Prayers for Sale

Just finished a book I really enjoyed reading; Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas. Set during the depression, the main character is spry 86 year old women who lives in a small mining town high in the Rocky Mountains. As she makes friends with a newcomer to town we learn about her life during the Civil War and early years living in this isolated mining town. Guess what? She quilts all the time. It was a fun read.

Daughter of a Home Ec Major

Yesterday in Foods Class Rachel was playing a game where kitchen tools had to be listed. Rachel needed a kitchen tool that started with a "M". With no hesitation, Rachel said "Microplane". The teacher said there was no such thing...  Hum?


I asked Rachel if she wanted to take my small microplane to school to show the teacher but, we were afraid since it is so sharp it might be considered a weapon. I guess one could cause injury to another by finely grating them to death. 


The fact the teacher can't identify a microplane kind of "grates" on me. Or we could say it makes me "rasp" in surprise. ( I am full of puns tonight!)

What we did today...

I washed doilies; mostly made by my Great-Aunt Mamie and my Grandmother Selma and two from my neighbor Judy. (well I think from Judy, might be some from my God-Mother Helen. I really need to mark them somehow). I learned from my Great Aunt Irene if you let they dry flat they are easier to iron or you may not need to iron at all..

Then we also watched the butterflies. For several days now our yard has resembled the butterfly screen saver from our old computer. Mostly monarch and viceroy but also a few yellow swallowtails.

I counted 9 monarchs and two bumble bees.

Adventures with Boston Creme Pie

Well, I finally finished making the recipe and completed the review form. It took 5 hours start to finish but some of that was chilling time. You see I am " Friend of 303" Official Reviewer of Cooks Illustrated Recipes before they hit the show or the press.

Some of the recipes just don't interest me. I am not fond of tough cuts of meat or lima beans and sometimes the ingredients are not available in FDL but a couple weeks ago the recipe emailed to me was Boston Cream Pie. I have not tasted Boston Cream Pie for years and years. So today I filled my grocery cart with things I don't often buy: cake flour, extra large eggs, whole milk, half-and-half and whipping cream. The rules state I can not substitute ingredients or switch procedures. 

The Pastry Cream was made first. It was yummy. I mean how could it not be yummy? Six egg yolks, 2 cups half and half, 1/4 cup butter, vanilla extract. I have not had to temper eggs for many years. It may motivate me to make more puddings from scratch. The last time I made cream puffs was in Alliance but some winter day I might just whip some up just so I could put pastry cream into them. ( Jeff said, while scraping out the bowl with a rubber spatula that it was "pretty good". Not one drop was left in the bowl! Yeah it is more than pretty good. )

The sponge cakes were basically a hot milk sponge. Not too tough. But, I had to sift the dry ingredients twice which was a problem as the stainer I use for sifting was already dirty with pastry cream. (I was instructed to run the Pastry Cream through a fine mesh strainer just in case I didn't get my eggs tempered correctly and the mixture contained scrambled eggs.) So I had to wash and dry the strainer right in the middle of cake mixing.  If I make this again, I need to invest in a 2nd strainer. Also annoying was removing the cakes egg mixture from my mixer bowl to a large diameter bowl so I could gently sift the dry ingredients into the egg mixture. I have so many dirty bowls sitting around. But, it worked my cake did not loose volume. 

Lastly I made up a bittersweet chocolate glaze with heavy cream, corn syrup and bittersweet chocolate. It is a tat too dark for me but OK if eaten with a cup of coffee.

Assembly of the Creme Pie was kind of a problem. I chilled the pastry cream for 3 hours but it still didn't hold up the 2nd cake layer very well so cream oozed out between the layers. It was still quite tasty though.

I think there was also a "test" in the recipe. I think I passed since I found it. Listed as an ingredient of the cake is 1 1/2 t. of vanilla extract, yet nowhere on the directions does it say to add any vanilla to the cake batter. I hope I win a prize. Maybe some maple syrup from Christopher Kimball's maple trees. Or maybe a visit to his farm in Vermont..... I would settle for a support staff. It has been some time since making one item has taken so long and dirtied so many dishes in my house. Time to wash dishes.