Merry Bakers

2012-01-19T15:04:00.000-06:00

Recently I purchased this ground beef log from a local walmart. I purchased it as it was discounted to a price of 8.39. I knew it had a higher fat content, but I was using it for sloppy joes so I could just drain off the excess water and fat.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Fpl-Food-LLC-73-27-Ground-Beef-5-Lb/15136795
What suprised me, was how much actual fat and liquid where in there!
After I cooked the ground beef, I drained it, then let it sit overnight for the fat and liquids to solidify. I was totally amazed at how much it weighed!

The weight of the fat was 15.4 Ounces and filled a 16 oz dip container. I then weighed the liquids that were left, they weighed 12 ozs. To simplify that means out of the 5 lbs, 1 3/4 pound was fat and liquid. That means the ground beef weighed 3 1/4 pound.
When looking a the package, it seems like a great deal at 8.39 for 80 ounces (5 lbs) the cost is about 10 cents an ounce, or 1.60 a pound. When the amount of fat and water are taken out, the price is now about 16 cents an ounce or 2.58 a pound, which is just about a dollar higher!

The regular price on this somewhere around 11.00. Paying full price, it would come out to about 3.38 for a pound! An astonishing price for those thinking they are getting a good deal.

As our food prices continue to escalate, in order to stretch our food dollar, we need to have an increased awareness of what we are buying, and the quality of that product. For the purpose of the ground beef, and at the price I paid, I am ok with what I found. Had I paid the full price, I would have been a very disgruntled shopper. Would I ever buy this product again? After this, probably not. I usually buy chuck roasts and grind them myself, that way I can control the amount of fat I have added to the product. For those unable to grind their own meat, then buying a more expensive product might not be such a bad idea!

By the way, for those that are wondering, the taste was just fine for what I made.

Scrapbook Mini Album

2012-01-15T12:09:00.001-06:00

Yesterday Mary and I spent the day teaching a 4h group how to make a very simple Scrapbook Mini Album. It looks quite complicated, but is so EASY! We all had a great time! We figure about 10 different scrapbooks were made. Not suprisingly, one of the most popular paper packs were the Halloween one I still had. Great fun was had by all. Pictures coming soon!

Life, Death and in between..........

2012-01-02T23:14:00.001-06:00

Tonight my daughter and I went to see the movie "We Bought a Zoo." It is one of the best movies I have seen in a very long time. I don't wan to ruin the movie for anyone, so this all may seem kinda vague to those of you who have not seen it.

During the movie, I started thinking about death. All that is born, must some time pass on. This may not come at a time that is convenient, thoughtful, or best for everyone. With death, there is usually some sort of sadness, both by those passing, and by those that will remain here.

The movie got me thinking about a time this past July. I have been struggling with pain difficulties for almost three years now. The pain has changed my life and my families life in ways that no one can imagine. It is a result of an accident that occurred. A flash second in time that changed our lives forever.

This past June I had a particularly horrendous flare up. By the beginning of July I was hoping for death. I was not suicidal or anything like that, but if death was to come, it is something I would have welcomed. With the help of many medical professions, and my loving family, I got through it and am still here today. Some days are good, some are awful, but I try to take each day at a time and go from there.

The reason I thought about this time in my life during the movie, it recalled to me that life is an adventure. Something to be lived each moment to the best of our ability. At times, maybe the best we can give is not even getting out of bed, just staying put for the day. Other days we may be filled with life and able to be there for others. Life and the movie, are also about LOVE and overcoming obstacles. There will be many times in our lives that we may feel it unsurmountable to overcome the obstacles in our lives. We do not always receive the results we had planned on, most of the time the results are better than we could have thought.

During this coming year, when the obstacles become too much for us to bear, may we realize that we are loved by at least ONE, we are never alone!

Goals for the New Year!

2012-01-01T21:38:00.002-06:00

I was listening to public radio last week, the guest had written a book on willpower. It was such an appropriate topic for me, especially at this time of year. It seems on New Years a lot of us like to make all kinds of goals for the upcoming year. Most of us fail at these, and according to this gentleman, there is a reason why!http://onpoint.wbur.org/2011/09/19/willpower

According to his research, we each have just so much willpower, and when we use it, it is GONE! So, if you are really trying to not have donuts, the first one in the morning will be easy to pass up. But, if you keep being tempted by donuts all day, unless you have done something to build up your willpower, by the end of the day, chances are you will fail!

