Re: OT Neighbor making me miserable

Absolutely! It's very rare that I use a packet mix - and even then I add, modify, whatever to my heart's content!

I don't think I've used one since school, when the first thing we did was a cake mix cake, 'to learn where things were in the room'. It was nasty, so I've never bought one. Even the birds didn't eat it...

This is what 24 hour grocery stores are for. And 7-11s.

Kate, one reason for the use of cake mixes is that they are a lot less expensive than making a cake from scratch. On sale a good mix can be under a dollar. Even with adding eggs/oil that is cheaper than all the ingredients separately. sigh. But I do have a few cakes that I make that don't come in mix form, at least not yet.

Pati, > "Kate T." wrote:

The best cakes are scratch made with buttermilk. Something about it that gives a cake some life. If you are going to get fat on this stuff might as well go all the way. I keep cake mixes around but generally use them only for specialty type recipes that call for them. I have a couple of those recipes that are actually quite good. Home made is the best just about always! I will admit that when at the Costco yesterday I sampled some of their new chocolate layer cake. It is heaven. The thing is

7 lbs. of chocolate. I knew better than to br>

Here's an easy recipe for Chocolate Snack Cake from Quick Cooking magazine. You probably have most of the ingredients in your kitchen already. I made it a couple of weeks ago. I didn't frost it, but topped it with some fresh raspberries and a topping made from a container of non-fat raspberry yogurt and about half a carton of light whipped topping

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup sugar 1/3 cup baking cocoa 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup water 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 tablespoons vinegar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract In a mixing bowl, combine the first five ingredients. In another bowl, combine water, oil, vinegar and vanilla; add to dry ingredients and mix just until blended. Pour into a greased 8-inch square baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool slightly before cutting. Yield: 9 servings.

Julia in MN

Boohoohoohoo...bawhawhaw....waaaahhhh...what about us poor thangs who can't get no Belgian dark chocolate!!???...

(still looking for a good source...)

The Blessed Fiddy, Patroness Saint of the Disorganized LC in Sunny So Cal Personality Development Specialist (Full-Time Mom!)

Hmmmm times to experiment here......(additions taking place).....yes true if you want to use a "generic" brand of mix (70-90 cents) but anything like the Betty Crocker/Greens/Cadbury/White Wings mixes go for between $2.15 -

5.00 per mix so making my own is often faster and cheaper.

It's the Betty Crocker/Duncan Hines/Pillsbury that often go on sale for about a buck here. The generic or store brands are frequently 79cents.

Pati, > Hmmmm times to experiment here......(additions taking place).....yes true

Kate

A cake mix is not required to make a cake. Not only that but you can make one in the same time as a mix and have it taste better.

Eggs, butter, flour, choclate........

I made a cinnamon choclate pound cake for quilt group last week

Barb

Yes, but in my experience the mix simply doesnt have the texture of density of a real cake.

And although it may be a tad cheaper bought on sale, cakes made from scratch are certainly not expensive. Especially when you get all the original ingredients on sale.

but then I feel the same way about canned frosting...ewwww

Barb

>

Canned frosting does not exist on thos side of the pond. I think I'm fairly pleased about that!

PS: If anyone has seen it here, PLEEEEEEZZ keep it secret! There are some illusions that should never be shattered! ;P

Years ago when I was a new teacher, and many of you were not even born, one of the spelling words for the week was "ingredients." I explained that ingredients were "the things you put into something, like baking a cake with flour, sugar, eggs, shortening, vanilla....." A LOT of blank looks. Then a babble of, "No, you don't do that. You use a cake mix!" Finally, one kid came to my rescue with, "Yes, you can! My grandmother makes cakes like that." Suddenly I felt old.

Nell in Austin

In article , Nell Reynolds writes

One of my friends' sons complained "I can never find anything to eat. There's no food in this house, just all these damn ingredients!"

Somehow I thought that was the case... ;P

Teach him to cook! James is learnig...

Poor banananananana cake! fancy eating it while it was watching a DVD! Did you let the last crumbs see the end?