drive-thru!?"

Skinny By Christmas! - Weight Loss Blog: Day One

I have a serious problem with self discipline.

I like food to happen quickly and for there to be plenty of it.

and if that isn't bad enough...

There's a f%$&ing vending machine in the lobby of my apartment building.


But today - today it ends.

I have a serious problem...


And by ends, I mean at least for the next 28 days.
In 28 days I will celebrate a birthday and will also be heading home for the holidays to see friends and family!

As it turns out, consuming a cookie a day for 365 days can cause a lot of changes. Throw in some french fries and a bag or 2(or 2900)of chips, and you have yourself a big ol' mess.

Last year at this time, I had just done an episode of The Last 10 Pounds Bootcamp. Things were nice and firm and looking good, thanks to a camera crew following me around and a wonderful trainer.

Fast forward to today, and well, scarrrrryyyyyyyyyy.....

This morning I brought bf to the grocery store and shopped like we are breeding rabbits in our little apartment. Lettuce was on sale - it must have been a sign that this was meant to be! The next thing I needed was a way to be held accountable for my actions during the next 28 days - so what better way to do that then to put it out there on the internet so that others can judge me from all around the world? It's almost as good as having a camera in your face!

Day one:

- Missed breakfast because we had "celebrated" my upcoming leave of absence from alcohol, by drinking a large amount of alcohol...

-had a diet coke, tuna salad with mushrooms, baby spinach, ruby lettuce, red onions, and balsamic vinegar.

-then it was time for some raspberries:



-dinner will be 3oz of chicken breast, cooked with olive oil and pepper and - yep, you guessed it, SALAD!!!



And after that? Well, it's water and air until the next morning.

At least, that's the plan...



Will she succeed?! Stay Tuned for Day Two!!!!

It's Follow Friday the 13th

I thought this Friday I would switch it up and write a blog.

When I first started "tweeting", I would Follow Friday anyone who did the same for me. I didn't even understand what it meant, but I didn't want to be virtually rude.
Now that I'm a bit more Twitter savvy, I actually put effort into suggesting "tweeps" that I really enjoying interacting with or hearing their random "tweets".

It amazes me what some people can do with 140 characters. And if that's not enough space, the blogs are always a popular second choice.

Friday, November the 13th Follow Fridays are as follows..

@KyraMorgan - it's like having a fan club, a confidence booster, and a long lost twin all in one! I'm pretty sure Kyra loves cake as much as we do..and I didn't think that was possible! Thanks for all the love!

@JavaCupcake - Her blog is wonderful, yummy, mouth-watering, funny and stylish - and best of all - her name has "Cupcake" right in it?! Definitely worth the follow!

@RusticBuds - Great conversation, excellent baking advice, and is ordering a cake from us in January! Most Excellent news! A for sure foodie resource!

@cupcakeblog - One of my all time favorite blogs and tweeters, I swear they must have a professional photographer because no home cooked food can possibly look that good! This blog has excellent tips and stories and I look forward to all new posts!



I am keeping it short and sweet this week (pun 100% intended)

Next Friday, I will be putting a new spin on the follow friday. I like to call it "Unfollow Friday"

Happy Friday the 13th!!

Pilsner Beer Cake

Pilsner Beer Cake
Originally uploaded by love.your.cake
Tanya's Dad is our kinda guy.

Combine the cake and beer in one, and it's only half the calories...right?

We hope he enjoys his beer cake as much as we enjoyed making it for him!

Get Well Cupcakes

Get Well Cupcakes
Originally uploaded by love.your.cake

Sonja's man was feeling sick, sick, sick today so she decided to come to the rescue with what else? Cupcakes!

She whipped up these yummy treats to cure what ails ya!

Unless it's swine flu...then you may want to get the vaccine...ulz...

Feel Better Soon, Andrew!!

"Crazy Girl Moment" Captured in Cupcakes

Everybody has these moments, let's be honest.

Everything is going along smoothly and then BAM! One sentence or one tone of voice can make something snap in our brains. Last night was one of these moments. Looking back on it the morning after - and realizing that I had no point, no evidence, and nothing to go on - I decided to make some yummy apology cupcakes and bring them home for my bf.  The crazy moment began in the car on the way home. I drove too fast in a residential area and was criticized. Fair enough.  Then I wanted to go have a drink at the pub across and he declined. After all, it was almost 1am...

Uh Oh. 

Out came the horns:

All I wanted was to spend some time together, but was so frustrated (for no apparent reason) that I stormed in and went to bed. All the while thinking, 'Why oh why doesn't he want to hang out?!'

And while I worried about that....he worried about my sanity....

It was then explained to me that by going to bed, it makes it difficult to 'hang out'

Hmm. Score one for him.

So, because I have seen the light, I would like to say sorry bf, and I promise to try and contain the crazy. I'll try reallllllllllly hard..

But just know if I mess up, cupcakes are not far behind.

Pink Cakes are the Best Cakes!

Ava turned 3!

And what a better way to celebrate then with a pretty pink princess cake!!

We really enjoyed making this cutie patootie cake and we hope everyone enjoyed the party :)

Happy Birthday Ava!!