My hope for the year is to grow this blog. I'm trying to have my daughters post also. One of my daughters is in Germany, does more baking than I do lately. She is noted for her cheesecakes, YUM!
The other Merry Baker, has also been baking a lot, we just need to have the discipline to sit down and write about it.

My wish for all of you is to have a PEACEFUL coming year. We may not always get what we want or hope for. Events we feel are BAD and UNFAIR will continue to come into our lives. Life will be all around us-both the good and the bad. Some days it may be extra hard to even just get out of bed. But, in all of this, may we find the strength to go on, the determination that may be needed some days to just put one foot in front of the other and keep going. Realize we are surrounded by love and warmth. No matter how devastating it may seem, there are people in our lives who love us and are there for us, if we let them assist us. With this universal love may we find PEACE in our hearts!

Halloween Time!

2011-10-23T21:05:00.002-05:00

I have been spending LOTS of my time with my Cricut. I use SCAL and svg files for my paper crafting. Instead of buying cartridges, I buy SVG files over the internet. Last week, I bought two sets of files to make albums with. Through this process, I have found that not all of the files work as well as they should. This is very discouraging, as I usually spend many wasted hours trying to get things to work.

I would like to say, the files from svgcuts.com are some of the best I have ever had. Over the past year and a half since I started this, I have purchased many, many files from various companies. The ones from svgcuts work with SCAL, are usually easily resizable, and, best of all, lots of the files include video directions on how to correctly put them together!

This weekend, ny daughter and grandkids came for a visit. As usual, I heard the "I'm BORED" from my 11 year old grandson. So, what did I do? I cut out the haunted house from the Elmhurst Hollow set. There were many pieces, so my daughter helped him out with putting it together. It took a couple of hours for the first one to get together, but was well worth it. The haunted house even has an open area in the back for which to add the lights! My daughter put a second one together today, which went much quicker.

As great as the Haunted Houses turned out, the family time spent together was PRICELESS, something my grandkids will not forget!

Minnesota State Fair!

2011-09-02T21:39:00.001-05:00

Got back from the fair today. Will be home two days, then back again on Sunday. I have been asked many times, "What do you do at the fair all those days?"

Here's a general run done of the day:

My day starts out at the Farmers Union for coffee. I enjoy sitting, watching people go by, having a biscotti, while I look over the daily schedule to see what I might like to do. If I am there later in the morning, the music will have started, so I can listen to that also. They had an awesome band last weekend. Think they were called the "Music Mountain Men".
After coffee, I usually take a stroll. Just like the coupons in the coupon books are in zones, I also like to cover the fair in zones. So depending on what music I want to listen to or food I want to eat, that is where I go. I usually end up in Heritage Square for the 11:45 show.
The rest of the day is spent in much the same way. Strolling through the fair, listening to music, trying new foods, speaking with old (and newly made) friends.

A few of the highlights so far:
Winning the dance contest during the pre show warm up for Twin Cities Live! I won a Tshirt and a twenty dollar gift card! I beat out two younger guys!

The Midtown Men show at the Leine stage last night was one of the best shows I have ever seen. When the guys were singing, it felt like they were peering straight into my heart!

The group Rubber Soul who was at the International Bazaar stage. They did Beatles music.

Late night Reubens from O"Gara's are the best! It is nice to have something besides deep fried foods. They also have music going until 10:30 pm.

If you have only a short period of time, don't forget to check out the trampoline act. Never thought those stunts could be done!

Saving the best for last-don't forget the baking and cooking demos at the Saint Agnes Kitchen in creative activities building. Four demos a day. Lots of great info!

State Fair Demos and Recipes

2011-08-29T21:28:00.000-05:00

Hey guys! This is Mary, the famous daughter (Also known as Mary Klecko). Anyway, I apologize for not posting these reciepes sooner, I was having some internet/blog issues.

The recipe for my ableskivers is:

2 eggs separated
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. tsp. baking powder
1 cup milk
1/4 tsp. salt.

