Why the Food Network is dangerous

Not because it causes you to crave things…
Not because most of what they show isn’t so healthy (some is, I know).

But because they make you think that you can do these things.

“You think you can do these things, but you just can’t, Nemo!”

Well, Alexander and I were talking about the cake contest that our church is having for the picnic in a couple of weeks. Last year, he won the pie baking contest, so obviously, we have to win the cake contest too.

We are both fans of Ace of Cakes, so we get the bright idea that we can make a cake that looks like the church.

Ummm…we might be able to.

After attending culinary school and getting a degree in Pastry Arts.

I do know enough that to make an angular building, you can’t use fondant because it makes rounded edges. But modeling chocolate would work for sharp edges.

So in the fridge, I am cooling my first ever batch of modeling chocolate. It’s easy to make, but I won’t know if I got the consistency right until it comes out of the fridge.

Anyone have any ideas for a cake that would win a cake baking contest?

This is why you’re fat.

I went to a restaurant called Village Tavern a few weeks ago and had a wonderful meal – prosciutto and cheese ravioli, and then shared a dessert sampler. I only ate half the entree (ate the rest as leftovers the next day).

I sent an e-mail for nutritional info – they’re a small chain, but growing. It took them 3 weeks to get the data for me. They were really nice about it and kept me informed of their progress as they got information from their food vendors. Here is what they sent!

VILLAGE TAVERN R&D

MENU ITEM Prosciutto & Cheese Ravioli
CAL 1856.13!!
PROT(grams) 56.90
CARB(grams) 109.73
FAT(grams) 115.26
CHOL(mg) 344.25!!
SOD(mg) 4584.00!!
FIBER(grams) 3.71

MENU ITEM Dessert Sampler
CAL 927.56
PROT(grams) 12.13
CARB(grams) 121.46
FAT(grams) 40.54
CHOL(mg) 155.03
SOD(mg) 417.91
FIBER(grams) 5.52

The dessert sampler is almost nutritious compared to the ravioli!

Then I went to Qdoba today and got a chicken burrito. Here’s it’s:

Chicken burrito with cheese
Cal 1,060.00
Prot 55.00
Carbs 119.00
Fat 38.00
Chol 175.00
Sodium 2,270.00
Fiber 20.00

If I had ordered it naked without cheese it would have been so much better for me…

Without tortilla and cheese
Cal 560.00
Prot 36.00
Carbs 65.00
Fat 16.00
Chol 130.00
Sodium 1,310.00
Fiber 15.00

So anyway, the point is that for Lent, even though i will be a little late, I will also be giving up cheese, and watching the carbs. I am already giving up carbonated drinks and french fries. I’m going to limit the bad carbs too – no more white flour things if I can help it.

I started running too. Except I’ve been running on the golf course by my house at sundown (the golfers are done) and last night i got kicked off. They said there’d been lost of vandalism and stuff. They just don’t want me to be healthy.