Steven Harper's Blog, page 65
May 23, 2018
Cake and Mirrors
I'm a terrible cake decorator. Awful. World-class dreadful. I can make a delicious gourmet cake so good that a single forkful will make you swear you just had sex with a angel. But the moment the frosting comes out--wham! It lumps and slides and gloops under my spatula, and any three-year-old can write better with colored frosting than I can. Hell, I worked in a freakin' BAKERY for a year, and still couldn't master basic cake lettering. That tells you how awful I am. Eat the cake, but close your eyes first.
I came to terms with this awful limitation long ago and thought I was good with it. Then I came across mirror glaze (sometimes called mirror cake). It's a glaze made with condensed milk, white chocolate, and gelatin that you pour over a frozen cake. It hardens into a smooth, shiny surface that is easy to manipulate with an offset spatula into lovely designs. Google it. Very easy to find.
I watched a few videos of this phenomenon and got weirdly excited about it, like I'd found a treasure chest in the garage. My main thought was "Holy shit! I could actually =do= that!"
And right now, I'm between major writing projects, so my afternoons and evenings are free.
So I headed to the store with a grocery list.
Since this is the learning and experimental stage, I wanted to run through a bunch of these. To that end, it would be better to use box mixes for the cake part, rather than make a bunch of cakes from scratch. Box mixes generally taste bland, but I'm more interested in the glazing process and the final look than in the taste. I chose a red velvet and a lemon. Mirror cakes usually have one layer, so this would give me four cakes to work with.
Mirror cakes are always frozen before the glazing process, and they're often encased in mousse. But mousse takes a lot of whipping cream, which is expensive, so I got ingredients for one batch of mousse. The other three cakes I would glaze naked. :)
This was yesterday. Today, I mixed the cake batter and poured them into parchment-lined pans so there was no risk of breakage when they came out. While they baked and cooled, I whisked eggs and sugar and hot cream and white chocolate and vanilla into a mousse, which I refrigerated. When everything was cool, I lined a springform pan with a layer of creamy mousse, set on it one of the chocolate cakes, and covered it all over with more mousse. This went into the freezer, along with the bare cakes to chill and harden overnight.
Tomorrow we'll try the actual glazing. Watch this space!
comments
I came to terms with this awful limitation long ago and thought I was good with it. Then I came across mirror glaze (sometimes called mirror cake). It's a glaze made with condensed milk, white chocolate, and gelatin that you pour over a frozen cake. It hardens into a smooth, shiny surface that is easy to manipulate with an offset spatula into lovely designs. Google it. Very easy to find.
I watched a few videos of this phenomenon and got weirdly excited about it, like I'd found a treasure chest in the garage. My main thought was "Holy shit! I could actually =do= that!"
And right now, I'm between major writing projects, so my afternoons and evenings are free.
So I headed to the store with a grocery list.
Since this is the learning and experimental stage, I wanted to run through a bunch of these. To that end, it would be better to use box mixes for the cake part, rather than make a bunch of cakes from scratch. Box mixes generally taste bland, but I'm more interested in the glazing process and the final look than in the taste. I chose a red velvet and a lemon. Mirror cakes usually have one layer, so this would give me four cakes to work with.
Mirror cakes are always frozen before the glazing process, and they're often encased in mousse. But mousse takes a lot of whipping cream, which is expensive, so I got ingredients for one batch of mousse. The other three cakes I would glaze naked. :)
This was yesterday. Today, I mixed the cake batter and poured them into parchment-lined pans so there was no risk of breakage when they came out. While they baked and cooled, I whisked eggs and sugar and hot cream and white chocolate and vanilla into a mousse, which I refrigerated. When everything was cool, I lined a springform pan with a layer of creamy mousse, set on it one of the chocolate cakes, and covered it all over with more mousse. This went into the freezer, along with the bare cakes to chill and harden overnight.
Tomorrow we'll try the actual glazing. Watch this space!
comments
May 22, 2018
Run Away, Little Boy
A few minutes ago, I saw coming up my drive a Fresh-Faced Boy. He looked to be about 19, and was wearing a freshly-pressed pastel shirt. When he got to the door, I opened it to see what he wanted.
"Hi!" said the Fresh-Faced Boy. "My name is Michael ____, and I'm campaigning for [name redacted]. He's running for representative."
