Cakes and Pies, Cakes and Pies

Ok, so it's more like "pies" than "cakes and pies," but I was pretty excited about this find, mostly because it's apple season here in WI! The bro and bro's GF came to visit, so we went to the apple stand, and got some apples -- can you see those beauties? Wow.

So, we're also way behind with our cake a week plan. Ophelia has been yelling at me, but I told her yelling wasn't helping, so she toned it down a bit. This job is a little, well, intense, which is a good thing but doesn't leave me a lot of time to recover. So, we're behind. We're dealing.

A funny teaching moment the other day: In prof/tech writing, I bring in a press release from the DNR about cougar attacks. I am sure you are reacting just like my students did when I started saying things like "interesting, these tags -- don't provoke a cougar, don't move if you see a cougar in your path." None of this registers with me until I see a non-traditional student in the corner crying because he is laughing so hard. My teacher bad.

More later -- we're exhausted, but hope you're well!

Love,
M&O Productions

We're Running So Fast to Keep from Falling Behind...

Holy production, Batman. I've been so busy baking that I haven't been able to do any blogging. What is this world coming to? It's coming down to me trying to get a job, which has seriously curtailed my free time. Whose bright idea is it to have a job market that whose process is over 8 months long? Do they not understand that I have cakes to make and a life to have? I mean really -- job or devil's food cake? Job or peanut butter cake? Did someone say cake? I'm sorry, the cake wins every single time. Anyone want to back me for a new bakery? "M.'s Morsels." or "Morsels with M." I like them both -- any other suggestions? I'm giving serious consideration to this alternate employment future.

Anywho, as you can see from the pictures, my photography skills have also been lacking -- no action shots, Ophelia is being ignored, general havoc and mayhem have overtaken the kitchen. Ophelia is pissed. She's become a faceless workhorse. I will have to remedy that, and soon. No need to have her angry with me, too.

So, starting in order of the photos, first came my friend M.'s birthday cake. It was also my first foray into decorating with color. Cake = awesome. Frosting = divine. Decorating = D+ for effort. It looks distinctly like I first had a lobotomy and then attempted to to decorate the cake. Apparently writing with colored frosting now looks remarkably similar to learning to write in cursive in third grade, completely with the mis-matched scallops that I was convinced would make the stupid thing look better. Poor M. At least the cake tasted good. I cut the cake to transport so M. didn't have to see the completely monstrosity that was her birthday cake.

Next, we had the peanut butter cup cake. Literally, it was an inverted peanut butter cup. Chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting. I love peanut butter frosting. I love peanut butter. No, I do not have all kinds of peanut butter frosting my fridge that I have been eating on and off for the last couple of days. No, I have not gained 20 pounds since Ophelia came into my life. Please stop spreading those nasty rumors. I could sue for defamation, you know. If Brit can do it, so can I. Moving on -- the peanut butter cake was a hit. A. and S. came over for dinner last night, and this was the treat. We had a great time, although I learned that I don't get nearly the sports channels that I thought I did. With a little help from A. and S. and K. and P., the cake is already gone and out of my house, which is how I like things.:)

Next came a peach galette. This came about this afternoon because I had peaches that had to be used up, like, whoa, yesterday. Not wanting to make a pie, I made the galette instead. It looks great, but I made a huge mess with it. It leaked (well, because I shoved too many peaches in it because I wanted to get them all used up) and while I realized that this would likely make a mess, somewhere in my head I didn't think that the sugary sauce would burn. My logic defies all, well, common sense. No, M., sugary sauces don't burn when you stick them in a hot, hot oven, not at all, and when they don't burn, they don't set off your smoke alarm and won't make your house smell like you set your hair on fire. Not that I would have any idea what that smelled like, either. Anyway, it was a mess. But, the galette itself didn't burn, so I sent that off home with my celebrity taste testers (well, with K. -- poor P. was at class). It looked good, but I just wasn't that interested in it.

Finally, the apple tartlets. Now, what would possess me to try to make these little buggers tonight? Well, in trying to patch the galette before it went wicked out of control, I had to hack into another pastry to do so. Rather than waste it, I decided to make these. For no recipe, and just winging it, I think I did pretty good. I actually ate one of these tonight, and it was quite yummy.

Up next for Ophelia and I -- a spice cake and a maple cake!:) Stay tuned!

Decisions, Decisions...

Sometimes, Ophelia and I just can't decide. So, instead of deciding, we just go for it. Tonight, we went for it, indeed.:) Two of our specialties -- Barefoot Contessa's Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars, and my mother's Dutch Apple Pie. Both have undergone some revising, but Ophelia and I aren't telling.:) Like we said before, we have to keep some secrets, or we'd lose our fan base. Yes, we're crazy like that.

Now, I must admit that my mother and I are known for this pie all over the place. She's been making it since I was a little girl. You don't need to know how long that is, for both our sakes. People far and wide in MN know this pie -- people ask for it at get-togethers. She gives it as birthday presents, and makes it for any major holiday. I absolutely love this freaking pie. It's like a little slice of home for me. I've been making it since my last full-time teaching gig in Iowa when I figured out that hey, I like to bake, and I'm not too shabby at it, and thus can have a slice of home wherever I am. Plus, then I get to share a little bit of my Minnesota with others, too. So, I have a wide range of fans for this pie. The peanut butter bars are more recent, but Ophelia and I have perfected them. Plus, we're obsessed with The Barefoot Contessa. Ok, I'm obsessed about Ina Garten and Ophelia has to listen to me talk about her all the time while we cook. I fawn over her cookbooks and her show. I will make any recipe if it comes from Ina's kitchen. When I grow up, I want to be Ina Garten. I think, if I could make money doing this for a living, I totally would. For now, I'll have to stick with gushing over Ina and creeping my friends out with my strange obsession for this woman I've never met. Whatever.

I've also found that peanut butter bars and apple pie are just the ticket when you've had a "God Damn Mongolians" day. To understand what I mean, see here: South Park's "God Damn Mongolians". I love South Park.