Random Things From My Dad - #5

Okay.... finally, finally, finally.... this is the kind of "haul" that inspired me to write the "Random Things" blog posts.... Most of the time, the things from my dad are common household items, grocery items, etc.  But he has a knack for the obscure and this recent load is most definitely an example of those obscurities....

So exactly what is in this diverse selection of items? 

• A Snuggie (complete with a free book light!)
• Thunder Wolf Battery Operated Toy Helicopter (I will have to include a video of this in action if it does indeed fly!)
• MicroFiber Wash Sponge
• 4 - Cleanpot pot cleaner sponges (these are fabulous, BTW... you can throw them in the dishwasher and they never mildew:)
• Smuckers Red Plum Jelly
• A Jar of Peaches
• A Jar of Strawberries (???... never seen such a thing)
• A Jelly Knife - specifically designed to get all of the jelly and/or peanut butter out of the jar (I'll let you know how effective that is...)
• Plant Science Classroom Kit (includes seeds, planters, stakes, germination mixture - as well as teacher instructions and student handouts)
• And finally, two pair of Lobster Louies - these are scissors designed specifically for cutting lobster, crab and/or shrimp....

So, there you have it.... a very random list of incredibly obscure items from my dad.  Gotta love him:)

Roll Tide! - Alabama Themed Valentine Cookies

Raised in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, I have never known anything other than being an Alabama fan... through and through.  I just love to look at what the local bakeries in Tuscaloosa are creating that have an "Alabama" theme... How I long for the opportunity to create some kind of "Crimson Tide" goodie... But, alas, I live in Austin, TX where Alabama fans are few and far between.... especially since we won the national title in 2009...

Anyhow, regardless of the fact that there really isn't a market for me here in Austin, I wanted to try my hand at creating something with an Alabama theme.  With Valentines Day looming on the horizon, it was kind of a no-brainer to take the heart (with all of it's crimson glory)... and turn it into a tribute to the Crimson Tide...

I've been especially interested in improving my piping skills, so there is no fondant on this cookie!

So, as a tribute to the Late Great Bear Bryant (which is where the houndstooth came from, for those of you who wonder).... and the current BCS National Champions... here's my Alabama themed, Valentine Cookie....

 

 ROLL TIDE & HAPPY BAKING!

Random Things From My Dad - #4

So here's a bit of background on how I came to write the "Random Things From My Dad" blog posts... my dad is an interesting and complex individual.  He is usually angry about something and regularly gets on his soap box to yell at "you" when he's mad at someone else.  He is pushing 80 and very set in his ways.  The relationship within our family has always been one of stress and turbulence... always looking for that other "shoe to drop"... so to speak.

It's taken me a lot of years to come to a kind of peace and acceptance of my dad.  I remind myself, almost daily, that I cannot control his reaction to any given situation... I can only control how I choose to react or respond.  His stress does not have to  be my stress... I am not required to live my life constantly making decisions about what I say or do based on what I anticipate his reaction might be.  It's very liberating when I get it right.... mostly, it's a test of patience and temperament.

So how does this relate to the "Random Things"?  Well... since my parents moved to Texas, there has been an ongoing theme of "shopping" with my dad.  He is always on the lookout for a bargain... if he has a coupon, apparently not using it is not an option.  Their house has enough food, candy and canned goods to feed a small army for several weeks I'm certain.

He constantly, constantly, constantly was buying things for us...  mostly groceries that I never expressed an interest in, nor did I use on a regular basis... but sometimes household items, clothing, toys for the kids... if they make it... and it was on sale or there was a coupon... he most likely bought it.  He has bought us televisions, lawn equipment, silk plant arrangements, shoes, kitchen appliances.... I'm not sure there's a room or cupboard in our house that doesn't hold some gifts from my dad.  (Seriously... at one point in time I had a minimum of 6 - super size bottles of Advil gel caps... who needs that much Advil?)

I found myself getting annoyed with his purchases... almost every time I went to their house there were items displayed on their dining room table... before I could leave he would say "I need you to go through the stuff on the table".... what this started to mean to me was... "great... now I have to bag up and haul home a bunch of things I didn't ask for and then find a place for them."  My pantry is always full, and mostly with canned goods that don't fit into our daily eating regime.

But then I realized that I was looking at it all wrong.  With all of his faults, this is how he knows to show me that he loves me... that he cares about me and my kids... and that he wants to help out.  This is his way of showing love and support... He lacks the capacity to do so with words... he doesn't know how to be supportive without being judgmental.... but he does know how to give... to be generous to a fault.

