Wednesday, July 18, 2012

It's a Bleedin' Armadilla!

OK, so it's really nothing that dramatic, but wouldn't that be fun? I feel like the last woman on earth to find out what a bleeding armadillo is. It came up recently in a conversation and when I had to ask what this bleedin' armadilla was, it was a shock to some friends that I had not seen "Steel Magnolias". Apparently, everyone has :)

Eventually, I was shamed into watching it. The first few minutes, I wasn't sure what I had gotten myself into. The southern accents in that movie are awful. Within a few scenes though, I was trying to figure out who I would be if I were a Magnolia. M'Lynn was a little high strung for me. Shelby's sweet, but she dies in the end and that creeps me out. Hopefully I'm not spoiling the end for anyone who wanted to wait a bit longer than I to see this flick :)

In the end, I couldn't decide between Ouiser and Clairee. I'd like to think that when I am a mature woman, I will fall somewhere between one who says whatever I want without giving a crap and one who is honest like that but much nicer. Plus, one day I'd like to tell someone that I love them more than my luggage.

I did eventually see the bleedin' armadilla and it was definitely gross. Mine was much more low key.


I do have to confess that while red velvet seems to be a favorite of many people I know, it's really not my thing. Look at how dense it is! I prefer cake to be a little more light and airy. But it was a special request from my brother in law on his 25th birthday, so I was happy to oblige. 


I got the recipe from this book. It was a birthday gift from my mother in law and it's definitely one of my favs. It features tons of lovely cake recipes from simple to fancy and some really obscure flavors as well. I've made the red velvet a few times now and it's always a huge hit. If only it showed me how to shape it like an armadillo...


The batter is super thick and mousse-like. So pretty. Then comes time to put the red in the red velvet.



I like to use Wilton gel food colors in my baking. You really have to watch it though. A little color can do a lot. So a little of this turns it into...


a little bit of that. Now that is beautiful!

Because the post is so very random, I'll end with my favorite quote of the whole movie. 
"Oh! He's a real gentleman! I bet he takes the dishes out of the sink BEFORE he pees in it!" Gotta love that Ouiser :)


~Brandi