Baked A Cake From Scratch!

Yes, I did!

This was the first time in decades (I don't really want to say how long but think really long term) that I did this.

I grew up thinking that cake mixes came out of a box, which they do, but since I'm on a Quest for cooking/baking, thought it would be fun to do it the 'hard' way.

So's, I got my recipe books down to pore over and do you know, not one had a simple, every day yellow cake recipe?? Everything was uber fancy and looked something like you'd see in an engineering class book. I mean, tartar in a yellow cake mix?? What IS that stuff?? Will have to look it up later...

Thank goodness I have the 'net! I hopped on here, dial-up and all, looked around for a simple recipe, found one and proceeded. I had everything the recipe called for, even the electric mixer.

I started in with my mixing bowl and drug out the flour...which brings me to a question...what is 'cake flour'? As opposed to regular white flour? At any rate, that didn't stop me, regular white flour will just have to do. I decreased the sugar just a smidge because, for some reason, it seems that modern recipes are waaayyyy too sweet for me. As an aside, a friend gave me a rhubarb pie and although I appreciate her doing so (the rhubarb is out of my teeny garden), I can't eat it due to all the sugar.

Mixed up the salt and baking powder, Crisco and the other stuff and I was in business!! Got the mixer out and mixed away. I read somewhere yesterday that you can overmix a recipe and get too dense, grainy cake and so I watched the clock like a hawk so not to overdo.

Then, of course, there had to be a hitch. I forgot to grease and flour the pan. At least I'd remembered to turn on the oven at the right temp. Remember, this is a new oven and I'm only sorta-sure of the temps. But it was on anyway.

So, while the mix sat there, I grabbed a pan, greased and floured away, all the time mindful of my home-ec teacher saying those decades ago that if a mix sits too long, for some obscure reason, it won't rise and will be flatter than Kansas.

Got the thing greased/floured and poured the mix in. Kind of did this gyration thing with my hands and body that evened the mix out and popped the thing in the oven. Waited the appropriate amount of time and pulled it out.

Perfection!! I stuck a knife in and it came out clean. Oh, yeah... So proud of myself! Then I set it on the oven-top to cool.

That's when it dawned on me that I didn't have any icing. I mean, what is cake without icing?? Bland, very bland, I'm sure. I looked around the net and in my books (lotta good they are!) and couldn't find a plain icing. Then I remembered a pot of chocolate icing I had left over from my last box cake. Had to let it sit out for a while to come to room temp and the cake needed to cool anyway.

Finally, it all came together. The cake cooled and the icing warmed up and the t'wain did meet!

Hubs later said I did good. He really liked it! I was/am so proud. I tried a hunk and thought it very good too but still a little too sweet for me again so I'll adjust that the next time. Also, and I never would have thought of this had I not baked this, but like so many other things I'm cooking from scratch, this cake is WAY lighter and fluffier than any boxed cake mix I've ever tried. Actually, it was almost as easy as to make the scratch as to break out boxed cake mix to make. So unless I just HAVE to use a box mix, I think I'll stick with the scratch.

I found all sorts of things I can add to tweak the scratch mix to make, say, Red Velvet and Lemon Somethingorother.

Another mark on the 'Dun Good' line for me!

Making Meals For 6 Days (Or Thereabouts)

I think I've done a good thing. I wrote out my lists of what we're going to chow down on or the next not-quite-week. Then I went to the store and tried my best to stay on track. Good luck with that.

Still, I think I did pretty well. I bought pork chops in the big package and will freeze them. I have spaghetti and tomato paste. Stew meat is already in the freezer and I bought more onions, potatoes and carrots. I have fruit to last me, must have fruit! Cottage cheese (small curd) is a treat I can't resist. Oatmeal in a big container. Chili with beans.

I gots it all!!

So, I *think* I can make things and using leftovers and still stay within a budget. Use it up and wear it out!!

Will keep you posted on how I'm coming along with my 'speriment.

It's Easier Not To Use The Dishwasher

The title says it all, doesn't it?? I realize that the dishwasher has very little to do with cooking, per se, but I've found that cleanup is a lot easier if I just do the dishes myself, rather than cleaning the dishes/silverware/pots/pans and then loading the dishwasher...THEN it goes for close to 45 minutes or so!

So what part of this is handy?? After I get the 'cleaned' dishes out, I still find little grains of 'something' dried on or water lollygagging about on the tops of my upside down coffee cups. I still have to dry everything manually.

I've decided that it's way, way easier to wash by hand and be done with it!! If I do the dishes every day, then it's not a big chore.

I've sure found that now I think twice before pulling out multiple pans for cooking because I KNOW I'll have to wash everything. If I slim down my pan usage, then that translates into less water used, right??

So, there is an upside to this after all. The dishwasher can just be nice to look at and look like we've 'arrived'...hehehe...No one has to know I don't use it. Also, it's a handy place to stick dirty dishes in a pinch when company comes unexpectedly.

Betcha hadn't thought of that one, had you?? :-)

How To Fix Food For Six Days In Advance

Hell if I know but I'm going to try!!

Hubs and I decided we needed to stay home for a bit to save money and get things done around the house. If I'm not in town, I can't spend the money, right??

So, today he comes up with this bright idea of fixing 6 days of meals in advance (I mean, of course it's in advance, where else could it be? Behind in advance?) so we don't have to go to town.

This is a great idea if I knew how to do it. So, I'm getting my trusty recipe book down and see if I can somehow plan this out. Planning isn't my strong point as seat-of-my-pants cooking/living/riding/gardening/etc. is more my modus opperandi.

I know I can do spaghetti and meat sauce easily enough but for 6 days? Don't think so! So, I think maybe a stew for 2 days and then some tacos too. Sounds good. Then I think I might pop a cake in the oven, you remember my oven that still needs to be cleaned?? That will last for a couple of days. I did up a cuke/tomato salad thingy too. I always have grapes and bananas on hand for snacks. If I don't have my fruit, I can get mighty cranky.

