BEST FROSTING EVER. EVER. (For cakes) EVER

Side by side view of the miracle frosting at work.

I should not have been frosting that cake at three in the morning. Maybe them it would have taken me less than 10 minutes to realize that I didn't really need to go to the store for orange, 'cuz I had yellow and red and mixing the two would give me orange. Sorry people, I'm a leettle slow.

Red frosting. Chiltons is the best, they have stuff that is thicker than the liquid food coloring you can buy at the grogery store-and remember, a little bit goes a long way! Except for the red-that took two bottles.

Big mess.

Finished product. Actually tasted good. People said so. And they consumed it.

Ingredients

8 egg whites

13 ounces (by weight!) of sugar (regular, NOT powdered)

1 pound of butter at room temp

1/4 cup margerine at room temp

1 teaspoon vanilla

food coloring as needed

Procedures

1. Take, 8 egg whites and 13 ounces (by weight-I know, you need a scale, this would be the excuse you need to get one) and place in a double boiler.

2. Heat and stir constantly until mixture reaches 140 degrees.

3. Transfer to a stand mixer and mix until you get stiff peaks (I used a hand mixer-took for-ever) and mixture reaches room temprature.

* If the mixure is still too warm, and you are using a stand mixer, use ice on the side of the bowl to cool the stuff off-if using a hand mixer, like I was, place the bowl with the frosting in a bigger bowl with a little bit of water and ice. As you mix with your hand mixer, let go of the bowl and it will spin in the ice water and cool itself right down.

4. have 1 pound of butter and 1/4 cup of margarine at room temprature ready. As you are mixing your high stiff peaks, slowly add the butter/margerine, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. If it is still too runny, it is still too warm.

5. As you finish adding the fat, the mixture will stiffen up and look just like frosting. At this point, it is ready for use.

Sweet Cilantro Rice

the pictures are out of order because the internet stinks, but we can work through this together. this picture is of the finished product, which i remembered to photograph before i devoured it all.

ingrediants:

one bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped (minus the stems)

one half of an onion, chopped

olive oil or butter, for sautee purposes

1/3 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups of chicken broth

1 1/3 cups rice

procedure:

1. heat rice pot to medium and sautee onion with olive oil or butter until onions are opaque

2. add chopped cilantro, for a minute or so

3. add rice and sautee for 3-5 minutes

4. add chicken broth and sugar

5. bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes

6. enjoy the best sweet rice ever!

everything is done in thirds of a cup, except for the chicken broth. lately i've been adding an extra third cup of rice and 2 cans of chicken broth, because 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth leaves my with half a can of broth. i should probably increase the sugar, too.

rice and sugar. pure magic!

Bran Muffins

This recipe makes a lot of batter. It stores in the refridgerator for up to 6 weeks. I make it in my big tupperware bowl with a lid.

6 cups fiber one cereal (1 1/2 sleeves)
2 cups boiling water
combine and put aside

1 cup butter, soft
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
mix together in large bowl

1 quart buttermilk

5 cups flour
5 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
mix together

Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk to butter sugar mixture. Keeping it moist at all times. Once you have combined all buttermilk and flour add fiber one that has absorbed all of the water. Mix together well. Put in ungreased (teflon coated) muffin tins. Bake 400 degrees 18-20 min for regular muffin tin and 12-14 min for mini muffin tin. Great for a quick, hot breakfast.