Did you know that today, Queen Elizabeth II becomes the longest reigning English monarch? I thought you should know. I quite like QEII. She is quite the lady.
On Sunday, for potluck, I made a spice cake*. I just googled "basic spice cake" and clicked on the first link, which was from allrecipes.com. Which anyone can do. I will now replicate the entire process, by giving you a link to the recipe. Here. But I thought you might like to know it was a good cake. I think there could be a lot of variations, with raisins and nuts, etc.
I didn't actually read the method on this recipe until now, since I was a little pressed for time. And I know how to mix up a cake. But actually, the recipe actually calls for mixing the milk, eggs and vanilla together in one container, and then beating the butter into the dry ingredients, and finally, mixing in the milk mixture in three additions. Which is interesting. I sort of want to try it this way. Hmmm... Anyone want a spice cake?
*It is supposed to be getting fall-ish, but the weather is uncooperative. I think this past week may have been the muggiest of the entire summer. This is my way of protesting, by pretending it is fall and everyone would just love a good spice cake.
Oh, and I just used a recipe for cream cheese frosting out of my head, which is one 8 oz package of softened cream cheese, one stick of softened butter, and one cup of confectioners sugar. I doubled that to cover the 9x13 cake in plenty of frosting.
Now, about Pioneer Woman's line for Wal-mart. Have I ever really discussed my feelings about Pioneer Woman on here? I have a contrary disposition, and I hate adulation, so I am not a pioneer woman groupie. Sure, she seems fun, might be nice to have lunch with and I love her lifestyle (large, large ranch, wild horses, beef cows, awesome cameras, plenty of money, and a posse of kids? Yes, please!). But getting on her website involves seeing the occasionally comment and that just ruins it for me. Because the commentors seem to feel that Pioneer Woman hung the moon in an entirely different and much better way than anyone before or after could hope to do. And my contrary self rolls my eyes and thinks of 15 people I know who are just as awesome as Pioneer woman (or more awesome) and do not have groupies. I know. This is silly. I try not to be this way. Who cares if everyone idolizes her, right?
I actually like her cookbook. Because no one is raving in it. Besides Pioneer Woman. Who raves a little. But about food. And that is mostly acceptable. And her photography? She lives in a gorgeous place and knows how to use her camera very well. So I like her cookbook.
And now she has designed a new line of kitchenware for Wal-mart and they are mostly adorable and seemingly good quality.
I really, really love these little bowls. They are actually measuring cups without handles, but I will probably just use them for bowls to look at.
And this plate!
And now for the disappointing part. I was really excited to see these lids and straws. $3 for a pack of four lids and $3 for a pack of 12 washable straws. I have loads of glass jars, so cheap, on-the-go drinking!
Except they don't actually fit wide mouth or narrow mouth jars. As in, they don't fit regular jars at all. You have to buy the special jars that pioneer woman sells as well. Which is smart marketing I guess, but it just seems... petty.
And, in other news, I got an email from Old Navy this morning and I clicked through to find that the 1990's have returned, full force. Hello, denim, floral, plaid, and flannel shirts around your waist. I read an article the other day about the late nineties being a reaction to the over stylized 80's. It was all about comfort, and not caring how you look was the in thing to do. In other words, if this trend continues, I am on the cusp of being fashionable. I was comfortable before comfortable was cool.
4 comments:
Lol! You are one funny gal! I love your opinion of Pioneer Woman, as it somewhat matches my own. At some point in her early career, I just decided I was not going to be in on the hype. And I haven't backed down since. But I did that with Harry Potter too, so this might actually just show poor judgement on my part! Lol! But I'm all over the monarchy! Go figure.
I'm not brilliant enough to have arrived at the hypothesis you have re: Ree (see what I did there?) but I can totally follow your line of thinking. True enough.
BUT: that lady makes me LAUGH. Roar. Howl. WHEEZE, for goodness' sake! Charlie of the frito feets, lolling tongue, and dumbo ears is my idol, that boy. And Walter is adorable simply by virtue of his name.
Oh, I enjoy reading Pioneer Woman stuff. I think she is probably quite fun and interesting. But there is just a contrary part of me that, once everyone starts saying how perfectly marvelous something is, decides to take it all with a large dose of salt. So I like Ree. But that annoying part of me can't help rolling my eyes at the adulation.
I'm w/ you on the Pioneer Woman thing, but for the simple fact that is just seems like she tries TOO hard. I enjoyed her early blog entries where her humor was genuine. Now it's like she has some reputation to live up to as a hilarious recipe/lifestyle blogger, so she's going to ride that wave until she can't possibly do it anymore, even if she should have gotten off that wave long ago b/c it's worn out and not heartfelt. It's like a shtick. Good blogs are a mix of real emotions, in my opinion. Anyways, yeah, the 90s are back in a big way in Philly and it makes me roll my eyes HARD. I was waiting for some frat boy to cross the street the other day and he was wearing a neon Hawaiian print shirt and teal short shorts in a non-ironic way. I wanted to roll the window down and just yell, "STOPPPPPPPP!" at him re: his fashion choices. Also, I saw a girl wearing clunky platform slides and I wanted to call Lindsey and tell her that she held on to those shoes long enough, they were finally back in! ;-)
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