Hello there!  Are you stressed out?  Is the current news report about all the things going on around the world stressing you?  According to a report published by the NY Times in April, 2019, Americans are among the most stressed out people in the world.  I don’t see a report on people outside the U.S., but I’m sure that stress does not stay just in the U.S..  Well, I want to help relieve some of the stress in your life, if only for a few minutes while you read this blog.

So, I’m going to focus on only positive things for today…… I want to start with the ISAC Spring Open House that was held last Saturday with a small but very fun crowd.  After many weeks of rain and overcast clouds, the Open House went off without a hitch.  Each student, cake decorator and friends were greeted with a warm, bright and sunny day and some bright and fun decorations at the door.

ISAC featured two demonstration times each lasting over two hours.  Chef Nicholas did a very fun, interesting and inspiring demonstration.  His demo showcased new products in the Nicholas Lodge line and silicone molds by Katy Sue Designs. 

Everyone who attended received a free cookie cutter, compliments of our friends at Ann Clark Cookie Cutters.  Here is the link to the Ann Clark Website. 

A break in the demonstrations provided time for everyone to enjoy refreshments and some “retail therapy” in the ISAC retail gallery. 

Now, if you were not able to attend the Spring Open House, here is some GREAT NEWS!!  Chef Nicholas has completed a video on the projects that he did AT the open house and put it on his YouTube channel!  WOW!  Now you can pretend that you are sitting in the ISAC classroom and Chef is teaching you all about how to make these fabulous projects while never leaving the comfort of your home.  Go to Chef Nicholas' YouTube Channel for the SPRING OPEN HOUSE VIDEO.

Happy Thursday to everyone!  Are you looking for more ways to improve your sugar skills?  Do you want to learn more about making sugar flowers, working with fondant, buttercream or other types of sugar art techniques?  Well, look no more!  I have a list of wonderful places for you to go that will provide all that and more!

There are a lot of different places available to get this knowledge and there are a lot of people that are so kind and willing to share their knowledge about the Sugar arts.  You can’t turn around and not bump into someone or something that will help you!  Teachers, classes, cake shows, the list goes on and on!!

Before you get too confused about which way to turn, let me tell you about a couple of things that are coming up that you will want to put on your schedule!  And a few of my favorites too!

First of all, ISAC has put out the class schedule on their website for the next several months.  There are so many opportunities to learn and create new things.  Chef Nicholas pulls out all the stops when he teaches his classes.  All of the supplies, materials, and handouts you need for the class are provided for you.  All you need to do is show up and enjoy learning from one of the best and most professional teachers in the industry.  I have taken so many classes from Chef that I have lost count.  But I always seem to learn something new every time!  ISAC is located in Atlanta, Georgia just a quick 30 min ride from the Atlanta airport, if you are from out of town. 

If you go to the CLASSES page on the ISAC website, you can see the list of classes that are being offered. 

• ISAC Spring Open House, Atlanta Georgia, THIS WEEKEND!! March 14, 2020
• ISAC Renshaw Sugarpaste (Fondant) Module - April 6-8, 2020
• ISAC Rose Bridal Spray class, Atlanta, Georgia -  April 9, 2020
• Simi Cakes Isomalt Glassworks Cake & Isomalt Flamingo, ISAC Classroom, Atlanta, Georgia - June 14-15, 2020

And don’t forget the yummy things that Scott will provide for you during lunch and afternoon breaks.  When his cookies come out of the oven, the smell will make you jump out of your seat and grab as many cookies as you can!

Well, it’s On The Road Again….. for Chef Nicholas.  Do you remember that song Willie Nelson sings about being “On The Road Again….. Just can’t wait to get on the road again….”?  That song reminds me to move the “Nick Stick” to a new location that he is traveling to this week.  Chef Nicholas will be in South Shields, working with Flower Pro for the next 9 days.  He is going to be working on designing and developing new products and creating the YouTube videos that will go with the new products.  Chef also says "I am developing something totally new too".....I’m so excited about this because I can’t wait to see what he is going to come up with next!  If I can get a sneak peak at the new stuff, I’ll be sure to pass it on to you!

After the 9 days, Chef will be returning to Atlanta where he will be in the ISAC studio for the Spring Open House on March 14.  This is a wonderful chance to see the new ISAC showroom and classroom and to get some new ideas for Spring!

