BoomerGirl Diary

My grandma kept a hefty supply of cake mixes in her pantry. Every Friday night she made one in case someone stopped by unannounced to visit on Saturday. Sometimes she would change it up and use one of her many homemade cake recipes. That’s when I loved going to Grandma’s. The variety of cake recipes seemed endless, as she pulled a huge wad of index cards and scraps of cardboard from the old wooden recipe box in the cupboard. Each card held a family favorite of some sort, most containing a secret ingredient or cooking tip that made the recipe unique to the Schwartz clan. Her cakes included a variety of flavors and textures; chocolate mayonnaise cake, sour cream pound cake, angel food cake, red velvet cake, and my favorite — oatmeal cake, a moist spice cake with broiled coconut topping.

Grandma actually looked forward to hosting drop-in guests and was disappointed if no one came for coffee and cake. More Saturdays than not, though, her wish came true, with leisurely afternoons spent sitting around the kitchen table with the womenfolk, chatting and laughing, while the men gathered in the parlor to talk about crops or hunting.

Unlike Grandma, all of my get-togethers are scheduled well in advance. If I know company is coming a week from Saturday, I call the housecleaner and the caterer, with the excuse that my schedule is just too hectic for hands-on entertaining. The free time I do have on Saturdays is reserved for something fun, like laundry or toilet cleaning. If I hear the doorbell ring, it can mean only one thing: UPS.

My worst experience with drop-in guests was when my Wichita-based mother-in-law called as she was passing through town. She would be at my house in 10 minutes. Like a woman crazed, I launched into what could only be termed “aerobic housecleaning.” I scooped up the dirty laundry and threw it down the basement stairs. All books and papers were hurriedly stacked in a corner. I filled the sink with the dirty dishes and covered them with soapy water to create the illusion of soaking. My vacuuming resembled the rampaging Looney Tune Taz.

Ten minutes later, I answered the door, poised and ready to entertain.

“Would you like a carrot stick or a glass of water?” I asked.

That was 12 years ago, and things have not changed.

Just as I keep my entertaining to a minimum, I keep visits to my friends on an invitation-only basis, as well. I would only drop in unannounced if my house were on fire. I did run next-door recently to deliver a piece of mail I had mistakenly received. It was then I discovered that maybe I was in the minority where entertaining was concerned.

“Would you like to come in for a piece of chocolate cake?” my neighbor invited. No, I thought, but I would eat a piece of humble pie about now.

Despite my homemaking deficiencies, I occasionally experiment with domesticity. Last fall, I baked that delectable oatmeal cake, hoping it would turn out as perfectly scrumptious as Grandma’s. My 18-year-old bounded in the door, home from college for the weekend.

“What holiday is it?” she asked.

“No holiday,” I answered. “I just felt like making a cake.”

“Good,” she said. “I thought I might have to clean my room.”

The cake turned out great. My husband and I devoured it all by ourselves over the course of the weekend. No drop-in guests, no lingering around the dining table for a chat. Just a yummy, high caloric, sweet treat that we had no business eating. But who knew? We were all alone.

Oatmeal cake

2 1/2 c. boiling water

2 c. uncooked oatmeal (Add oatmeal to boiling water. let stand for 20 minutes.)

2 c. sugar

1 c. softened butter

2 c. brown sugar (Cream together both sugars and butter.)

2 t. vanilla

4 eggs (Add to sugar mixture. Mix well. Add in oatmeal mixture.)

2 1/2 c. flour

2 t. soda

1 t. salt

1 1/2 t. cinnamon

½ t. nutmeg (Add to batter and mix well.)

Bake in greased and floured 9 x 13 inch pan. 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes.

Oatmeal cake topping:

(Mix together):

½ c. softened butter

1 c. sugar

6 T. milk

1-1/2 c. coconut

(Spread over warm cake. Broil until topping bubbles.)