Recent Posts

Friday, August 7, 2009

Birthday cake, Mad Men, and babies, oh my!

Sorry for the leave of absence. I've been very busy with a random list of things. School starts back very soon so I've been trying to motivate myself to get my classroom in order which is a lot harder to do when you are switching grades. Besides that, (since we all know that is not all I have been doing) I have been obsessively watching Seasons 1 and 2 of Mad Men. This worked out well when I was working on school work since I could do both at the same time. But now that I've finished watching (and rewatching) both seasons, I don't have as much motivation to sit around and plan lessons.

But maybe, just maybe, seeing the Draper's kitchen over and over has made me appreciate my own kitchen complete with very similar late 1950's knotty pine cabinetry ...

But on to baking...my birthday was Sunday. That's another reason I've been busy, I've somewhat still been celebrating it every night this week with someone. Of course with birthdays comes cakes. My grandmother made me pineapple cheesecake. It's her own recipe, I don't know how she thought of it but it's amazing. My mom made me my favorite pound cake. She makes it a lot during the year but it's extra special on August 2nd because she adds cream cheese icing, my favorite!


Here is her recipe:

Crusty Pound Cake
2 sticks butter
1/2 cup Crisco
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon extract

Cream butter, shortening, and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beaing well after each. Add flavorings. Then add flour alternately with milk, mixing thoroughly. Start in a cold oven! Bake at 300 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Do not open the door!

I need to start using this recipe more for my own cakes.

Also, in other very exciting news, I got an early birthday surprise when my friend Stephanie had her baby boy Maddox last Friday!  Mother and baby are doing well and he's crazy adorable!


0 comments: