Three boxes of cake mix, and a whole lot of frosting!

I thought it would be best to start with the picture of my creative adventure, baking a jeep shaped cake.... TADAaaa

There it is, after a night in my fridge at home, 8 hours chilling in my fridge at work, and a 5 1/2 hour drive to Frenchtown NJ in a cooler filled with ice packs. I am proud to report, it was a hit... and quite delicious =)

Over the forth of July weekend, I visited my wonderful boyfriend in New Jersey. That weekend also happen to be his 20th birthday. I thought that I would be a nice gesture to make a cake for the event and after some deliberation, decided on a jeep. My boyfriend, Nick, is into "offroading" (taking your lifted or custom vehicle, usually a jeep, and driving through mud, over rocks, and up or down giant hills, etc.) and desperately wants to buy himself a Wrangler; he's obsessed. Currently he owns a Jeep Grand Cherokee, champagne color, with a 4 inch lift and rear locker (I hope I covered it all Nick!) And so a Jeep Grand Cherokee cake seemed appropriate.



It took 2 hours to bake, 2 hours to cool, and 2 hours to decorate; all of this I completed on a Wednesday night after an 8-hour day at work, while trying to pack for the weekend. It was definitely a baking adventure!

The Ground: Chocolate Cake, bake according to directions on the box. Nuts to make the ground look rocky and coco powder for a muddy effect.

The Jeep: Confetti Cake, 2 boxes... baked in a car mold for 1 1/2-2 hours, then shaped into a jeep using extra cake.

The frosting: white frosting and yellow food coloring, black frosting, and marshmallows for the headlights and mirrors.

Let me know if you would like to know more details on how to create a Jeep Cake.

Women in Business - Women with a Vision

The Women in Business club is an organization for female students in all stages of their educational careers at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Women in Business (WIB) club members actively support one another to advance their career ambitions, broaden their business goals and develop friendships. Through networking, educational events, and community service, WIB creates and strengthens skills in leadership, business, education, and life management. WIB is committed to the personal and professional growth of its members.

Being the president, and founder, of a club has been a truly rewarding experience. I have learned just as much about myself as I have about others. While working in an environment where individuals are volunteering their time is different than one where individuals are paid, to me the responsibilities and duties are the same. When you make a commitment to an organization it is important to uphold your responsibilities, whatever they may be. I learned that some people do not share this view. It was hard at first to experience that feeling of being let down, and by someone who had expressed they strongly wanted a leadership position. What can you say to someone who has asked for responsibility and then neglected it? I believe that communication and honesty are the best policies to follow. So I did what I thought was the right thing to do, and in the end I am satisfied with the outcome. It was a good learning experience if nothing else; to learn the right way to handle such a situation after it occurs. In the future, I will have a better idea of how to avoid such a situation before it even occurs. On the other side of things, I am thankful that so many of the girls involved with WIB this past year were willing to give 100% or more. Without these individuals we would not have achieved as much as we did. I am looking forward to having them on board again next year and working together to accomplish even more than the pervious year.

One of my favorite events from the year was our Skate for a Cause winter fundraiser. We were able to raise $700.00 for Alternative for Battered Women Shelter in Rochester.

Spring quarter was a busy time for the WIB club. We participated in the Heart walk benefitting the American Heart Association, spoke at a luncheon held for WIB and Our Lady of Mercy High School business students, hosted the Experience RIT luncheon for 7th and 8th grade Mercy girls, volunteered at the Susan B. Anthony house for an afternoon of painting the porch, hosted a bake sale, and even had time to graciously accept a student government award for Outstanding Academic club of the year 2009!

After our first full year as a recognized club, I was elated to see that even a small group of women with a vision could make a significant difference in the lives of others.