Angel food cakes

When I was a youngster, I would ask my Mom to make angel food cakes for special occasions. Angel food cakes with berries, whether those were fresh or not, didn't matter. It was the cake, pure and simple. Now don't get me wrong, I love a chocolate cake or white cake with lemon filling along with the best of them, but the angel food cake had a special appeal for this kid.
When the cake was resting on that pop bottle, I called for dibs on the pan. Now my next youngest sibling didn't have a clue. Dee was all for the cake, berries and whipped cream. I, on the other hand couldn't wait for the pan, and I wasn't about to share that secret.
All this is brought back by today's program on PBS"s 'Cook's Country', the sister program of 'America's Test Kitchen'.
Now these two programs are the best thing to watch and learn by if you want to know the reasons why your food/meal comes out, or not, the way you want it to. Really an important method of schooling for all of us that have leanings to being called a 'foodie'. They also publish a magazine that solve all sorts of really terrific and important cooking issues, solved and perfected. Their equipment corner is a marvelous way to find equipment that will work in your kitchen, and not fall apart with usage, the best of the best. Look for it and see if you aren't intrigued by it and will buy it. A good read for any cook or budding culinary scientist.
Today's program, you guessed it, the seven rules to make a perfect angel food cake.
All said and done, for me, it is still about the dibs on the ooey, gooey remnants in the pan. The one I got dibs on. I don't know what it was and is about that part of the cake, but the cake runs a close second to the absolute delight to a child to get that part left on the pan.
Really!
Next time you make an angel food cake, snitch a bit of my childhood and sample that ooey, gooey remnant left in the pan. I still like it even when you buy an angel food from the store. Sometimes you will get lucky and that remnant left on the carton bottom is there.
You might just agree with me and bring back a wonderful memory of childhood....or create your own good memory for your adulthood.

All in a day's work

While in the Twin Cities the other day, I saw the cutest thing.
A lady was out jogging with her fairly large dog along side her on its leash.
What made it so memorable was that the dog had a water bottle in its mouth, and carrying it very proudly with its head up. AND there was water in the bottle. Now I am not sure if the bottle was for the dog or the lady jogger. Unfortunately, I was in a stream of traffic so that I wasn't able to pull over and ask.
The sight of the two of them out for a wonderful days jog made my day. It wasn't much, and I am not rubber-necking as I drive, I was stopped at a light and that's when the observance took place. I see so many things when I am out and about. It just takes a bit of time to absorb the world around you. Keep your eye on the traffic, mind you, but when you have the time, watch the Good Lord's world around you. You might be surprised at what you see and can learn.

Carolyn NC

Hi Carolyn,
I just looked around the page and saw the 'comments' on the tab under title on the compose page. I can view your comments there.
Daughter and husband were over yesterday to deliver some of her fabulous bean soup and I showed her the prayer shawl. That may have been a mistake. She commented on how well it would go with all her colors and that more importantly, she is always so cold now since her Rouen-Wye (?) surgery when she sits and watches tv.
I hadn't thought of giving it to her, as I was looking at it as a comfort for me. I knit it as I do my devotions, and every stitch is wrapped in an Apostle's Creed, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Fatima Prayer, St. Bridget's twelve year devotions from Our Lord, St. Bridget's Seven Sorrows from Mary, my Universal Living Rosary decade, and the daily devotions interspersed within all of these.
I mentioned it to Hubby, and he chuckled. His solution, give it to her and knit yourself another! O.k., I guess he had better consider how long it takes me to knit. I started it at my Dad's side knowing how long it takes me to do anything, as well as wanting to do something while sitting with him, So, I guess I had better put off that bib, burp and change pad for Dottie's baby. Which is OK, I really wasn't into doing that anyway. That was another of husband's suggestions.
Maybe I will remember to talk over these suggestions with hubby before he has me committed, like doing Pooh for her sister's baby. If you have ever done Pooh Patterns, you will know why I am sparse-haired on the head. Comes from pulling out hair while doing a Pooh pattern with all those white spaces. And I am a pretty darned good stitcher!!!!
Oh well, time to get ready for Dad's Memorial service.
Thanks for the comments, and hopefully I will enable them sometime to show to all.
Huggs everyone.

The first day of fall

Today is our Anniversary. 
We were married 32 years ago (in 1978) on a bright, beautiful, sunshine-y day.  I made my dress and bought dresses for our two daughters in shades of pink.  Our son disappeared for the entire ceremony and never did find out where he went.  He did show up for the food, however, he was twelve and always hungry.
Today as I woke up, my DH wished me a Happy Anniversary, grabbed his watch, phone, wallet and a couple of waters from the fridge and headed down to the cities to see what treasures he could find today. 
I have a memorial to go to for my Dad at the residence chapel where he had lived for the last year, this afternoon. 
Somehow it seems rather fitting. 
It is raining today, and I will not complain about the rain.  It makes me want to just sit and stitch or knit.  Both are constructive and calming.
To say that I need it is an understatement. 
But life goes on and so will I.
Happy Anniversary dear Husband. 

Comments

Well, I think I screwed up.
Carolyn, you have graciously posted twice now, and I can't read them.  Somehow I have figured out how to disable something without knowing.  I published an answer to your invisible post, and that didn't come up either.  May have to take this out of RSS feed.  That is the only thing I know I deliberately did.  Will see. 
Am slowly re-joining the human race, and have forgone the cross stitching for a bit in choosing to knit myself a prayer/comfort shawl in Homespun yarn.  It is easy, just knit, knit, knit.  No purling required, and my concentration level is so out of whack and continuing with counted cross stitch while riding in hubby's little truck, that it is not an activity that works.  There is more 'jounce to the bounce' in his little Colorado than is conducive to counted cross stitch needles and I can handle at this point.
Hopefully I can figure out how the comment form works and who knows, I may have to shut down the computer and restart to get it to work.  But not right now.  Have to get some food in the body.

new color backgrond

In case you are wondering, I signed up for an RSS feed and yellow print doesn't show up well, sigh.  So will opt for a lighter background so I can either leave it black or dk green. Took me forever to figure out where I accidently stumbled on it last week. Hmmph! Got to get more computer savvy here!

Missed the monarch's flight

Well, saw hundreds and hundreds of Monarch butterflies landing in the trees last night before the cool temp didn't allow them to fly anymore.  Set the alarm for 8:30 in hopes of hearing them fly off this morning.  8:30 was too late.  Once the sun started hitting those tree tops this morning and warming up their tiny bodies, they were off.  By the time I got out there with the binoculars, there was only one I could see on the tree top and two others flying around.  When I looked back, the one on the tree was also gone and flying around. 
I wished all of them a safe journey to Mexico. 
This hasn't happened for several years now, and wasn't sure we were still on the flyway for them.  I think I just missed the night gathering by being in the house and didn't see them each year they came. 
I still remember when they all started flying away that morning after they warmed up that first time.  It was the softest swishing sound you ever heard.....like angel's wings. 
I so wanted to hear it again, but wasn't able to.  At least I got to wish the few remaining to take off, a safe trip.  'God speed ye' little ones.  Safe journey.