cake day

I think today I'm going to make a cake. I want to take another stab at plain white cake. I found an icing I want to try but it calls for Crisco and I am without so I will try the next on the 'want to try list'.

OR maybe I'll use this as an excuse to go to the other Whole Foods and see if they have the fresh squeezed orange juice. Actually, that's a better plan.

I got out my small but satisfying collection of spiral bound church cookbooks and perused the cake and cookie sections and found some really good ideas. I used up a lot of post its marking my favorites. There is at least one in all five books!

I slept long last night. At one point Biggie left and I readjusted and went back to sleep and then he came back. My arm was out of the covers and he carefully sniffed from my hand to my shoulder. I was expecting a bite but he just sniffed and then curled up next to it. I love hearing his little snores.

Yesterday I was thinking about pill giving options and he loves butter and Temptations so I thought I'd coat the pill with butter and use that to glue it to a Temptation. Only this morning I forgot the butter part and used cheese to do the same thing. Worked perfectly. Biggie is encouraging my creativity in the kitchen.

There are no COVID numbers collected on the weekends. Virus vacation. There is concern that so many state employees are quitting rather than get vaccinated as required now by law. Schools are having a hard time finding employees because of the same reason. I am not moved. Honestly, I do not want my state administered by people who are too stupid to get the vaccine. And while my dog in the school hunt is not even a personal one, I don't think school children should be surrounded by idiots either. There is no reason to not get the vaccine if you want to live in a society of other people. If you want to live in a cabin in the woods and never ever encounter another human, okdokey. Otherwise, shoot up. I am so grateful to live in a state with the balls to make these mandates. I would like them stronger but I'm happy with what we have.

Oh! I see yellow leaves on The Tree That I Hate. More than a couple!!!! Happy days!

The ballgame is at 1 so I need to get going. I need to get showered and dressed before I leave. Seems like the kind thing to do.

success!!

Fresh squeezed (adjacent) oj in the house!! The other Whole Foods had a ton of it. I tasted it the minute I got home and, yep, it's the good stuff. Finally. Yeah! It's labeled Whole Foods Organic.

And I figured out that I can get it delivered next time or at least check and make sure they have it on hand before I go. Yahoooo!

Of course, since it was Whole Foods, they did not have Crisco so I got high end fancy dancy Karen approved shortening. I suspect it will work fine.

It's a 15 minute drive on a Sunday morning on a holiday weekend (important since the drive goes right through a large tourist section). The problem is that there are 87903 traffic lights between here and there. I hit them all red on the way, but all green coming back. You takes yer chances.

And yes, it's expensive. A half gallon of that orange juice is $14. BUT 1. it's delicious. 2. I'm lucky enough to be able to afford it. 3. it's way more simple than making it myself and 4. it's delicious.

I meant to send this but, apparently, did not hit 'post' so... I'll tack on a picture of cake batter. Yes, the purely white cake will be pale green!



it's in the oven right now.

Not the big reveal quite yet

This is exactly the cake I wanted

This is exactly the cake I wanted to be able to bake anytime. And now I can. It's perfect for me. VERY light and fluffy - both the cake and the icing.

And here it is for repeat next time

1/2 a box of Pillsbury Classic White Cake Mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup of milk,
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon of melted butter

Mix all together well and then highest speed for 3 mins or more. Pour into pans.

350 - 28 mins - 2 6" layers

The icing

1 cup of shortening*
1/2 cup of butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
powered sugar
water

* a trick I learned from my Mom. Take a 2 cup or more measurer and fill it to 1 cup. Then dollop in the shortening until the water rises to 2 cup. Pour out the water and you've got a very easily removable cup of shortening.

I creamed the everything except the sugar and water together until it was well and truly blended. Then I added the sugar in large spoonfuls. Mix well. Add more. Mix well. Add in maybe a tablespoon of water. Repeat until the texture/taste is exactly what you want. I probably used a couple of cups of sugar.

I'm very happy. I will probably freeze a couple of these slices just to see how they do.





Next up (maybe not in this order)

banana chocolate chip cookies
kipferln
cream cheese cookies
aunt Bessie's mistake (cookies)
banana cake - frosting undecided
hartshorn cookies
french butter cream cookies
springerlies

and more biscuits