In medium bowl beat egg yolks until light in color, stir in sugar. Stir together remaining dry ingredients; add to egg mixture. Alternately with milk. Mix in oil, in a separate bowl beat egg whites until stiff; fold into batter. Bake aebleskiver as directed. Yields about 28.

Tip: Aebleskiver may be filled with 1 small slice of fresh apple, a small cube of cheese or 1 tsp. of jam.

(This is the website we found it on: http://www.aebleskiver.com/Recipes.htm )

My mom's Ice Cream Kolacky recipe is:

Ingredients

1 pint vanilla ice cream
2 cups butter
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fruit preserves, any flavor

Directions

Add flour to butter or margarine and crumble in pastry blender. Add ice cream to crumbled mixture and, using dough hooks, work into dough. (If you don't have dough hooks, use your hands. Rubber gloves will help cut down the cold temperature from the ice cream.) When dough is smooth, shape into ball and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Roll dough to about 1/8-inch thickness on a floured surface. Using the rim of a glass dipped in flour, cut out circles. Place on a cookie sheet and make a thumbprint in center of each. Fill thumbprints with 1/2 teaspoon fruit filling.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar when cool. Eat and enjoy!

Taken from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/ice-cream-kolacky/detail.aspx

I hope you enjoyed our demos and had a great time at the fair!

Off to the Minnesota State Fair

2011-08-22T12:40:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday August 24 th, Mary and I are heading over to the Minnesota State Fair. We were very lucky to once again get a campsite on the fairgrounds. YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!

When we tell people we are going to the fair, so many times we are asked "What do you do for all those days?"
(this year we will be at the fair for 9 days). Our answer is "Go to the Fair!" Yes, it is possible to spend nine days at the fair, and not see all the animals or the shows. The Mn Fair has so much entertainment and activities it is difficult to get to them all.

Besides all the entertainment stages, there are numerous other vendors who have live music. One of my favorite things to do is to go to the Farmers Union building for coffee in the morning. I sit in the coffee shop area and do my knitting while listening to live music that usually begins about 10 am. At 11:00 starts the live cooking demo at the St Agnes Kitchen in the Creative Activities building. After that, it is time to wander around for a snack. Then, back to the St Agnes Kitchen for the 1:00 pm demo. After that demo, it is time to go outside and wait for the 2:00 parade.

After the parade, is the show "Twin Cities Live" that is a daily show by one of the TV stations. Sometimes, you can also get free food!

During the day there are also the Lumberjack shows, dog shows, as well as shows in the honey area. There are also tours of the animals in the barn buildings. And, don't forget-the butter carvings in the dairy area!

One of the most exciting things to watch over the days are the animals born in the Miracle of Life Center. Each year calves, piglets, ducks, chickens, goats and lambs are brought into the world in front of all to see.
They do a wonderful job with the births and the caring for all the animals.

Add to all this the new sing along, rides, vendors etc, there is way too much for us to see in 9 days!

Peanut Butter Pie for Mikey

2011-08-11T10:22:00.001-05:00

The plus side of our vast use of technology, is how fast info can now travel. When you stop and think, it is truly amazing how we have come together as a global society. With facebook, we can become friends with people we never would have been able to meet. As we sit nestled in our little spaces we call home, we are part of a world wide community our parents could never have dreamed about. We are able to partake in events that a few years ago, we would never be apart of.

While on facebook the other day, through a post, I learned of a sudden death of a person I have never known. Even though I have never known this person, or his immediate family, I was touched by the postings of his wife. It got me thinking of how I would be if my husband suddenly past away. Sometimes I need those little reminders of how precious life can be.

Tomorrow, has been dedicated to her late husband Mikey. The tribute is to make a peanut butter pie and share it with your friends and family. Here is the link:
http://www.injennieskitchen.com/2011/08/for-mikey.html
In case the link does not work, here is her posting of the peanut butter pie:

