Woke up late, after staying up late. At least I get to sleep in, as opposed to the up-late/awake-early pattern I was running during the school year. Still, it just seems so undisciplined. :-|
Anyhow, I got myself ready for the day and headed out to my cake-supply shop. Bought some new food color, some clear vanilla, and some fillings for a birthday cake. It was *pouring* outside, so instead of paying for my purchases and just standing at the door and waiting for the rain to abate, I wandered the shop. There was a couple in there, and I swear they were following me. I'd walk down an aisle and they'd come by and look at something nearby. I'd saunter over a few aisles, next thing I know, they're all up in my business. Repeat at least five more times. Back off. People I know can invade my space, but not strangers in a 1500-square-foot building. :-\
Anyhow, the shop didn't have the fondant cutters I wanted, but I knew there was a Michaels nearby that would. I chose the wrong direction, but came across a new wine shop a few blocks away. A couple friends and I are throwing a wine tasting party (theme: whites for novice wine-drinkers) on Wednesday - another friend was kind enough to have been born 25 years ago this Wednesday, so we're taking advantage of it as an excuse. Her birthday cake was the reason I needed to go to the cake supply. Anyhow, I figured this wine shop was worth a look, so I dashed in through the deluge. Wow! This place is off the hook! Great domestic, French, Italian, and Australian selections. A wide variety of varietals (ha) from all over the globe. The choices were overwhelming, really. I headed first for the Chardonnay aisle. I had one in mind that's a versatile everyday wine (Lindemans Bin 65 Chardonnay - no oak, good fruit, better with food than most chardonnay). I normally find it for $7-8 or so, but their price is $4.79. This is a good sign. Anyhow, I picked up a Gewurztraminer for the party (2005 Washington Hills, though a Jekel with a Monterey appellation was tempting) We're heavy on the reds here at home, so I picked up a Moscato for us, along with a French white - 2006 Bougrier "V" Vouvray (Chenin Blanc grapes - Loire Valley) that was recommended by one of the staff. The plan was to drink it at dinner, but I got distracted when I returned home and neglected to chill it... :-) :-)
I have been anticipating making a bread recipe(1) for days, so I threw the ingredients into my machine before leaving for the cake shop and was looking forward to having some for lunch with some cheese and pickles. Well. I returned home to a rather acrid smell coming from the kitchen, not the heavenly aroma of a gassy yeast dance party. I opened the hatch of the machine and found a lumpy, unmixed brick of crap. All my ingredients were layered as I had left them, but they'd been baked in place. Not pretty. Grrr. I figured I'd not snapped the baking pan in place and the drive shaft just hadn't engaged the little stirring thingy in the pan. So, I dumped out the brick o' crap and filled the pan with fresh ingredients. Turned on the machine, and it crabbed at me because the temperature is too warm for the start of a new cycle.
At Publix, I noticed that they had Tri-Tip steaks. What! I hadn't seen those since we left CA. I mentioned this to the butcher and asked him how long they'd been carrying them. He says they've had them since the store opened. Hm. Apparently I don't shop for steak very often. :-) :-)
I made dinner and a couple cake layers. When I pulled my eggs from the refrigerator, I was happy that I had the exact number of eggs for both tiers. Upon closer examination, I realized two of them were cracked. Grrr. So I was not as productive on the cake as I would have liked. Oh well, I'll bake tomorro
I put away some laundry and noticed that during some step in the laundering process, a pair of shorts had been ripped. Now, I loathe shorts, so to find a pair that fits is a happy accident. And now they're ruined. :-(
After that unfortunate discovery, I sat down with my computer and read through some posts on a cake-decorating web site I love. I stumbled across a forum post informing everyone of a killer sale on Kitchenaid mixers. A $530 mixer for $150! I have half that in birthday monies, so I think I'm going to finally get myself one! I just can't pass up this deal. Two years ago, I couldn't decide between an iPod or a Kitchenaid, and I opted for the iPod. Since my car has an input jack and I use my iPod in my classroom and car all the time, the iPod was a great choice; now I may finally get my stand mixer, too. Wheeee! :-) :-)
How sweet is this piece of gadgetry? I don't know how often I'd use it, but I totally want one. Maybe the Kitchenaid first.
I hope this doesn't take you three tries and a warranty repair:
Bushman Bread
1 1/4 c. warm water
2 c. bread flour
1 3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 T. cocoa
2 t. sugar
1 t. salt
2 T. melted butter
1/4 c. honey
2 T. molasses
2 1/2 t. fresh yeast
Add water to bread machine pan, followed by ingredients in order listed. Bake on a cycle for whole wheat loaves. Mix in a little caramel color or dark brown gel food color for a deep brown bread, if you like.
No comments:
Post a Comment