I glanced down at the flyer he handed me:
Pro-Life
Pro-Church
Pro-Right to Work
Pro--
Michael continued, "[name redacted] is working on a platform to--"
"Sorry," I interrupted, and handed him the flyer back. "I'm gay, and your party has nothing to offer me. Thank you." A number of nastier things occurred to me, but I didn't say them. Instead, I shut the door on his, "Okay."
The FFB is now walking about the neighborhood, handing out more flyers.
comments
"Hi!" said the Fresh-Faced Boy. "My name is Michael ____, and I'm campaigning for [name redacted]. He's running for representative."
I glanced down at the flyer he handed me:
Pro-Life
Pro-Church
Pro-Right to Work
Pro--
Michael continued, "[name redacted] is working on a platform to--"
"Sorry," I interrupted, and handed him the flyer back. "I'm gay, and your party has nothing to offer me. Thank you." A number of nastier things occurred to me, but I didn't say them. Instead, I shut the door on his, "Okay."
The FFB is now walking about the neighborhood, handing out more flyers.
comments
May 19, 2018
Roast Lamb, With Flowers
I hate gardening the way Donald Trump hates being president. He knows what he has to do, but I hates doing it and avoids it as much as possible.
But I like the way the house looks when it's surrounded by flowers. What to do, what to do? Why, pay someone else to do it!
So every year after the fear of frost lifts, I go out and buy a carload of hanging baskets to put outside. The front porch, which becomes my office in the summer, always gets done up first. The main challenge is that the front porch faces north. This makes it cool and shady for summertime writing, but it's hell on plants.
Today, I drove around town, searching through various garden spots. Prices have gone up since last year, by about $3 per basket! I found deep red impatiens at one place, and some gold ones in another. Impatiens are good in the shade, so I bought a whole bunch.
I also stopped at the local butcher shop. It's an old-fashioned meat shop with three different counters, a deli, and a grocery section dedicated to helping you cook meat. The place is always packed, and I was glad I got in there before noon, when the traffic really picks up. As it was, there was barely any floor space. "Only" six people were in line ahead of me, and the counter workers were rushing about, gathering meat, weighing it, and tearing butcher paper to wrap it all in.
I spent my waiting time deciding what I wanted. In the lamb section, I noticed a boneless roast that had been cut in half. Perfect! A full roast is too much for our little household, but butchers are always reluctant to chop up roasts. Someone had gotten here first and done the persuasion for me. When my turn came, I snapped it up.
Back home, I hung the baskets on the front porch and pulled off the price tags. Ta da! Nice, garden-y feel in my summer office with minimal actual gardening.
In the kitchen, I scored the lamb and smeared it with a combination of minced garlic, kosher salt, and olive oil, then put it into the oven while Darwin and I went for a little walk in the delightful spring air. Lilacs!
We got back, and the roast was nearly done. I threw together a rice-tomato pilaf and a spring fruit salad of strawberries and bananas. The lamb came out crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, with a hint of garlic in the meat. Delicious!
comments
But I like the way the house looks when it's surrounded by flowers. What to do, what to do? Why, pay someone else to do it!
So every year after the fear of frost lifts, I go out and buy a carload of hanging baskets to put outside. The front porch, which becomes my office in the summer, always gets done up first. The main challenge is that the front porch faces north. This makes it cool and shady for summertime writing, but it's hell on plants.
Today, I drove around town, searching through various garden spots. Prices have gone up since last year, by about $3 per basket! I found deep red impatiens at one place, and some gold ones in another. Impatiens are good in the shade, so I bought a whole bunch.
I also stopped at the local butcher shop. It's an old-fashioned meat shop with three different counters, a deli, and a grocery section dedicated to helping you cook meat. The place is always packed, and I was glad I got in there before noon, when the traffic really picks up. As it was, there was barely any floor space. "Only" six people were in line ahead of me, and the counter workers were rushing about, gathering meat, weighing it, and tearing butcher paper to wrap it all in.
I spent my waiting time deciding what I wanted. In the lamb section, I noticed a boneless roast that had been cut in half. Perfect! A full roast is too much for our little household, but butchers are always reluctant to chop up roasts. Someone had gotten here first and done the persuasion for me. When my turn came, I snapped it up.
Back home, I hung the baskets on the front porch and pulled off the price tags. Ta da! Nice, garden-y feel in my summer office with minimal actual gardening.
In the kitchen, I scored the lamb and smeared it with a combination of minced garlic, kosher salt, and olive oil, then put it into the oven while Darwin and I went for a little walk in the delightful spring air. Lilacs!