Creamy Peanut Butter Pie
Serves 10 to 12
8 ounces chocolate cookies
4 tablespoons butter, melted
4 ounces finely chopped chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup creamy-style peanut butter
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 – 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Add the cookies to the bowl of a food processor and pulse into fine crumbs. Combine melted butter and cookie crumbs in a small bowl, and stir with a fork to mix well. Press mixture into the bottom and 1-inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave. Pour over bottom of cookie crust and spread to the edges using an off-set spatula. Sprinkle chopped peanuts over the melted chocolate. Place pan in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.
Pour the heavy cream into a bowl and beat using a stand mixer or hand mixer until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a small bowl and store in refrigerator until ready to use. Place the cream cheese and peanut butter in a deep bowl. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in the confectioner's sugar. Add the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Increase speed to medium and beat until all the ingredients are combined and filling is smooth.
Stir in 1/3 of the whipped cream into the filling mixture (helps lighten the batter, making it easier to fold in the remaining whipped cream). Fold in the remaining whipped cream. Pour the filling into the prepared springform pan. Drizzle the melted chocolate on top, if using, and refrigerate for three hours or overnight before serving.

I will be making my pie this afternoon, all are welcome to join us. It would be great fun if people would take pictures of their pies, and their sharing it with others!

Happy Pie Making!

Using your Cricut

2011-08-08T03:21:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite pastimes is using my Cricut machine. I originally purchased it to use on cake decorating, but found I was having so much fun making cards and albums, I never did set it up for the cakes. Now there is a Cricut cake machine, I have not yet crossed over to buying that machine.

After I purchased the Cricut, I found I would spend alot of money buying all those cartridges. Being the frugal person I am, I thought, there must be a better way!

Lo and behold, I found the Sure Cuts Alot Software. It is a software that makes svg files usable on the Cricut. Due to difficulties with Provo Craft, they are now unable to sell this software for the Cricut, but they do sell the software to be used with other machines.

One if the best things about using this software, is the ability to buy svg files on the internet, store them as files on your computer, rather than needing cartridges.

One of the best places I have found for svg files is SVG Cuts.com. You can get to their website by clicking the banner on this page. What attracted me to them in the first place, is all the wonderful videos on how to use the software. Also, in learning ot use the software, I also learned my way around the computer better.

I will try to post some of the items I make, so you can see just how beautiful they are!

Summer Time!

2011-07-29T15:48:00.000-05:00

Looked at my blog today, realized I had not posted anything since April! How DOUBLY NAUGHTY of me! It dawned on me, that I also have not done much baking since then! Now that summer is here, I have been spending lots of time outside. Up here in the Northwoods, our summer is very short, better enjoy while we can.

When I started this blog two years ago, it was with the thought of using primarily for our baking. In the past two years, many things have changed. Now that I have chronic pain issues, it is difficult to spend as much time as I had been baking. Instead, I spend time making cards and albums using my Cricut machine. It seems I can get lost for hours making something, just like I did when I baked.

Since my pain issues have kind taken over my life, I have had to reassess my goals, plans and ambitions. There are days when just getting out of bed is a major accomplishment! I am trying to have as much of a life as I can, with a tendency to do way too much, with the crash that follows.

With that in mind, I will be posting more often, just on other aspects of my life that have become predominate. Baking ideas will be posted, along with some of my other designs.

Check back soon, you never know what you may find next!

Snow in April!

2011-04-16T21:00:00.000-05:00

The calendar may say April 16th, but by the snow outside, it looks more like November! Not wanting to go out into the snow today, I asked my husband to stop at the store and bring something home for me to make for dinner. I know, asking him to do something like that was asking for BIG TROUBLE, but I really did not want to go out, nor did I have any idea what to make.

I was mildly suprised when he came home with four small, very thin round steaks. Each was about a quarter of a pound. Now, round steaks can be very good tasting, I just have a knack for overcooking them and turning them into to shoe leather, so I rarely buy them myself.

So, here I was staring at these little steaks, My husband of course, felt very proud of himself at bringing these home. As he was explaining to me why he chose these little morsels of red meat, I imagined him being the prehistoric hunter bringing food home to his family.

As I sat thinking of what I could possibly make with these to make them into the delectable morsels he imagined, I thought of beef stroganoff. I thought I needed mushrooms for that, so it was out of the question.
I decided on a beef stew made with my pressure cooker. For those who do not use a pressure cooker, it is one of the best items to have in a kitchen. The new ones are very safe, and cook foods in a fraction of the time. Into the pressure cooker went a can of diced tomatoes, some celery, carrots, potatoes and onions along with the round steak which I cut into smaller pieces, minced garlic and beef broth. While the stew was cooking, I made drop cheddar biscuits using my favorite White Lily self rising flour.

