Open Letters to Assholes | In The Powder Room - UnInspired's Take

Awesome Post at In the Powder Room:
Open Letters to Assholes | In The Powder Room

Ah yes, the second letter particularly reminds me of something recently!

I was at the Dollar Store on Black Friday around 1 p.m. (Yes, I know what that makes me look like, but it was for kids' craft crap only!).  I had quite the load o' crap, but I was basically the only person in the store with my little daughter.  While the clerk was ringing up my *shocking* bill of ~$30 at the Dollar Store, a woman got in line behind me.  (Which by the way, I estimate the entire checkout experience to have lasted only a couple minutes... in no way excessive.)

She started signing loudly and began closing her standing distance into mine, finally invading my personal space to where our arms were all but brushing.  I refused to budge an inch for the B#$@# though, while my daughter loudly started begging for a balloon. 
Paying with Credit/Debit, the machine processing was particularly slow, so she feels the need to tell me, "You know, you have to press the green button."
"I did."
Clerk looks at her and says, "Yeah.... it's the machine."

She doesn't back off an inch, and after the transaction completes she instantly and completely occupies the space by the card-swipe machine before I've even gathered all my bags and stepped away. 

Like, give it up Lady! You go ANYWHERE on Black Friday, you better have your patient pants on especially, and this wasn't exactly the zoo you'd find pretty much anywhere else!

I don't particularly like confrontation, therefore I usually avoid the passive aggression route out of fear of retaliation by such obviously aggressively disturbed people, but man they inspire me to take the direct approach of slapping them!!!

Annnnd it's December 17 already!

Well it's been a while.
But I have a good excuse (this) time.

We've been on our family's Epic Journey 2012 to visit both halves of our extended family. This included a wedding celebration in which our daughter was the flower girl, our 8th Wedding Anniversary, our daughter's 4th birthday, multiple early Christmas celebrations, catching up with some old friends, and visiting several museums and the zoo! The day after we drove back in (~17.75 hours including stops) it was my husband's birthday. Whew!

So, more on the flower girl bit later, because it indeed was Epic and deserves its own post. ;-)

In the meantime, I find myself staring at the pile of Christmas presents needing to be wrapped, and thinking ahead to the holiday baking I promised I'd do, and realizing it's all to be done within the next week. And I'm back to work. And the holiday cards I meant to send.  Yeahhhh

Anyway, here's to coffee this week, and Happy Holidays to you and yours.

Men and Packing for Trips!!!

I'm not sure there's anything more infuriating as a wife/woman, yet I can't say after almost 15 years knowing my husband and 8 married I should be surprised:

I've been making lists and packing things for almost a week and a half now, trying to account for everything that myself, 2 kids, and the 2 dogs need (AND the husband needs too, really - he has a list too) for an extended trip with multiple special events to dress and account for, presents to make & give, etc.

The man? He's still waiting until the morning we leave to pack his stuff and completely is content to let me handle the rest.

The sad truth is while I "want" help I also want it done "right", so the safest thing for him is probably to just not be in the vicinity of the TV or Xbox while I scurry back and forth like a squirrel, sweating bullets to get this done!

Seeing him sitting down is like waving a red flag in front of the bull, folks!!!

Goldilocks Christmas Spending - What is Just Right?

How seriously sheltered or off-base was my childhood's American Christmas from the norm?

My parents are from a generation that doesn't buy much on credit. They buy something, and then it's like a new family member. They take very good care of things and even limp questionable household appliances and vehicles along well beyond the efforts of most. Case and point: When after 15 years of loyal service they finally bought a new car, they had it paid off in one year for an interest-free deal.

During my brother's and my teenage years, Christmas was almost always spoken about with the "heads-up" of "It's a small Christmas this year."
That's OK. We enjoyed the holiday with family regardless of the size of the "pile" under the tree. And I never really thought any more about it.

Years later, as I begin establishing my own family's traditions at Christmas, and confront our own budget limitations, I came up with a "comfortable" budget limit for this season. My children are very young still, so I guess money goes farther or I don't really know what other families do...