We got back, and the roast was nearly done. I threw together a rice-tomato pilaf and a spring fruit salad of strawberries and bananas. The lamb came out crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, with a hint of garlic in the meat. Delicious!
comments
May 15, 2018
Turtles All the Way Down
Southeast Michigan has snapping turtles. Big ones. The size of a bike tire. My house is near a big, muddy pond, and we absolutely don't go wading in it. Why? Today, I found this stumping through my back yard:
It's a tank with a temper and a beak.
It was crawling with determination away from the pond and deeper into the subdivision. Any number of my neighbors freak out at the sight of animals (any time someone sights a coyote, they sound the alarm on the community bulletin board), so this one probably wouldn't survive long away from home.
I put on some leather gloves, got a big bucket, and went out to retrieve it. I stayed safely behind it and set the bucket down in front of it so it could crawl in, if it had a mind. Ho ho ho! The turtle snapped at the plastic several times with lightning speed. From the rear, I flipped it into the bucket with my gloves on. Oh, it was upset! It struck at the bucket several times. But it couldn't do anything.
Then I simply hauled it to the swamp and tipped it out. It came out upside-down, so I used the bucket to nudge it upright again. No way was I going to grab it, even with gloves! It sat on the shore of the pond, glaring at me. What, no thank you? I left it there, and when I went back to check an few minutes later, it was gone.
My good deed for the day.
https://www.facebook.com/steven.pizik...
comments
It's a tank with a temper and a beak.
It was crawling with determination away from the pond and deeper into the subdivision. Any number of my neighbors freak out at the sight of animals (any time someone sights a coyote, they sound the alarm on the community bulletin board), so this one probably wouldn't survive long away from home.
I put on some leather gloves, got a big bucket, and went out to retrieve it. I stayed safely behind it and set the bucket down in front of it so it could crawl in, if it had a mind. Ho ho ho! The turtle snapped at the plastic several times with lightning speed. From the rear, I flipped it into the bucket with my gloves on. Oh, it was upset! It struck at the bucket several times. But it couldn't do anything.
Then I simply hauled it to the swamp and tipped it out. It came out upside-down, so I used the bucket to nudge it upright again. No way was I going to grab it, even with gloves! It sat on the shore of the pond, glaring at me. What, no thank you? I left it there, and when I went back to check an few minutes later, it was gone.
My good deed for the day.
https://www.facebook.com/steven.pizik...
comments
May 14, 2018
Are You Angry LOL?
Look, folks, when you're pissed off, angry, or furious, don't use the following words when you post about it:
grumblegrumpsnortlolshame
These instantly turn your post into a whine or minor complaint. Notice:
"I just learned the GOP in Oklahoma passed the strictest anti-choice law in history. Grump grump."
or
"A terrorist in Las Vegas shot and killed more than a dozen people. Shame!"
Notice that the posts look like someone's kidding, or not really angry at all. "Shame" is the biggest culprit. "Shame" is for pets who mess on the rug, not for murderers and Republicans.
Words to use instead include:
furiousangryhorrifiedenragedincensedlividshocked
As in:
"I just learned the GOP in Oklahoma passed the strictest anti-choice law in history. I'm livid and horrified!"
or
"A terrorist in Las Vegas shot and killed more than a dozen people. I'm shocked and furious."
Don't make fun of your own anger. Use the right word and take back your power.
comments
grumblegrumpsnortlolshame
These instantly turn your post into a whine or minor complaint. Notice:
"I just learned the GOP in Oklahoma passed the strictest anti-choice law in history. Grump grump."
or
"A terrorist in Las Vegas shot and killed more than a dozen people. Shame!"
Notice that the posts look like someone's kidding, or not really angry at all. "Shame" is the biggest culprit. "Shame" is for pets who mess on the rug, not for murderers and Republicans.
Words to use instead include:
furiousangryhorrifiedenragedincensedlividshocked
As in:
"I just learned the GOP in Oklahoma passed the strictest anti-choice law in history. I'm livid and horrified!"
or
"A terrorist in Las Vegas shot and killed more than a dozen people. I'm shocked and furious."
Don't make fun of your own anger. Use the right word and take back your power.
comments
May 13, 2018
Mother's Day 2018
For Mother's Day this year, my siblings (and one sibling-in-law) and I trooped up to my mother's house in the Land of Farms and Windmills, Michigan. We had a delightful barbecue filled with unexpectedly tasty vegan dishes. Brother-in-law Bill sang an original song that made everyone cry. My mother had a great time:
Afterward, we played croquet. (This is a seriously competitive game within our little family.) Mom was in the house when we started, and she came outside to play two turns behind everyone else. She came up from behind and destroyed everyone to win handily.
