DH was working last night so I went simple with dinner. I made the all-American classic Green Bean Casserole with fresh green beans I bought at the farmer’s market. Even with just 4 ingredients (canned mushroom soup, French’s fried onions, milk, and beans), I flubbed up by adding too much milk and it ended up being a little soupy. Regardless, DS ate it all…green beans and crunchies!
I also made 2 dozen cupcakes to share with DS’ class for his birthday. I even bought new tins! I did not, however, make them from scratch. Yes, I bought a Duncan Hines cake mix. I did not have the 3 eggs it called for so I threw in some substitutions. I used 1/3 cup of oil, 1 egg, 1 cup of yogurt (we only had lowfat…ew), and 1 1/4 cup of water. It turned out a little spongy, but very very moist. Not sure what the texture would’ve been like if I had followed the directions. I haven’t used cake mix in years! I topped each one of those cupcakes with, you got it, Duncan Hines “whipped” frosting and multi-colored sprinkles. I think it’s time for detox!
This post almost serves as a confessional. I used to be such a purist about making things from scratch especially after taking an intense 12 or 14 week course in French cuisine at the French Culinary Institute where we made veal stock from scratch and butchered whole chickens. I took this class almost 10 years ago. Obviously, I’ve eased my standards and have no qualms (almost none) about using ingredients in nice little boxes and packages. It’s all about time management, my friends, time management. I can’t afford to spend all day making a berry chantilly cake from scratch a la Martha, but then again you won’t catch me pulling a Rachel Ray 30-minute meal. I have to maintain some standards.
it's just reality. not everything has to be made from scratch to taste good. one of my favorite, "in a pinch" potluck desserts starts with a cake mix, then adds lots of yumminess for moistness and depth. i say, sometimes, it's just as good!
In my case, baking cake from scratch never turns out really tasty. I made white cake once and it turned out beige and as dry as the Sahara.