THE FUNNEL CAKE MIXTURE EXPERIMENT

 

Although I've enjoyed county fairs and their food many times I've never gotten around to trying funnel cake.

Before going to the supermarket I like to hit the Dollar Store where many items are so much cheaper. There, I spotted a mixture for funnel cake and decided to buy it.

Once home I discovered the mixture had expired in June of the previous year. If I was going to make it, I had better hurry!

But after reading the instructions I began to rethink this. It needed to be fried in 1 cup vegetable oil. I had the olive variety which was all wrong for this. Also the last time I fried anything in oil I almost burned down my kitchen. Tongues of flames exploded almost licking the bottom of my cabinets! Fortunately I was able to smother them!

Plus I just received my latest insurance bill. The company seemed to think my house morphed into a mc-mansion overnight while transporting itself to the beach. I wasn't going to risk another hike in premiums!

So, I decided to try baking the mixture and hope for something that was at least edible. When my father was alive I baked desserts all the time. But after he passed I got out of the habit.

Grabbing my square glass pan (the one in which I used to make lemon bars) I mixed all the ingredients, plus I added generous helpings of walnuts and cinnamon.

For the baking, I decided to use my toaster oven. -- Many dishes say never to use one for this but I was breaking the rules anyway and it seemed the best bet. Unlike my big oven which looks like something from the Eisenhower administration, my toaster oven has a window that allows me to watch the baking. Should this concoction become too brown I could step in immediately and remove it.

I turned the temperature to 350 degrees for 30 minutes, the setting I use most often. While it baked I busied myself with meal prep for dinner and kitchen cleaning all the while keeping a watchful eye.

When the timer went off I removed it. I still didn't have a clue as to what I'd made, but my creation was nicely brown and passed the toothpick test. I set it on the counter for several hours to cool.

Later, I cut my mystery dessert into large squares. In both taste and texture these resembled scones and were quite tasty with a hot beverage. I was pleased.

LET'S MIX THINGS UP

 

I've read that European women combine perfumes to create unique scents. I love fragrances! Many a Christmas and Birthday I'd receive them from friends & co-workers. However some just weren't me, so I took a cue from the European ladies.

Most of my gift fragrances were in spray form. This required an empty bottle with a wide opening that I would spray into; a little of this one, some of that, and then a bit of another over there. I kept mixing until I got a fragrance I liked.

The only downside was that I couldn't recreate the scent exactly. Often, other women would ask, "What is that delightful fragrance you're wearing?"

I would shrug and say, "Oh just something I threw together," explaining that I like to mix scents. Afterward I'd be on the receiving end of some really strange looks.

Mixing other items works well too! I prefer black tea from India but green & herb teas are supposed to be healthier, also I love flavored teas. So I mix. Then I get the fruity taste of the flavored, green, or herb along with the full-bodied flavor of the black.

However I HATE Chai Tea and pass it up every chance I get!

Since the pandemic I've began mixing oat milk with cow's milk. At the start of the lockdown I was only able to find one or the other at the supermarket. I've been drinking 2 per cent milk for so many decades now that fatty milk makes me gag. So I bought oat instead.

Once home, I tried mixing it with the left over cow's milk and discovered I love the taste!

Fusion food has always been a favorite of mine! If you've never tasted a Mexican pizza you are missing out!

Now with the runaway inflation I'm doing more mixing and experimenting than ever to make everything stretch. It's fun and interesting with surprising results!