So, I am lookingto make apple pie. We are headed out to dinner tomorrow with some friends and I thought, 4th of July--let's make an apple pie. Well, pie is not my forte. I do a good lemon merangue (which I can't even spell) and I really like my pecan, but apple has always eluded me because it seems that the apples never cook. They are always hard and I really don't want that from my pie. Maybe others like it. I don't know.
Well, I'm going with better homes & gardens recipe. Maybe I'll precook the apples and see if that makes it any better. Of course my crust will be my new stand by of 3/4 c. crisco, 3/4 c. butter and 3 c flour. Then 2 tblsp on cold water. Works like a charm for a 2 crust pie.
Also, I baked some brownies the other day. I used Martha Stewart's recipe from her baking book. Really tasty but for some reason not as fudgy as usual. I used a new pan. It's plastic in the shape of a 3. I could only put 1/2 the recipe it. It was fun and the brownies taste great anyways. Yum...I love brownies. Probably more than a girl should....
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Book & Baking Blog Entry 8
I just finished rereading (or actually listening on my ipod) In the Woods. I like her storytelling. It's all about the characters. I recently read The Likeness and decided to go back and reread/listen to this one.
French does a great job with a story and bringing deeply flawed characters from one novel to another. I do think that she lingers a little long in parts, but perhaps if I weren't too lazy to actually read rather than listen it wouldn't seem so drawn out. I liked In the Woods better than The Likeness. The Likeness went a little too far outside its world.
I would highly recommend both of these books. Not too graphic, in general and some good funky characters.
NOTE: I am a firm believer that an author/writer can create his/her own world where things happen that would not happen in the "real" world. I respect that it's a story and I'm paying for the fun of someone else's imagination so I don't have to do it myself.
I will often refer to this in terms of Angel World. A favorite metaphor of my husband where Charlie's Angels have perfect hair & makeup, no mud after fights in the dirt and can strip out of evening gowns that are hiding neck to toe wet suits--it's Angel World and that's the way it rolls.
This isn't a free-for-all for authors to make up anything that they want. There must be internal logic. I will point out when I believe that an author is just writing crap to write it and not really working within their own world.
Good reading.
French does a great job with a story and bringing deeply flawed characters from one novel to another. I do think that she lingers a little long in parts, but perhaps if I weren't too lazy to actually read rather than listen it wouldn't seem so drawn out. I liked In the Woods better than The Likeness. The Likeness went a little too far outside its world.
I would highly recommend both of these books. Not too graphic, in general and some good funky characters.
NOTE: I am a firm believer that an author/writer can create his/her own world where things happen that would not happen in the "real" world. I respect that it's a story and I'm paying for the fun of someone else's imagination so I don't have to do it myself.
I will often refer to this in terms of Angel World. A favorite metaphor of my husband where Charlie's Angels have perfect hair & makeup, no mud after fights in the dirt and can strip out of evening gowns that are hiding neck to toe wet suits--it's Angel World and that's the way it rolls.
This isn't a free-for-all for authors to make up anything that they want. There must be internal logic. I will point out when I believe that an author is just writing crap to write it and not really working within their own world.
Good reading.
P.S. the bear cake is the 2nd that I created for my daughter's birthday parties. She chose the eye color. In the last week--4 cake recipes and 2 sugar cookies batches. Tune in to find out how the great personalized cookie caper goes....
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Book & Baking Blog Entry 7
Birthday Cake: another year another bear
Birthday Cake is the best. While my reading lately has not been inspired, well except for the latest Alex Delaware novel by Kellerman, my baking has truly been over the top.
My daughter turned 3 on Thursday and we invited 20-some kids and their parents to a little get together. Bouncehouse, goody bags, the works. And cake. The cake, to me, is important. It is important that I make the cake myself. It's a vanity and I hardly had the time for it this week BUT I was not to be denied.
For the sake of background let it be known that I live in an area where bakery cakes are the norm. Grocery store cakes are generally not used, but real bakery cakes.
I took a cake decorating class earlier this year, but I wasn't good and there wasn't a lot that it could help me with making my teddy bear cake. The teddy bear cake is easy. I found the idea online (or course) and modified it to my own desires (of course.)
So, the fun. I had to bake the cakes at night because at work, where it's usually pretty low-key, this week, ONLY this week out of the entire year, I have to work longer hours. Yep. The week that I need to bake 2 cakes and throw 2 parties. Did I mention 2 parties? Yeah, one for family after the bachanal for toddlers.
