Growing up meal time was a "fend for yourself" time. Generally. We did have meals together. Sometimes. As a general rule if you were hungry, you found something to eat or went hungry. After getting were married, I remember my husband asking me what we were going to have for dinner. To me it seemed a funny question. I told him I was going to have cereal and asked him what he was planning to eat. It seemed a perfectly logical to me. (I should say here that my husband was one of six children and they ate nightly meals together). He asked in his very sweet way, “Don’t you think we should make something and eat together?” I was baffled. After all, it wasn’t a birthday, Christmas, Easter or Thanksgiving. It was a regular
day. It wasn’t even Sunday. “Seriously?” was my response. Probably not what the poor guy wanted to hear. The next night we had meatloaf. I was very proud of myself. It was a regular day, and I had cooked dinner. Again my sweet husband asked (so kindly as to not offend), “Do you think we should have
something with the meatloaf…like potatoes, rice or corn?” “SERIOUSLY???” I had just cooked a main course, which to me was a big deal. The idea that he thought there should perhaps be more on the table was totally foreign. We’ve come along way since then. I now usually cook a nightly meal, not to mention making breakfast & lunches. Cooking has become something I usually enjoy. We are busy with 3 children so meals have to either be very simple and fast, or planned ahead of time. And yes, we do still have cereal for dinner every now and again.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Cake Tips

To bake a cake: I bake all my cakes at 325 degrees.  Preheat the oven for at least 40 minutes (i.e. wait 40 minutes after the oven is preheated.  Make the cake according to package directions.  I like Duncan Hines cake mixes.  Grease the pan well...or put parchment paper on the bottom of the cake.  Put batter in the pan you're using & put in the oven.  Don't even open the oven to check the cake until 30 minutes has passed.  Mine usually take 45 minute-ish.  You can check the cake in the oven by turning the light on and kind of jiggling the oven.  If the cake looks like its still battery-ish and not baked, wait.  When it stops jiggling then it's time to start checking.  Don't check too much or it can effect the way it bakes.  When the cake is done, lay a towel down with a long piece of parchment paper on top.  Remove the cake from the oven and immediately turn it upside down on the parchment paper and let it sit at least 4 hours (I prefer overnight).  When you're ready to decorate, jiggle the pan to loosen the sides, or you can turn the cake back over keeping the parchment paper on top and use a knife to loosen the sides.  Remove cake from the pan.  Again, hang on to that parchment paper and cut another piece if needed.  It makes handling the cake easier.  I have a cake leveler that is my best friend.  I level the top part of the cake off (not the bottom...the bottom tends to be nicer and crumb free so it faces up when I make the cake.  From there you can use the leveler to divide the cake in 2 layers or keep as a whole and frost!
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