The Right Tool

Sometimes, the right tool makes all the difference... here is a photo of Little Boy, very happily beating an egg - never mind the fact that the cake we are making doesn't call for beaten eggs - as we are making a pound cake where you seperate the yolks from the whites, beat the whites to stiff peaks, fold into batter, etc. etc. That doesn't matter here - what matters is that Little Boy has a NEW tool, the right tool for him, to beat eggs. He has had his eyes on this beater for some time - at the hardware store. He would carry it around the store and show me how very easy it was to whirl. Oh yes, he absolutely needed this egg beater and finally, one day, I put it on the list before we left the house and told him - if it was still there that he could get it. The list thing works wonders because he fully understands the concept - well, almost always anyway. Lo and behold, the egg beater was still there - not surprising - I mean, who else would have their eyes on such a gadget? At the hardware store, nonetheless?

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In case you are wondering - he stands on a large, upside down cooler to be at the right height to reach the counter. It is sturdy, not wobbly and just the right height. Oh - and see, he is wearing pants I made for him - I am getting creative in using the left-over fleece for decorative stripes.

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Anyway, take a close look at the photo below - the egg beater on the left is his - mine is on the right. They look very similar, but see how his handle is off to the side instead of on top - easier for him to hold. Also, his is a little shorter than mine. These little differences make a huge difference for him. I guess he was right - he "needed" this egg beater. Just like Momma "needs" a certain knife, LOL!

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And finally, a photo of our masterpiece - a hot buttered rum pound cake with walnuts on top. It is a great cake for a crowd because you can easily get about 18 slices out of it. Looks a bit boring, but believe me, the inside it a perfect light color - and it is rich and creamy - it has enough sourcream in there to guarantee that! After the cake cools for about 10 minutes you put it on the plate and poke it full of holes with a shish-ka-bob stick and then pour very hot glaze on top. It is an easy cake to change around depending what glaze you put on it - we also like to make it with an orange/lemon glaze. Yummy with pureed peaches and strawberries. Want to get really fancy - send your fresh fruit mixed with a bit of jam through the food processor and put it in one of those clear squirt bottles you can get at the Dollar Store (I think they are for ketchup/mustard), squirt your puree across the serving plate in a zig zaggy design, put a slice of cake, garnish with whipped cream, some fresh fruit and a mint leaf. Me, well, I like this cake just the way it is - with my morning cup of coffee!

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Oh, and what did we do with that beaten egg? I made him a scrambled egg snack!

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Yeah, ok, so we are a bit old fashioned - I still use an egg beater for SOME things - and you got to admit - it IS safer for him to use an egg beater than the food processor!!! Oh - but he is pretty good at that mixer thing - see? A bit blurry, but he is in constant motion. Here his is earlier this summer - helping me make a crepe batter for an apple dessert - the batter is actually in the blender thing on top, not in the mixing bowl! His job here is to be in control of the speed dial. Not that you need to make crepe batter in a blender, but this way he can help me. Yup, the right tool does make all the difference - keeps one Little Boy very busy anyway! And that, my friends, is part of my goal here!