For those interested I baked 2 cakes. 1 yellow cake-8"round, 2 layers (Better Homes & Gardens) and 1 devil's food cake-9" round 2 layers (same book.) those who bake regularly will see the flaw in the cake, especially if you read the recipe. Yep. The yellow cake recipe actually makes more in volume. If I had been thinking I would have made it the 9". Oh well. There is a drastic chin on my bear. Luckily, children don't care and adults are too polite to notice.
Ears and paws are made of cupcakes. For those keeping track, I've now baked 3 batches of cake. I cheat on the frosting. I used canned. Yes, I know for purists it's like I spat on the cake, but I've really never made frosting any better than the can. Send your recipe I'll give it a try.
I'm at work right now (it's Saturday and I'm installing software), and tonight I go home to make another batch of cupcakes (count is up to 4) and get ready to prepare 1 more bear for eating.
The last bear was a pink panda. My daughter likes pink. While not original, I don't care. It's what she likes. Maybe I'll just do a brown bear for this one...
AND just so that you know, it was yummy. The kids loved the cake and thought it was spectacular. The adults pretended that they wished they were so talented. It's very nice of them.
Maybe, just maybe next year I won't manipulate my daughter into asking for a teddy bear cake...or not.
Birthday Cake is the best. While my reading lately has not been inspired, well except for the latest Alex Delaware novel by Kellerman, my baking has truly been over the top.
My daughter turned 3 on Thursday and we invited 20-some kids and their parents to a little get together. Bouncehouse, goody bags, the works. And cake. The cake, to me, is important. It is important that I make the cake myself. It's a vanity and I hardly had the time for it this week BUT I was not to be denied.
For the sake of background let it be known that I live in an area where bakery cakes are the norm. Grocery store cakes are generally not used, but real bakery cakes.
I took a cake decorating class earlier this year, but I wasn't good and there wasn't a lot that it could help me with making my teddy bear cake. The teddy bear cake is easy. I found the idea online (or course) and modified it to my own desires (of course.)
So, the fun. I had to bake the cakes at night because at work, where it's usually pretty low-key, this week, ONLY this week out of the entire year, I have to work longer hours. Yep. The week that I need to bake 2 cakes and throw 2 parties. Did I mention 2 parties? Yeah, one for family after the bachanal for toddlers.
For those interested I baked 2 cakes. 1 yellow cake-8"round, 2 layers (Better Homes & Gardens) and 1 devil's food cake-9" round 2 layers (same book.) those who bake regularly will see the flaw in the cake, especially if you read the recipe. Yep. The yellow cake recipe actually makes more in volume. If I had been thinking I would have made it the 9". Oh well. There is a drastic chin on my bear. Luckily, children don't care and adults are too polite to notice.
Ears and paws are made of cupcakes. For those keeping track, I've now baked 3 batches of cake. I cheat on the frosting. I used canned. Yes, I know for purists it's like I spat on the cake, but I've really never made frosting any better than the can. Send your recipe I'll give it a try.
I'm at work right now (it's Saturday and I'm installing software), and tonight I go home to make another batch of cupcakes (count is up to 4) and get ready to prepare 1 more bear for eating.
The last bear was a pink panda. My daughter likes pink. While not original, I don't care. It's what she likes. Maybe I'll just do a brown bear for this one...
AND just so that you know, it was yummy. The kids loved the cake and thought it was spectacular. The adults pretended that they wished they were so talented. It's very nice of them.
Maybe, just maybe next year I won't manipulate my daughter into asking for a teddy bear cake...or not.
Book & Baking Blog Entry 6
Creepy: not a bad read but not worth the emotional manipulation.
Please be aware that there may be spoilers and read at your own risk. I'll try not to give away details, but I never know what people consider a spoiler vs just reviewing. Also, please be aware that this is all my opinion. It is for fun and entertainment. Feel free to leave me your opinion.
I've recently read 3 books by author, Linda Ladd: Die Smiling, Dark Places, and Enter Evil. This is the order in which I read them.
I found the first book to be interesting. I almost didn’t buy it (my great love of Kindle is steeped in my ability to sample books—FYI, I’ve probably bought more new authors in the last year that in the previous 10). The author has 2 distinct voices. Each book uses this method of operation to tell the story of our killer and our cop. I almost didn't buy it because of the intensity of abuse described in voice 1. Oddly enough, I foudn voice 2 (the cop) to be fairly light. A real contrast.
Voice 1 is creepy. It brings detail to a level and darkness that I don’t care for. The books that I’ve read have focused on violence towards and by children. I may simply be skittish because I’m a mother of a young daughter. I found the parenting in book 1 to be extremely uncomfortable to read about. Interestingly this voice is told through flashbacks. The problem is that what voice 1 is allowed to get away with is so unbelievable without any real substance for how young children can get away with serial killing for decades. Ladd gives background and reasons, but any adult can tell you they just won't hold up. It needs something else. As I said in my title--it also feels a bit manipulative. Don't need it. Let it be organic.
