I think I can cook.

No, really!

I used to strictly follow recipes.

Now, I look at the recipe, and I can substitute things, and it still turns out good.

Not only that, but I can actually *change* things, like add new ingredients, and omit ingredients, and it still turns out good, and, dare I say, sometimes better!

I made this 'French Vanilla Cake' mix last night (which is odd, because I hardly ever make mixes; scratch is so much better).

I tasted the batter and it tasted boring, so I added some Mexican vanilla my father gave me for Christmas, and lemon rind which I'd grated last week (FIFTEEN GODDAMNED LEMONS! I rinded and juiced all of them by hand, without a juicer).

It tasted a lot better.

While it was in the oven, I decided it needed icing (all double layer cakes do).

I have very little icing sugar, so I used what I had, some cocoa, melting margarine, and a block of 'chocolate cream cheese spread', and bashed it all together until it was smoothish.

And it tasted professional!

It was cool.

The cake, actually, turned out pretty good. The icing is sticky and thick and chocolatey delicious, and the cake is not as boring as it would have been.

Hoorah for Rosemart!

.

Rosie.

Before&After