Oops...continuing on...

As I was saying, we'll be having a "winter preview", and I hope you can come watch these amazing ensembles, as they perform their shows at a home setting for the only time this season. We'll also have many yummy baked offerings, proceeds going to benefit the Legends Performing Arts Association.

Speaking of bake sales, a friend of mine had a dessert calamity the other day....and I thought I'd share some tips for that perfectly iced cake.
First, make sure you don't overmix your batter...it can create air pockets which will deflate your cake when removed from the oven. I mix ALL my cakes by hand (no joke!), even wedding cakes. It makes for a more dense cake, and makes them easier to stack, not to mention much more moist!
In the baking process, don't rush your cake! If you take it out of the oven too soon, that will also cause the center to collapse.
When icing a cake, put it in the refrigerator or freezer for a couple of hours first...that will firm the cake up for icing. Next, put a thin layer of icing on your cake straight out of the fridge, then put back in the fridge to set it. This is also called a "crumb coat" and keeps crumbs from getting into the final icing. Then ice (or frost) your cake as you normally would...no crumbs!

Hope to see you this Saturday, 5 p.m., at Parchment Middle School!

It's BAKE SALE time!!

Hi All!
I know it's been a while, but I'm still here, and gearing up for the latest...time for a bake sale!!!
This Saturday, Legends Performing Arts Association will be having a "winter preview" for some of our ensembles! 

Legends Winter Guard Friends and Family Performance.

 www.legendspaa.org

More "Tummy Blankets"...

On the heels of the recipe I shared yesterday, I thought I'd share my recipe for bread pudding...it's yummy, warm, and a way to get rid of those extra doughnuts & pastries that might just be hanging around.
(Yeah, RIGHT! Like THAT'S gonna happen...)

Bread pudding

Leftover doughnuts, pound cake, raisin bread, etc.
1 dz. eggs
1/2 gal. milk
2 C. heavy cream or 1/2 & 1/2 (whichever you have)
2 C. chocolate chips
any dried fruit you may have around
2 t. cinnamon
2 t. vanilla
1/2 C. dark rum (optional)

Mix eggs, cream, cinnamon, vanilla, and rum (if you like). Rip pastries into small pieces & put in a greased 9 x  13 pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Pour egg mixture over the top. Bake at 350 for 45 min. or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve with fresh whipped cream.

March...spring?

Well, it will soon be spring again...time for this flippin snow to melt!! Forget about anything else...get rid of all this icy "goodness" that makes for a truly depressing mood!
However, winter is good for comfort food....the kind of food that makes you want to curl up into a blanket & hibernate for 2 weeks after eating it. I LOVE comfort food...and I love making it!
Here is a dish for a breakfast or brunch that can be made the night before and then just throw in the oven & enjoy a lazy weekend morning...enjoy!

Egg Bake-

Any day- old bread you may have sitting around, but Italian or French breads work best.
1 dz. eggs, beaten with 1 C. milk
3 T. butter
1/2 C. diced onions
1/2 C. green peppers
1 lb. bacon, cooked & crumbled
2 C. shredded cheese
salt & pepper to taste (@ 1 t. each)

Break up bread & put into greased 9x13 pan. Saute' onions & peppers in butter until onions are translucent.
Sprinkle onions, peppers, bacon, & 1 C. cheese over bread. Salt & pepper eggs, then pour over bread mixture. top with remaining cheese. Cover w/ foil & refrigerate overnight, or put in 350 degree oven for @ 45 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.