My daughter was off to London this week for an MBA program and will, again this year, miss her birthday at home. Nevermind, I covered both events with one cake, making use of more neighborhood rhubarb and the occasion of the annual Block Watch Party to share a moist, unexpected, non-chocolate cake* on a hot … More WordPress forces early Birthday Wish
July 6th is my mother’s 88th birthday. Goodies that she loves were sent Priority Mail on the 5th for arrival on her day. They included brownies with dates, huge pieces of walnuts and fudge frosting plus a butter cookie, a dozen mini peanut-butter cookies and an old family favorite called Hawaiian Dream Bars. The latter … More Goodie Box for Mother’s Birthday
A couple TV seasons ago on The Great British Baking Show, one of the bakers made a cake flavored with cotton candy essence. As a fan of cotton candy, my curiosity won, I did some research and acquired a dram of the essence, then set it aside until inspired to try a new cookie with it. … More New! Sprinkles Jones with Cotton Candy Hints
It was a dark and stormy night when I bought two beautiful tins full of mixed nuts, mostly peanuts (you know how that goes) but also almonds, cashews and a few pistachios. I kept the tins, perfect for one dozen cookies, gave away one of the packages of nuts inside one tin, and set the … More Chewy Caramel Salted Nut Bars
When I went to deliver a double-slice of the (Heavenly) Roasted Coconut Cake* a couple days ago, my neighbors were preparing a brown rice version of lasagna. The word “Lasagna” worked its way into my to-do list, especially as I had a cup of leftover turkey pepperoni red sauce and a cup of cottage cheese … More Lasagna One Time, Strange flower
The mother of a neighbor child asked me to make her daughter’s birthday cake again this year. She wanted a three-layer cake with two white layers, top and bottom, a chocolate layer in the middle and with vanilla buttercream filling, top and sides, to provide cake for 18-20 people. I said that a 9″ cake … More Feliz Cumpleanos, otherwise Happy Birthday without the tilde
Sponge cakes require more attention than I gave this one today. It was intended for a belated birthday event. However, the phone rang just as the batter was finished and it was five plus minutes later when it was duly poured into pans. Result? Chocolate cake sunk in the middle because the dry and wet … More Sink. Sank. Sunk. Salvaged.
Sunday was Mark’s 65th birthday so I invited a few of his close friends over for a casual lunch and chat and cake. One of the attendees had a birthday two days prior, so we sang the song to both and they both blew out a candle. Someone asked how this cake is made. “Easy. … More Pineapple Upside Down Cake, 2 Methods, 1 by Navy Seal
I hosted a small, casual luncheon birthday party on Sunday for Mark’s 65th. I made hot, soft sourdough garlic bread with Montana Starter #1 served with a dipperful of Tomato Khanooj. Eggplant is roasted. Red sauce is made. The two are chopped to bits in a food processor, the same as baba khanooj, only different. … More Tomato Khanooj or Eggplant Parm Dip
It is indeed time for another birthday by proxy. Mark handed me a bag of organic dried cranberries during the Christmas baking blitz and this cookie was on the tentative menu. I ruled it out after looking at the number of tins full of cookies and candies on the makeshift tables in relation to the … More Birthday by Proxy: Molasses, Fruit & Nut Chews with Lime Cream Glaze
Ms Chef in Seattle 