Change the World with Your Change

With all the talk of change and hope over the political campaign season, here are some ways to ACTUALLY create change and hope in the world.

www.Kiva.org

www.Don'tAlmostGive.org

www.AdventConspiracy.org

Go ahead.  Make Change.

A Small, but Tall, Cake

Two new recipes to try today - one for the cake, and the other for the frosting.  Both = Fantastic.  I was asked to make a dessert for tomorrow evening's Welcome to Woodlands social, and decided to try another cake recipe out of Sky High: Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes.  I first made a half batch of the Vanilla Buttermilk batter and made cupcakes to take to small group tonight.  Then I proceeded to make the full recipe with three 8-inch cake pans.  I also have been wanting to try this recipe for Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, and if Joy says it's the best, I'm willing to give it a shot.  I first made one batch for the cupcakes.  And because it was so stinkin' good, I made another batch to frost the cake.  Don't you love the little waves?!  Just take a spoon and, with the back of it, pat the cake to form little spikes.  I know I would definitely feel welcomed after a piece of this cake!

Big Cake

My biggest project this week was baking and decorating a cake for a friend's golden birthday (29 on the 29th).  It was a surprise party thrown for her by her husband.  He asked me to make a cake for 100 people, and chose a cherry almond cake with almond buttercream - one of my favorites (to eat and to make!).  I did two round tiers - a bottom, 16-inch round, and a 12-inch round on top.  As it was her golden birthday, I decorated with a gold ribbon around the base of each tier, and then piped dots around the cakes which were painted with an edible gold glaze.  One of the new things that I tried with this cake was a different type of support structure.  In the past I have used wood dowels, which have to be measured and then painstakingly cut to the right size.  It is always a chore, and the last one I did, I ended up breaking a good knife.  So one time when I was watching Ace of Cakes recently, I noticed one of the guys putting supports in a cake, almost like straws, but really thick, and easily snipping them to the right height with a scissors.  Snip Snip Snip, and it was done!  (Yes, I know, most people just watch that show for the fun, but I have stuff to LEARN from watching it!)  So I went to their website, and found one of their links for cake advice.  And there was the answer - bubble tea straws!!  I immediately found a source online and purchased some - spent about $5 on 50 straws.  Oh, but let me tell you, how wonderfully easy it was to cut those supports for the cake.  Snip Snip Snip, and it was done!  Never, ever will I use those awful wood dowels again.  

But anyways, back to the cake.  It was a hit, and that is what counts the most!

Gobble Gobble!

Family and Sugar Cookies make my stomach and my heart happy.  

Happy Thanksgiving!

Kudos to Sarah

There are many things I appreciate and admire about my mother-in-law, including (but not limited to) her ability to stay out of all photographs, her humility (she's going to hate this post!), and her amazing recipe for crescent rolls (those tubes of dough have no place in her kitchen!).   She generously and happily shared this recipe with me the first year Justin and I were married, and it is my go-to dinner roll recipe.  They freeze remarkably well, and I usually make a giant batch and freeze the majority of them, taking them out and reheating them in the oven with dinners for a month.  I haven't made them in quite awhile, but as Thanksgiving is tomorrow, I made a big triple batch this week - 3 dozen for a friend to take to her family's thanksgiving dinner, and a couple dozen for ours.  Here you go, from the Gasper family to yours.

(Refrigerator) Crescent Rolls

Beat together and let stand 10 minutes:

1 cup warm water

1 pk. (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast

1 Tbsp Sugar

3 eggs, beaten

Add"

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 tsp salt

Add, and knead until smooth:

5 cups flour - or more as needed (I used a mixture of regular unbleached, white whole wheat, and whole wheat flours - use what you like)

Place in a large container, covered, and refrigerate overnight, or up to a week.  Divide dough in half.  Roll each half in a 12-inch circle and cut into 16 pie wedges each.  Roll up each wedge, starting at wide end.  Place on greased baking sheets and let rise 2 to 3 hours or until doubled in size.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.  Yield: 32 rolls

BUTTER

I am ashamed/proud to say that what you see here 

is not ALL the butter I used today, 

just most of it.

A Week of Baking

Monday: 

Make ahead dough for Crescent Rolls & put in fridge. -- Done.

Make ahead Sweet Potato Casseroles & put in fridge & freezer. -- Done.

Buy more Eggs and Butter (it's still on sale!). -- Done

Tuesday:

Bake Ginger Chewies for Woodlands' Welcome Center.

Bake Cherry Almond Cake.

Wednesday:

Roll out and Bake 3 dozen crescent rolls.

Roll out, Bake, and Decorate Sugar Cookie Turkeys.

Thursday:

Roll out and Bake 2 dozen crescent rolls.

Reheat Sweet Potato Casserole.

EAT.

Friday:

Frost & Decorate cake.

Make Mashed Potatoes.

EAT.

Saturday:

Eat Cake.