The Jello Cake.

In times of trouble, I do what most women do - I turn to baked goods. Today I made my husband's favorite cake. I thought he was crazy when he told me about this cake when we first started dating. His mom made it all the time when he was growing up. I though she was crazy for pouring Jello on perfectly good cake until I tried it. It is the perfect summer dessert: cool, light and fresh. Yet it is still cake! Love it.

I have been making this cake for about 10 years now and I have always used box white cake. Since I have been baking a bit more in recent years, I have discovered a cake recipe that was terrible as a plain white cake but perfect for this application. Here is my modified cake recipe (from the Better Homes and Gardens big red checked book of doom) with instructions and pictures of how to turn it into a Jello Cake.

Oven Temp: 350
Time to bake:30-35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

2 cups Bread flour
(it has more protein in it than all purpose so it makes a sturdier cake)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
( you could use shortening for a whiter cake, but why?)
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
4 egg whites
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
( I never had this stuff in the house until I tried Alton Brown's pancakes. We have it all the time now.)

1.Cream butter, sugar and vanilla until well combined. Add in the egg whites and mix for a while - until very smooth. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk. The key is to have a nice smooth batter. If you are using a stand mixer, allow the batter to beat an extra 5 minutes. This is an Alton Brown trick that makes the smoothest, most velvety cakes.
2. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan and bake. Cool appropriately when finished baking.

3. Take a straw and poke holes all over the cake. I know, cake torture. There is an upside - a delicious stream of cake forms in the straw for you to eat when you are done poking it.
4. Make the liquid jello. Any flavor will do. Follow the instructions on the box - usually add a cup of boiling water, stir, stand for 2 minutes, add a cup of cold water, stir. Now you are ready to pour.
5. Pour the liquid Jello onto the cake. My husband remembers his mom using a funnel. I used to panic about getting equal amounts in each hole. Truth is it doesn't matter. This cake is sturdy enough to take the fluid. I pour the jello slowly over the cake, making sure to hit each hole, but I don't stress over it.
6. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, but 4 is better.
7. Serve topped with whipped cream. When serving this, it is best straight from the fridge. Treat it like you would an ice cream cake - by that I mean this probably isn't the best desert to take to a picnic.


Dieters beware: This cake is so light in taste that it is very easy to eat more than you think you have eaten! Consider yourself warned!

Troubled skies

I just realized I hadn't picked the camera up yet today, so I went out and shot this amazing sky. It kinda sums up how I feel right now - tumultuous and distant. I have quite a few friends going through quite a lot right now, things I never thought I would see happen to any of my friends. A week like I have had makes you come to terms with your grown-upness. Then I remind myself it isn't me going through all of this, it is them. My job is to be here to listen, be strong for them and help hide bodies.

"All love that has not friendship for its base, is like a mansion built upon sand."
-Ella Wheeler Wilcox, O Magazine, February 2004

Happy Birthday Mike and Heather!

Happy birthday, guys. Thanks to Chris and Erin for having us. We had a great time.

(Spittin' image of her mom in this one!)

Porch Pool at sunset

I love our little pool on the front porch. it allows me to feel like a good mom because I let the kids play outside and in a pool, but it lets me be lazy because we are in such a closed space that safety and reading a book go hand in hand. Those kids can't move (or not move for that matter) with out me seeing it. Today instead of reading I chose to do absolutely nothing. I put my feet in the pool then propped them on the table to dry. I was so happy to not have a thought in my head, I could - I guess I could keep on doing nothing. It felt really good. I have plenty do so I can't sit on the porch forever. Thank god for laptops!




I love photographing water. I love how, depending on how I shoot it, it can be anything I want it to be. It moves. There is something spiritual about it. It is healing and calming. It can be sharp and aggressive. I am babbling now. Hey water does that, too! I love kids in water. There has been no better match since peanut butter and jelly.

And there is this girl:

Mouth hanging open. no doubt giving her brother an earful. Love it. My day wouldn't be complete without her. Or him. Or him.


Black and white again today. I have realized that from years of shooting black and white film I have learned to tune out color information while shooting if I know the camera isn't recording color. It makes my time shooting much more relaxing because my brain is filtering out one very big stimulus. I no longer see the big red brick wall because to the camera it is just a pattern, not a red pattern. My brain feel s a little less bombarded. I need that right now.

Rain and feet

Once again I tried to not post pics of the kids. The skies started to rumble and I ran outside to take pictures of the clouds and maybe some rain. Then everyone joined my on the porch.





The kids ran back and forth on the porch as the rain came down. I also noticed my son has my husband's feet. Nearly every bump is the same. I was just the oven. They are all him.

