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Chocolate Cake I love baking pies and rolls but I especially like baking birthday cakes. (It means there’s a party coming.) My birthday is November 15th, and my sister Patti’s birthday is the 21st, just six days later. My sisters Theresa and Nacy also have birthdays one week apart in March. I’ve often wondered why our birthdays were not celebrated on the same day with just one cake. Mom’s birthday was November 6th, and dads was the 8th. Each year, we celebrated their birthdays together on the 7th. I have fond memories of those days, baking one cake to share for both birthdays. That gave me an idea for this year. My daughter Sydney’s birthday is October 3rd, and her boyfriend John’s is nine days later. I could bake one cake to celebrate their birthdays together as well. So that’s what I did; I baked one chocolate cake for them to share on October 7th. But this was no ordinary chocolate cake; it’s far and away the best chocolate cake ever! Unfortunately, I cannot take credit for the recipe; well, I can’t take full credit. The recipe is Hershey’s “Perfectly (Just the Other Day cont’d on pg 4)
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The Daily Routine Living close to nature as my wife and I do, we pay attention to wildlife around us on a daily basis. Some things happen as a matter of routine, such as the deer eating acorns in the front yard or a flock of turkeys making their morning trek across the dam, eating grasshoppers along the way. Things such as this become a normal part of our daily routine. Occasionally, something out of the ordinary happens that grabs our attention. Around the first of September, a lone swan flew into our lake. This was unusual in two ways. The swans have never started migrating this early before and I have never seen just one swan. Swans mate for life so they always have at least one other swan with them and more often, they will have three or four or ful out there by itself. beavers usually block five young with them. Another recent unusual the entrance, but I could We decided something development entails the not tell if it was blocked must have happened to overflow tube for the further in without crawlits mate. It swam around lake. This is a cement ing down the pipe. I will by itself looking lonely. pipe about thirty-six admit to having a bit of About a week ago, a inches in diameter that claustrophobia giving family of swans flew in. drains excess water me pause about goThere were two adults from the lake. When ing in, but I was more and three cygnets from water is flowing out of concerned a beaver this year. We thought the pipe, we have had might be in there. I can our lonesome swan problems with beavers just imagine crawling would join up with them plugging the first four or a hundred feet on my to go out and feed or five feet, so their lake hands and knees and continue migration when does not go dry. It is a coming face to face the time came. This was pain keeping it open and with a beaver. I am sure not to be. When the lone there have been sevneither one of us would swan would get near eral conversations with be pleased. I know I can the family of five, one or the beavers over the not crawl backwards as both of the adults would years. Because of the fast as would be neceschase it off. The family dry weather this year, no sary. I thought about will usually leave during water has been running rolling a bowling ball the day to go feed in the out of the tube, so the down the tube to see if local corn fields. Only beavers have not both- was clear but thought once have I seen our ered to plug it. About if the beaver had filled loner go with them. He a week ago, I noticed the tube farther down apparently did not eat tracks going from the with sticks and mud, we with them as he came receded water into the would have a bowling back a couple of hours culvert. I got down on ball added to the plug. before the rest of them my hands and knees At this point, the beaver did. We are hoping, and peered into the and I are at a standoff when large numbers of dark hole that extends until I come up with answans stop by on their through the dam. It is other plan. migration, our lonesome about one-hundred and A person never knows swan will be able to join fifty feet long and has what the day will bring up with a larger group. I a downward bend to it but there is rarely boream not sure if it will find so a person cannot see dom in our routine. another mate, but we through it. There was no hope so. It is rather piti- mud or sticks where the
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(Just the Other Day cont’d from pg 1)
Chocolate” chocolate cake; I found it online. People often make a few changes to call a recipe their own; that’s what I did: I simply replaced Hershey’s Cocoa with Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa. I also switched the vanilla to Pure Mexican Vanilla. These two changes make a big difference in the taste. I baked the cake for Sydney and John at our house in Silver Bay. This recipe makes the thinnest batter I’ve ever seen. It’s not much thicker than chocolate milk, but somehow it works. After using a rubber spatula, there’s not much for the kids to lick from the bowl. But the buttercream chocolate frosting is another story. There’s always plenty left over for licking in the frosting bowl. Unfortunately, our granddaughters were at home in Duluth when I made the cake – so there was no one to lick to bowl. Nova Mae offered to clean the bowl, but chocolate is not good for dogs, so I told her no. Still, I hated to waste the remaining third cup of frosting. I’m very resourceful, and I came up with another idea.
ney’s cousin, Cassie, commented on the photo: “Enjoy a piece for me.”
My niece’s birthday is also in October, so I replied, “Cassie, I will mail a chocolate cake to you for your birthday.” Being a man of my word, I fully intended to follow through, but mailI scraped the frosting bowl as cleanly as possi- ing a chocolate cake is ble, put the extra frosting not practical. As I said, I am very resourceful. I in a small Rubbermaid sent Cassie her birthday container, and took it to cake. Duluth for the girls. Just before dinner, Syd- Inside an inconspicuous Suave Shampoo box, I ney and John showed packed a Betty Crocker my wife and me someSuper Moist Devil’s Food thing in their backyard. cake mix and a can After a few minutes, I asked, “Where are Addi- of Betty Crocker Rich and Creamy Chocolate son and Evelyn.” Frosting. Since I had promised a cake for her Sydney looked toward birthday, I included a jar the house, rolling her of Clover Valley Rainbow eyes, “They’re in the kitchen.” I looked through Sprinkles for decorating. I also sent a ten-pack of the window on the back birthday candles. (Cassie door. Inside the kitchen were two little girls stand- was turning thirty-five years old. I wanted to ing with their fingers knuckles deep in a small help celebrate her birthday, but Lord knows I bowl; each had frosting all over their fingers and didn’t want to be responhands and a ring around sible for a house fire!) their mouth. The sight Along with the cake, made my heart happy. I included a card: “Hi Cassie. Here’s the chocI posted a picture of the cake with the extra frost- olate cake I promised for your birthday. A few days ing and scrapped bowl late, but better late than on social media. Just a never! Happy Birthday! few minutes later, Syd-
(Some assembly required.)” I’m still cracking up laughing about that. Speaking of cracking up, I shipped Cassie’s cake from Texas. If I had been home, I would have used my Food-Saver to vacuum-seal three packages: 1) three whole eggs. 2) one-third cup vegetable oil. 3) One cup water. But, since many products today say “batteries not included,” I am sure Cassie would understand. Hindsight is twenty-twenty. Speaking of hindsight, Sydney’s birthday was October 3rd, my brother Gerard’s the 7th, Cassie’s the 11th, John’s the 12th, and Melissa’s Dad’s birthday was the 18th. I’m sure I could come up with more October birthdays! I could have made one birthday cake to cover them all. But what fun would that be? I am resourceful. I should have made two small cakes for Sydney and John. Everyone else should have their own cake; after all, I like baking, especially birthday cakes; It means there’s a party coming up.
OCTOBER 25, 2023