Forty five minutes after deciding what I wanted to make, we were sitting at the table eating dinner. My husband commented on how tender the round steak was. Guess this one was a success!

Now, time to start thinking of my Easter baking!

Lunch at the feeder!

2011-03-02T16:40:00.000-06:00

We have had birdfeeders in our front yard for the past 12 years. The feeder is in front of my living room window, where I can sit and watch the birds while I drink my morning coffee. In the mornings, I can tell when it is really cold, the birds so not show up until the temp goes above zero.

Since I feed the birds sunflower, I also have many squirrels that come to visit. I have tried many tricks to keep the squirrels off the feeders, the one that works the best is putting hot sauce all over the feeders.

This afternoon my dog started barking frantically, I knew by her bark that the hot sauce must have worn off, and the squirrels were out there. I was sitting in another room, so I did not know for sure what the commotion was. But I figured from her bark that there must have been 2-3 of them feasting on my sunflower seeds.

When I went to the window, I saw the squirrels, at first only two- a black and a gray. Then, I spotted the third- an albino squirrel! Last spring and fall I had thought I saw one in the woods, never could get close enough to get a good look.

Now, I’ve had my look! I rushed to get my camera and get some pictures. Not an easy feat with the dog barking all the while. The dog could sense my excitement, no way was she going to settle down and be quite.

Here are some pictures I would like to share. Please do not make copies, or send to others. Rather, link them to this page. Thanks!

Finally made an svg file!

2011-01-25T20:24:00.000-06:00

Due to chronic pain issues, my baking has greatly diminished over the past two years. Since last February I have found a new passion, my Cricut machine and Sure Cuts a Lot software. I have spent many, many hours trying to learn to make svg files. I have downloaded Inkscape and Watched lots of videos. So, you can only imagine my Triumph when I finally learned how to make a file set.

I wanted to make some Valentine lollipop cards, for the grandkids. I needed to do something simple, that I could send them the parts, and they could glue them. The first one I have completed is for the girls.

I also made the tag that can be used to write Happy Valentines Day on. Working on finding the way to get the file so I can share it with others.

Life and Death/ Sadness and Joy

2011-01-12T19:28:00.000-06:00

On Monday, January 10th, the baking world lost one of the last remaining old time bakers, my mother in law. She was one of those bakers, that learned how to bake on an old wood stove, of which temperatures were told by the way the heat felt on your hands, not an oven thermometer. Water had to pumped from the hand pump, and heated on the stove. The cream was the best, as it came from the cows that had recently been milked. There were no mixers in those early days, just hand beaters and wooden spoons. As we fret about the temperatures of the ingredients we use, and the dough we bake, they did not even have refrigeration in those early days!

And yet, this woman learned to turn out the best cream puffs, kringles and pies I have ever tasted. Her baked goods were prized at many bake sales and church meetings, many people ate her pies on a Monday summer evening at Snowshoe Baseball in Lake Tomahawk.

Like most woman born in the early 1900's, the boxed cake mix was a blessing to her. There were no bakeries around, no fast food, and the guys always had to be fed. I sit back and think of just what a time saver that must have been for them, and what it treat it was if they could actually afford to buy one!

She will surely be missed, as she was so loved by her family and friends. Always willing to help and lend a hand. She was also one of the kindest woman I have ever had the pleasure to know.

Death is a sad thing for those who are left behind, as we mourn our loss of the loved one. But, in that death is also the joy and belief in knowing she is now free! Free from pain and sickness, free from the boundaries of our humanness. It is up to the ones left, to carry on in joy, the memories of those who have gone before us. Time heals our wounds, and it is in each other that we find support to carry us through.

When she was first became very sick a few weeks agom I sent my husband and daughter to the hospital, while I stayed home and made supper for us and my brother in law. While I was doing this, I had the thought that it was the thing she would do, send others to make sure things were taken care of, while she stayed behind to do the cooking. While she was in the hospital, I also made a big casserole in the slow cooker for all of us to be fed, while there visiting her. It is in those little things, that I realize how much I am carrying on her memories. I only hope I can continue, and keep up her baking tradition!

