Patriotic Pavlova
Meringues going into the oven
Patriotic Pavlova, assembled
This is the kind of conversation that makes me crazy:
PurDude had his final grades posted into his online grade book. I checked his transcript, curious as to what his class rank was. He had been in the top ten, and in the top 5% but last semester of senior year he didn’t take a full schedule and I wanted to see where he ended. I jumped onto the calculator and figured it out.
Me to Hubs: I checked PurDude’s final class ranking and he ended in the top 6 percent.
Hubs: What was his rank?
Me: 32 out of 563.
Hubs: That’s great, it puts him in the top 3 or 4 percent.
Me: Ummmmm, actually it puts him in the top 6 percent. Like I just said.
Helllllooooo? Anybody there?
Here’s another one that makes me crazy:
Hubs car was leaking. I noticed it when he pulled out of the garage. When I spoke to him he said that he had it checked out, knew what was leaking and it wouldn’t be any problem. I’m pretty sure that’s not true and suggested a second opinion.
A few times I asked him about it again but he insisted that there was no rush in getting the car fixed, he’d take it down when he got a chance.
One day he comes home from work:
Hubs: Something’s wrong with the car. I think it’s the battery or alternator. A big red light went on in the car and I smelled smoke.
Me: I’m not surprised, the car has been leaking. I’m pretty sure it’s not a good idea to ignore that for any length of time.
Hubs: It’s not that, it’s not even leaking any more. I think it’s the battery or alternator.
Me: Or maybe it’s not leaking because it’s all out of whatever was leaking and that’s why you smell smoke.
Helllllooooo? Anybody there?
I posted this pic on the Baking In A Tornado Facebook page. PurDude went out with friends on a Saturday night. I have no idea where this came from but he decided to leave it in the den for me to find Sunday morning. Yes it’s cute, but when I came down the stairs half asleep, it did scare the cr@p out of me.
It was suggested on said FB page that I get my son back.
The next morning he may have had a surprise when, half asleep, he pulled back the shower curtain.
But I cannot confirm or deny.
I had been bugging PurDude to mow the lawn. He usually waits until it’s dark, but on this day we were expecting storms and our yard was already looking like a jungle. I finally got him to go mow. While he was out there, the tornado sirens went off. I went out to talk to him but he actually hadn’t heard them with the mower going and his earbuds in. He stopped the mower and started to come in the house.
Me (looking around): No, keep mowing.
PurDude: You don’t think I should come in?
Me: Nah, I’ll stay out here with you and watch the sky to make sure you’re OK.
Meanwhile the phone rings. Hubs isn’t expected home for hours but he’s calling to say he’s on his way.
Hubs: I’m almost home, get the cars in the garage and everyone get ready to hit the basement.
Me: I’ve got PurDude outside mowing.
Hubs: MOWING?????
Me: Yeah, the sky’s not really all that black and there’s no lightening or hail or anything. I’m out here with him, any tornado would have to go through me to get to him.
Hubs: Are you crazy?
Me: Probably, but on the plus side, the lawn is looking good.
Hubs drives up, gets out of the car, rolls his eyes and goes in the house.
I just don’t understand why EVERYONE in this house is always rolling their eyes at me.
Be sure to click on the links below for a peek into some other homes:
Patriotic Pavlova
©www.BakingInATornado.com
Printable Recipe
Ingredients, meringues:
1 TBSP cornstarch + ½ tsp, divided
6 large egg whites, divided
½ tsp cream of tarter, divided
1 ½ cups sugar, divided
¼ cup strawberry nesquick (25% less sugar) powder
¼ tsp strawberry extract
3 drops red food coloring
½ tsp vanilla
4 drops blue food coloring
Ingredients, berries:
6 ounces of fresh blueberries, cleaned
1/2 lb fresh strawberries, cleaned, hulled and sliced
Ingredients, whipped cream:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 TBSP sugar
½ tsp vanilla
Directions:
*Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
*Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit your baking sheet. On one corner of the parchment draw a 7 inch square using a pencil and ruler. In another corner, make a 7 inch circle (I traced a 7 inch bowl). Turn the parchment upside down onto your baking sheet so the food will not end up on the pencil marks. Spread the cornstarch over the square and circle to help your pavlova release once done. Remove any excess, be sure you can still see your shape outlines.
*Beat 3 egg whites with ¼ tsp cream of tartar until soft peaks form. While continuing to beat, a little at a time, add the nesquick, sugar and salt, then the red food coloring and strawberry extract. Continue beating until stiff peaks start to hold. Sprinkle ¼ tsp cornstarch over the meringue and continue to beat until the peaks will hold their shape. Place into pastry bag or use a resealable gallon bag.
*In a clean dry bowl, make the meringue again using vanilla instead of strawberry extract and nesquick and using blue food coloring instead of red. Put the blue meringue into a separate piping bag.
* Snip the corners of the bags. Pipe the red meringue in a square on your parchment paper using one you drew as a guide. Go over the edges with more of the meringue so the edges are higher than the center. You can use a knife to move the meringue around as well. Pipe the blue meringue into a circle on your parchment paper using the circle template you used as a guide. Build up the side on the circle like you did on the square.
*Bake for about 45 minutes. The outside should be firm if you touch it gently and it should just barely start to brown.
*Shut off the oven and allow the meringues to sit inside for another ½ hour. Remove and allow to cool completely.
*Beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Beat in the sugar, then the vanilla and continue beating until stiff peaks hold.
*Assemble only when ready to serve.
*Carefully run a spatula under the meringues. They will crack in places. Place the square meringue on a serving platter, Fill with half of the whipped cream and top with blueberries. Gently top with the round meringue, the rest of the whipped cream and the strawberries.