My blog this week is going to focus on the “New and Improved” ISAC Studio and some upcoming events that are now on the ISAC calendar.

As many of you heard, ISAC announced late last year that they were making some changes.  They decided to downsize the Retail shopping space and provide their products online for easy access.  The classroom is still there and has only changed a little bit because you know that Chef Nicholas holds some fabulous classes, so that’s not going away!

Now, I know that it “sounded like” they were going out of business, but I’m here to report that is NOT true!!  The team at ISAC is alive and well and there is so much going on!  Chef Nicholas has been traveling to different locations for cake shows and events (see last week’s blog for where he is this week).  And he is still developing and designing some fabulous products with Katy Sue Designs.

Here is a sneak peak at the new space at ISAC.  There is a new gallery area that has everything displayed on new gondolas and casework.  If you go for a visit, the entrance to the classroom and gallery is now through Suite E.  The new store is ready to visit by appointment only.  If you are local to the Atlanta, Georgia area, you can place your order online and then when you check out, select ‘local pickup’ and someone will contact you to arrange the pickup. 

There are some new and fun additions to the NL museum case, including many of his personal tools and products that Chef started off with over 40 years ago!  Some of the items in the case include his original work box that flew on the Concorde 9 times and traveled over 2 million miles around the world!  Chef should have put a Frequent Flyer number on that thing! 

The classroom has been updated with a more intimate feeling, giving a lovely personal space for each student.  The classroom holds a maximum of 12 students for each of the hands-on classes.  This means that once a class is posted online, you will have to sign up for the class pretty quick, because with only 12 seats, the classes are sure to fill up fast!

The lunch area offers a nice relaxing space to enjoy Scott’s delicious lunches and his signature warm out-of-the-oven cookies in the afternoon!! 

If you want to see the New and Improved ISAC, there is a wonderful opportunity coming up at the Spring Open House on Saturday, March 14 in Atlanta, Georgia.  You will have 2 opportunities to attend, one at 9:00am and one at 12:30pm.  Both sessions are the same.  Chef Nicholas will give a 2-hour demonstration on Spring decorating ideas for cookies, cakes and confections, including ideas for St. Patrick’s day, Easter and Mother’s Day.  There will be a refreshment break, plus time for some ‘retail therapy’ afterwards.  Here are some photographs of the projects he will be demonstrating.

You must pre-register for this event, so go to the REGISTRATION link and sign up!  The fee for this event is only $5.00. 

Check out the other upcoming events at ISAC by clicking on the CLASSES LINK.  Hope to see you there!

Stay Sweet and Keep Learning!

February continues to be a very busy month for the team at ISAC as they travel to 2 different shows this week and next.  By the time you read this, Chef Nicholas and Scott will be in Round Rock, Texas for the That Takes the Cake Show.  Round Rock is near Austin, for those of us not familiar with the state, like me….. 

This show starts tomorrow, February 21 and goes through Sunday, February 23.  Chef is going to be a very busy person at this show because he is one of the judges for the Competitions that are taking place and he will also be teaching a class on Monday after the show.

That Takes The Cake show is one of the largest cake shows in the U.S.  This annual event is run by the members of the Capital Confectioners of Austin, Texas.  They have a Facebook page that you can follow and there is information on the website where you can find out more about the event. That Takes The Cake website.  I have not personally attended this show, but it’s on my bucket list!  There are so many things to see and do at this show and reconnecting with Sugar Friends is always a special treat!

On Monday, February 24, after the show, Chef Nicholas will be offering his Rose Bridal Spray class.  This class is so popular that people continue to ask about it wherever he goes.  The class will be held at the Holiday Inn in Round Rock.  Here is the link to the Class Registration.  The class will be held from 9:00am – 6:00pm.  Space is limited, so be sure to sign up soon!

Next stop for Chef Nicholas will be Louisville, Kentucky where he will be a part of the very popular Cookie Con show.  This show will be held from Thursday, February 27 through Saturday, February 29.  Chef Nicolas will be one of the Core demonstrators at this show.  He will demonstrate how to create a set of “English Garden and Floral Theme Cookies” on Friday.  He will use many different techniques in the class to create his beautiful cookies; like, how to stamp on a cookie, how to use a mold, vein, pipe and dust your cookies, just to name a few.

Here are some pictures of his project.

These are soooooo adorable!!

