Curling and Cake

This post has nothing to do with hair. We're talking the sport of curling, with the rocks, brooms, and lots of ice. Last weekend two of my favorite people got married. (They made it!) The groom is Canadian, thus in honor of the traditions of the Great White North, the bride readily agreed to my idea of making a grooms cake resembling a curling rock. (The technical term is rock, not stone. I like being technical.)

This cake gave me an opportunity to learn what not to do in many, many aspects of cake making. You can learn them too, if you like.

I started by trying various cake recipes, and I landed on this one, thanks to my sister. I did decrease the sugar by a third, 2 cups instead of 3 cups, but I like less sweetness. I tried it out as cupcakes first and it worked perfectly. When I finally baked the cake, in three 9 inch pans, as the recipe suggests, the cake hardly rose at all and barely touched the sides of the pan. Something didn't work. Undaunted, or maybe a little daunted, I tried again, this time using a little more batter in the pan. It helped, but still didn't get as much lift as I wanted. Maybe 8 inch would work better.

For the filling, I wanted something non-fruit and non-whipped cream, something new, so I decided pastry filling, like what is used in Boston Cream Pie. My friend earned her master's degree in Boston, so I found it fitting. It's a recipe in the Joy of Cooking:

• Beat together until thick and pale yellow 1/3 c sugar, 2 T flour, 2 T cornstarch, and 4 large egg yolks.
• Slowly heat 1 1/3 c milk until simmering, stirring almost constantly.
• Add about 1/3 of the milk mixture, stirring quickly to temper the eggs without cooking them. Then add it all back in the pan, and stirring constantly and scraping the sides, heat on medium low until the mixture is thick.
• Pour into a new bowl and add 3/4 t vanilla. Cover with a layer of plastic or wax paper directly on the mixture. This prevents a non-yummy film from hardening on top of the cream. Cool a bit, then refrigerate for up to 4 days.

The icing is chocolate chips melted in a double boiler, or a non-melting bowl in a pot of simmering water, with a splash of water, and some butter added at the end to make it smooth. This can stay out of the fridge and is really yummy. The red chips were treated the same way, except they were red.

As you can see, the handle is rice crispies treat. My kitchen timer made a useful form to keep the handle up for long enough that it would set.

The set up of the cake was by far the most difficult part. Little did I know that this semi-solid pastry cream would easily melt into a not very pretty mess, leaving a very flat cake behind. Next time, use whipped cream or butter cream icing to make a well for the cream to sit it. I tried this on a second attempt, though my camera had died by then, only to revive later and die again, so I have no pictures of it. It's probably the best part of the story to skip anyway.

I had already tried to dip the handle in the red chocolate, but it wasn't very smooth, so my husband and I decided to try using a blow dryer to heat it enough to smooth it out. It worked beautifully once I decided to stop being so careful and just crank the thing. I hope I didn't scare the semi deaf dog in the process.

For the cake, I dumped a bunch of the warmed chocolate (warmed in a pot of hot water, not with the blow dryer) over the cake which was on a rack, and allowed the chocolate to run all over. It's best to work quickly so the chocolate doesn't harden in the wrong spot or too early. If it does, dip a metal knife or spatula in hot water, dry it, and use the heat from the knife to smooth it out.

With some left overs, I made little curling stones, just for some extra flare. I used straws for the handles. Even they had problems with oozing filling, so the take home is make a well, or maybe just a little hole in the little ones, to keep in the filling!!!

Best part: the gasp of delight bringing it out and the pleasure on the faces of those that enjoyed it. Cake done!

Wedding day advice

My apologies for those sick of wedding news, but Saturday will make the third wedding we have attended in 3 weeks. If a wedding is in your near future, here is my list of things, in no particular order, not to worry about...not that these are all from personal experience.

• If your maid of honor looks like a bag because her dress doesn't fit, it just makes the bride look better. If she breaks down in sobs, she can go cry in the corner.
• If your grandmother breaks her ribs the night before your wedding, it's okay.
• If your cake starts falling over, that's okay too.
  
