I Have A Question

Usually I reserve this category for things that just make you go "DUH!" but I think it is fair as well as reasonable, to add things in it that make you go, "hmmmm."

Tonight my oldest is having a friend over. I remember those days. I always had a blast. I don't remember it being so noisy when it was me though. At any rate, a sleepover requires some kind of tasty treat so I decided to make a cake. The only problem was I didn't have any ready made frosting. This actually kind of humorous in that I insist on homemade everything--my mother has ruined me. Meaning she always cooked from scratch and I want that same kind of food. I digress. For some strange reason, I always cheat and buy the store bought frosting. It's not like it is hard to make. And it's probably cheaper, not to mention it plain tastes better. Well, I needed canned milk and I didn't have any so I got some from my mom. I asked my sister how she made her chocolate frosting, and I did my best to commit it to memory. Yeah, whatever.

When I got home, I went right to work on my frosting. It quickly turned into sweet chocolately goodness. I sampled it of course to make sure it tasted right, had the right consistency, and above all that it was in fact safe to eat. It was. As I spread it over my cake, a question popped into my mind. Where did frosting come from? Who thought it was a good idea to mix sugar and fat together and put it on a cake? So my curiosity got the better of me and I went to my best friend, Google. It took a little digging, but I found a satisfacotry site with enough information to answer a simple question.

Cakes were made in ancient Eygptian times, but more like a quick bread and embellished with fruits or nuts. Later, in the 1600's frosting was introduced. It was made with eggs and sugar and "on occassion" flavoring. That sounds like the start of something good. In the 1800's the frosting we are more familiar with was brought to light. The site also gives some tips on how to make your own frosting as well as the different types for decorating. All that because I had a question!

While I have no "recipe" for my frosting I will share it here.

1 stick of margarine(regular not low fat) or butter.
1 cup of powdered sugar (to start)
1 tsp vanilla(or flavoring of your choice)
Evaporated canned milk
* 1/2 to 3/4 cocoa powder

In a bowl combine the margarine and sugar with a mixer til crumbly. Add a small amount--maybe a tablespoon of the canned milk. Don't worry if the frosting is runny at this point. Add the cocoa powder if you want it to be chocolate, then the vanilla. Then alternate between the sugar and the milk until you reach the consistency you want. I added the sugar about 1/2 cup at a time. My sister also melts 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and adds that to the mix last.