Voice2 is actually fairly light. I like a little humor (dark humor is fine and but creepy is not ok.) There is violence, anger, and suspense. This voice is more what I appreciate when reading.
The 3 books were good. They are just not all-consuming great. The characters seem a bit derivative. There is an element of unbelievability of our heroine (oh, she’s had a tough life, she has a super hot super rich guy who wants her, and super criminals go after her), her super studly partner (who has a stable of hot-chicks), and her assortment of suitors, who are all super hot and have money to burn.
These books do not carry the fantasy to the extent that you can live in "angel world" (yes, a reference to Charlie's Angels Movie--it works in angel world). Now JD Robb has a great formula in her In Death series. Many of the elements that I dislike in these novels are in the Robb series, but they've been around for many years. Her romance series also contain such elements. She, however, manages to create more believability in her novels through a liberal use of fantasy/Sci-Fi futurism.
I probably won't be reading any more books by Ladd. If you don't mind over the top creepy for the sake of creepy go for it.
Please be aware that there may be spoilers and read at your own risk. I'll try not to give away details, but I never know what people consider a spoiler vs just reviewing. Also, please be aware that this is all my opinion. It is for fun and entertainment. Feel free to leave me your opinion.
I've recently read 3 books by author, Linda Ladd: Die Smiling, Dark Places, and Enter Evil. This is the order in which I read them.
I found the first book to be interesting. I almost didn’t buy it (my great love of Kindle is steeped in my ability to sample books—FYI, I’ve probably bought more new authors in the last year that in the previous 10). The author has 2 distinct voices. Each book uses this method of operation to tell the story of our killer and our cop. I almost didn't buy it because of the intensity of abuse described in voice 1. Oddly enough, I foudn voice 2 (the cop) to be fairly light. A real contrast.
Voice 1 is creepy. It brings detail to a level and darkness that I don’t care for. The books that I’ve read have focused on violence towards and by children. I may simply be skittish because I’m a mother of a young daughter. I found the parenting in book 1 to be extremely uncomfortable to read about. Interestingly this voice is told through flashbacks. The problem is that what voice 1 is allowed to get away with is so unbelievable without any real substance for how young children can get away with serial killing for decades. Ladd gives background and reasons, but any adult can tell you they just won't hold up. It needs something else. As I said in my title--it also feels a bit manipulative. Don't need it. Let it be organic.
Voice2 is actually fairly light. I like a little humor (dark humor is fine and but creepy is not ok.) There is violence, anger, and suspense. This voice is more what I appreciate when reading.
The 3 books were good. They are just not all-consuming great. The characters seem a bit derivative. There is an element of unbelievability of our heroine (oh, she’s had a tough life, she has a super hot super rich guy who wants her, and super criminals go after her), her super studly partner (who has a stable of hot-chicks), and her assortment of suitors, who are all super hot and have money to burn.
These books do not carry the fantasy to the extent that you can live in "angel world" (yes, a reference to Charlie's Angels Movie--it works in angel world). Now JD Robb has a great formula in her In Death series. Many of the elements that I dislike in these novels are in the Robb series, but they've been around for many years. Her romance series also contain such elements. She, however, manages to create more believability in her novels through a liberal use of fantasy/Sci-Fi futurism.
I probably won't be reading any more books by Ladd. If you don't mind over the top creepy for the sake of creepy go for it.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Book & Baking Blog Entry 5
Tomorrow is a good friend's birthday. On a whim I decided to bake a cake for her. So here it is at 11:23 and I'm making chocolate sauce. Oh yeah! It's the only way to go with chiffon cake. Yep. I know, no one makes chiffon cakes any more. I had never heard of one until I found it in my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. It's great. It's richer than angel food cake because it has the egg yolk in it. YUM.
My chocolate sauce is pretty easy too. Cocoa powder, sugar, hot water, and vanilla. Oh. Salt. Just a pinch. It's great. My favorite for ice cream and to top chiffon cake.
My chocolate sauce is pretty easy too. Cocoa powder, sugar, hot water, and vanilla. Oh. Salt. Just a pinch. It's great. My favorite for ice cream and to top chiffon cake.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Book & Baking Blog Entry 4
It was not my plan to blog constantly but I heard the best baking story ever. I have a friend who was not a baker but wanted to make a cake for her mother. We chatted about it. I offered some hints. She told me she was making a layer cake. Did she have to refridgerate it? What about other options?
