All's well that ends well.

If you recall from a previous post (Recycling with Mom), my Mom asked me to bake a cake for their anniversary party. Well, not just any cake. She wanted to recreate their wedding cake. I told her I could do the baking and have everything ready, as long as she would do the decorating. She's much better at it than I am!

I used the basic white cake recipe from Wilton's website. I have never baked six layers at one time before, but it worked perfectly. I was able to chill them and trim the tops level. I had a nice crumb coat of butter cream on the three tiers and had them all packed up and ready to travel.
Then my dog got sick. We were supposed to leave that night to help set up for the party. Coco ended up having surgery, but was able to travel the next morning. Thank goodness the vet was able to help her so quickly!

We assembled the cake before the party. I wasn't thrilled with the way the butter cream set up. It was perfect the day before, but after chilling and warming up to spreading consistency, it sort of separated. Mom insisted it was perfect and added the finishing touches. She made roses ahead of time and we topped it off with the cake top from their wedding.
It was a wonderful party. Guests arrived from all over the U.S., Canada, and Finland!



Mom and Dad dancing.


Family photo - Dad, Mom, Chris, Me, and Maggie

All's well that ends well.....and I'm so glad that my running buddy is recuperating! My favorite trail just wouldn't be the same without her.

Hiatus

Well.....not really. I'll be out of town for a few days for my Mom and Dad's 50th. Busy busy. Talk later. Click the banner to see what's new in the shop!

Strawberry Shortcake

I thought I'd share a recipe that's been used in my family for as long as I can remember. Every year when the local strawberries are ripe, I buy a flat and freeze some. Sometimes I make strawberry jam, but I definitely have to make a batch of shortcake since the berries are so sweet.

Strawberry Shortcake
Mix together with a wooden spoon 1/4 cup, plus 2 Tablespoons shortening and 1/3 cup sugar. Add 1 egg and mix well. Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.
Mix together the dry ingredients - 1 1/2 cups flour, 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, and a dash of salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture, alternating with 1/3 cup of milk. Mix until combined. If it's too stiff, add more milk (I almost always do, but no one ever changed the recipe).
Bake in a greased round or square 8 or 9" cake pan, sprinkling the top with sugar, if desired...or in muffin cups (approximately 8 muffins). I made a double batch to take to a party last weekend. I love mine served with sliced, sugared berries and milk. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream if desired.
Eat it fresh, or the next day. If you cover them with a towel, the sugar tops will stay crisp for awhile. If you store it tightly in a plastic bag, they'll still be delicious, but will get softer.
This is really good with peaches and other fresh berries also!
Enjoy!

Singin' in the Rain

Just as the show started, so did the rain. Garrison Keillor kicked off the show by "warming up" and singing for about 15 minutes while roaming the audience. We were way in the back on the grassy lawn - quite comfortable, until the storm blew in. He started walking through the audience under the pavilion, singing the whole time. Then I couldn't believe it, but he opened the gate and started walking out onto the grass. It started to sprinkle, but he just kept singing as the people gathered around. He meandered through, stopping to sing to people and shake hands. He shook my hand and I was awe-struck. I couldn't remember what he was singing about. He was obviously making it up as he went along. He mixed in a round of "America the Beautiful," was singing about walking up the grassy knoll in the rain, and I sort of remember him singing about Elvis as I was shaking his hand. The radio station rebroadcasts the show the following day, so I figured I'd hear it again anyway. Well, no I won't ever hear it again because he was just warming up. When he made it back to the stage, it was precisely 6:00 and he welcomed everyone to "A Prairie Home Companion," broadcasting live from the Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.
The entire cast was wonderful. They are all so good at improvising. They had obviously intended to base the show around a beautiful, sunny day in Ohio and did an amazing job of fitting in jokes about the rain and the loud claps of thunder. At one point the power flickered out for a minute or two. He joked about that and wondered what the folks at home were hearing. But it was quickly restored and the show went on. They ended up opening the gates and inviting everyone to come in out of the rain as the storm worsened.
I was too far from the stage to get a decent picture of the set. Anyone who has seen the movie would recognize the house with it's front porch. The lighting changed throughout the show, with a gorgeous full moon shining above while he was reading the "News from Lake Wobegon." The music was incredible, from the stage musicians, to Jorma Kaukonen's amazing guitar, and the Wailin' Jennies harmonies.
After the show was over, they performed a few songs over again, apparently to fill in where the power went out and other technical glitches, so that the rebroadcast would be flawless. I hope we can go again sometime. The kids were quite jealous, so we'll definitely try to go again. Any kids that are interested in public radio deserve a chance to see the show.
Blossom Music Center is a beautiful location. The Tom Petty concert was sold out for tonight, but I'm glad I'm not sitting in the grass because it is storming here again! We were a bit damp, but had a wonderful time. We enjoyed a delicious dinner afterwards and I managed to get a picture of a double rainbow, making for quite a memorable anniversary!