I am starting to think I need simplicity right now. As the shooting went on, I turned the camera back to monochrome. I think the reason I wasn't that into the lensbaby was that it is too complex for me right now. I love the image in the middle for all of the negative space in it. I think I need to get zen.

Lost a day!

I took pictures yesterday, I just got home from the theater so late that I slept instead of making a post. I know- what was I thinking! Anyway, I have thrown lensbaby week out the window. I will still play with it, I just wasn't feeling it and the whole purpose to the 365 project is to get creativity into my life everyday - not make it a fight. Here are my pics for the 6-25-2008:



I shot Jerry Springer the Opera last night over at New Stage Collective. If you do not offend easily then by all means go see this show. It was a lot of fun and I had quite a few belly laughs during the show. The actors voices are also truly amazing. The set was designed by Sam Reno - she has recently graduated from NKU with a double major in Art and Theatre (bitch - I kid, I kid) and it is great. Her scenic painting is always worth getting out to see. She is a true artist and I will be sad when I have to get on a plane to see one of her sets (but I will!) All and all, I enjoyed it and will be seeing it again soon.

Lensbaby Day 3

"Life is pain, highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something."
- Dread Pirate Roberts ( aka Wesley)

Forever Plaid Shoot

I have decided to make some of the pictures from the shoot today blog-o-licious. They were too much fun not to share! I started to work these pics (removing the solid background to prepare them to be dropped on a different background) and they were too cute! I added color where needed for the purposes of posting here. These are just the rough cut outs, I am going to let the person doing the final cut and paste make the detail decisions. I was just trying to help out as much as I could.

That's how they roll. ( Lensbaby day 2)

A dart gun in each hand and a Batman cape on. That pretty much sums her up!

Oh - here is a picture my boy asked me to take. I have no idea why, but he really wanted it. Yes, that is a rake on his head.


Good thing I made it Lensbaby week. I have had this lens for awhile, but I hardly use it.It is a tough little bugger to get used to. I need the practice if I want to use it in sittings. It has some cool effects, but I am still getting used to its very tough focus and how to control the skewing. A challenge is just what I need to get my mind off my problems.
I had a sitting today, but none of the pictures are post worthy since we took all of them with the intention of cutting and pasting them onto other backgrounds. The shoot was for a show called Forever Plaid that is being produced over at NKU. The photos are being used to make the prop record covers and promotional materials for the "band" in the show. The cast is brilliant, so I can't wait to see the show.

RIP George Carlin

I may not have agreed with everything he said, but I agreed with the logic behind it and I was grateful someone was out there saying it. We have lost a warrior of words and a proponent for rational thinking. I feel silly missing someone I have never met, but I think he was one of those people that you are just happy knowing that they are out there doing their thing somewhere.

A few things you should know about us.

Well, just one thing you should know about my family I guess - we are all geeks. Today, I took a portrait of one of my husband's World of Warcraft characters. We could have just done a screen shot but no I had to take a picture with my camera today. To top it all off, I decided this week was lensbaby* week, so I had that little number on the camera as well. So silly, but fun. We are geeks around here. I have to admit that my heart soars when I see my kids running through the house with light sabers. I got the whole series of Xena: Warrior Princess for mother's day last year and I couldn't wait to show them to my daughter, who now yells while swinging her broadsword in the living room. I am proud beyond words. My boy has a comic collection, has beaten me at my favorite PS3 game and does most of his father's dailies in Warcraft. I see all of these things as signs of high intelligence.


I tried to be more artistic today, but I just didn't have it in me. Today was my last official day at ETC and I am a bit sad. I know my choice to leave is the right one, but my head and my heart aren't talking much these days.
This is what I saw when I opened my hope chest to get into the camera equipment. The green cast was my son's when he was 19 months old and the pink blob in the back is my daughter's cast from a few weeks ago. I save everything. I am a memory whore. That is probably why I am a family and wedding photographer; I am all about not letting that moment slip away.




* A lensbaby, for those non- photographers out there is a type of lens that has just one "sweet spot" of focus that can be shifted around the frame, leaving everything else in various states of blur.

Potentially the best boyfriend in the world

I had a head shot session with another amazing ETC intern today. Her name is Jen and she is another one of those terribly talented people.

Not only does Jen posses an amazing gift for acting, she also has the love of a man who really could be the best boyfriend in the state!

Not only did he carry her extra shirt for the sitting and her purse, he didn't complain. At all. Not one word! I was amazed. In fact, he acted like it was a privilege he was happy to perform. Wow! It is obvious these two were made for each other. It was hard to not be happy in their presence.