So what is comfortable? Like Goldilocks, I tried on a few budgets:

Too small - What we "really" could afford w/o using credit? $100/kid (yeah our monthly budget is that tight)
Too big - what I *wish* I could afford: $500+/kid

Our "just right" was around $200/kid and then about that much for each parent.

Now... this gives each kid a "bigger" gift and a couple small items. Like I said, they're young still, so it maybe goes farther. I had to shop around to get that bigger gifts at this price, but it did happen.

Talking idly with a few other moms, they're listing what their kids are getting (one family here)... UGGS, VideoGame System, Bike/Scooter, Barbie Dreamhouse, Designer handbags, iPad, Cellphone, etc, etc.

Am I that out of touch? One of these items easily blows one kid's budget out completely. 

How much do "normal" families spend for Christmas? I'm not judging, I just want to know if I'm way out of bounds here...

I'm not "Just Shopping"

I’m not “Just Shopping” if I’m doing one of these things (in order of Increasing Hellishness):

Trying on Jeans
Trying on Shape-wear
Trying on Bras

And the Ultimate Spark of Self-Loathing: Trying on Swimsuits

This is not the type of shopping of which I speak.

Let’s make no mistake here. On the rare days I make a trip to the mall after work to get-er-done without kids’ distractions on some necessities, I am not frolicking about. Rather, it’s more like an extension of the workday. (For the record, rare = 1x every 4 months or so).

I kind of think most guys really can’t even begin to imagine the agony for many women that is shopping for these items. Let me try to break it down easy for you, because, loving husbands, boyfriends, fathers and brothers: I really do know what I’m talking about.

First off, if you fall outside the “average” height or weight ranges (or in the case of Bras, Band/Cup sizes), the difficulties of finding great-fitting off-the-rack items is considerably narrowed. Even when a woman utilizes a “specialty” size store/boutique, options are usually limited in style, and the prices definitely reflect the “At least it fits you! Be thankful and pay up!” mentality.

And no, Good Sirs, I am going to force you (errr, persuade you) to realize that I’m not just giving a veiled reference to the now-average women, who fall into the “plus size” category. As a “petite” woman, I've experienced much the same difficulties with size/fit, but usually in the opposite direction of the now fairly well-advocated plus size market.

So here’s a little image for you of what I’m speaking of when I liken the efforts of shopping for one of the above items to acute, dehumanizing torture.  I’ll even put it in a handy 10-point list!

The Average "Non-Average" Woman's Guide to Shopping:

1.    You enter your typical department store’s section devoted to the product, or perhaps a specialty store. Congratulations!, now you have to begin navigating the “Selection”.

2.    Let’s talk about said Selection.  You wander about, - from the outside, seemingly in an oasis of potential purchasing bliss -  scanning the spread to see what the style differences are. Well, depending on the product, this might not be terribly obvious based upon the item’s style name or product line. Even the occasional extra note or two on the item tag may not be too helpful.

Here’s some real examples:

Levi’s Women Jeans:

Classic Rise Slight Curve Straight Jeans
Modern Rise Slight Curve Straight Jeans
Modern Rise Demi Curve Straight Jeans
Classic Rise Demi Curve Straight Jeans
Classic Rise Bold Curve Straight Jeans
Modern Rise Bold Curve Straight Jeans
Modern Rise Supreme Curve Straight Jeans
Modern Rise Supreme Curve Straight Jeans

This is just a portion of what they offer under the website's header path Jeans > Straight Cut.  By comparison, the Men’s similar path leads to:

501® Original Fit Jeans, 501® Original Shrink-to-Fit™ Jeans , or  505™ Straight Fit Jeans.

I’m not sure the second one even counts officially as a different style version.
So you can see I’m not BS-ing you here, people!

