Tag: cake

Turkeys of the Day

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The haystack turkey is in Roanoke VA

And the live turkeys are at the farm next door in Hardy, Virginia

The turkey chrysanthemum centerpiece is from my sister who is visiting at E’s in Albany. She sent it on her phone.

The gluten-free pound cake I posted early this morning was appreciated but best of all it tasted good! Some added ice cream and others ate it plain. My grandson Michael ate some and gave me the thumbs up and a big MMMMMMMMMMMMM!

What else could you askfor? Grateful for family and friends, far and near.

and Flat Ruthie is with the main course on Cardboardmetravels

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by Categories: PhotographyTags: , , , , , , , , , , 5 Comments

A Failed Cake is a Reminder

What really matters. It’s good to be reminded by the universe. There’s no time for a do-over. Be humbled.

I was so disappointed. Wanted to take this to the feast today and feel I had really outdone myself for them. For me. Or really i wanted to feel good about my offering. I baked a special cake for the gluten free portion of the family. For my grandson Michael.
but the picturebook result did not go as planned. It stuck to the bundt pan despite my preparation. Like cement. A bowl of chiseled crumbs and a raggedy looking cake? It’s gluten free and has a cup and a half of butter in it. Five eggs.

I think a dollop of ice cream, a ladle of crushed berries, and the loving hugs if family will make everything all right.

I’m taking it and we’ll have a good chuckle. The being together and feeling their love and affection is what will feed my heart.

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by Categories: Cooking and EatingTags: , , , , , , , , 14 Comments

Celebrating 39 Years of Teaching!

It’s hard to keep this friend anonymous since her name is on the cake. In chocolate letters!

Ellen is a blog follower and I hope she doesn’t mind….

Colleagues, family and friends gathered together to honor Ellen today.  Effusive praise and accolades aren’t  what Ellen would wish for but let me just say – there are thousands of students who have benefitted from having been taught by her in her classroom.

I didn’t see the smiley face on the cake until I looked at the photos.

 Jean-Marc Chatellier baked this and decorated it so beautifully. It tasted delicious, too.

(You remember the colorful macarons?)

Enjoy your retirement Ellen. You deserve every happiness!  A job well done.

by Categories: Baking, PhotographyTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , 13 Comments

Anna, Her Best Friend, A Special Day

Just before we left for the church, Anna stood with Murphy.

He was sad he didn’t get to go in the car for a ride.

Friends and family gathered in to celebrate Anna making her First Holy Communion at St. Patrick’s, Columbus OH

I’m a proud grandma.

Just before going into the church to line up. Quiet contemplation

by Categories: Airedale Terrier, Airedale Terrier and Friend, Childhood, Family, PhotographyTags: , , , , , , , , , , , 17 Comments

How to Revive a Slice of Cake

Place in a bowl and pour some cool fresh milk over it. Eat with a silver spoon. My father used to do this and I'd turn my nose up. Boy, was I wrong about this practice! Delicious
by Categories: Childhood, Cooking and Eating, PhotographyTags: , , , , , , , , , , 14 Comments

Vanilla Buttercream on a Six Layer Cake in Winter

You might remember the  vanilla buttercream white cake on the front porch in late summer. The one I posted for Marlene’s birthday. (looks good in summer light- click here )

I made this cake by baking 1 cup of batter in 3- 8″ baking pans at a time. (350 degrees)

Did that twice to make six layers.  Vanilla buttercream icing.

The insides of the cake will be revealed another time.  I used the 1-2-3-4 cake recipe

1 cup unsalted butter, room temp

2 cups sugar

3 cups of cake flour (with 2 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp salt)

4 eggs

1 cup of milk + 1/2 cup warm water

I used the Cake Bible method of mixing all dry ingredients with the butter and then adding the vanilla, egg and milk mixture to the dry mixture. Apologies to  Rose Levy Beranbaum  as she describes it so well in her cookbook but I gave Laura that volume and so it is in Columbus now. Laura and I did Face Time and she showed me the cookbook in her hands but when she read the recipes in the back for the wedding cake proportions and the breakdown for a smaller cake, I just decided to go with my grandmother’s and mother’s old 1-2-3-4 recipe.  I couldn’t refer to the other recipes as I mixed and baked.  I will have to borrow that cookbook back and commit it to memory, too.

by Categories: BakingTags: , , , , , 19 Comments

Maura Eyes the Wedding Cake Being Cut

First cousins once removed on her mother’s side. That is such a strange sounding label! She’s also my youngest grandchild. Fun to be part of a family wedding. Congratulations to Jaclyn and Michael. It was a happy night.