He even played along when we found this tree and Jen wanted some funny pictures in it! We called these "pre - engagement " pictures. Maybe I will get to someday shoot the wedding (hint hint)...

Actors + Camera = Shenanigans

Here is a picture of the theatre I work at for a few more days (the season is over on Sunday!) This place puts on some of the best shows in the region. It has been an amazing time.

If you ever wondered what happens everywhere else in the theatre while you are focused on the actor currently onstage, silliness is the answer to your quandaries. Here is Nick Cearley (Google him - he likes it) goofing around when he saw I had a camera. He is practicing for the paparazzi.




I also shot some head shots today for a girl who makes me angry. Not because she is mean, far from it. It is really not fair that so many blessings be heaped upon one person. She is an amazing actress, she has a perfect figure (hourglass all the way), takes glorious pictures and has Angelina Jolie lips. Did I mention she can act? (No seriously, Nicki is a joy onstage!) Her internship here is over and she is moving on to her next adventure. Cincy shall miss her!

Time with Dad

Sorry to all of you non- kid people out there. I have posted a lot of kiddie picks lately. Who am I kidding - I am the only person reading this! Anyway, my husband is a wonderful father. That is pretty much all there is to say about this picture. Our family loves nothing more than to snuggle together. Sickeningly sweet, I know. Sorry about that but I am done apologizing for loving my family. It is just where I am at right now. I am not saying it's easy. Tonight there were several people doing interesting things after the show, but I had to come home. I had children who were awake and in need of mommy hugs in order to get to bed. Did I feel conflicted and a little sick to my stomach over the decision? You bet I did! I want to go hang out at a (mostly) gay club and see a cool cabaret or head over to Newport on the Levee and have a drink and some appetizers. But I am a mom. I had my fun and adult conversation while house managing, and so it was time to return to my version of reality and head home. It has taken me some time to get used to all of this. I am not an old woman and still very much want to go out and have a good time, but the kids need me now. They won't need me very soon. So while there is something to be said about living for the now, I am doing my best. You can't have it all, so I am trying to split the difference. I am nothing but cliches tonight! In my own way I am living for the now. If I want to enjoy my kids, now is the time. Very soon they will tweens then teens and I can't guarantee how much we will want to be around each other. I may need that beer more then. Wow, I really didn't mean to make this some strange rant. I guess it was hard coming home tonight. Some days are harder than others.

Really digging the black and white right now. I think it is calming. Color is just another stimuli right now and I am overstimulated. That kinda sounded dirty. Sorry about that, too!

Kids in windows

Love it. I love a child in a window. I love the light. I love the way they react to the world. I love having a two year old try to describe a truck to me.

Today I tried really hard not to post pictures of the kids. I really did. The rain started and I thought I would do a fun picture with something in the downpour. Baby girl must have heard me moving about and she woke up from her nap before I could snap my picture. She looked so cute watching me from the door, I couldn't resist.

We went inside. I put the camera down. Then the girl decided she wanted to gaze out the window. The light was so pretty on her and the sheers were so much fun, I had to pick the camera back up.

We played for a bit, them she got a little too rambunctious. She kicked my camera. She was corrected.

After the crying jag, when I convinced her that I still loved her but I just didn't want her kicking the equipment that will hopefully start contributing to her college fund very soon, we bandaged up her legs.


She is evidently so sweet that the bugs just can't get enough of her. Since the weather has been so mild this week, we have spent a lot of time at the park. She is covered in bites that she won't stop scratching. I had to get out the band-aids to cover them up. I also had to switch to color to shoot the awesome fairy band-aids I bought! I try to keep her from being a tomboy, but I think that is a losing battle. The fairy bandages lose their femininity when used in large quantities.

It rained today.

Just to make sure I get up a picture today, I will post this one. More after work.

Joy

Joy is a trip to the park. My kids are at the age where all you need to be happy are a slide, a swing and lots of space to run. We went to the little park around the block from our house today and they got all of these things. My daughter was mad at me because I wouldn't let her 2 year old butt climb to the top of the 12 foot tall slide by herself. I should have never let her watch Xena yesterday. She was dangerous enough without having a new idol.

I turned the camera to "monochromatic" half way through the park visit. I don't know why exactly - I guess I thought it might make me think a bit differently about the picture making process. There was a lot of green grass and blue sky. Did I just say that as if it were a bad thing?

Update: I have just realized how true the top image is - my son standing in the sunlight and my daughter moving in the shadows. Hmmmm...