3.     You optimistically choose “a couple” potential styles (read: dressing room limit reached). OK, now it’s time to look for your size…. Oh, not available in the wash (aka color) you want… OK, just choose something to check the size. That’s right. Even though I already own this brand, the size changes its actual measurements randomly. So, grab one size up, one size down, too…

4.    Continuing with Jeans as our example product... Thanks to the close-fitting nature of women’s clothing, it’s not usually readily apparent if something fits or not. So you endure several ego-stomping moments of the smallest size (or your “current size”) not fitting.  It may practically pull your undergarments off upon removal. Jumping up and down to pull the pants up also usually is a bad sign. The ones that slide right on? Oh, there’s a 4 inch gap at the waist. Super attractive. Oh that was only one size up? Grrrr.

5.    Insert multiple re-dressings, returning of merchandise to the floor, re-scanning of the selection, waiting for a dressing room, taking clothes off again, doing the dressing room shimmy, etc. If you made the mistake to wear non-slip-on shoes or bottoms with complicated closures, etc, so much more the fun and time consumption! About now, you’re getting pissed you wore a sweater or brought your jacket into the store, because the dressing room is getting really hot. And don’t even talk to me about what my hair is doing (that is not a hot mess) and how my makeup is starting to look a little on the runny/shiny side.

[[Insert Public Service Announcement:
Just give it up and go home if you are wearing the following and your shopping would necessitate said item’s removal:
Turtleneck shirts
Skinny jeans + Knee boot combo
Pencil Skirts
Skirt/dress with tricky zippers
Panty hose (unless it would be worn with what you’re shopping for)
End PSA]]

6.    Finally find a size/color combination in stock- but only after competing with women who act oblivious and block you from the merchandise, and receiving several annoyed glares by the store employee if you even slightly disturb the folded merchandise stacks. (BTW - I’ve been there. I worked retail every summer and winter for 4-5 years, and am well-acquainted with the occasional asshat customer who leaves the place a complete wreak!)

7.    Proceed to purchase your items. It’s apparently it’s the only one excluded from the sale, or coupon, or whatever. Yay. Pay full price anyway, feeling slightly suckered, but knowing there were really no alternatives.

8.    Show item to male friend/significant other and receive a “Huh? I thought what you already had was fine.” (It has holes in it or is stained.) or “You should have gotten a little bit darker color.” (They didn’t have it in my size.) Sigh, disregard their input.

But wait! The process is not complete.

9.     Wear new item. If fit from the dressing room holds up upon extended wear (a.k.a. One Day), or the wash doesn’t suddenly transform your purchase into something else, you have a sense of relief that Epic Jeans Shopping Trip 20XX may truly be at an end. Oh, did the jeans end up sliding off your butt as you walked, losing its shape throughout the day? Oh, did your legs randomly seem to lose circulation midday or your midsection feel severed while sitting after a meal? Please return to Step One, but go to the Bonus Round, should you choose to accept! Otherwise...

10.     El Fin. Enjoy your new perfect (aka passable) purchase! Don’t gain/lose any weight/get pregnant, because blink and you’ll be back to where you started! Fast forward 2 years and note that laying this brand’s exact size and cut (if still available) onto a “new” version will likely show these are completely different products! Oh outsourcing, quality control, general lack of women’s sizing standards - take your pick!  Thanks for playing, please see Step One.

**BONUS ROUND**

Your ill-fated (and ill-fitting) purchase not going to cut it? Money doesn’t grow on trees for you? Do you demand satisfaction?

If you made your purchase online, get ready for some mail-return fun! A few companies have made this semi-painless, but the vast majority will punish you heavily. Many will take around a month to process your return/exchange, will assuredly ask you to pay return postage, may ask you to pay original postage if shipping was free, may have “restocking fees”, and may even demand you return using only a specific carrier (whose drop off points may or may not be convenient to you). All within a time limit of 3 days (actual experience)!

So that’s why with some brands and merchandise types, I simply can’t join the internet wardrobe shopping revolution. Hateful though it still is, in-store returns usually are a tad better.