You can find out more information about his demonstration at this Demonstration link.

Now, I know that Cookie Con is officially sold out, but don’t give up yet!!  You can put your name on the Waiting list for Tickets or a Shopper Pass.  You never know when a ticket will open up!  ISAC will have a vendor booth at the show, so if you are there, be sure to stop in and say hi to Scott! 

There is still a lot more traveling coming up for Chef Nicholas in the coming months, including a trip to India, The French Pastry School and Katy Sue Design offices in London.  Hmmmm….. I wonder what that last trip is about?   Anyway, for now, put your “Nick Stick” or your “Chef Check” in Texas and Kentucky.  (If you don’t know what that means, you need to go back to my previous blogs!!) 

Stay Sweet and Keep Learning!

Do you remember the game “Where’s Waldo?”.  I really loved that game and loved looking at the images to try to find that crazy Waldo character.  I was thinking about that game the other day when I was trying to figure out where Chef Nicholas was traveling to next?   Wouldn’t it be fun to play a new game called “Where’s Chef?”

Over the next several weeks and months, Chef Nicholas will be on the road.  He will be traveling to Florida, Texas, India, Canada, and so many more.  If you are like me, you are probably wondering….. where can I find out where Chef is going to be next?  Now, I don’t mean this in a creepy ‘stalking’ kind of way, but more like ‘where is Chef and if he happens to come to my town…. Where can I go see him?’. 

By the time you read this blog, Chef Nicholas and Scott are in town and getting ready for the FL ICES Mini Classes.  This is a 3-day event that is held in Orlando, Florida this weekend!  As a resident of Florida, I am personally excited about this event.  It’s right in my “backyard”!  There is no way I would miss this event! 

But, let me ask a question….have you ever seen a cake event being advertised with classes nearby, but you waited too long and missed out?  I know I have, and I really regretted it.  I mostly missed out on the event because by the time I made up my mind to go, the class was full or the class had been cancelled because no one else had signed up.  I hate when that happens!!

There are so many shows across the U.S.A. and internationally to choose from.  It takes a lot of effort, coordination and hard work to pull these things off.  The teachers work really hard to prepare for their classes.  They spend hours putting together materials and lessons that will help make your decorating skills the best in the business!  But none of this really matters unless you sign up and attend the events!!  

Now, I know life happens and things get in the way of what we thought would turn out to be a ‘regular week or month’, but if you really, really, really (was that enough really’s?....) want to attend these things, we have to sign up and be committed to attend!  Yes, I said WE….. that includes me because I know I am a big procrastinator sometimes!  The deadlines for these things are provided for a reason.  This is the only way for the event organizers and the teachers to plan for their classes.  I know we are all disappointed when a teacher has to cancel because no one has signed up for the class.  You can’t blame the teacher; they need to know if any students are going to come to the class.  It’s up to us, to sign up in a timely fashion and to be committed to being in class!

Hi there!  By the time you read this, Christmas will be less than 1 week away.  Yikes!!  I’m sure you are running around picking out last minute gifts for everyone on your Christmas list.  I know I still have some shopping to do!

If you are still trying to figure out what to get the favorite sugar artists on your list, I have an idea for you.  How about giving them a Nicholas Lodge class and some Florida sunshine?? 

Chef Nicholas will be a part of the 2020 FL ICES Mini Classes, in Orlando, Florida.  This is a 3-day event and is scheduled for January 17-19, 2020.  The event is sponsored by the FL Chapter of the International Cake Exploration Society (ICES) and will be held at the Renaissance Orlando Hotel.  This hotel is located just a few minutes from the Orlando International Airport, and they offer a free shuttle to the hotel, so you don’t have to worry about any transportation!  There will also be a lot of vendors at the event and a raffle where FL ICES will give away a 6qt Kitchen Aid mixer!

Chef Nicholas will be teaching all three days.  Each day in class you will learn to create a different and unique set of gum paste flowers and leaves starting at 8:00 am. 

The first class, on Friday, will be Tropical Gum Paste flowers where you will learn several tropical flowers and orchids including Plumeria, Anthurium and Bougainvillea.

 The next day, Chef will teach his class on Bridal Flower Spray.  He will show you how to make a beautiful Rose, Calla Lily, Hydrangea, Baby’s Breath and so much more, using the Flower Pro molds.