So now, instead of being annoyed, I remind myself to feel loved... he buys these things for me and my kids because he loves us... this is how he knows to show it.  So I must accept it... I must be gracious... I must be appreciative... we all have our strengths and weaknesses.  We are all flawed... we are all human... and we all long to be needed... to be an important and vital part of other people's lives... especially our family.  We get the family we get and it is so important to learn to embrace them wholly... the good, the bad and the ugly.  The quirks and imperfections make us all unique, fallible, and vulnerable.

So... I love my dad... and I have learned to love each and every thing he sends my way...

With that having been said... here's the latest spread from my dad...

Nine beautiful white roses, a package of fully cooked bacon, a pound of butter and
Smucker's Red Plum Jelly (Milam's favorite)

How to Make Marshmallow Fondant

Marshmallow fondant is easy to make, tastes great, and is much more affordable than buying it in a retail shop.  If you're new to cake decorating... or new to fondant... this is a great way to start experimenting without breaking the bank!

I first discovered marshmallow fondant years ago when I volunteered to make my mother-in-law's birthday cake for her 60th birthday.  I was not very skilled at icing a cake smooth and thought "if I could make that fondant stuff (really did not know much about it at all) then I could have a pretty, smooth cake to decorate."

The recipe I found called for mixing it with your hands on a countertop, incorporating the powdered sugar much like you would incorporate flour into a bread dough.  It was MESSY to say the least.  I remember someone knocking on my door and my yelling "I can't come to the door.... I'm up to my elbows in a mess!"... I think it was a solicitor of some sort... no  telling what they were thinking...

Anyhow, my first attempt at making fondant, while messy, was successful... I was hooked and have been ever since.  Love, love, love decorating with fondant.

So....  here's the basic recipe, along with photos so you'll know what it should look like as you go along... including some tips to ensure your success...

Marshmallow Fondant Recipe

• 1/4 cup shorting (to grease the bowl, mixing bowl and attachments)
• 1 lb bag marshmallows (mini marshmallows work the best... make sure you don't get the 10 oz bag!)
• 2 lbs of powdered sugar
• 3 TBS water
• 2 tsp flavoring (your choice...  needs to be clear so only imitation vanilla... I like a combination of almond and vanilla)

Step by Step Instructions:

Using the shortening, generously grease a large bowl

Add the marshmallows to the bowl, along with the water and flavoring

Put over a pot with boiling water... I prefer this to the microwave as the temperature is more controlled.  If you get the marshmallows too hot, the sugar will crystallize and the fondant won't have  the proper elasticity.

Stir occasionally until the marshmallows are completely melted.  You will be incorporating the shorting  into the marshmallows as well.  If you're going to tint your fondant all one color, this is the perfect time to add color.  I generally am making more than one color, so I prefer to add the color to the final product.

Grease your mixing bowl and dough hook with shortening... you'll regret it later if you don't!

Pour the melted marshmallows into the mixing bowl

Add the sugar

Star the mixer on low... unless, of course, you want a shower of powdered sugar dust ;)

Keep mixing on low until the majority of sugar is incorporated

Turn the mixer up to 3 or 4 until it is smooth and silky looking

Remove the fondant with a bowl scraper onto a  surface coated with powdered sugar

Get ready to knead!

Knead the fondant until it is completely smooth ... you can't overwork fondant like bread dough, so knead to your heart's content... it's kind of fun and cathartic in a way:)

Form into a ball

Double wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for at least 2 hours... overnight is even better...

Your fondant is ready!  Knead again until the fondant is elastic... you should be able to pull the fondant but not have it break immediately....

You can store the fondant in the refrigerator for several weeks.  To get it room temperature and pliable, just microwave it for a few seconds (less than 10).   Have fun with fondant... you'll feel like a kid again:)

Woolworth's Cheesecake Recipe

I have the most unusual fondness for Woolworth's... I have only vague memories of going there with my mom while growing up in Alabama, but nonetheless they are fond memories... I remember eating at the lunch counter... well, I remember chocolate milkshakes at the lunch counter:)  I also remember that they had a toy section with really inexpensive toys and if I was really, really good... I might actually get to take one of those prizes home.  I remember it as "special time" with just me and my mom.

My fondness for Woolworth's continues with my love of Nanci Griffith and her music... in her live recording of "Love at the Five and Dime" (she wrote it, by the way... not Kathy Matea)... she has a whole story about Woolworth stores.  My favorite line is when she says "Woolworth stores everywhere smell the same... they smell like popcorn and chewing gum rubbed around on the bottom of a leather soled shoe"....  She also reminisces about running across a Woolworth's in Europe and asking the driver to "stop the car and let me out so I can go fill up my suitcase with unnecessary plastic objects..."