Speaking of in-store returns: Some stores have become increasingly stringent on this, lessening return times to only a week or two, with receipt, etc. If you are dealing with a more typical return at a larger store, usually as long as the tags are attached, or the store will handle exchanges for defective merchandise (with receipt!) - you are pretty much good to go. Just haul yourself back to the store: the individual employee making the return will make this seamless or a nightmare that can escalate into a full chain-of-authority summons store-wide for authorization, etc, etc.  Return denied or complete, please return to Step One, likely at a whole new shopping center even further from your home!

So you see, my loving male friends, this really is no “day at the mall” dreamy jaunt. It’s a downright torturous Journey into Some Circle of Hell!

If I have to push those bitches away from the Size 6, Indigo, Classic Rise Demi Curve Straight jeans one more time...

I spared you the description of Bra/Swimsuit/Shapewear shopping. Add definite insult-to-injury when you have salesladies measuring you, tisk-tisking about how you don’t fill out the cups right (or runneth over) for the band sizes, why this doesn’t lay flat or etc., touching you and jabbing you here/there, reporting that they don’t even carry your exact measured size…

So hun, thanks again for watching the kids the other night while I just “went shopping”… but let’s not have any misconception over what I was doing or how much fun I was having while the kids threw peas across the room or dropped chicken nuggets to the dog!

Cranberry-Apple Lattice Pie

Continuing my love/hate relationship with "easy" cooking magazines, I found this recipe in my current Taste of Home magazine and thought I'd share.  After our Apple-Picking trip over the weekend, I was anxious to make our obligatory pie, but wanted to try something a little different than normal.  This was a nice way to spruce-up a apple selection that just might not be as tart as you'd wish.  It also allowed me to sneak more rum into my baking (Though to be honest, I couldn't tell anything special about the raisins after baking.  Maybe more rum next time?).  ;-)

Here's the recipe - it's pretty easy... easier still if you take the refrigerated-crust route:

I also doubled the cinnamon and added 1/2 tsp of nutmeg. 

Homemade deliciousness can be yours!

Ingredients

• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 1/3 cup cold shortening
• 5 to 7 tablespoons ice water
• FILLING:
• 1/2 cup dried currants or raisins
• 2 tablespoons dark rum or water
• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, divided
• 3/4 cup sugar, divided
• 6 medium baking apples, such as Fuji or Braeburn (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• GLAZE:
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• Dash ground cinnamon
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon 2% milk or heavy whipping cream

Directions

• In a small bowl, mix the flour, sugar and salt; cut in butter and shortening until crumbly. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough holds together when pressed. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a disk; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight.
• In a small bowl, combine currants and rum; let stand for 20 minutes.
• Place 3/4 cup cranberries and 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor; pulse until cranberries are coarsely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the apples, tapioca, lemon juice, lemon peel, cinnamon, remaining sugar and currant mixture; toss to combine. Let stand for 15 minutes.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll one half of dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. deep-dish pie plate. Trim pastry to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate. Add filling.
• Roll remaining dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; cut into 1/2-in.-wide strips. Arrange over filling in a lattice pattern. Trim and seal strips to edge of bottom pastry; flute edge. Place remaining cranberries in spaces between lattice strips.
• For glaze, in a small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon; set aside. In another bowl, whisk egg and milk; brush over lattice top. Sprinkle with sugar mixture.
• Bake on a lower oven rack at 400° for 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°; bake 40-45 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly.
• Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes; serve warm. Yield: 8 servings.

Originally published as Cranberry-Apple Lattice Pie in Taste of Home October/November 2012, p28

Dark Chocolate Hard Limit: 85%

So you know how "they" say dark chocolate is more satisfying/healthy/blah blah?

I typically do prefer a dark chocolate, and being a baker, I'm no stranger to the range of semi-sweet to bittersweet to unsweetened, but I've never really bought such chocolate just to "have".

So I decided to call the bluff one craving day at CVS, and bought a Lindt 85% Cocoa bar.