I saw her today and she told me the cake was a disaster. She said (with humor) that I could have told her that you can make an 8 layer cake. Yes. She baked 8 full-sized layers (not sliced to make layers but FULL-SIZED) and tried to stack them! Physics tells us this probably will NOT work. I have to say that having been to the leaning tower of Pisa, I found this funny.
I had my own disaster last year the morning of my daughter's 2nd birthday because the Betty Crocker cookbook didn't list water as an ingredient in the cake. As many cakes as I've baked you'd think that I could have READ the entire recipe.
So, two pieces of advice: Do not try to pile a whole bunch of layers like they do in the movies (think Sleeping Beauty) AND read the entire recipe...
Good baking.
Book & Baking Blog Entry 3
A bit of my baking background. My mother baked. My memories of childhood include constant baking. It can’t have been that much, but I remember always having cookies in the house. Cookies and homemade bread. My mother was a woman who was very precise about her baking. You had to do certain things in certain way. While I respect that AND her baking was always spot on and very good, I myself prefer a bit of the slap-dash approach.
I have moments of genius and more importantly I love my own baking. I have never had anyone say to me that they thought that my cookies etc. were the best in the world. That’s the beauty. For all that I care about what others think of me personally and professionally I couldn’t care less what they think of my baking. I love it. Maybe that’s the secret to baking being my stress-reliever. It’s the one thing that I like that I do. You can give me other cookies and, yes, I love cookies (p.s. peanut butter and oatmeal raisin, not real cookies…) BUT, I prefer my own. My own self-inflicted happiness. Yup.
I am not focused on recipes here, by the way. I’ll probably give you the books that I get them from unless it’s an ancient family recipe. We have 2. I believe that they both came from my mother’s mother.
Interesting tid-bit: I don’t remember any of my grandmothers baking. No. Always had store bought cookies. Weird.
I have moments of genius and more importantly I love my own baking. I have never had anyone say to me that they thought that my cookies etc. were the best in the world. That’s the beauty. For all that I care about what others think of me personally and professionally I couldn’t care less what they think of my baking. I love it. Maybe that’s the secret to baking being my stress-reliever. It’s the one thing that I like that I do. You can give me other cookies and, yes, I love cookies (p.s. peanut butter and oatmeal raisin, not real cookies…) BUT, I prefer my own. My own self-inflicted happiness. Yup.
I am not focused on recipes here, by the way. I’ll probably give you the books that I get them from unless it’s an ancient family recipe. We have 2. I believe that they both came from my mother’s mother.
Interesting tid-bit: I don’t remember any of my grandmothers baking. No. Always had store bought cookies. Weird.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Book & Baking Blog Entry 2
Wow, I read a lot. I usually am reading a book on my Kindle as well as listening to one on my iPod. I also am reading to my toddler regularly.
Let’s talk about my reading style. I love my Kindle. It’s important that I be able to hold my book while riding an exercise bike. Stupid, maybe, but it works for me and I’ve managed to enter middle age with a certain amount of grace. And yes, I think of my reading style in physical terms.
Have I mentioned the murder? Yes. That’s what I read. Almost exclusively murder mysteries. I prefer them without sex, but try to find one that’s not going for the cross-over romance fan. In fairness, I LOVED romance novels as a teen/young adult. I am old now, understand how sex works, and am a bit perplexed at the need for romance novels to romanticize it...hmmmm. OK. I won’t be blogging about my own personal details and I won't be reliving sex scenes in books for you. Find your own.
If you love literature, I’m not the book reviewer for you. Stick to my baking comments. Have I mentioned how much I love a pastry while reading? YUM!
So. Now you’ve got the book introduction…
Let’s talk about my reading style. I love my Kindle. It’s important that I be able to hold my book while riding an exercise bike. Stupid, maybe, but it works for me and I’ve managed to enter middle age with a certain amount of grace. And yes, I think of my reading style in physical terms.
Have I mentioned the murder? Yes. That’s what I read. Almost exclusively murder mysteries. I prefer them without sex, but try to find one that’s not going for the cross-over romance fan. In fairness, I LOVED romance novels as a teen/young adult. I am old now, understand how sex works, and am a bit perplexed at the need for romance novels to romanticize it...hmmmm. OK. I won’t be blogging about my own personal details and I won't be reliving sex scenes in books for you. Find your own.
If you love literature, I’m not the book reviewer for you. Stick to my baking comments. Have I mentioned how much I love a pastry while reading? YUM!
So. Now you’ve got the book introduction…
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