Let them eat cake!

They say that good things come in small packages - and that couldn't be truer of the Danbury Museum & Historical Society. Located on Main Street in Danbury, CT, this small museum is a real treasure trove. It preserves the John and Mary Rider House (from circa 1785), the Dodd Hat Shop, Charles Ives' birthplace, Huntington Hall, and Marian Anderson's studio.

I've admired Ms. Anderson all my life and I never knew she spent 50 years of her life in Danbury.

On Saturday, August 14th 2010, the museum hosted a Wedding Cake Decorating & Tasting Contest. Bakers from different parts of Connecticut presented their creations - and I had the greatest fun covering the event for the blog.

Many thanks to Executive Director Brigid Guertin for embracing the idea with such enthusiasm!

Brian Horberg playing on a replica of Marian Anderson's piano

Unfortunately I was unable to get good shots of all the cakes - but here are the ones I was able to do justice to.

CakeSuite Speciality Cakes - of Westport

203.557.0247

Here's Rubi of the Lincoln Culinary Institute - who made the fabulous cake below with her fellow student Susanna. Each one of those sugar flowers is no less than a work of art!

Lindsay Glynn - of Newtown.

203.364.0322

Sumptuous cupcakes.

Frostings - of Ridgefield.

You can also find them on Facebook.

203.744.9808

Helen Early - of New Milford

860.355.5377

Vanderbrooke Bakers & Caterers - of Old Saybrook

860.388.9700

The tasting took place at 3pm.

Suffice it to say I came away with a serious case of sugar overload!

Photo courtesy of Catherine Vanaria

In a few weeks we'll be talking about the exhibit of vintage bridal dresses that's currently on display at the museum, but for now I'll pass you over to our professional of the week.

Julie Johnson of La Physique Slimming Spa.

You're in love and your enchanting wedding day is fast approaching. You're busy preparing for the day when vows will be exchanged and rings joined. Reducing stress, and staying physically fit, will enhance this experience. Now and for years to come.

In view of this, here's my tip for today:

Ensure you are eating a minimum of 5 meals per day. You must eat regularly - to raise your metabolism, and to burn fat and maintain lean muscle. Regular exercise, coupled with a nutritionally balanced meal plan, is the only realistic solution to permanently reduce body fat. You must consume fewer saturated fat grams than your body expends through metabolism, muscular activity, and digestive activity. By doing this, it is virtually impossible to remain or become overweight. Maintain logs. Logs keep track of your progression, and hold you accountable to your training sessions and eating regimen. We'll talk more about the habits of regular exercise next time.

La Physique' Slimming Spa, co-located with Young at Heart Personal Fitness Training, is a full-service slimming/esthetics spa and personal training facility, located in Waynesville, Missouri. They offer a myriad of services - including, but not limited to, cellulite abatement, exfoliations, stretch mark therapy, personal training, and nutritional counseling. All spas are FDA approved, and thoughtfully orchestrated to promote well - being for body, mind, and soul. Julie and the people around her are passionate about what they do. They are free-thinking, hard-working, and laugh often. They challenge the conventional methods of attaining fitness, and continually strive to introduce innovative spas and training modalities rarely seen in communities.