An Embarrassing Story
I have been cooking - I made easy stuffed mushrooms and even took a picture (with my phone since I couldn't find my real camera) but I can't figure out how to get the things off the phone. I also made berry chicken that turned out tasty, macaroni and cheese (secret family recipe) and the boy and I grilled up a steak with our special marinade. I've also been doing some lazy baking, which helped lead to the embarrassment I'm about to recount.
We like to give our landlords baked goods because a) they're very appreciative, and I always like praise b) they're really nice and we like them and c) they live above us so it behooves us to stay on their good side. So they've gotten some pumpkin cookies, and fruits of what I call my lazy baking. Lazy baking includes the oatmeal cookie recipe I have memorized and *gasp* cake mix cakes. I'll admit it, I'm weak. When there's a big ole sale on boxes of cake mix, I pick up a couple because they're easy, fast, and waaay more reliable than any of the cakes I've made from scratch. (I'm inclined to blame this on the recipes, but it got very discouraging and I quit trying.) Also, my kitchen isn't equipped with cake flour. Since I don't like the canned frostings, I get the Devil's Food because it tastes good alone. We gave them some of this cake about three weeks ago, on a whim. Tonight when my boyfriend dropped off the rent and some oatmeal cookies, the landlord told him that his sister-in-law loved the cake and wanted to pay me to make it. O.O I'm going to be quite sad to have to tell her that it's a mix.
So now my baking pride is wounded. We're invited to the landlord's cookout birthday party in the backyard on Sunday, and the boyfriend told me we should bring something delicious to prove that "we" (meaning I) actually can bake from scratch. No pressure, honey. I'm absolutely stumped as to what I can bake that will be delicious but somehow not usurp the place of the birthday cake, if there is one. We'll be shopping tomorrow so I can pick up cake flour and other ingredients (though nothing too exotic because of my budget and no nuts since the boy's allergic) - perhaps something highlighting the strawberries that are tasting good lately? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. :)
We like to give our landlords baked goods because a) they're very appreciative, and I always like praise b) they're really nice and we like them and c) they live above us so it behooves us to stay on their good side. So they've gotten some pumpkin cookies, and fruits of what I call my lazy baking. Lazy baking includes the oatmeal cookie recipe I have memorized and *gasp* cake mix cakes. I'll admit it, I'm weak. When there's a big ole sale on boxes of cake mix, I pick up a couple because they're easy, fast, and waaay more reliable than any of the cakes I've made from scratch. (I'm inclined to blame this on the recipes, but it got very discouraging and I quit trying.) Also, my kitchen isn't equipped with cake flour. Since I don't like the canned frostings, I get the Devil's Food because it tastes good alone. We gave them some of this cake about three weeks ago, on a whim. Tonight when my boyfriend dropped off the rent and some oatmeal cookies, the landlord told him that his sister-in-law loved the cake and wanted to pay me to make it. O.O I'm going to be quite sad to have to tell her that it's a mix.
So now my baking pride is wounded. We're invited to the landlord's cookout birthday party in the backyard on Sunday, and the boyfriend told me we should bring something delicious to prove that "we" (meaning I) actually can bake from scratch. No pressure, honey. I'm absolutely stumped as to what I can bake that will be delicious but somehow not usurp the place of the birthday cake, if there is one. We'll be shopping tomorrow so I can pick up cake flour and other ingredients (though nothing too exotic because of my budget and no nuts since the boy's allergic) - perhaps something highlighting the strawberries that are tasting good lately? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. :)