• If it rains, it's only water. No need to fret.
• If your cousin or your sister need stitches because of a wedding injury, not to worry.
• If someone is sewing wedding clothes a few hours before the wedding, that's normal.
• If the best man doesn't know how to wear cuff links, no sweat. If he forgets his shoes, black socks and sandals look almost as good. Or maybe he can borrow some tennis shoes.
• If your garter gets stuck in the tree, let the men jump for it.
• If the 4-year-old decides she doesn't like the punch and dumps it back in the bowl, at least it's diluted.
• If the bouquet gets flung into the neighbor's yard, just hope the dog won't get it.
• If someone cannot drive because their dress is too restricting, they can change.
• If the bride forgets her slip, send the fiance.
• If a person of importance in the ceremony isn't informed she needs to help you, the guests can wait.

Any other tips?

Best day

On my grandfather's 90th birthday (Happy Birthday, Grandpa!), I asked him what one day he would like to relive. He could have said the day he graduated college, or the day he met Grandma, or the day he became a father. He could have said the day he had $X0,000 in his bank account or the day he got a big promotion. After a minute of thought, he told me it was a day he was home on leave from the Navy during World War II when he learned that he didn't have to go back. A few minutes into dinner, he changed his mind and said maybe VJ day was a better option, in learning that the war was over. He continued changing every few minutes, and finally ended with the day my older brother was born. (Why that was anyone's favorite day, oh...) One day he never mentioned, even with Grandma's repeated encouragement, was his wedding day.

With the marriage of one of my best friends next week and my own anniversary (Happy Anniversary, Exceptional Husband!), plus after attending two weddings a few weeks ago, that big day has been on my mind. So many people look forward to that one day as the best day ever, the one magical day where all things wonderful happen. Every good fairy tale ends with a wedding. Ever happily ever after begins with one. Every celebrity wedding is covered in extreme detail. But is our wedding day focused society part of the reason for 50+% divorce rate and millions of unhappy couples? What would change if we looked into making a marriage work rather than planning the perfect one day wedding? Now, all that said, I don't downplay the actual wedding as anything less than the most significant promise we can make, but for me, if I could replay one day in the past year, I would pick a quiet Sunday afternoon where we read books together, or an afternoon playing racquetball (though not the one that my shot landed on his face), or maybe the day we fed very active ostriches on our honeymoon. None of those days have any pomp or circumstance, but they didn't have any stress or anxiety (or lack of sleep) either. My view might be skewed because I did feel a little stressed on the day of the wedding (no cold feet, no backing out, just a lot of people and so many things to do!), but I want more best days to come, rather than pining for one and only day that already happened.

What day would you relive?

Lifestyle and Weight Management Coach

To everybody:

LWMC? What is that? That's me! I am now certified to work as a Lifestyle and Weight Management Coach. This week, I passed the exam. Passing was Part 1.

So what does that mean? It means that I still have a lot to figure out, but here are a few things I want to do:

• Assist people as they work to achieve lifestyle changes to create a healthier, more active life.
• Teach others how to set and accomplish achievable goals.
• Motivate people to do things they didn't think possible.

My list looks small, but it's only the beginning. Here's to Part 2.

Me, LWMC

Traveler's guide

My brother lives in a little white house,

With 3 little gray kittens who chase the mouse,

And lots of fuzzy chickens and a little red wagon,

And a realio, trulio, really big black gun.

He has another kitten too, but it's kind of orange. It's a boy, though, so he's my nephews' favorite. My brother moved his family to a top pick of most visited destinations, so I thought to give future travelers a few thoughts on making the most of their visit.

Things to know:

• It's worth the trip.
• Only go in to the gas station if you have time for a chat.
• Chaps are in fashion. Feel free to wear them. Cowboy hats are welcome as well.

Things to see and do:

• Jump on the bed. The house came with an extra dusty mattress, now exclusively used for jumping.
• Watch the chickens and guinea chase bugs and zip around their little house. It's better than TV.
• Swat flies. They have a good supply, so don't hold back.
• Shoot a few rounds at the hay bail target. Try not to miss.

Things NOT to worry about:

• The coyotes and owls are not after you. They want the chickens or guinea fowl.
• The stink bugs and the earwigs aren't that bad. Just watch out before you use anything that may be moist, like a toothbrush or a washcloth.
• The scary basement is not haunted. It just has a frog and lots of old food. (The frog is live. Try to avoid stepping on it.)
• If wasps periodically drop from the tree on you, just step away. The chickens can eat them.
• My sister-in-law is a gracious hostess. If you need anything, just ask.

Things to bring:

• A fly swatter
• Shoes without laces that attract burrs and grass seeds...or be prepared to pick them out.
• A good sense of adventure. We had a great time.

Also, feel free to drive like my brother...at least, my older brother. The younger one only has a permit.