Let me just say... wow, this is intense chocolate flavor, and it is not very sweet at all.  To be honest, I think the aroma is the main attraction: I would have to say, it is definitely healthier than the much-loved American Milk Chocolate, but probably only because I would never WANT more than 1-2 squares at any one time.

As a person who thinks she likes dark chocolate, I might have found my hard limit for just snacking purposes. Maybe 75% would be better.

Although, if this sounds like I don't like the Lindt 85% Cacao bar - you'd be mistaken.  Just try to take the remainder of the bar out of my [secret-chocolate-work-hideaway]!

I just consider this a Public Service Announcement to be taken as you will.  :-)

Carry on, chocolate lovers, carry on.

Oh Fall Baking Bonanza!

You know you're a wannabe baker at heart when Fall Time and The Holidays translates to: I have an excuse to bake all this stuff I've been wanting to make!

Per my over-excited earlier posts regarding the Rum Cakes, I've moved into the whole novelty of the mini bundt pan.  (Ooops did I just give away my brilliant holiday gifting strategy?)
I've been stalking the various NordicWare pans (seriously, these people should pay me for endorsements).  After visiting several specialty cookware stores in person and not finding what I was looking for, and subsequently agonizing over the most cost-effective way to ship & get from online, I settled on the Bundt Quartet pan and some mini loave pans by Wilton.  They should arrive later this week.

Then, of course, un-bidden, I spy the same exact same damn pans on an aisle end-cap at Target yesterday. My internal baking-elite meter was taken down just a notch.

Ah well. *Rolls Sleeves up* I'm looking forward to it nonetheless.

Here are some of the baking goodness items I'm contemplating:

Pumpkin Bread
Zucchini Bread (Reg & Chocolate)
Carrot/Zucchini Bread
Banana Bread
Apple Bread
Mini Rum Cakes (Yellow & Chocolate)
Cinnamon Bread
Banana Bread

Pies and other harvest-focused creations... yay!

I'm not even talking the cookies department yet.  I can't even think about cookies until nearly Christmas... but we'll see.  The household & office gets a bit demanding for baked goods nearly weekly during the holiday season.  :-)

What recipes say "Fall" to you?

We Love Dancing - This Week!

 So... I know everyone was wondering after last time... how did she do at dance class this last week?

It was a little bit of a rocky start leading up to just getting there.

"Time to get ready, it's almost time for dance class!" I said, after talking it up all week.

"OK!" she chirped.

Despite her seemingly agreeable response, the fairly typical battle about getting ready ensues. No, she doesn't want to use the potty first. No, she doesn't want to get her clothes on. Fifteen minutes later, OK, she is pottied and clothes are on, now she needs to lay on top of the dog instead of putting shoes on. Why can't she wants wear her dress-up crown? No! She will only sit in her brother's car seat. OK, OK...

Tiny (Non)Dancer

I just don't get it.  Kids are ever-confusing!

My daughter is 3 1/2.  Her preschool did a school "play" earlier this year, and since dancing on the stage there, it's something she's spoken of enthusiastically for the past several months.

So 2 weeks ago was my daughter's first dance class - we had visited a couple schools, picked one out together, and decided to let her pursue more excuses for "dancing on stage" that she's requested.

Big excitement abound. Beforehand, we went and picked out the dance clothes, she was soooo excited: leotards with skirts, tights, ballet shoes, tap shoes... yay!

Budget Friendly, Realistic Dinners: Chicken Potpie

First, a bit about my approach:

I wish I could dive headlong into the current en vogue thing and become 100% organic or natural or homemade with my family meals, but let's get real: if you spend 40+ hours at work a week and around 10 hours commuting/doing daycare drop off + pickup, you don't have time to do it all. And sadly, the cost of buying 100% organic is a budget-buster for our family.

So, I do the best I can, and do a little of all of it.  My meals incorporate fresh produce/meats and a little pantry packaged good help to turn it into a meal. 

