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When I can, I do a lot of baking. I'm constantly bemoaning the price of extract, because it's in *everything*, and it's SO expensive.
I HAVE GOT TO TRY THIS.
I HAVE GOT TO TRY THIS.
Or who was planning on it, but hasn't yet, or who would have if they'd known, or is going to in response to this post :)
I made Pineapple Upside Down Cake to celebrate, and a week ago I made a yellow cake (but with brown sugar, so it was more of a light brown cake) with maple frosting (delicious - though I felt really stupid pouring expensive real maple syrup into margarine, but as the nieces can't have butter, I don't see how it could have been avoided), and I think I can safely say I've learned something.
What have I learned?
I've learned that cake mixes are a total waste of money and preservatives. Cake is easy! I just have to schedule it for naptime or something, or else whisperyell at the kids to be quiet. "If my cake falls, nobody is having cake, so stop banging on the wall. You're not firefighters. You don't do construction. This is entirely unnecessary."
And I even use less eggs than I would for such dishes as french toast and pancakes, which is cool.
Cake? Easy. Got it.
I made Pineapple Upside Down Cake to celebrate, and a week ago I made a yellow cake (but with brown sugar, so it was more of a light brown cake) with maple frosting (delicious - though I felt really stupid pouring expensive real maple syrup into margarine, but as the nieces can't have butter, I don't see how it could have been avoided), and I think I can safely say I've learned something.
What have I learned?
I've learned that cake mixes are a total waste of money and preservatives. Cake is easy! I just have to schedule it for naptime or something, or else whisperyell at the kids to be quiet. "If my cake falls, nobody is having cake, so stop banging on the wall. You're not firefighters. You don't do construction. This is entirely unnecessary."
And I even use less eggs than I would for such dishes as french toast and pancakes, which is cool.
Cake? Easy. Got it.
(Ew.)
Now, a family friend suggested that if I wash the sucker, I can then rebrine it, properly.
I'm not too sure about this.
What do you all think?
(Crossposted)
Now, a family friend suggested that if I wash the sucker, I can then rebrine it, properly.
I'm not too sure about this.
What do you all think?
(Crossposted)
I got my mom a book for Christmas
Nov. 13th, 2007 07:54 am(No surprise there!)
You have to understand, my mother bitches and moans about the fact that nobody seems to get her birthday or Christmas presents ever (I pay for the "kids" to get her a present, which I really think ought to cover me given that they ARE NOT MY CHILDREN, but that's beside the point), and totally ignores that we give her stuff all year long. And we've largely given up giving her gifts for those occasions because it's really annoying to carefully pick out a present and then see her not only never use it, but later that year claim you didn't get her anything. (Last time she went on a rant about this, I told her she really should just stop buying presents for people who don't buy her anything in return if it does bother her, and she goes "What about YOU" and I go "Yes, even me, thanks" and she got mad at me. )
But I saw this book for $4 at the used book store, and could not resist. And it doesn't look like a used book at all, so if I keep my mouth shut, she might even think I spent well more than I did. (Not that the amount of money spent matters, but I suspect it does to her, another reason people don't really want to get her anything.)
The book is "Monet's Kitchen" or something of that sort, and it's a collection of recipes written down by Monet (yes, the artist Monet), who happens to be her favorite artist. (I bought her a calendar once, and she didn't even unwrap it, I had to, after the year was half over, and she didn't ever change the month either, not for ages and ages and it stayed on the wall for years anyway. I'm kinda sad she took it down to paint, because it was fun to point it out years after the fact and say "See? I do get you things!", although I didn't really do that.)
And do you know what's really cool about this book?
Monet made cinnamon toast.
Not only that, but he made it just the way I do! I mean, he didn't melt the butter in the microwave first (at least, I hope he didn't, because that would just confuse me and my odd notions of history and anachronism), but otherwise - just the same! And I didn't know! If that's not just the coolest thing you or I have ever read, I don't know what is, and that's the truth.
I mean, it's like reading an account of a Sumerian schoolkid and finding out he had bad grades, or learning that Romans had a word meaning "fart", but even cooler. You kinda know people did that sort of thing back then, and that right now is a kind of back then too, but it doesn't really click in the head until you see a little fact about how they were really like you after all, right?
I just love it.
