LaurenandLloyd.com

where our wasted time becomes your wasted time

cake

Successful Quest

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I like that Brad calls looking for something a ‘quest’. It sounds so much more noble than ‘dorking around Lincoln looking for cake mix’.

While Lloyd was at choir today, I drove around looking for a grocery store that carries Jiffy Devil’s Food cake mix. (Every so often I have a hankering for chocolate cake, and my homemade cakes are not reliable.) Every store I’ve visited only has yellow or white, along with their cornbread & muffin mixes. I’ve searched the internet but shipping costs ($17) would be prohibitive, since I’d have to buy a whole case ($21). I went to the Russ’s Market on 27th & Washington – no dice.

Leon’s. It sounds so cool.

On my way to the gigantic Hy-Vee I took some side streets and stumbled upon Leon’s. This place was great! I would have taken pictures inside but I felt foolish. It’s small and homey, but had lots of extravagant foodie items. A sliver of super-aged cheddar cheese was $5 / $22 a pound. Yikes! They had lots of interesting cake mixes from all kinds of specialized companies, but only white and yellow Jiffy mix. I bought a jar of raspberry preserves so I would have a souvenir. This is the real purpose of this post – so I can remember where it is. On South street, turn south on Wintrop, just west of 33rd.

Next stop – the giant Hy-Vee. Same story with the cake mix, but I did get to help a lady who bemoaned to her cell phone, “I’m at the biggest Hy-Vee in the world and I can’t find the bouquet!” Thanks to Beth’s post, I knew what that was and helped her find it.

Super Saver, nothing. Not even white and yellow cake mix.

On our way out of town, we stopped at that place on Cornhusker right before you hit Highway 34. (I forgot the name.) Score!

Hmmmm…. I should put jam in the cake….

How sad is it that buying cake mix makes me so happy?

Laser Cat

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Laser cat is wishing my Mom a Happy Birthday and so am I!

So does Messy Dining Room

In honor of the day, I give you a poorly-photographed Black Forest Waffle!  Chocolate cake batter in the iron, cherry preserves, and sixteen little poofs of whipped cream.  I think I have a problem.

It did not taste like garlic.

Cut to the chase.

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Ok, the frozen cheesecake in a tiny jar was fun to make, but I’m thinking that I don’t always have the time for those, plus I now have a severe frozen cheesecake addiction. (When we were first married we’d stop off at the Sara Lee store at an outlet mall and I’d eat most of a frozen strawberry cheesecake with Lloyd’s pocketknife. Don’t judge me.)

This came to me right as I was dropping off into a sugar-coma nap, but I’m probably not the first person to come up with this. (But maybe I’m the first one to freeze them! Freezing is key!) I’m sure you could use the ready-made cheesecake filling in a tub, but that stuff frightens me. I mixed half a block of cream cheese, about 2 tablespoons of sugar and somewhere between 1 and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. Then whip 1/3 whipping cream with a tablespoon or two of sugar & fold into the the cream cheese mixture. Spread on half a graham cracker. Spread jam or preserves (but not jelly – – jelly would be gross) on the other half. Sandwich-ize them! Now, if you don’t want the giant mess I had my first try wrapping these, let them set up in the freezer for a half-hour or so.

Yes, that’s a towel. I covered my gross-looking cookie sheet.

Tear off 8 inches of wax paper.

Thank goodness I froze that.

Fold.

Yep, just fold.

Flip.

Does anyone remember Flip Wilson?

Fold in the sides.

Like a burrito.

Like the other side of a burrito.

Flip, yet again.

I need to come up with a way to waste less paper.

Now, FREEZE, scumbag!

I didn’t mean to call you scumbag.

Sweet! A frozen cheesecake sandwich anytime I want! (Um, when’s that high school reunion? I think I have a problem.)

Sick and bored

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I have a sore throat today and feel like a big whiner. Yesterday I slept all afternoon, which resulted in a terrible night’s sleep. So today I’m watching a lot of t.v. while sitting on the floor so I don’t sack out. I also made lunch (tuna casserole) and tried a microwave cake recipe. (Some guy on Food Network was making microwave brownies, but I’m more of a cake person.) Anyway, it turned out ok. It was a little dry, so I guess I’d add more liquids or not zap it for the whole two minutes. If you want to try it, here’s a link.

The recipe is: In a microwave-safe container, mix these ingredients successively: (use a little whisk if you have it) 2 Tbs melted butter, 3 Tbs sugar, 1 egg, 2 Tbs cocoa powder, 2 Tbs flour, 1/8 tsp baking powder. Cover loosely and microwave 2 – 2 1/2 minutes. (I’d try under two minutes, and I added a splash of vanilla. I think I’d add a little milk or a little more butter to moisten it up.)

Quick, but a wee bit dry.