Two important caveats: 1) Most of my meals have to happen kinda quickly or my 18 mo old and 3 year old explode in a firey, dramatic way - these aren't uber speedy meals of 30 minute fame, but I get results with prep/bake time in about an hour and a half, depending.  2) Picky eating being one thing, but the meal has to be actually consumable by a tiny kid with debatable cultlery skills and four teeth. Things like soup are deliberately not in our repetoire yet.  ;-)

Night 1:

Whole small/medium chicken - cut in half, rubbed with spice mixture & grilled
Seasonal Fresh Veggie (Green Beans - sauteed with olive oil, minced garlic & sliced almonds)
Mac & Cheese (Yeah, I do Kraft most days)

Night 2:
Chicken Potpie

Ingredients
Shredded leftover grilled chicken
Frozen mixed vegetables
1 small diced yellow onion
2-3 celery stalks, chopped
1 can mushroom stems & pieces
~ 3 medium red potatoes, diced & boiled to firm-doneness
1 can cream-condensed soup: chicken or mushroom
1 can chicken broth
2 pie crusts (I use refrigerated)

spices to taste, suggested (use fresh if you have it, otherwise, dried):
Ground Black Pepper
Kosher Salt
Thyme
Cumin
Parsley
Sage
Paprika
garlic powder

Lightly grease your pie plate.  First blind-bake your bottom crust (that is, pre-bake it without the filling...suggest using pie weights here to prevent weird bubbling effect. Otherwise, large dried beans may be used in a pinch -- don't try this with a soup mixture with dried peas... did that once and WHAT A MISTAKE!)  425 F for about 10-15 min should do it. Just watch that it doesnt over bake.

Remove pie crust, turn oven down to 375 F.

Mix your spices, soup, and broth together in a medium bowl.  Combine veggies and chicken in a large bowl.  Pour the liquid mixture over your veggies & chicken, mix together.  Transfer to your pie plate.  Add the top pie crust, seal, cut some air vents as desired & bake at 375 F for around 40 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Ideally, let your finished pie sit at least 10 minutes before serving, or the filling will be very runny.

El Fin!

Ye Olde Reliable Quick Bread

OK, first let's get real for a tiny second, then we can return to the fantasy that these things are healthier than they really are: Quick "Breads" are actually cake in disguise. 

But oh are they easy, and oh are they good for the return on your effort.  And, perhaps best of all, we can get away with eating it for breakfast!

Today I'll share one I made yesterday as a way to use our first homegrown zucchini!

Here's the monster plant that gave us a zucchini as big as my forearm!

Zucchini Bread

There are a couple choices you can make on this recipe... read through to the bottom for complete overview.

Ingredients
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour (cake or all purpose)
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups grated zucchini (firmly packed)
1/3 - 1/2 cup nuts (optional)
1 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 325 F.  Prepare a loaf pan with Baker's Joy, or. butter pan and lightly flour.

Mix dry ingredients, baking soda, and spices in small bowl.  In a larger mixing bowl (big bowl and a wooden spoon are sufficient for this one!), combine eggs, oil, and sugar.  Beat together; add zucchini, beat until moistened.  Slowly add dry mixture, stir until well combined, but do not over-mix.  Fold in nuts if using.

Bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 60-70 minutes.

* For a lighter color bread, substitute 3/4 cup white granulated sugar for the 1 cup brown sugar.  Change the leavener to 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp baking soda.

* Optional excellent stir-ins: chocolate chips or raisins, or both!

* For extra fancy, you can add a simple melted chocolate glaze drizzle (melt chocolate chips and 1 TBSP butter) together, or, a simple glaze of powdered sugar (start with 1/2 cup), milk (start with 2 TBSP) and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract.  For the vanilla glaze, tweak the ingredient amounts for your desired consistency.

Zucchini Bread - Yum!

5 Things I Learned: New Mom Revelations

Guilt and Feelings of Inadequacy: I had boat-loads of it as a new mom. Take comfort ladies, if you can. These were some of my hard-learned realizations and lessons:

1) Your experience will be unique - and you're justified in however "easy" or "hard" you feel being a mom is.

