Cake

Everything is better with cake, right?

I finally got a stand mixer after a lot of internal monologue about "deserving" a stand mixer.

The other day I had a hankering for a coconut cake so after some research stumbled on this Rafaello Cake. It uses partly almond flour which I felt a little suspicious of. Would it make the cake dense? I was quite surprised at how light this cake came out.

A little anti climatically, I had the batter ready and turned on the oven to find that my oven wont go beyond 100 degrees. Some yelling and angst later I texted my neighbors and they both agreed to house the cake. I laughed maniacally reading my text to them again, " Can I bake my cake in your oven?".

Following social distancing I dropped of the cake batter pans at their door steps and they dropped it back once cooled on mine.

The cake had coconut custard layer and then coconut swiss meringue buttercream and then just cover it in coconut flakes. PHULLY GOGONUT.

I love the stand mixer so much. Earlier I would have to whip the cream till the cows come home and now its pure magic to stand there and watch it all come together.

Cake was child approved and husband approved, and neighbor approved!!

Life In Quarantine May 2020

This makes it week 8 of quarantine living. Now there is a routine, everyone knows what their role is and everyone is allowed their meltdowns without cause. V, especially, is allowed.

I dont think I ever really thought PMS could be a problem I would have but the last few times bursting into tears for no reason has me thinking otherwise.

Some things have been helpful- like the writing group. Being able to focus on other people's writing and providing comments even though my own submissions have been dismal.

Back in March some of the girls were going to come down for my birthday and it was going to be this thing we all looked forward to. Even a few days before March 16 it felt like it would happen. How fast it all changed and before we knew it flights were cancelled, our staycation was cancelled, our family vacation was the next to go and school was gone and we are all in each others way. This part feels surreal.

In March I also started a new position but was asked to help out with the previous one until May. May is here and I am still doing 2 jobs with no end in sight. Every day I try to think of this as a "blessing". My friends have lost jobs, have had pay cuts, so that drives home further how much I need to consider this a "blessing". Okay.

We found a house, the kind of house that needs small upgrades. I found tiles I would like to put in, colors Id like to paint. The house would be ours contigent on our current place selling. There seems to be no way that this house would sell now. Tiling the staircase risers will have to wait.

So much of life is now in waiting. But isnt it always? This is something A and I used to debate over. He doesnt ever think of life that way. He thinks it should be lived in the now. Whatever that means. For me though its always about waiting for the next thing, the next book, the next show, the next meeting, the next trip. Its always about planning and waiting.