I noticed a short article on MSNBC this morning that led to this video about airport security procedures. The Airport Director who commissioned this should get a gold star!
Click here if you desire to read the article.
Why I have a blog
- Holly
- Since I never seem to get around to sending out Christmas cards or letters, I decided to blog a bit to keep my fans updated. :-)
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Theatre fix
Last weekend I headed up to Logan to see some of the offerings of Utah Festival Opera and Music Theatre company. My friends and I started with Don Giovanni on Friday night, followed by South Pacific and Boris Godunov on Saturday. Whew. Three very different shows, each glorious in its own way. I think my most favorites thing about UFOMT is that you see the same people in different shows/roles. By the end of the weekend, the performers feel like friends since you've seen them in multiple shows. My second favorite thing (don't worry, I'll stop here even though there are other favorites) is that the theatre itself is small enough that every seat is great and it feels quite intimate. This makes it so easy to get completely caught up and absorbed into the happenings on stage. Rejoining the real world after three hours can be shock to the system!
Next year the musicals will be Kiss Me Kate and My Fair Lady, and I am already looking forward to them.
In a few weeks I will head to Cedar for the Shakespeare Festival. This year we are seeing A Midsummer Night's Dream, Music Man, and Noises Off. That should satisfy my desire for live theatre for awhile. At least until October when we are going back for the Fall season. :-)
Next year the musicals will be Kiss Me Kate and My Fair Lady, and I am already looking forward to them.
In a few weeks I will head to Cedar for the Shakespeare Festival. This year we are seeing A Midsummer Night's Dream, Music Man, and Noises Off. That should satisfy my desire for live theatre for awhile. At least until October when we are going back for the Fall season. :-)
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
A baking tidbit
Sometimes my cookies end up thin and crispy when I did not intend them to do so. I've often wondered what makes the difference when the same recipe behaves differently. I'm wondering if it isn't the softened or room temperature butter. Room temperature in my kitchen has a pretty wide scale of degrees.
Recently, I came across a recipe that described the butter as "softened, but still cool". I think that is a better way to describe it. Because when my butter is squishy to the point of nearly crossing the line from solid to liquid, I get unexpected or undesired results.
Just some musings in case you find 'em helpful. :-)
Recently, I came across a recipe that described the butter as "softened, but still cool". I think that is a better way to describe it. Because when my butter is squishy to the point of nearly crossing the line from solid to liquid, I get unexpected or undesired results.
Just some musings in case you find 'em helpful. :-)
Sunday, June 19, 2011
A new go-to recipe for chocolate cake
I tried this recipe for chocolate cake this weekend, and think it is quite similar to Magleby's chocolate cake. I made it as a 9x13" single-layer cake, but it would work well as two 8" or 9" rounds.
It is definitely my new go-to recipe. The texture is terrific, and the cake very moist. Once we cut into it, I could not stop slicing off little bits every time I walked past. It goes together pretty quickly and only took me 10-12 minutes to get it into the oven once I started pulling out ingredients. The batter was thinner than the usual cake batter, but don't let that worry you. I did find that I needed to bake mine several minutes longer than the 30 minutes indicated.
The frosting is also quite nice and goes together quickly. While it does develop a slight crust after sitting out, it stays soft underneath, which is exactly what I was hoping for.
Thanks to the Paysonites for a great dinner to go with the cake! I probably shouldn't admit this, but the Paysonite parents and I sampled the cake during the pre-dinner card playing - probably not surprising to anyone who knows us, since we instigated the "pie before dinner" Thanksgiving tradition!
It's definitely a dessert extravaganza here tonight -- there is buttermilk ice cream churning as I type, as well as a key lime pie in the fridge. And of course, more chocolate cake. I need a glass of milk just thinking about it!
It is definitely my new go-to recipe. The texture is terrific, and the cake very moist. Once we cut into it, I could not stop slicing off little bits every time I walked past. It goes together pretty quickly and only took me 10-12 minutes to get it into the oven once I started pulling out ingredients. The batter was thinner than the usual cake batter, but don't let that worry you. I did find that I needed to bake mine several minutes longer than the 30 minutes indicated.
The frosting is also quite nice and goes together quickly. While it does develop a slight crust after sitting out, it stays soft underneath, which is exactly what I was hoping for.