I had a "hard" first baby - preterm, couldn't latch on, trouble staying awake to eat at all, reflux, very colicky, etc. - and I desperately felt it must have been me "doing things wrong". "Everyone else" seemed to have no trouble at all!

Rum Bundt Cake: Where have you been all my life?

I have a coworker who has become known for her Rum Cake at office functions, and I decided I needed to give this little number a whirl.

Let me tell you - when my non-cake-eating husband tells me it's pretty good, then I take notice. I'm entertaining the idea of making some of the small bundt size for the holidays... NordicWare has some beautiful pans!

Any way, here's the recipe... it's known commonly as the Bacardi Rum Cake.  I guess these things were all the rage a couple decades ago... and I'm here to say, let's bring these back!  Wow - so easy - and so delicious.  I'll have to try out making and freezing some - this has been highly recommended.

Guess I should have taken a photo before we "tasted" it, right? Oh well.

Rum Bundt Cake

1 cup chopped pecans **highly recommended**

1 pkg. yellow cake mix

1 small pkg. vanilla instant pudding mix (3.4 oz)

4 eggs

1/2 cup cold water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup dark rum

Grease and flour a 12 c Bundt cake pan. Sprinkle half of the nuts over the bottom of pan. Combine all remaining ingredients and remaining nuts. Pour batter into pan over nuts.

Bake for 50-60 minutes at 325°F.

Start making glaze right before cake is to come out of oven.  You will apply the glaze while cake is warm.

When cake tester comes out clean, remove cake from oven. 

Glaze

1 stick butter

1/4 cup water

1 cup sugar

1/4 - 1/2 cup dark rum

Melt butter in a saucepan. Stir in water and sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; cool slightly and then stir in rum. 

While cake is still in pan, just out of oven: poke exposed bottom of the cake with fork or skewer.  Drizzle or brush with pastry brush generously.  Let cake sit 5 minutes, then invert onto cooking rack (with wax paper underneath the rack).  Prick top of cake with a fork or skewer, slowly drizzle or brush rest of glaze all over the rest of the warm cake.  You will have some significant glaze dripping onto the wax paper. 

Let cake rest several hours, then move carefully to serving plate/cake saver. Cover.

Let cake rest ideally overnight - cake improves with age - so this is a great make-ahead item.  Cake is room-temperature stable.  Several days out (if it actually makes it that long!), if cake dries somewhat, more rum may be sprinkled on it to add moisture.

** If using yellow cake mix with pudding already in the mix, omit the instant pudding, using 3 eggs instead of 4 and 1/3 cup oil instead of 1/2.

Lists

I admit it, I'm a relentless list-maker.

I LOVE making them. It's actually an empowered feeling I get with the process. However, not all always goes as planned.

Once made, one of five things happens:
(Please note nearly poetic, seamless insertion of a list into this posting)

1. I promptly lose said list
2. I forget to use it for its purpose
3. I religiously update it for weeks/months and immediately forget two-thirds of what I put on there, so if #1 eventually happens, I'm screwed
4. At the moment of intended use, I decide the list isn't very helpful after all, and substitute whatever feels appropriate at the moment as my course of action. Then I feel a little guilty.
5. I proudly bring forth my perfect list for its intended purpose, only to have someone remind me of something rather crucial that I've forgotten to add

Ah well, we can't win them all! What is the allure of lists for me?

Is it that I can pretend to be organized, when my life feels chaotic -- from my waking moment to finally, blessedly falling into bed at night?

Is it some form of cheap therapy, for removing all those worries from my head and somewhat avoiding my inherited tendency to lie awake and think about them endlessly (thanks, Mom)?

Regardless, you'll have to excuse me now, as I have to make an ordered register of related items/tasks for my intended future use.

Bar Baking Goodness - Fat Witch Bakery cookbook find!

