What do you get someone who's not retiring?
Knives. Right?
Let me backtrack a bit.
My husband was minding his own business, going to work, doing his thing as usual when suddenly one day he finds out that his company has sold the division he works for to another company. Usually that's a stressful piece of information, a time of uncertainty, and it did have it's share of tense moments.
There would be new procedures to learn, online courses to take, out of state meetings to attend, computer programs and corporate policy, even a new pay schedule to get used to. Time spent desperately trying not to look confused.
But the new company gave the entire division contracts, for the first year anyway. They would be staying in their office and working with the same coworkers for the foreseeable future.
Copasetic, right?
Wait, it gets better.
A short time before the transition, a large envelope arrived in the mail for Hubs. Inside was a letter from his soon-to-be former employer congratulating him on his retirement. Included was a catalog. In honor of his retirement he could choose his own gift.
Hubs' reaction was insult. "How old do they think I am?"
My reaction was a bit different. "Hand over the catalog and no one will get hurt."
Bottom line, Hubs is not retiring. So, obviously, the choice should be mine. His decision, of course. Dinner would be cooked again, laundry would be done again, in whatever time frame it took for him to decide. I can wait . . .
I didn't just look through that book, I studied it. Google and I did our research and comparisons. In the end, it was not a difficult decision.
It's Halloween. So knives. Right?
Hello Henckles. Come to mama.
Knives. Right?
Raspberry Swirl Halloween Cake
Let me backtrack a bit.
My husband was minding his own business, going to work, doing his thing as usual when suddenly one day he finds out that his company has sold the division he works for to another company. Usually that's a stressful piece of information, a time of uncertainty, and it did have it's share of tense moments.
There would be new procedures to learn, online courses to take, out of state meetings to attend, computer programs and corporate policy, even a new pay schedule to get used to. Time spent desperately trying not to look confused.
But the new company gave the entire division contracts, for the first year anyway. They would be staying in their office and working with the same coworkers for the foreseeable future.
Copasetic, right?
Wait, it gets better.
A short time before the transition, a large envelope arrived in the mail for Hubs. Inside was a letter from his soon-to-be former employer congratulating him on his retirement. Included was a catalog. In honor of his retirement he could choose his own gift.
Hubs' reaction was insult. "How old do they think I am?"
My reaction was a bit different. "Hand over the catalog and no one will get hurt."
Bottom line, Hubs is not retiring. So, obviously, the choice should be mine. His decision, of course. Dinner would be cooked again, laundry would be done again, in whatever time frame it took for him to decide. I can wait . . .
I didn't just look through that book, I studied it. Google and I did our research and comparisons. In the end, it was not a difficult decision.
It's Halloween. So knives. Right?
Hello Henckles. Come to mama.
Boo hoo hoo ha ha {{insert evil laugh here}}.
Raspberry Swirl Halloween Cake
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1 box white cake mix
small box instant white chocolate pudding mix
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup raspberry jelly
1 TBSP water
1 can white or vanilla frosting
1 cup heavy whipped cream
1 tsp vanilla
2 TBSP sugar
decorations: white and black food coloring or black and silver colored sugar, red food coloring or more raspberry jelly, grey decorative baking pearls
Directions:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 X 13 baking pan.
*Beat cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, water and vegetable oil for 3 minutes until well mixed and a little fluffy.
*Pour into prepared pan.
*Whisk 3/4 cup raspberry jelly with 1 TBSP water. Drizzle over the cake batter an with a knife, carefully swirl the jelly through the batter.
*Bake according to package directions until center springs back to the touch.
*Cool completely.
*Using parchment paper, trace a large knife. Cut out making sure there is no lead or ink on the parchment knife.
*Beat heavy cream until soft peaks form. Beat in vanilla and 2 TBSP sugar until stiff peaks form.
*Gently fold whipped cream into the frosting. If using food coloring for the knife, remove 1/2 cup of frosting and place in a bowl, then frost the cake with the rest of the frosting.
*Using either red food coloring or more jelly, splotch onto the sides of the cake to look like blood.
*Place the parchment knife onto the cake, gently trace it with a knife and remove.
*If you're using colored sugar, sprinkle the black to form the handle of the knife and the silver to form the blade. Decorate the handle with baking pearls.
*If you're using food coloring, take some of the frosting out of where the knife will go and put it into the bowl with the reserved frosting. Using black food coloring, color half of the reserved frosting and spread onto the cake to represent the handle of the knife. Decorate with black pearls. Use both white and black food coloring to make the rest of the reserved frosting grey and spread to represent the blade.
