spryng | (no subject)

You like how I just wrote a long post about food and changes and how I'm eating better, and the next post starts off with a cupcake? Yeah, I thought so.

In all fairness, this was from V-Day and is part of an ongoing project wherein I make a small batch of cupcakes each week to test out various recipes for the wedding. Because dammit, I'm going to make the cupcakes for it. And they're going to be awesome. With the side benefit of having an excuse to sample cupcakes for a few months. :)

Those red velvets turned out well, just need to keep an eye on the baking time since I adapted the recipe from a sponge cake, full of eggs. Apparently they go from fluffy to hard within a minute if you aren't careful. I'll have to bake another batch just to make sure, though. ;)

For this weekend I aim to make a batch of gluten-free cupcakes, which are a little more tricksy. I spent some of my morning researching the science behind making gf baked goods, but there wasn't much substantial. Well, substantially science-tastic, that is. Lots of the different qualities of gf flours, which does help, but I like the nitty-gritty science. So if anyone has that, or any pointers for making excellent gf baked goods, I would love them.

The rest of this morning I spent at the charter school, observing two Latin classes and chatting up one of their teachers. It was really good - actually seeing a class helped ground me a bit and keep my anxieties from spiraling out of control. And actually talking to a teacher there was also very helpful. I'm so much more sure of myself, now. There will be a general group interview thing in two weeks and then after that I assume we set up demo-class times. It all feels very slow and stretched out compared to the way most other places hire, but it also makes sense since they don't need anyone to do anything until the summer. Still, having an idea sooner would be nice.

I'm getting more and more comfortable with the idea of being a teacher, too. It feels like something I could actually do - and enjoy - for a while, if not longer. I feel like with the rest of my jobs I keep circling and circling and never really going anywhere and even the title examiner job I applied for, I know I wouldn't want to stay there. It just seems like more of a fit for me and my aims in life (world domination being top priority, of course). Also, it would be nice to not be embarrassed (for once) telling people what I do.

I think I'm going to slink off to the bookstore and totally imbibe some pedagogy books. Maybe if I sound like I actually know something by the time this group interview comes along, I'll have a better chance of being hired. :)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I eat gluten-free, which includes the occasional fresh bakery goody from a local cafe. In my experience, the nicest tasting friands and cup cakes are made from almond flour. It can perfectly mimic the soft, sponge texture of wheat flour. Don't ask me how though, because I've never baked with it. All I know is avoid rice flour in baking because it makes everything really stiff :/ Oh, and buckwheat is ace for crepes and pancakes.

For gluten-free cooking and baking in general, a really good starting place is Gluten Free Girl and the Chef. There's a huge archive of recipes and articles about cooking and baking, as well as links to other sources and cooks' blogs.

My experience with GF baking has also been with almond flour. Comes out a little more crumbly, but generally gives good results, and is very different from the dense, boxed Bob's Red Mill mixes.

ALSO. Did I give you my copy of The First Days of School? That would be a great book for that age level. :)

No, you did not - you should totally bring it with tomorrow so I can eat it.