Okay, so this past weekend ended up being a "working" weekend around the house. Lawns mowed, 5 loads of laundry, baths cleaned, 3 bags of hand-me-down clothes sorted and packed away, floors swept, carpets vacuumed, garage cleaned, cars vacuumed, clutter picked-up (this is a job in itself with two little destroyers taking stuff out right behind me and a dog who feels the need to add her toys to the mix, hourly)... and somehow I found some time to bake!

I'm borrowing The Fat Witch Bakery cookbook from my local library (a great way to try out cookbooks before buying), and I must say, I'm becoming a fan. What could be better for a working mom than a book on easy bar-cookies that are GOOD? I might wonder why I even bother, when apparently simply not messing up a high-quality boxed brownie mix is met with rave reviews by family, friends, and coworkers alike (btw - do yourself a favor and buy Ghirardelli or Duncan Hines when going boxed).

The Perfect Go-To Frosting: An Amateur Baker's Quest, Part I

Background:

As a child, I remember watching adults scrape off the majority of the frosting on birthday cakes and the like, saying, "Oh! This is too sweet!"

"They're nuts!" I remember thinking to myself, as I quickly made my serving disappear with nary a complaint.

Fast forward (gulp!) 20+ years, and I have found the adults to be yet again proven correct... in most cases. Upon realizing my sweet tooth had changed, a vague awareness of cake frosting varieties surfaced: some remain a delight to the last mouthful, while others start almost stinging the mouth with sicky-sweetness only a few bites in. This mystery I must solve!

Life is too short to eat bad frosting. I have fewer and less opportunities (okay, let's get real - excuses) to make cakes and by golly, when I do, it had better taste amazing! My not-so-secret goal is to be the relative that everyone always hopes will bring dessert.

"Wow! You work full-time, have two kids, a dog, and a house to take care of... How DO you do it?" the imaginary flatteries will be uttered.

I have already realized what many a busy amateur baker has known for ages: you do not need 100 mediocre recipes, a few great ones, done well, will get the job done. So begins my quest for what will be my family's go-to cake frosting(s)!

Lessons, Affirmations, and Wandering Thoughts from a First-Time Lone Traveler

1.  Leave Early. Ridiculously Early. You could get all the way to the airport without incident,
misread a sign there, accidentally exit the airport roadway and get dumped back onto a highway...
Well, some simpleton might do something like that.

What your Vehicle says about you!

These truths cannot be denied, regardless of how much you may want them to be. If you have the ability to choose your own vehicle for purchase, then own up to what it says about you. Hand-me-downs or otherwise are excused.  ;-)

Baby Gear Overload: After Two Babies, the Stuff I Didn't Use

Oh new parents!
We are bombarded with so many "get this, you need that" messages when we find out we're expecting.  If you're fortunate enough to be able to get a bit more than the bare essentials, then you are prime target for Baby Gear Overload Syndrome.
Below are the items that I wish I had my money back, or despite a gift from a well-meaning family member, just never found itself used or enjoyed.  Save yourself some disappointment.

Great-Grandma's Legendary Fudge vs. A Determined Daughter In Law

I've known my husband and his family since I was about 15 years old. One holiday season, thinking I'd bring the family a treat, I made a batch of the well-known "Never Fail Fudge", using marshmallows in the recipe. While the fudge disappeared by midday at the house of my then-boyfriend's family, his father informed me that fake fudge didn't hold a candle to his grandmother's Legendary Fudge.  I shrugged it off, but the topic would come up periodically through the years: Oh the deliciousness!  Oh the failed-yet-noble-attempts by his wife!

Our Family's 5 Favorite Toys: Infant to 3 years

I have made it a point to not buy our kids tons of toys throughout the year; so far, we make Christmas season and birthdays (both winter) our main targets, and something small during the summer.  I always buy a mixture of things they're able to use right now, and in the months ahead, and this does mean that some Christmas gifts will not get used right away.  However we have a small home, and I want to see each purchase go the distance: they teach something, have durability, will work for boys/girls alike, and most importantly, are fun!
Here are our biggest hits so far: