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I made a cake.


WinterSown

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I refuse to be defeated. I made a cake from scratch. Not a layer cake, just a plain no-frosting cake. Simple, but I did it. I paced myself and went step by step, no rushing and I got it done. I looked at the pan after it came out of the oven and I cried for the joy of it. My neurotherapy has me doing and learning new things but I wanted to do something I used to do with ease. I made a cake--new recipe to me--it's something I have not been able to do for a long time because the fog makes it hard to understand what I am reading the first five, six, seventeen times. Cut yourself a slice, I'm gonna have a cup of not-supposed-to-be-having coffee with mine. Sometimes, the little things are worth celebrating. 

Apple Cake.jpg

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Congratulations!  This is awesome (and the cake looks good too).  It is funny but your cake reminds me that I first discovered that my meds were helping because I was able to make more varied food for my family (less Domino’s and Chinese takeout) and then I took out baking gadgets that hadn’t seen the light of day in years.  Doesn’t the brain fog really frustrate you?  I “cheat” now and have one of my kids read me the instructions and help bake and when I get to the point where I can’t remember what to do next, she’ll tell me.  When I’m baking by myself I find that it helps to take out all the ingredients and put them on the table.  Then as I add them to whatever I’m making, I quickly put away each item.  Then I don’t have to ask myself “did I put in the baking soda?” or wind up doing something stupid like putting in the salt twice.  I still have to read things over again and again though.

 

Sometimes I wish I could stay home from work and just cook.  It does wear me out and can be totally exhausting but I notice that if I spend hours in the kitchen I don’t feel that bad overall because I think I wind up doing the perfect combination of sitting a bit, standing up, taking a few steps, sitting down again.  I think it gets the blood flowing just right for me – cutting apples, loading the dishwasher, chopping something – everything sort of in moderation and not too long doing one thing – and if I get overheated, I reach into the freezer and toss an ice pack around my shoulders.  Also, if I’m reading the recipe over again and again I don’t have time to dwell on my issues!

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Thank you HangingBaT.  We were having a big problem too with take-out more often than occasionally. It does help to lay everything out and double check. There is a whole world of few-ingredient recipes that do it well and delicious too.  I can toss raw chicken with any bottle of salad dressing, let it sit for a bit then drain and bake it until it's done. How easy is that!  Throw some spuds or yams into the nuker as a go with and add some fruit or something green to fill out the plate. I can give Hubs a sandwich 24/7 and he's content; sometimes I bake them, sometimes I make cold meat and cheese, sometimes a panini in the sandwich maker. And I love the electric pressure cooker. Sometimes I have problems with slow motility and don't digest well, I've lived on flan and egg custards I've made in the pressure cooker. And I make hard boiled eggs in it too--and they peel better than boiled. 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 5 months later...

How nice to see my cake come to the top. I could use a slice right now, just got up from a nap after shoveling the front walk at 4AM--another big accomplishment. A year ago I couldn't even think about picking up a shovel to help clear out the snowfall. I can dig out my own car. Cut a slice. Celebrate with me. 

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...
21 hours ago, whoami said:

Hahaha, cake is so delicious that people just can't help themselves for some more until there's none remaining!

Do you prefer chocolat flavoured cakes or you like vanilla more?

Currantly, butter and vanilla. This is Hasty Pudding, it is one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten in my life.  It's a new recipe from an old cookbook, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of American Cooking, by the editors of Favorite Recipe Press, 1983. I've been collecting old recipe encyclopedias and I 2764.png❤️ this one. It's very super easy. Took only minutes to make.

Hasty Pudding (listed among raisin recipes)

1 c flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 c melted butter
1/4 c raisins (I used currants)
3/4 c maple syrup

Sift flour, baking powder and salt: add brown sugar. Blend in milk, vanilla and butter; pour into 1-quart buttered casserole. Sprinkle with raisins. Combine syrup and 1/3 c water in saucepan; bring to boil. Pour over batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Yield: 6 servings.

hasty pudding.jpg

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It's a good recipe with its own gooey sauce underneath. I'd like to try it next with orange rind and sub molasses for some of the maple syrup.  Hubs and I are enjoying my new found hobby of making easy food. Simple really is best.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

My adventures in new recipes from old cookbooks continues and I made Basic Drop Cookies last night--easy tweakable recipe, super easy. I used a recipe from King Arthur's 200th Anniversary cookbook, the online version has about twice the chips and nuts than the cookbook recipe. I could take these to a cookie swap or bake sale and hold my head up high. These are more cakey than chewy--like a cross between a cookie and a muffin top--they are superb dunkers. YUM. I made them with the mixer and after chilling measured them out with the ice cream scoop, got 18. Yesterday was my MILs 91st birthday, she got six of them in a box. I'm too generous.

cookies.jpg

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6 hours ago, Janlyn said:

Awesome!  I had to relearn to bake too. I had quite a few flops before I managed to get banana bread correct. 😁

Yummm, banana bread. All my cookies are gone, eaten to the very last crumb. MIL called, she loved them.

I agree with you, it's like learning to cook again. A lot of these old recipes seem like ones I learned in Home Economics back in the early 1970s.  How would you define it? Maybe call it Retro Cooking. Hubs requested vanilla dunkers for the next batch, I guess this one's a make again.

 

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#hippiegrandma Pull up a chair, grab a mug of coffee and have a cookie--I am sorry to hear about your diagnosis but you're in a good place here--people can help you with their experiences so you can get through your own. It's a very good support group. 

 

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