It was a delightful way to spend Mother's Day.
comments
Afterward, we played croquet. (This is a seriously competitive game within our little family.) Mom was in the house when we started, and she came outside to play two turns behind everyone else. She came up from behind and destroyed everyone to win handily.
It was a delightful way to spend Mother's Day.
comments
May 10, 2018
Winding Down
The heavy lifting for the school year is over for me. I finished grading my freshmen research papers, and I read/critiqued the scripts for all my seniors in their senior project. The seniors have to present their video projects, but those are easy to grade, since I do it during the showing in class. No big stack of papers to wade through!
My lesson plans are completed through the end of the year.
My seniors have two weeks left, and they're getting more and more restless, though we've had some great conversations about Ibsen's A DOLL'S HOUSE.
The year is winding down.
comments
My lesson plans are completed through the end of the year.
My seniors have two weeks left, and they're getting more and more restless, though we've had some great conversations about Ibsen's A DOLL'S HOUSE.
The year is winding down.
comments
Rockin' the School
I avoid mentioning the name of the school and district where I teach, but this time I can't. Check this out. It was just published today:
https://www.usnews.com/…/walled-lake-northern-high-school-1…
Walled Lake Northern was awarded a silver medal in US News and World Report's ranking of US schools.
Northern rated #22 of all schools in Michigan and #883 in the nation. (!!)
This may not sound impressive at first glance (everyone focuses so much on #1). However, Michigan has 1,572 public and private high schools. This puts Northern in the top 1.5%. USN ranked about 20,500 public and private high schools. This puts Northern in the top 4.5%.
Add in the fact that Newsweek included magnate and international baccalaureate schools in their examination, and the results are even more impressive.
I take full credit. No, seriously--this happened because of the teachers. I've learned that when you're in teaching, you get blamed when things go wrong, and expect the students to get the credit when things go right. I'm not doing that. This is because of the teachers--and don't forget it.
Go us!
comments
May 1, 2018
Hummers! Come and Get It!
As part of the Beltaine prep, Max and I put up the hummingbird feeders. I boiled syrup for them last night, so it was cool this morning. We cleaned out the feeders, filled them with ruby-red syrup, and hung them outside. Time to eat!
comments
comments
Beltaine, 2018
It's Beltaine! May Day! Summer is here! (For us Pagans, summer starts in May, and Litha--Solstice--is mid-summer. Makes rather more sense than saying summer starts in late June!)
Today Max and I took school/work off. We slept in a little, then started the day with pancakes and sausage, our favorite breakfast. Generous bowls of chocolates and other treats were sitting on the sideboard--Beltaine is a decadence holiday, among other things.
After that, we set the house for summer. This involved blowing debris from the deck and porch and the outdoor altar, and hosing everything off. We also set up the deck furniture. Then we remulched the altar area and brought out the materials--the big Goddess statues, the metal stag, the Green Man sundial, the stone from Ireland, the conch shell, and a mess of candles. We set it all up in a trice and were ready to go!
The weather, by the way, is perfect. 70s and heading for the 80s, slight breeze, beautiful sunny sky. (Last year was rainy and cold.) It was fantastic to be outside in it!
Later, toward sunset, we'll barbecue some burgers and hold a ritual at the newly redone altar. Joyous Beltaine!
comments
Today Max and I took school/work off. We slept in a little, then started the day with pancakes and sausage, our favorite breakfast. Generous bowls of chocolates and other treats were sitting on the sideboard--Beltaine is a decadence holiday, among other things.
After that, we set the house for summer. This involved blowing debris from the deck and porch and the outdoor altar, and hosing everything off. We also set up the deck furniture. Then we remulched the altar area and brought out the materials--the big Goddess statues, the metal stag, the Green Man sundial, the stone from Ireland, the conch shell, and a mess of candles. We set it all up in a trice and were ready to go!
The weather, by the way, is perfect. 70s and heading for the 80s, slight breeze, beautiful sunny sky. (Last year was rainy and cold.) It was fantastic to be outside in it!
Later, toward sunset, we'll barbecue some burgers and hold a ritual at the newly redone altar. Joyous Beltaine!
comments
