The Best Laid Plans of Mice & Men
OK, today is my oldest daughter's 18th birthday. For the past several days my mind has been filled with visions of the "perfect" birthday celebration for an 18-year-old. This special day's festivities included a delicious, scrumptious, and yes, beautiful chocolate cake. It would be a simple, round, two-layer cake with dark and glossy frosting swirled in luscious swirls over it's surface.
In order to guarantee today's success, I typed out assignment sheets and arranged schedules yesterday afternoon. Floors were swept, rooms tidied, and a breakfast casserole was fixed in advance. (That's a momentuous thing around here) Well, right away this morning we were off schedule. No problem, I am going to remain calm. Don't want to ruin my baby's big day. Schedules were modified. On to the cake--a deliciously beautiful chocolate cake with dark, glossy swirls. A recipe was chosen, Grandma's Chocolate Cake. The batter was prepared and the frosting was made while the cake baked. I did wonder about the instructions that the frosting should be applied while the cake was warm, but hey, I can ignore those warning nudges as well as anyone. It was going to be delicious, remember? OK, time to check the cake. "Uh, mom, is the cake supposed to look like this?" inquired my 13-year-old helper. "No, it's not. Something made it fall." Another nudge ignored.
I'll cut to the chase. Turns out the recipe was a recipe for "Grandma's Chocolate Sheet Cake". Isn't it amazing how much difference one little word makes? Finally, I admitted defeat. The cake was NOT coming out of the baking pans. I frosted it warm--in the pans and modified schedules again to allow for the making of the birthday cake with dark, glossy swirls this afternoon instead. Everything was fine, no worries. However, the cake was a topic of conversation at the lunch table as we devoured it's chocolate goodness. Once more, I explained the problem. My 16-year-old son mentioned that it wasn't too bad except for the nuts. After being informed that the cake did not contain any nuts, same son incredulously asked "What?! What were those crunchy things then?" "It's the frosting" I replied.
A large eruption of laughter ensued, and even as I type, (which I immediately ran to the computer to do) we are still laughing about the "crunchy things" and I am wondering...do I really want to try and make that delicious, chocolate cake with the dark, glossy swirls? Maybe some cupcakes would be a more elegant approach. They are after all the "latest" trend going. Yeah, I know. I'll try the cake again. Well...if I can get that "wonderfully moist" first attempt out of my baking pans that is.
"Many plans are in a man's mind, but it is the Lord's purpose for him that will stand." Proverbs 19:21
In order to guarantee today's success, I typed out assignment sheets and arranged schedules yesterday afternoon. Floors were swept, rooms tidied, and a breakfast casserole was fixed in advance. (That's a momentuous thing around here) Well, right away this morning we were off schedule. No problem, I am going to remain calm. Don't want to ruin my baby's big day. Schedules were modified. On to the cake--a deliciously beautiful chocolate cake with dark, glossy swirls. A recipe was chosen, Grandma's Chocolate Cake. The batter was prepared and the frosting was made while the cake baked. I did wonder about the instructions that the frosting should be applied while the cake was warm, but hey, I can ignore those warning nudges as well as anyone. It was going to be delicious, remember? OK, time to check the cake. "Uh, mom, is the cake supposed to look like this?" inquired my 13-year-old helper. "No, it's not. Something made it fall." Another nudge ignored.
I'll cut to the chase. Turns out the recipe was a recipe for "Grandma's Chocolate Sheet Cake". Isn't it amazing how much difference one little word makes? Finally, I admitted defeat. The cake was NOT coming out of the baking pans. I frosted it warm--in the pans and modified schedules again to allow for the making of the birthday cake with dark, glossy swirls this afternoon instead. Everything was fine, no worries. However, the cake was a topic of conversation at the lunch table as we devoured it's chocolate goodness. Once more, I explained the problem. My 16-year-old son mentioned that it wasn't too bad except for the nuts. After being informed that the cake did not contain any nuts, same son incredulously asked "What?! What were those crunchy things then?" "It's the frosting" I replied.
A large eruption of laughter ensued, and even as I type, (which I immediately ran to the computer to do) we are still laughing about the "crunchy things" and I am wondering...do I really want to try and make that delicious, chocolate cake with the dark, glossy swirls? Maybe some cupcakes would be a more elegant approach. They are after all the "latest" trend going. Yeah, I know. I'll try the cake again. Well...if I can get that "wonderfully moist" first attempt out of my baking pans that is.
"Many plans are in a man's mind, but it is the Lord's purpose for him that will stand." Proverbs 19:21