I feel like writing today, but I don't really have anything about which to write. I'm kind of hungry and debating what to have for lunch, I'm thinking on cutting out of work early today to go take a nap and make a meatcake*, and I'm also in complete neutral today. At the end of my life, I will not remember that today even existed. That's a cheery thought.
Which is not to say that I am depressed; I am actually in a rather good mood, but I often forget that when things are like this and calm and easy and not particularly interesting, that's a good thing. There is no frustration, anger, rage, etc. Everything is just....fine.
Judy Nerat, the one Democrat for whom I did NOT vote in this past election, appears with a quote in today's Daily Press that makes her look like the biggest idiot in the whole world. This news is out, so I'm sure I'm not really breaking it to anyone, but the Michigan State government is pulling out of funding the U.P. State Fair. I guess it's assumed that everyone knows the Fair is paid for, in part, by the state, and since the Governor Herself said so, the quote is just ridiculous: "I don't know where this rumor started. However, up to this point, the state has not provided any state (tax) funding to support the fair." Really. That's her first big statement to the Press, too, since taking office. Way to start off with a bang, Representative Nerat. Super proud of you. Good job on being on top of things. I think I'm gonna run for office. Seriously.
* Let me explain the meatcake, too. The fella about whom I wrote two blogs ago has just had his 32nd birthday, and I, being that kind of friend, took it upon myself to make his cake. But not just any cake will do for him, I wanted to make it unique and funny and manly, I guess. So, after much wrestling with my vegetarian nature over whether or not I can justify it, I thought, "Screw it, meatcake is FUNNY." I set about to making up a recipe. To make it cake-like, I could use stuffing to give it a spongy texture, but I think that would make it straight gross, really, and definitely too salty. So, I looked for a really great meatloaf recipe, instead. I found a few and took the basic ideas common to all of them and made my own with lots more seasoned bread crumbs than suggested, a little cumin for body, and then the rest of the standard meatloaf ingredients. I patted it down into two scallop-edged cake pans, cooked it through, and then put them on a rack to cool. In the meantime, I put a cooling rack over a pan and laid out a package of bacon on it, because that is the BEST way to make bacon cook flat. Put it in the oven at 350o until it's crispy and you have perfect, straight bacon. After that cooled, too, I made a whole box of instant potatoes. Now, I go both ways on the instant potatoes. First of all, they're not foodie food. I know that. They're dried flakes of potato starch and there's really nothing good about them. On the other hand, they are fucking delicious and my very favorite guilty pleasure in the whole world. In fact, I don't EVER keep them in the house, because I will eat them until I am sick from it. I LOVE me some instant potatoes....thankfully a whole box makes one giant extra bowl after the meatcake is all finished, so I put a full quarter of a stick of butter on that shit and it was the most satisfying experience of 2009 to date.
Whew. Got off track. Okay, so meatloaf/cake is cooled. I dropped it on my fancy cake plate, spread on some instant potatoes, then layered bacon and cheese until it was gone. Then, I put the other meatloaf/cake on top and smoothed the rest of the potatoes onto it . It looked like cake, really, and for some reason it shocked me at just how real it looked. Only when I picked it up to put it in the fridge did I really realize how NOT cake-like it was. It weighs at LEAST six pounds. I took this trial run of the meatcake to a Superbowl party, where it was well-received after initial suspicious glances. I suggested various improvements, like honey mustard (little sweetness might help with the cake-ness), dijon mustard and brown sugar (most liked) and barbeque sauce. So, I'm gonna leave a smidge early today to make it, and I think I'm going with the honey mustard. It's my cake and I'll make it how I think it should be made. Anyway, that's a picture of the loafy layers up there at the top. I still have no idea how to put pictures in the middle of the blog. Yay.
Also, he wants a Jello cake. Ick.
That's really about it. Meatcake, politics, beige, Tuesday.
1 comment:
AWESOME! And I have just realized how f-ing fantastic instant potatoes ARE. You'll just die... that's what Pf and I had last night for DINNER. Two bowls of instant potato with milky buttery goodness to make them amazing. And mushroom gravy from a dry packet--just add water! Word.
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