Stacy and her Otis, and me and Her Highness went for a brisk morning walk together. We left here at 8:00 and we got back just after 9:00. Then I got busy with baking the cake I envisaged making for the party, that’s when life turned into a series of disasters. First, I did not like the look of the meringue. It was serviceable, but I was worried about putting it into the cake. I’m going back to regular meringue instead of Italian meringue; or I will practice some more with the Italian variety.
My attention turned to the genoise cake. To be honest, the batter looked iffy as I weighed it so that each of the two cakes would be the same size. If I’d been setting out to invent a new organic rubber, my work might have been considered a success. But as food, it was consigned to the garbage. I was supremely disappointed. However, undaunted, I began another cake and the second cake came out brilliantly.
The most fun was chopping up a bazillion strawberries, and then whipping up some whipping cream mixed with icing sugar and red food colouring. I made a lovely bowl of a beautiful pale pink fluffy confection that I wanted to eat right away, but first I added a lot of mascarpone cheese and then I folded in all the diced strawberries. This concoction will go between the layers of the cake.
Then I made white butter cream with which to undercoat the cake. I layered it on and worked it until it formed a (failry) smooth covering. And then Ron arrived to take Sheba for a walk, and while he was here, Kevin arrived with 2 steel wedges and a maul. While Ron walked Her Highness, Kevin and I chopped wood. Kevin did the hard part, I just supported him by chopping all the pieces he made from the fallen and bucked trees.
We got quite a bit done, but the heavy work broke me. I had a pretty big seizure and had to take a brief rest. Shelly arrived and helped us as well. She helped clear a path from the gate in my fence to the fallen wood. They’re coming back today while their house is open for possible buyers, so we’ll get more wood chopping and toting done.
When they left, I came in and made some red mirror glaze for the cake. But man-oh-man I was tired. I was dragging myself around the kitchen and dreading the party. I just wanted to watch a bit of TV and then to go to bed early. A human wreck carried the cake to the car, then Sheba and I headed for Stacy’s and Nancy’s birthday party.
I had 2 seizures at Stacy’s, and the second one would not end. I left early, after a wonderful, fabulous dinner cooked by Kris and Stacy. I came home and went directly to bed, but the night was horrid. I was kept awake by cramps all night.
I’ve learned something new about this condition; I have vey limited endurance. If I push myself too hard, as I do at fitness and as I did yesterday chopping and hauling the wood, I become too overwhelmed to function properly. I had too much on my plate with the baking and the chopping. I’m going to be more careful about how much I take on in the future.
But I’m into the woodworking today because I have the night to chill with my pets and the television. Oh the joy of reclining by a fire tonight.
Just one photo today; I have a busy day ahead of me.
No comments:
Post a Comment