You Can Always Learn Something New

I remember reviewing the course requirements and preparing to register for my first semester of classes at North Texas. My major was Fashion Merchandising, and foundation major requirement was a clothing construction class. I had taken 3 semesters (all that was available) of Home Economics—Clothing in high school, so I didn't see the need to take it again in college. My dad and I were talking about it, and he suggested that I take it anyway, as I "just might learn something." Even though I spent 4 years, a great deal of $$, and lots of time (really?) studying and earning that degree, probably the most important thing I learned was that no matter how much you think you might already know about something, there is always room to learn something new.

I made my first "specialty" cake when I was in high school, teaching myself from the Wilton yearbook and using their recipes for icings. Over the years, I decided I really didn't care for their recipes, so I went in search of other options. While in Utah, I found an icing mix that I really liked—it held up really well in warm weather and didn't have the overwhelming butter and sugar taste to it. Since moving to PA I have not been able to find that particular mix, even at the food service stores. In January 2006 the wheels were in motion to start my home bakery and as part of the preparations, I took the 3 cake decorating classes that Wilton offers at my local craft store. As part of the class, we were provided several icing recipes that work well for decorating, and I've relied heavily on one in particular since then. Today, I took a walk on the wild side—I made two "new" recipes of icing.

One of my favorite bakers has a recipe for a French buttercream icing using a sugar syrup over stiff egg whites, then adding creamed butter and finally, a liqueur or other flavoring. There is also what she calls a classic butercream icing again starting with a sugar syrup, but added to creamed egg yolks, and then adding the creamed butter and liqueur. After several years of drooling over the recipes, I finally tried them.

This coming Tuesday night our Women's Ministry is holding a Christmas dinner and program as an outreach to the friends and families of the women in the weekly Bible studies, and I am blessed to be preparing the food. For dessert, I was asked to provide cake—white, chocolate, and carrot cake. My carrot cake has a yummiliscious cream cheese icing, and I stuck with the recipe I have always used for that one. But I decided that the white and chocolate cakes needed something special, which led to my adventure in the kitchen. For the white cake icing, I added an amaretta liqueur for the flavoring, and for the chocolate, a chocolate liqueur (wow! I could drink the chocolate liqueur all by itself it's so yummy!). I think both of the icings are going to be a real treat and wonderful toppings for the cakes!

So yet again, we are never too old to learn something new! I am so thankful for my dad's words of wisdom so very long ago!