Zoe posted an almond chiffon cake on her Zoe Bakes website today, which will be so fitting for our family get together tomorrow night. My mother in law really enjoyed almond, and chiffon and angel food cakes were some of her favorites.

In closing, let the BAKING BEGIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ten Days

2010-12-16T08:33:00.000-06:00

As I sit here tonight, I realize Christmas is ten days from today. I have a tree up, a few decorations, other than that, not much else done. Since we are celebrating the extended family Christmas on Jan 1, I do not feel as rushed as usual. After all, I have an extra week!

All the snowstorms of the past weekends, have also put a damper on my shopping. Hard to get to the shopping malls! Last weekend most of the stores I would normally go to were closed.

It's also very different having my youngest in college. No more high school concerts, madrigal dinners, etc. We did go to her college concert two weeks ago, last weekend we went to the Charity Ball at her school. So, my holiday is now taking a different direction.

In the catholic church, this is the season of Advent, the time to prepare for the birth of Christ. I have been spending time going more inward, and using this time as a time of spiritual reflection. Advent is a time of rebirth, and also the beginning of the new church year.

My wish is for all to take some time during this busy season to reflect on our lives, and how we can improve our spiritual self. Spend less money, and instead spend more time with others. When walking into a busy store during this time, take a second to smile at someone. There are many,many lonely and sad people, who do not get the chance to see a smile. Remember, Jesus is the reason for the season!

Great site

2010-12-10T01:20:00.000-06:00

For all those who have a cricut, this is a great site for files!

Multi Tasking

2010-11-06T10:08:00.000-05:00

I had baked some puff pastry cheesecake filled turnovers this morning. Unfortunately I was not paying very close attention- and they burned. This got me to thinking about multi tasking.

As these were baking, I was also watching Fons and Porter quilting show on TV. Had my computer opened to read my emails and check facebook, and knitting while reading the email message. All the while drinking my coffee! Not suprised I burned something.

On Fons and Porter, they were making an elaborate log cabin Christmas quilted top. Because of the log cabin strips, there was lots of stopping and starting. For those of us who have tried quilting, you know how exact your seams need to be. I was startled when I heard one of the woman say you can make this while baking your Christmas cookies! Even a TV show expects us to be multitasking!

Multitasking used to be a women's thing. With the advent of technology, it now seems to be a dilemma of men and also our children. Focusing on just one thing has become an actual problem for many. Studies have found that those of us who think we are accomplishing so much in a day, are actually getting less done than if we gave our attention to one thing at a time.

As the holiday season approaches, I would like to challenge my readers to spend some time each day giving complete attention to just one thing. Whether it is talking to our loved ones, making our cookies, doing our sewing, even when shopping. Shutting off the phones, TV and computers for a half hour a day, may make a difference!

Deep Dish Pizza Cake

2010-10-05T11:23:00.000-05:00

My daughter had a birthday a few weeks ago. This being her first birthday away from home, I was determined that she have some kind of birthday cake.

While she attended a private school from kindergarten through fifth grade, for her birthday party, I used to get pizza for her classmates for lunch. So, after trying to figure out what kind of cake I could make and send to her, I came up with the idea of the deep dish pizza.

I wanted to have the crust higher on the side with a space in the middle for the ingredients. I could have carved out the middle, but wait! After looking through my baking pans, I found the flan pan! So, I baked one layer in the flan pan, the second layer in a 10 inch round pan, as that is the size of my flan pan.

I iced the round layer with buttercream, placed the flan piece on top. I placed it in the freezer for easier carving. The next day, I took it out of the freezer, and carved the flan edges to make them rounder.

After the carving, I covered the cake in a buttercream crumb coat.

Since the cake was going to be mailed, I had to make it as indestructable as possible. I chose to cover the outside of the cake with white fondant. I painted the fondant using gel colors. I used a brown and yellow gel colors, as that is all I had. I covered the middle of the cake with a red buttercream for the sauce. Since my daughter's favorite pizza is black olive and cheese, I needed to find a way to make the black olives. I rolled out black fondant, and used the end of my decorating tips to cut out the olives. I let them dry before placing on the cake.
For the cheese, I grated white fondant using a cheese grater. I needed the fondant first, found that if the pieces were cooler, they grated better. I assembled the ingredients on the top as you would for a pizza.