You have to understand, my mother bitches and moans about the fact that nobody seems to get her birthday or Christmas presents ever (I pay for the "kids" to get her a present, which I really think ought to cover me given that they ARE NOT MY CHILDREN, but that's beside the point), and totally ignores that we give her stuff all year long. And we've largely given up giving her gifts for those occasions because it's really annoying to carefully pick out a present and then see her not only never use it, but later that year claim you didn't get her anything. (Last time she went on a rant about this, I told her she really should just stop buying presents for people who don't buy her anything in return if it does bother her, and she goes "What about YOU" and I go "Yes, even me, thanks" and she got mad at me. )
But I saw this book for $4 at the used book store, and could not resist. And it doesn't look like a used book at all, so if I keep my mouth shut, she might even think I spent well more than I did. (Not that the amount of money spent matters, but I suspect it does to her, another reason people don't really want to get her anything.)
The book is "Monet's Kitchen" or something of that sort, and it's a collection of recipes written down by Monet (yes, the artist Monet), who happens to be her favorite artist. (I bought her a calendar once, and she didn't even unwrap it, I had to, after the year was half over, and she didn't ever change the month either, not for ages and ages and it stayed on the wall for years anyway. I'm kinda sad she took it down to paint, because it was fun to point it out years after the fact and say "See? I do get you things!", although I didn't really do that.)
And do you know what's really cool about this book?
Monet made cinnamon toast.
Not only that, but he made it just the way I do! I mean, he didn't melt the butter in the microwave first (at least, I hope he didn't, because that would just confuse me and my odd notions of history and anachronism), but otherwise - just the same! And I didn't know! If that's not just the coolest thing you or I have ever read, I don't know what is, and that's the truth.
I mean, it's like reading an account of a Sumerian schoolkid and finding out he had bad grades, or learning that Romans had a word meaning "fart", but even cooler. You kinda know people did that sort of thing back then, and that right now is a kind of back then too, but it doesn't really click in the head until you see a little fact about how they were really like you after all, right?
I just love it.
I'm so upset right now.
Jul. 29th, 2007 01:14 am
Here I am, chopping and chopping and chopping onions and peppers for tomorrow's dinner. I'm using our quasi-brand-new (it's a couple years old, but never opened) food processor. I swear, it was working just fine (well, I sliced my finger open - they're not kidding about the blades being sharp! - but as human blood is the secret ingredient in *all* my concoctions, from latkes to oatmeal, that's no big deal), but now, and I'm doing everything the same, it won't even turn on. It's not supposed to turn on if the bowl or the lid is misaligned, but they're not, and it's just not fair.
And Jenn forgot to ferment the injera. She'd better help me fry up the fake stuff.
And Jenn forgot to ferment the injera. She'd better help me fry up the fake stuff.
Damn. Damn, damn, DAMN!
Dec. 18th, 2005 01:02 pm
I calculated how many cookies everybody is getting based on "six people!". Turns out I have seven to send to.
So, I've decided - I'm cheating Amy. We have a few extras, she'll get those, and that's it, instead of the slightly larger amount (1.5 dozen, in three varieties) she should've gotten. Why? Because Amy lives in the city, and can have cookies anytime I bake them, just by calling and stopping by. And I aim to be doing a lot more baking. Sorry, Amy. It's just easier to give you less than to give everybody else less :(
For the convenience of people getting cookies, or who want to make cookies, here are the recipes:
( Gingerbread )
( Sugar Cookies )
( Spicy Pepper Cookies )
All these cookies are supposed to be cooled on a wire rack after baking.
Yesterday, I felt much better after leaving the house. So much so, in fact, that I wondered if I might have some sort of allergy to something inside the house itself.
So, I've decided - I'm cheating Amy. We have a few extras, she'll get those, and that's it, instead of the slightly larger amount (1.5 dozen, in three varieties) she should've gotten. Why? Because Amy lives in the city, and can have cookies anytime I bake them, just by calling and stopping by. And I aim to be doing a lot more baking. Sorry, Amy. It's just easier to give you less than to give everybody else less :(
For the convenience of people getting cookies, or who want to make cookies, here are the recipes:
( Gingerbread )
( Sugar Cookies )
( Spicy Pepper Cookies )
All these cookies are supposed to be cooled on a wire rack after baking.
Yesterday, I felt much better after leaving the house. So much so, in fact, that I wondered if I might have some sort of allergy to something inside the house itself.
