I had officially been unemployed for one week and I was damned if I wasn't going to enjoy my own national holiday. I feel the need to interject a few facts in here:
1. I am originally from Massachusetts.
2. I have been living in the Portland Metro Area of Oregon since October 2008
3. My family is 3000 miles in the opposite direction.
4. I love my family
5. Family=Mom, Dad, Billy & Greg, Susan, Dan, Mike & Drew, and my Nana.
6. Until October 12, 2009, I had never spent my birthday without my family.
7. I am 41
2. I have been living in the Portland Metro Area of Oregon since October 2008
3. My family is 3000 miles in the opposite direction.
4. I love my family
5. Family=Mom, Dad, Billy & Greg, Susan, Dan, Mike & Drew, and my Nana.
6. Until October 12, 2009, I had never spent my birthday without my family.
7. I am 41
I am not a good cook, nor have I ever aspired to be. I am not a baker, but I have had moments where I have obsessed over one recipe until I felt I had perfected it. Most notably an extremely buttery shortbread recipe that originally came from Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts and Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Bars from Betty Crocker. In fact it had been over 12 years since I baked anything...until now.
Back to my birthday...I got myself up early and made a big breakfast. Buttermilk pancakes and bacon. I love bacon, I am a firm believer that Bacon makes everything better. Until recent months I wasn't cooking it much for myself instead I would go to a local pub and find whatever sandwich I could on the menu that included bacon. My favorite instant heart attack is called the "Wilbur" traditionally a burger I always order it sub-chicken. It's served with bacon, cheddar and a fried egg. Fantastic! There will be more about bacon in future posts...for now back to my breakfast and the fact that I burned my bacon. I know this probably looks inedible to most of you but it was one of the most memorable breakfasts of my life. Corny and symbolic of my new found independence.
After breakfast I realized that if I was going to have a cake then I was going to have to make it myself...back east everyone had Monday, October 12th off because Columbus Day is an observed holiday. My family did have a party that day and a cake, I just couldn't attend. My Mom made her traditional birthday call, sang to me and then passed the phone around so I could say "hi" to everyone.
I bought a cake mix the night before but I didn't have a cake pan. I did have a silicone muffin rack thing so I mixed everything up and figured cupcakes would work out better. I failed sort of...the silicone thing didn't allow for an easy pop out of the cupcakes. I ended up slicing the tops off all of them...I had regular and mini. I had a mess left behind of all the perfectly moist bits stuck in the muffin pans so I pryed them all out and filled a bowl. Not sure what to do with the bottoms I focused on the tops. My friend Baret was at my place by now watching me turn my tops into cakewiches. I had store bought chocolate frosting ready to go.
After some laughs at home we headed down the street to a local pub, met up with our friend Charles, had a yummy dinner with my favorite beer and when it was time for dessert the waitress gave us some plates for the consuming of many cakewiches. We hung out long enough for Charles' wife to come over after she got out of work and drank another round. Thank you so much Baret, Charles and Maggie for celebrating with me...and thank YOU for reading.
Take care,
Jeannie aka: The Imperfect Baker