Here is my finished product. Not bad for the first time! I then wrapped the cake in plastic wrap. To mail it, I cut cardboard to fit around the edges. I also put multiple layers of cardboard on the top and bottom, as the cake turned out very heavy. I had used a pound cake recipe, so the cake would be sturdy enough for the trip. The cake fit in a large flat rate priority box, which saved on postage.

The cake made the trip intact! In fact, the cake ended up traveling back and forth multiple times! My daughter new I would be missing her on her first birthday away from home, so her boyfriend picked her up from school, and brought her home. The cake came with her. Since there was still plenty left by the time she needed to go back to school, I had her take the cake back with her.

Moral of the story- you can send a cake through the mail, it can make it in one piece and on time!

Websites I like

2010-10-04T22:13:00.001-05:00

The past ten days have been a real whirlwind, hopefully now the fall will calm down, so I can get back to baking.

This past weekend was parents weekend at my daughter's school. Both of us love books, it just so happens there is a Half-Price bookstore about six blocks from her school.
Such Fun! I enjoy buying used books, such a way to use recycling to the max! One of my best finds was:

CookWise: The Hows & Whys of Successful Cooki… (Hardcover)
by Shirley O. Corriher

I found the book to be very informative. One of the recipes int he book is for microwave caramel.

The other great thing we did, was go to the Whole Foods Market. I am astonished by the amount of food they can fit in a small store. Some of the best buys were the organic navel oranges and the organic wine grapes. The grapes have an intense flavor, not usually found in standard green or red grapes.

In the book cookwise, she has a recipe for navel oranges that are sliced and topped with the microwaved caramel to which thin orange strips are added. Tomorrow I am going to try to make that dessert.

One of my favorite websites for baking is http://joepastry.com/index.php?cat=14

It is called Joe Pastry. He has wonderful explanations of ingredients, and how the recipes work. Great pictures also!

As you can tell, I am trying to learn the whys of my baking and cooking, instead of just following the recipes. I enjoy watching the cooking shows, have always wondered how they come up with all the recipes. Now I am learning myself!

Beginnings

2010-08-16T12:22:00.000-05:00

I logged on today, and realized I hadn't updated my blog in quite a while-SHAME ON ME!

Today marks a new beginning! After thinking over my life and relationships last night, I found I needed to head myself in a different direction. Ina bout two weeks, my youngest will be heading off to college, and I will be a proverbial EMPTY NESTER.
While this happens to the majority of parents, and I know I will get through it, my life is now in the midst of change. Having been raising children for 34 years of my life, my parenting and life are now diverging on a different path.

The road will be winding, with many curves and choices for both of us. We will end up at our destination safe and sound, and right where we are meant to be.

The questions is, are we ready for the RIDE?

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T21:06:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter to all those who celebrate!

This has truly been one of my busiest Easters yet! It seemed I have been so far behind. My house did get cleaned before my daughter and her children came up Thursday. My husband, daughter and I sing in our church choir, so we have spent a lot of time in church recently.

Did lots of cooking. Saturday night we celebrated Easter with my son, his girlfriend, and her daughter. We had prime rib and crab legs, along with asparagus, salad and baked potatoes. For dessert, I made a tres leches cake from the Cake Love book, and my daughter made the Italian Meringue Buttercream frosting. We mixed heath bar bits in the frosting, then sprinkled some on top. I also made a heath bar cheesecake and a plain cheesecake.

This morning for brunch, we had ham, fruit salad, hashbrown casserole and greenbean casserole.

I made our traditional easter Lamb cake, but it looked like it was going to fall over, I couldn't figure out why it looked so tipsy, but my daughter came up with the answer. The cake I made did not rise as much as the ones I have made in the past, making the back half of the lamb slightly smaller than the front. The difference was just enough to tip the cake, since the back did not have enough support. Did not take pictures, wish I had!

This week I am going to make the cookies I never finished, and hopefully have some time to start to practice my cookie bouquets.

New Toy!