A Prairie Home Companion Anniversary

A Prairie Home Companion Cast Photo (photo by Dana Nye)
FROM LEFT: Fred Newman, Tim Russell, Sue Scott, Garrison Keillor


Garrison Keillor (photo by Brian Velenchenko)

We're celebrating our 20th anniversary by going to see the live broadcast performance of "A Prairie Home Companion" at Blossom Music Center tonight! Host and producer Garrison Keillor will be relaying the News from Lake Wobegon, with special guests Jorma Kaukonen, and Robin & Linda Williams (whom I recognize from the movie).

Listen-in LIVE tonight at 6:00 PM EDT. Visit PriairieHome.PublicRadio.Org to find a station in your area, or for information on how to listen ONLINE. And don't forget to sign up for the newsletter from Lake Wobegon while you're there.

"That's the news from Lake Wobegon, where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average."

I think I'll bake a rhubarb pie!

20 Years Ago Today.......

Plato said "At the touch of love, everyone becomes a poet."
A poet I'm not. I am quite grateful that our love has lasted. We are blessed with good health and two beautiful and loving children. Happy Anniversary to my best friend forever.

"Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice; But for those who love, time is not." - Henry Jackson van Dyke

Happy Father's Day!

Mom and Dad at home.

My hubby and his favorite things - beer and bikes.

It's Hot!

We are still eating asparagus. It has been a wonderful growing season so far, but I do tend to get tired of it after awhile. Now that it's hot, we won't have much more of it. I've been running out of ideas as to how to cook it, and since it's so hot, I've been adding it fresh to salads. The garden lettuce is ready to thin out so I'll have baby greens too. Here's a recipe for a nice cold salad. It's what's for dinner, with a nice cold beer.

Cold Noodle Salad
For the dressing, mix together 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon grated ginger, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon freshly-chopped parsley.
Use salad greens, green onions, carrots, cucumber, red bell pepper, mushrooms, asparagus, or any combination of salad fixin's and top with cold, leftover spaghetti or small noodles. Cooked ramen-style noodles are good too. Top with the dressing and add a sprinkle of sesame or sunflower seeds if desired.

Recycling with Mom

My parents just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on May 16th! We're planning a huge celebration for the end of June. Mom and I have been buying decorations and making plans. When she asked me to bake a cake, I said I would, of course. I'm not very good at cake decorating, but somehow have become the cake baker for all the family birthdays and get-togethers. I can bake a good cake, but writing 'Happy Birthday Mom' with a few sprinkles is a far cry from recreating their wedding cake!! She has agreed to help me with the flowers and the final decorating, so I'm sure we'll be able to pull it off.

We couldn't find a picture of their cake, but she did bring over the original cake top that they used. She had fixed it up and added some fabric to the dress and it was used for her sister's wedding cake in 1971. We found a gold "50" and some new flowers. The base was pretty delicate and part of the back came off when we took the old veil off, but she covered it up with new tulle. Mom was thrilled with the way it turned out. It is beautiful. She is so excited now, too! I just hope I can get the cake to look as nice as the top. It's a great feeling to reuse something that has so much meaning. (And thanks Mom, for modeling for me. Sorry I cut off your head! This new shawl is the perfect color for her too.)