Thanks to the Paysonites for a great dinner to go with the cake! I probably shouldn't admit this, but the Paysonite parents and I sampled the cake during the pre-dinner card playing - probably not surprising to anyone who knows us, since we instigated the "pie before dinner" Thanksgiving tradition!
It's definitely a dessert extravaganza here tonight -- there is buttermilk ice cream churning as I type, as well as a key lime pie in the fridge. And of course, more chocolate cake. I need a glass of milk just thinking about it!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Just in case you missed this news story
This one cracked me up -- it's about a dad who dressed up in a different costume every morning and went out to wave as his son's school bus drove by.
Here's a link to a blog for viewing the various costumes.
Enjoy! Perhaps this will inspire another parent to reach new heights in embarrassing their children. If so, mission accomplished!
Also, I have a new link posted for a feature called "Moments with Joey" on the blog of a 5th grade teacher. Now that's some fun reading! Click and enjoy.
Here's a link to a blog for viewing the various costumes.
Enjoy! Perhaps this will inspire another parent to reach new heights in embarrassing their children. If so, mission accomplished!
Also, I have a new link posted for a feature called "Moments with Joey" on the blog of a 5th grade teacher. Now that's some fun reading! Click and enjoy.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Puppy Love
No, I did not get a new pet. However, I did make a puppy birthday cake this week. It was requested by a dear friend for her 9-year-old, animal-lovin' daughter. I did a little research after the initial phone call and found lots of possibilities while looking at images on Google. Before committing myself to a particular cake, I checked back in with my friend to find out what her daughter's expectations were and laughed when I found out that her daughter was expecting Rice Krispie treats in the shape of a 9. Whew! I felt pretty confident I could top that!
Here's what I ended up with.
The dog body was made with half of a Wilton 3D Egg cake pan. I cut the legs and ears out from a separate cake and attached them with frosting.
The collar and tongue are made from Star burst candies, slightly warmed in the microwave and rolled out. The nose is made from dried blueberries.
The chocolate frosting was my favorite part -- I tried chocolate swiss buttercream for the first time and it will definitely not be the last. Wow! The recipe I used is from Martha Stewart. This recipe worked beautifully. The texture, flavor, and consistency reminded me of chocolate whipped cream with the added benefit of working well for cake decorating.
I made the frosting ahead of time and brought it back to room temp, then whipped it again before using it. I refrigerated the cake when I was done, and took it out a few hours before it was to be served. The frosting was silky smooth when the cake was served without wilting or disintegrating like whipped cream would.
One caution -- the recipe is not for the caloric faint-of-heart. While there isn't as much sugar as a buttercream frosting made with powdered sugar, it does have an obscene amount of butter!
If you are looking for a frosting that is easy to smooth out on a layer cake, such as a wedding cake, give this one a try. The base recipe is for a vanilla frosting. I made a batch of the vanilla tonight to see if I liked it as much as I like the chocolate version and it turned out beautifully. I did not go so far as to bake a cake just to try it out from a decorating standpoint, but will stash it in my freezer for the next cake or cupcake adventure that needs frosting.
Here's what I ended up with.
The dog body was made with half of a Wilton 3D Egg cake pan. I cut the legs and ears out from a separate cake and attached them with frosting.
The collar and tongue are made from Star burst candies, slightly warmed in the microwave and rolled out. The nose is made from dried blueberries.
The chocolate frosting was my favorite part -- I tried chocolate swiss buttercream for the first time and it will definitely not be the last. Wow! The recipe I used is from Martha Stewart. This recipe worked beautifully. The texture, flavor, and consistency reminded me of chocolate whipped cream with the added benefit of working well for cake decorating.
I made the frosting ahead of time and brought it back to room temp, then whipped it again before using it. I refrigerated the cake when I was done, and took it out a few hours before it was to be served. The frosting was silky smooth when the cake was served without wilting or disintegrating like whipped cream would.
One caution -- the recipe is not for the caloric faint-of-heart. While there isn't as much sugar as a buttercream frosting made with powdered sugar, it does have an obscene amount of butter!
If you are looking for a frosting that is easy to smooth out on a layer cake, such as a wedding cake, give this one a try. The base recipe is for a vanilla frosting. I made a batch of the vanilla tonight to see if I liked it as much as I like the chocolate version and it turned out beautifully. I did not go so far as to bake a cake just to try it out from a decorating standpoint, but will stash it in my freezer for the next cake or cupcake adventure that needs frosting.
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