When I was a kid, my mom would make the same things over and over for dinner. I know there wasn’t a lot of money to throw around on fancy ingredients. And my dad was a beef and potatoes kind of fellow. But Mom came up with some pretty wacky food combinations. Hot dogs in Ragu over white rice anyone? And, as I recall, there was a good deal of hamburger and the occasional Spam meal.
Frankly, now that I am the head chef Chez Bumblebee I can empathize with her frustration cooking seven nights a week for a crowd with widely varied ideas about what constitutes a good meal.
But where my mom became truly inspired was in cooking desserts. We had big glass jars in the kitchen that Mom kept filled with cookies and sweet bars. There was always at least one cake, and often two, made from scratch. I don’t believe the sun ever went down on a day when I didn’t have a delicious homemade treat.
One of my favorite cakes was a fabulously rich Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Cake. We just called it Yum Yum Cake.
I loved the cake so much that before I went off to college I copied down the recipe—along with several of my other favorite cake recipes—on notebook paper. This yellowed notebook page is still in my recipe binder and now I regularly make this cake for my own family.
If you’ve never made a cake from scratch, this is a perfect one to try. Once you get the hang of baking cakes you’ll never want to buy store-bought again.
Cake Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Cream together sugar and butter with a mixer. Mix flour, baking powder, soda and salt in a bowl. Add egg, vanilla and buttermilk to the sugar and butter mixture. Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Fold in marshmallows and chocolate chips by hand.
Spread batter into a well buttered 9″ x 13″ x 2″ baking pan. (I use a glass one.) The batter will be extremely thick.
Cook in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean.
Cool for about 10 to 15 minutes before topping.
Topping Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1/3 can evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
6 ounces chocolate chips
Bring sugar, milk and butter to a boil. Remove from heat, add chips and stir until melted.
Bon appetit!
Robin
There is something viscerally satisfying about seeing our hay field mowed and baled. The smell is fabulously fresh. Everything looks clean and tidy.
Last night Farmer Rudy and his brother picked up the hay bales because there is a chance of rain later today.
I couldn’t help going out to get some photos. Have I mentioned lately that I love living in the country?
Robin
As the garden begins to slow down in the fall I often think, “What on earth will I have to report on Bumblebee in the winter?”
But as I reflect on the ideas and topics that have captured my interest in the past, the truth is that Bumblebee isn’t entirely about gardening. I have written extensively about chickens lately, since my recent home project has been the construction of the Palazzo di Pollo. I have posted some of my favorite recipes, including my all-time favorite Italian cream cake. I have told stories about my travels and the crazy gifts my brother and I exchange. I have even written about my commitment to exercise and my yearning for simplicity.
Lemon grass, Swiss chard and lettuces in the October garden
Then the other day as I was sitting outside jotting some thoughts in the notebook that I always keep handy, it occurred to me that there are several themes here at Bumblebee that are similar to the Manifesto those clever gardeners over at Garden Rant have posted on their blog. I don’t think I would call mine a manifesto, but it is a set of beliefs or values that I believe are reflected here. So let me share them with you…
-Productive vegetable gardens can be ornamental and beautiful, especially when integrated into the home’s plantings.
-Our food should be as local, fresh and chemical/hormone-free as possible.
-Preparing healthy and delicious foods for ourselves and our families is an important daily activity.
-A beautiful and rewarding life requires slowing down and simplifying so that there is time for thoughtful contemplation.
-Our surroundings should reflect the things we care about. The things around us should be beautiful, useful or both.
-Spending time maintaining our health through exercise and good nutrition is part of the foundation of happiness.
-Don’t take everything so seriously that you make yourself or those around you unhappy.
Herb bed in October
Of course, I hold many people dear—family and friends. And other things are important, such as my work. But these are the themes that I write about here at Bumblebee.
Maxine shows off her regal profile
What do you think? What’s important to you?
(By the way, have you checked out all the photo albums here at Bumblebee? Click the “Photos” sign at the top of this page. There is even an album dedicated to the chickens!)
Robin
