Betty Crocker I ain't!

Something jogged my memory yesterday and I had a flashback

of a cooking/baking incident when I was a young bride.

We moved to the farm in August of 1967. Well, it was not exactly

a "farm" perse. It was formerly a farm and what was left were the

house, bank barn, shed and small garage on a little over a acre.

All of the farm land had been sold off years before.

It was like "Mr Blandings Dream House" (an old movie that most

of you wouldn't remember). We bought the house on the hill while I looked at it through squinted eyes, much like you would envision an artist holding out a brush at arm's length and closing her eyes for whatever reason.

Anyway, I didn't even know if this house had running water or a bathroom. (there was still a pitcher pump attached to the tiny counter at the sink in the kitchen). It was a lovely old farmhouse (I later remembered that the blackberry bushes reached up to the second story windows).

The only electricity that was anywhere near where an appliance could be plugged in was an outlet on the back panel of the electric stove. Hence, if I needed to use the "hand mixer", since I had no stand mixer as a new bride, I had to plug it into the "stove". My hair was quite long (half way down my back) and very, very red. I was mixing up a box cake one fine day when I leaned over to examine my work. Zap! a large strand of my hair was instantly sucked up by the revolving blades and before I could blink an eye, the mixer's beaters were wound up to my head and were madly beating my face into a brown mush!

What to do? I unplugged the mixer's cord, ran out onto the side porch, yelled (I mean REALLY yelled) for Tim to come quick (all the while holding the weapon up to the side of my head where it seemed to be permanently attached).

Tim came running up from the barn and to his credit he did not laugh. He just stood there with a look of disbelief on his face.

I'll tell you folks. You ain't lived until you have had an appliance of some sort flayling about your personal space!

It took quite a long time and a lot of wincing and grimacing to detangle the beaters (Tim had the prescence of mind to eject them from the motorized hand held part of the mixer) from my temple.

Alas, my favorite box cake recipe now calls for:

One chocolate cake mix, add the required 3 eggs, and 1/2 oil, but instead of liquid, add one can of cherry pie filling and 1 teas. almond extract.

DO NOT USE A MIXER!

Just stir about 60 strokes with a wooden spoon like you would a brownie mix. Place into two round cake pans and bake.

Very, very yummy and a lot less wear and tear to your head!