Photo of a Woolworths from "Gone But Not Forgotten"

So I guess that's what the memory of Woolworth's represents to me.... unnecessary plastic objects, the smell of popcorn and chewing gum on a leather soled shoe... and the lunch counter with my mom.

Woolworth's Cheesecake

A while back, a family friend asked me if I had the recipe for Woolworth's cheesecake.  I didn't even remember that they had a cheesecake, so I surely didn't have the recipe.  Anyhow, that of course provoked me to launch an internet search for the recipe.  

Now I can't be certain if  this is the actual recipe... there are a lot of them out there, but this is the one I tried.  The first time I made it, I thought "wow... this is a LOT of dessert"... So invited some friends over and shared it with them.  I kind of regretted it afterwards because it was so amazing.  I especially like the graham cracker crust on this dessert, and I have since adopted this variation for every recipe I use that calls for a graham cracker crust.   It is simply wonderful.  

Now while this is called "cheesecake"... it's really not.  Not by a long shot... but it is really, really delicious.  Light, refreshing, and addictive.  The only modifications I made to this recipe was to add an extra 8oz of cream cheese... I substituted lemon extract for the vanilla... and I added 2 TBSP of lemon juice.  

It's that perfect "9x13 potluck dish"

Woolworth Cheesecake:  The Recipe

• Ingredients
• 1 box graham cracker crumbs (3 cups) more for thicker crust
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 stick melted butter
• 1 8oz cream cheese
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tsps vanilla
• 1 3oz box lemon jello
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 
  
• Preparation
• 1st place can of evaporated milk in freezer, it needs to be ice cold (about 30 minutes)
• 2nd. Mix Jello with 1 cup hot water in small bowl, stir until dissolved and put in freezer for a quick set, you want it to thicken some but NOT set stir once about 20 minutes, then put in refrigerator until ready to use.
• 3rd. Mix graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, and melted butter until well blended, put 3/4 of it in bottom of 9X13 pan. Press to form crust, save rest of mixture for later.
• 4th. Mix cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and vanilla until well blended, set aside.
• 5th. When Jello starts to thicken it is time to start. Open can of evaporated milk and pour into large bowl and beat until fluffy and looks like whipped cream. Add cream cheese mixture until well blended, slowly mix in the jello, pour into pan, sprinkle with remaining graham cracker crumbs, refrigerate about two hours before serving, store covered in refrigerator.

• 
  

1. 
   

Random Things From My Dad - #3

I feel I may have missed a couple of my dad's "donations" to our household, but this latest one is especially nice.  We actually have had some cold weather here in Austin (anything below 50 degrees is deemed almost unbearable here!).... so we have enjoyed several fires in the fireplace... so nice and cozy...

Anyhow... here's the latest assortment from my dad...

This wonderful assortment includes a 12 pack of Gatorade (great for lunches).... a package of Sargento's shredded mozzarella cheese (my favorite), eggs (I can never have too many... plus they are cage free:)... a can of black beans, some apples and oranges (also great for lunches!)... some Duraflame logs as well as some actual firewood.... and last but not least, an El Charrito frozen enchilada dinner for two (???)... ha ha!  

Love my dad (and my mom, of course) and his crazy generous self....

Cakes I would love to make...

There are so many beautiful wedding cakes out there...  but there are some 

looks I find myself longing for someone to order just to have the opportunity

 to make them... One of the effects I find myself drawn to again and again

 is the ruffled fondant.....  

Aren't these cakes absolutely gorgeous?  

Purple Hombre Ruffle

I absolutely love this hombre effect.  The classic simplicity of the cake 

let's the ruffled effect really stand out.

 featured in Belle The Magazine

All White - Classic and Elegant

This classic elegant all white version is just perfect.... I love the simplicity 

of the white fondant ruffles with the whimsical fondant rosettes.... just beautiful.

Elegant all-white ruffles from She Bakes Cake in Lexington, KY

Vintage

The vintage feel of this one just oozes romance, don't you think? The hand crafted gum paste roses really finish it off.... can't you just picture the bride in her 1920's inspired wedding dress... love, love, love...

I found this gorgeous cake featured at The Bridal District

I may have to just go ahead and create one of these lovelies on my own... 
they just ooze romance, love and happy... :)