I have a cavity. Well, actually, I have a filling. Well, actually I have a lot of fillings, but one new one.
I wrote about dental hygiene in a post a couple of months back. And feel I had to get it off my chest that I lost my no cavity check-up streak of a couple of years. I do take pride in my mouth cleansing routine, and feel that I’m pretty disciplined, (I have been ever since I got my braces off at the age of 20). But alas, I went to the dentist last night and got a filling. I am not a fan of the dentist or needles or drills, but the cavity was small, and I didn’t cry or get too anxious. In fact I stayed relativity calm. I gave myself a pat on the back. I gotta keep up my brushing and flossing and mouth washing, though. Or else I’m going to get achey teeth and have to get route canals, which is no fun. Somebody at work also suggested I eat less sweets, but that’s not really the *problem, now is it?
I’m an adult and I live in an adult apartment. I can have Nutella on rice cakes for dinner if I want to. But I’m gonna brush my teeth before I go to bed (after I floss and before I use my fluoride mouthwash).
*I am convinced I have soft teeth that are easily harmed, because I’ve always had lots of little tooth decay issues.
Go brush your teeth.
love, cora
[video]
A couple of weekends ago I went home home and had a baking date with my mother. Originally, we meant to do this Mother’s Day weekend, and while we did have an enjoyable and restful Mommy and Cora weekend, we both were a bit under the weather at that time.
Anyway, pictured above is a mess made by (surprisingly enough… not me) my mom. She wanted to bake this bread that she refers to as a Sally Lunn. However, upon looking up a Sally Lunn (when we at first couldn’t find her recipe), that is not what we made. I’ve always thought of my mom as more of a cook than a baker. Although I do have memories of homemade gingerbread houses and one specific memory of making a Sally Lunn… or what I’m renaming “Mamma’s bread” with one of my best friends from elementary school.
Also, Tyler made some jam. I tried to have some the other day, but I couldn’t open the lid and the boy wasn’t around.
I really want to get into canning and jarring and jams and jellies and things.
Strawberry and Rhubarb Frankenpie
by Cora and Tyler
I used this great website to figure out how to make the lattice top. I highly recommend it. The pictures and instructions are very helpful and clear.
(it’s a theater thing. right? someone please tell me I’m not making that up)
Last week I baked in my old apartment for the last time. Well, maybe not the last time, that kitchen is just upstairs and maybe I’ll have a crazy baking project where I need 2 ovens and my old roommate will be okay with it, but that’s beside the point. It was the last time that I baked there while it was the kitchen to the apartment that I lived in.
Tyler and I made another collaborative pie with rhubarb from his parents garden.
He worked on the filling and I made the crust. I didn’t have my simple pie dough recipe, because I put all my baking books in a box and the book with the recipe was at the bottom so I googled a simple pie dough and kind of improvised from there.
I couldn’t fully remember what I was supposed to do… making the dough by hand, what it was supposed to feel like, etc. (only having experience making 2 or 3 pies before) It was really warm in the kitchen, too, so that also played a factor in what I was calling our FRANKENPIE!
But that’s okay, because nobody sees that once the filling is in. I also wanted to try to make a lattice top (a first for me), and the dough was a little finicky for that too.
However, the pie made it into the oven fine, and despite it’s messiness, it came out tasting great!
I have much to update about. I’m not going to even say I’ve been super busy lately, because I always say that. There’s always lots going on, I’m generally all over the place. I have had a little time to bake, which I’m happy about. Last week, Tyler and I made a pie and over the weekend I went home home and my mom and I baked and I’ll get to all that in later posts… But now, for the big news…
I’m moving. I’m actually right in the middle of moving… half of my belongings in my new apartment and half in the old one. Lots of stuff on the floor.
While moving is kind of annoying, and I get kind of overwhelmed and have lots of mini freak outs, I like the opportunity to reorganize and start fresh. Also, I’m actually only moving downstairs in my building. I lived with Brittany (landlord, roommate, friend, comedienne, all around fabulous lady) for over 2 years and it’s been great and I loved that kitchen, but the apartment downstairs became available and Tyler and I decided not to pass it up (Yeah, big girl things. crazy) I’ve never had my own place before, a whole apartment that’s all mine (well, and Tyler’s). It’s an easier move for me since I just have to walk down the stairs and Tyler’s old apartment isn’t too far. I’m so glad I still get to be a puppy aunt and my friend is taking my old room and she also has a dog so I can continue to get the perks of living with dogs without having the full responsibility.
Anyway, per usual, I’m rambling.
Here are some pictures of the kitchen pre-move in.
There’s no dishwasher and minimal countertop space, which kinda stinks, but there’s a ceiling fan, portable counters, and tons of built in storage in the two, yes two, pantries and it’s absolutely lovely and we’re going to make it work and I will post pictures after we’re all settled.
I talked about this once before. My weekly (really, bi-weekly) practice of taking a bath and reading to no sound but the piggy kitchen timer.
I left work early today because I got sick. I haven’t missed school all year because of sickness, until today, but something is not settled in my tummy and my body is not very happy right now. When I got home I slept for a couple of hours and took a bath and showered and now I’m back in bed. I am wearing my floral stretchies, drinking Pocari Sweat* and thinking about eating bread.
Most of my reading is done on my Kindle, but I don’t dare take that in the bath, so with the exception of Confessions of a French Baker, I often read Martha Stewart Living. I subscribe to minimal blogs, rarely read newspapers or fashion magazines, barely keep up with TV shows I like, but I subscribe to Martha Stewart Living and read it from cover to cover, every month.
(not the current, but a recent issue)
I like crafts, and baking (obviously) and organization, and entertaining and design. It’s kind of a guilty pleasure, but not really because I’m not ashamed. This month’s issue has a whole bunch of stuff on berries, I’m pretty excited.
*Pocari Sweat is a Japanese sports drink that often comes in powder and I often choose it over Gatorade to get back what I lost.
Anonymous asked: I need some help and I thought I would come to you since you love to bake and have been taking classes. I'm an amateur cupcake maker and I'm running into difficulties with frosting. I'd like to accomplish the beautiful and fancy peaks and swirls like you so often see on cupcakes, but when I try to do it it always flattens out. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. Can you help me?
Oo! someone asking me for advice?! So exciting.
Sorry I haven’t responded to this sooner. I have had my troubles with frosting in the past (and will probably have them again), so do not fret. However, your flat frosting could be due to a number of things: temperature of the room, temperature of the ingredients, and what I’ve been finding a big factor, the recipe. If it says room temperature, it needs to be room temperature (this goes for more than just frosting.) For a while I wasn’t happy with the way my cream cheese frosting was coming out, tasty, but usually runny. I’d see it behind glass at bakeries and wondered how it looks so much nicer. Then I tried a different recipe, and now my cream cheese frosting stays where I put it when I pipe it out.
I hope that answered your question. I hope to post my new favorite cream cheese frosting recipe soon.
[video]