As always, I'm doing sun-teas right now with one flavored tea bag of cinnamon-apple or orange or lemon or spearmint. Coffee is always on at our house as hubs can't live without it. There are some chips and salsa going on too.

So, I think I'm good for the 6 days. We'll see how long this actually holds out, how long we actually make it.

What an experiment, eh??

Boo-Boo In My Oven

Welp, my new stove has been properly broken in.

I baked my favorite of chili with beans, cheese and covered with cornbread. (BTW, I make my cornbread from scratch...) Anywho, I used the 'usual' pan but seems like this time, the chili came up a little high on the sides of the pan. Then I sprinkled the cheese and poured on the cornbread batter. Popped that baby right into the oven.

So, a bit later, I pulled it out and thought the cornbread looked a little light colored, not the darker brownish yellow. Poked my finger in the middle of the crust and sure 'nuf, the dough oozed out. Popped that rascal right back in the oven.

Now, remember, this is a new oven and electric to boot so I'm having a bit of a problem getting the heat right. I don't care what the controls say, I can't seem to judge how hot is just right!

A bit later, I looked in and the top looked brown enough. Pulled it out and over one edge, the chili had risen up in revolt and spilled over the edge. Oh, %*#(&$, thought I. HOW do I clean that??

Now, let me tell you...chili that is cemented on is a pain. I have to chisel it out and then clean the bottom of the oven. What a joy, eh?

But now I know I need to watch how much chili goes into the pan. I used the same sized cans of chili that I always do but it was a different brand. It couldn't be that much different, could it?? Never have I had this happen before.

The main thing, though, my oven is not broken in. A boo-boo has occured!!

I Didn't Give Up On Baking Bread

It paid off big time, I'm proud to say!!

Yesterday, I didn't feel so good but not bad enough to stay in bed or my Lane recliner so I thought I'd peruse the cookbooks and see if something struck my fancy.

At first, I thought a coffee cake would be a winner but after reading about the rolling up and all that stuff, didn't think I wanted to go there.

Then I found a recipe for some soups but still, didn't seem right.

I thought of a yellow cake but there was always some ingredient that I was missing. Today I'm hitting the store to resupply my pantry. The move has been really hard on my panty and time to re-stock.

Then I found the recipe for bread. I don't know why I'm so taken with making bread. It's like the Holy Grail to me. I've tried several recipes and basically gotten a bread brick for my troubles. But yesterday?? Oh boy! I hit the jackpot. Something I did sooooo right made the loaf turn out sooooo right!

The crust was a bit hard but the innards was/is nice and soft. It's a stout bread, like something you'd eat with a piece of cheese, not some light and fluffy fluff. My bread, when you eat a piece, you'll KNOW you've eaten something and feel full.

The strange thing, this was the easiest bread I've ever baked (all 3 loaves worth). I found the recipe in an Amish recipe book and easy as pie. I'm going to keep trying and try to perfect my loaf.

Something about baking bread just does my heart and soul good. The yeast and the knocking it down and best of all, the smell of baking bread in the house while it's in the oven.

Oh, yeah....

Now A Word About Brown Sugar

Don't ever put brown sugar in the 'fridge to 'protect' it from the not-yet-seen ants.

Just don't do it or you'll really be sorry and frustrated when you decide to make some oatmeal and you pull out a box with almost-crystalized brown sugar in it.

Really, don't do it...you've been warned!

The Rat In The Stove...Ewwww!!

Yep, the title says it all. We got moved into the new house and somewhere along the line, I turned on the oven. O. M. G. is about the only appropriate response I can think of. The smell!! At first we didn't put two and two together about where the smell came from (we were thinking maybe the heater vents??) but soonest we figgered it out.

So, hubs and I pulled that stove out, unplugged it, then he took the side off. Dear God, it was bad. A rat or uber-big mouse had crawled in there sometime and died ensconced in the insulation. I thought maybe we could replace the insulation but hubby didn't want to try that. So we called the foreman of the ranch we live on and he checked with the owner who said to buy a new stove.

Fine by us!! So the foreman took the smelly stove to town to see if it could be salvaged for something but the repair-guy said it would cost more to replace the insulation and repaint the thing than to buy a new stove.

So, we gots a new stove...that doesn't smell...thank goodness!!!

Don't Let My Hubs Make Popcorn

For once, this isn't a story about me...well, sort of it is 'cause he's my hubby but this is something he did and he can't get out of it.

He likes to make popcorn but we now have an electric stove, not the propane one he was used to. So he got out the makin's and went to work.

After a few minutes, I smelled something 'off' and asked him what he was burning. I got a negative reply. Then I heard him scrubbing the pot like mad, you can't mistake that sound. I asked again and he still denied anything was wrong.

Then I went into the kitchen and he's standing there like a deer in the headlights. He had burned the popcorn and the bottom of the pot is scorched to the max!!

Even now, over a week later, I can still smell that burned smell when I get near that pot!! He owes me a new pot, know what I mean??

Sorta Back But Not Quite Fully...

We got moved in the new house and it's great. However, when we turned the land-line phone on, it's so staticky (not sure of spelling) that we can't hear a thing. Where we live, dial-up is the only internet. The satellite internet service is soooo expensive that I can't justify the cost, yet.

So, I'll have to make do with wi-fi hotspots for the time being but rest assured I'll be back whenever I can. I have PLENTY to report on my cooking adventures.

The really good news is that my allergies have pretty much gone away, not a medication to be seen. I'm clear as a bell!!

You just have to take the good with the bad!! Please keep checking back as I appreciate all my readers!! :-)