2010-03-25T19:39:00.000-05:00

Haven't been doing much baking lately. Last month I went out and splurged-bought myself a Cricut Expression machine! I have been having so much fun with that machine! I bought the Sure Cuts A Lot software and some svg files from svgcuts.com. I have been practicing so much.

The goal in buying the machine was to be able to use it for cake decorating. You can use it to cut out pieces of fondant. Before I start using the fondant, I figured I'd practice with paper. The past few days, I have been making various little bags and boxes. My idea is to make a small box to use as a base for a cookie or lollipop.

Off to practice some more!

How Many Calories in a Frappe?

2010-02-05T09:39:00.000-06:00

Last week, our McDonalds was sponsoring a grand re-opening. They had completely remodeled the restaurant so, it wasn't exactly new. Remodeling is nice. I rarely go to McDonalds, since they had many free and very discounted items, we had more food from there last week than I have had in the past year!

One of the items they had a special on was a "Frappe". The only time I have had these. was from a coffee shop at the Minnesota State Fair, I had no desire to try one again. But, since one they the "Frappe" was given away FREE, my husband and daughter decided to try them.

The marketing concept worked well, as my daughter had decided she really enjoyed the drink. For the past few days, since the McDonalds is right next to the high school, my husband and daughter stopped there on her way to school. She got her Frappe, he got his breakfast.

Yesterday, after I picked her up from school, we were talking about how the machine was broke in the morning. She was unable to get her usual frappe, so got a mocha instead. Her next comment was "Since I've been getting those in the morning, I'm not as hungry in the mornings."

DING, DING- Light bulb went on! How many CALORIES were actually in the small frappe? I was thinking there had to be alot, dear daughter thought they were very few. After all, she stated, it is made up from coffee, and coffee does not have any calories!

Needless to say, we had a great discussion about various coffee drinks and the amount of calories in them. Her logic was there did not appear to be any syrup added to the frappe, so it couldn't have many calories. I on the other had, am always skeptical of fast food items- I figured it had more than she imagined. So, the first thing she did when we arrived home was to get the calorie count. Wow, was she suprised.

Nutrition Facts – 12 ounces (small) – Mocha – 450 calories, 20 grams of fat, 13 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 50 milligrams of cholesterol, 125 milligrams of sodium, 62 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 56 grams of sugar, 7 grams of protein, 15% vitamin A, 20% calcium and 2% iron. Caramel – 450 calories, 20 grams of fat, 13 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 55 milligrams of cholesterol, 120 milligrams of sodium, 62 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 57 grams of sugar, 6 grams of protein, 15% vitamin A, 20% calcium and 2% iron.)

It turns out, the small Frappe she has been drinking, has 450 calories! To put that in perspective, we compared that with other groceries we bought yesterday. for the 450 calories, she can have 2 servings of the cranberry pomegranate instant oatmeal and a carton of yogurt which we had purchased. She would have to drink water, which she was drinking with her breakfast prior to the frappe.

Here is my point. The majority of us eat out a couple of times a week. I am included. We are also battling a huge obesity problem with our society, especially our children. I am not saying to deprive ourselves of the foods we like to eat and drink, I want to encourage us to be aware of the calories we consume in a day!

More Cookies

2010-02-02T22:01:00.001-06:00

My daughter's Model Un group was running the concession stand st the high school girl's basketball game today, so she asked me to make more chocolate chip cookies. I made the recipe from the book "Ratio" again as we all liked that recipe last week. Made three batches of cookies, made about 8 dozen cookies, which doesn't sound like much, since I can only stand for 10-15 minutes at a time, it took a long time to make those.

One of the reasons I like this recipe, is the decreased sweetness. I also used kosher salt, which seems to add a salt flavor I haven't gotten with regular salt. The saltiness works well with the chocolate and the sweetness.

When making baked goods for others, it is important to keep in mind the group who will be consuming the product. I knew these were for teenagers, which I have read have increased taste buds for sweetness. Therefore, using less sugar would be better. As people age, the taste buds usually decrease, so if making products for elderly, the sweetness may need to be increased. At our church, when people are asked to bring cookies for occasions, it is the bars not the actual cookies that go first. After noticing that, I now bring bars which are easier to make, and are eaten first.

My next cookie is going to be a lemon poppyseed. Hopefully I will get to that tomorrow.