On Sunday, Chef will teach a class on Fabulous Foliage.  This class is perfect to learn about foliage that will go with any of the gum paste flowers you make.  You will learn how to make, assemble and color many different types of foliage including Variegated Ivy, Maple leaf and freehand filler leaves. 

Everything you need to participate in the class will be provided for you.  If you have ever attended one of Chef Nicholas’ classes, you know that he packs a lot of information and details into his classes.  All you have to do is show up, ready to learn!

Chef Nicholas has been attending this event since its inception back in 1999.  He has always given his time and talents graciously to the FL ICES organization and we love it when he comes to Florida!  I’m sure he loves getting out of the cold weather in his area in January for a little bit of Sunshine.  Why don’t you join us!?  The deadline to sign up is approaching fast, so don’t delay!

Here is the link to the website where you can get more information and register. 

One last thing to note, there will be a special demonstration with Chef Nicholas and Sidney Galpern of Simi Cakes on Saturday evening.  You will not want to miss this because when these two get together with sugar, you never know what you are going to see and learn!!

Hope to see you in January!

Stay Sweet and Keep Learning!

Hello everyone!  If you were at the Ultimate Sugar Show in Atlanta, Georgia this past weekend, I hope you had a great time!  I sure did!!  I had the opportunity to be at the ISAC vendor booth the whole weekend and talk with a bunch of other sugar lovers.  It was great fun and lots of hard work, but mostly lots of fun!! 

The weekend was full of classes, vendors and sugar competitions, as well as, making new friends and seeing friends of old.  Chef Nicholas was the head judge during the show, and he had so much to review. 

The Sugar Art competition had a specific theme to follow called Sounds of the South.  The talented sugar artists created some amazing displays with Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, ZZ Top, Dolly Parton and even some designs using specific songs, like “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”.  Some even had lights and moving turntables as part of the design.  They were so cool! 

The other competitions were the Southern Lady Hat Fashion Show and the Great Southern Bake Off.  The final competition was the USA Qualifying Rounds for the 2021 FIPGC Cake Designers World Championship.  So much to do in one weekend…. Whew…. I’m exhausted.  I hope you had a chance to see everything.  Here are some photographs of the weekend events.

Just last night Chef Nicholas returned from his big trip to India. He taught several classes at the SEP, judged and gave demos at Cakeology, and attended the Cake Masters Top Ten Indian Cake Artists Awards! Chef Nicholas has now visited India a total of 12 times! He loves the warm people, the culture, and especially the food! Chef is known for his refined palate, and Indian food has always be at the top of his list. I normally reserve my photo blogs for ISAC Open House events, but Chef Nicholas' photos from his trip are so visually pleasing that I knew I had to share them all with you! Enjoy! 

Chef Nicholas has a wonderful time on his visit to India. But, we sure are glad to have him back with us at ISAC! We are gearing up for the first ever Renshaw Academy Master class this Saturday. It's one adventure after another with Chef Nicholas Lodge! 

There are still seats available in these great classes this summer at ISAC! Click the links below to register now. 

English Over-Piped Elegant Wedding Cake with Ceri Griffiths, 11/7-8

Unicorn Bliss Cookie Collection with Sandra Beltran; 11/18

Art Deco Cookie Collection with Sandra Beltran; 11/19

Bohemian Love Cookie Collection with Sandra Beltran; 11/19

 Sweetly yours, 

Stephanie 

Our goal is for you to be completely satisfied with your Amazon order! If for any reason this is not the case, we would appreciate it if you would give us a chance to address your concerns, before leaving feedback or a review, by emailing us at customersvc@nicholaslodge.com. We would be grateful if you would leave us a positive feedback and review of your Renshaw Fondant. Leaving feedback seems like such a little thing, but it has great impact on our business and we would greatly appreciate your time in leaving it.

2017 Finalist for the Cake Masters Cake Hero Award

WINNER of the 2017 Golden Tier Educator of the Year Award

Winner of the 2015 Craftsy Blogger Award for Best Craftsy Cake Decorating Instructor Blog

Chef Nicholas Lodge: 2015 Finalist for the Cake Masters Cake Hero Award

So, now that everyone is at home making all kinds of roses and flowers and ferns with their amazing Flower Pro toys... let's talk about what's happening at ISAC this fall! 

