Last Baking Adventures of Summer

By the time I got the message from my LYS that my yarn was in, it was too late to pick it up, and they were closed both yesterday and today. So instead of beginning the Clasica Coat (and I can't figure out when I'm going to be able to go pick up the yarn, another brain-bender to occupy me this week), I revisited the Paris-Roubaix pattern from Knitspot and made D#1 a pair of fingerless mitts (her hat is still in process) using Dani's merino sport in the Alice colorway. The color of the mitts is a little off in the photo; it is a joyful combo of all shades of pink, yellow, dark gray, light gray, and a little white. Between her hands is one of the baseball cupcakes I made for yesterday's un-birthday party. I made cream cheese frosting and used red licorice for the seams of the baseballs.
Today I made another loaf of bread, still tinkering with the Bread Machine Bread recipe from King Arthur Flour. Too much liquid, and the loaf falls in the middle about 30 minutes before it is done baking --not enough and you get Tombstone. I have yet to find the proper middle ground. I also needed to use up the rest of the frosting from yesterday's adventures (we had chocolate cake in addition to the baseball cupcakes) but I wanted to use less butter, so I went looking for a cake recipe with vegetable oil. I found this one, which has an interesting backstory and a promising combination of ingredients. It has just come out of the oven, and I think I'm going to skip the freezer step. I have my own frosting already, so I won't try hers this time. It rose nicely and made three (!!) layers, so I guess we're doing one last fat & happy feed ....

In another brain-bender, D#2 announced that the activity I had been prepared to skip on her behalf this fall (because figuring out all the transportation logistics for her and her sister on Wednesday afternoons is already complex and that would put us over the edge into nightmare) is her absolute favorite. Well, maybe her father can help with this one.

Tomorrow, 8 a.m., meetings begin.