WIsh I had a quote from her. Will have to show her the photo and add it!
by Categories: Childhood, Family, Wedding PhotographyTags: , , , , , , , , , 11 Comments

What My Dad Gave Me in 1986

There was a time when we lived in Kentucky and the kids were young,  I used this Kitchen-Aid stand mixer almost everyday. It still works perfectly. I wanted this mixer so badly when we returned after living in Germany for 3 years. I don’t remember any color choice except white or off-white/almond?  A couple of years ago I asked for a new beater as the old one’s coating had started to peel.  The dough hook, the whisk like beater beats egg whites to stand in peaks in short order.  All so useful and good.    Laura was just turning three when he got it and now she’ll be 27 in a couple of months. I used to ask each child what kind of cake they wanted for their birthday.  That year Laura asked for a “Piggy Cake” although I am not sure why. Mark asked for a State of Kentucky cake and Matthew a GI-Joe cake. Good thing  my friend J and I took a class in Cake Decorating in Grafenwoehr!

I was thinking about what to post for Father’s Day this year to remember my dad. This gift from him has mixed a lot of cake batter and bread dough in our house.  Last year I posted a slideshow of my dad’s life in a minute.  This year I’m posting a photo of his generous present that’s been well used and appreciated.

He’s been gone almost nine years.  Missing him everyday, not just today. What special things remind you of your father?

So many possibilities.....
by Categories: Baking, FamilyTags: , , , , , , 9 Comments

Jozie’s Mother- Genoeffa Sciulli- Baked a Biscotti Cake

The unexpected gift of cake!   Her daughter Jozie brought it to me at Mama D’s retirement picnic down the hill in the park on Friday night.  Mrs. Sciulli taught me how to make this cake in her basement kitchen a couple of years ago.  It is like an Italian sponge cake, light and not too sweet, perfect with coffee. Just delicious.   Today she baked one and sent it to me.  So nice of her.  I came home, cut a piece with a serrated knife and photographed it in the living room before I ate it. Mrs. Sciulli calls it biscotti but it is not like biscotti we think of biscotti, a twice baked cookie., hard and ready to dunk. This cake is light and eggy and has a beautiful crumb. Thank you Mrs. Sciulli.  And Joz for bringing it to me. What a nice surprise! It is delicious.

by Categories: Baking, Cooking and EatingTags: , , , , , 8 Comments

Steelers’ Family Preparations- Pittsburgh and Beyond

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See Maura two years ago dressed for Super Bowl 43 and now at two years + @ the piano bench,  Steelers hat by her side, ready for Super Bowl 45.              Not my house- the mansion of Fifth Ave. with the huge gold and black banners on the porch at night.

And a friend at work, Ann and I, decided to knit  obsessively and make four Steelers hats. Used a double strand of Cascade Superwash 220.  I mailed mine to the grandchildren but forget trying to get a photo. We had fun trying.  I think.

Sue B made the yellow pepper black olive topped salad for the AFC championship game and the cake was as Black and Gold as I could get it.  No one would eat a licorice cake.  A Brown Mountain cake (recipe) from Farm Journal with classic buttercream icing.    No buttermilk in the house so I soured the milk with a T of vinegar and it tasted fine.

Smiley Cookies are from Eat ‘n Park and they were on the sign-in counter so weren’t consumed by me.

Mark has a Steelers flag to fly in the daylight and a blanket to keep warm and an Official Terrible Towel.

The last shot is the snowfall today.  Hear there has been snow in Texas too. Thanks everyone near and far for the well wishes. And for putting up with the hoopla if you are a diehard Packers’ fan. (luv ya Rob)

A Longest Day

Sunday. Some things to cook.
We’ll wait for the game to begin.
Today a snowfall and weather reports.
I think I’ll knit one more hat!
The act of knitting reduces anxiety.

by Categories: Baking, Childhood, Family, Pittsburgh PhotosTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 12 Comments