We have a month packed full of classes this August! We have two classes with our very own Chef Nicholas Lodge (yay!), and two classes with Chef Joseph Cumm. I have written about Chef Joe's classes, but we have had a change to one of the classes that I think you will all be very interested to hear about. Before I tell you all about the new class projects that Chef Joe will be teaching, let's talk about Chef Nicholas' two August classes!

Chef Nicholas Lodge is widely accepted as a master in this field of cake decorating. He has been in the industry for over 40 years and has been teaching for almost as many years. People from all of the world have taken classes with him; Chef Nicholas has taught in 26 different countries. Not to mention the distance that some of his students have traveled to take classes with Chef Nicholas in his home classroom at ISAC in Atlanta. What kind of class would inspire someone to travel from an entirely different country, continent, or hemisphere? How about the first ever Renshaw Academy Master CLASS!!!

Just this week Chef Nicholas added one of his most popular classes to his summer class schedule: 5-Day Ultimate Gumpaste Flower Class! YAY! This is a class that consistantlygets requested, fills up, and sells out. What makes this class so very popular you ask? Well, buckle up, because it's a doozy!

After two weeks of royal wedding blogs, it seems fitting that this week I get to introduce the third module of Renshaw Academy- Royal Icing! This is the third Renshaw Academy class being offered by Chef Nicholas Lodge this year. It is one of three modules needed to earn the Renshaw Academy Master Certification! This class offers two brand new techniques cakes, designed by Chef Nicholas specifically for this module! 

Hey, hey, hey! Last month, Chef Nicholas kicked off Renshaw Academy; amazing and intensive cake decorating certification courses designed by Chef Nicholas exclusively for Renshaw. There are three different modules: Sugar Flowers, Sugarpaste (rolled fondant), and Royal Icing. In March, the very first Renshaw Academy class on American soil took at ISAC. This first class was the Sugar Flower module. In May, Chef Nicholas will be teaching the second module: Sugarpaste!

If you follow us on social media or subscribe to our blog or newsletter, you must have heard about the brand new Renshaw Academy! Renshaw Academy is a certification program consisting of three modules: Sugar Flowers, Sugar Paste (rolled fondant), and Royal Icing. Each of these courses is one part of the Renshaw Academy Master Certificate; once all three modules are completed, a Renshaw Academy Master Certificate is awarded! This is a brand new program, with brand new course material developed by Chef Nicholas Lodge. Chef Nicholas will be teaching all three modules in 2018 (including a second Sugar Flower module), as well as a Master Certification class. Oh, and good news if you are Canadian; Chef Nicholas will be teaching a Renshaw Academy Module in Ontario!

March Madness usually refers to the big college basketball tournament here in America. I am using it to discuss the class schedule at ISAC this March! We have three guest instructors in March teaching a total of five classes, Spring Open House, one Chef Nicholas class in Texas, and two Chef Nicholas classes at ISAC. AND, one of the classes at ISAC is part of the BRAND NEW Renshaw Academy series! Let me tell you about all of our March classes, and hopefully you will find a class that you'd like to register for. 

I always get excited when Chef Nicholas has BRAND NEW classes on the schedule! Yes, that means Chef Nicholas has two new classes for you all to enjoy: Gumpaste Wedding Flower Spray and Springtime Gumpaste Flowers! 

In less than two months ISAC will host our 2018 Spring Open House on March 10, 2018. This year we will have two guest instructors that we know will be crowd pleasers: Chef Joseph Cumm and Chef Sachiko Windbiel! As many of you know, Chef Joseph is a frequent guest instructor in our Studio B. Just this past December he taught several French Macaron classes; we started with one, and it sold out so quickly that we ended up adding additional classes! Earlier in 2017, Chef Joseph had taught a chocolate bonbon class and a chocolate showpiece class! All of his classes were very popular, so it was only fitting to invite Chef Joseph to be a part of our Spring Open House this year. 

Chef Sachiko is a Renshaw Brand Associate Partner, or as Chef Nicholas likes to say, "BAP." Chef Nicholas has worked with Chef Sachiko quite a bit in recent years due to their Renshaw Americas association. Sachiko is also the designer of the Chef Nicholas Lodge page picture! She has not taught at here in our school with us yet, but we are all huge fans of her work. Yesterday, we received her demo project and the plans for her classes after the Open House... wow! You are all going to be amazed!