Maneki-Neko Mug

"No! you are not getting that." That was the first thing I said to Amado when he picked up this coffee mug while we were at the grocery store. It's so cheesy and didn't match anything that I use daily. It simply wasn't me. But after a few cups of coffee, I'm really hesitating to admit this, the maneki-neko (lucky cat) mug is starting to grow on me.

I would love to learn how to make baumkuchen (the pastry above) but it looks like I need this contraption that they use in all the how-to videos I've watched online. There has to be an easier way to make one!