Wednesday, October 15, 2008

frances cake, take 10: the is it caramel or carmel? edition

i stalked emily on the internet for a little while before we met in real life (i also stalked her sister, katie, on the internet before later stalking her through the grocery store), and we recently completed that ever-tricky 2D to 3D transition with frances cake. we had, of course, seen each other at concerts, craft nights, parties and other cool-people events (both of us being incredibly cool people), but the whole point of frances cake is that i get to have cool people all to myself. and so, me, emily and an autumn-appropriate carmel cake it was.

i peppered emily with questions about her job (account manager at a studio that designs packaging and logos for video games. i think. did i get it right?) and her remarkably close band of siblings (as one of two siblings, large family dynamics are endlessly fascinating to me). then we laid like slugs on the couch and talked and talked about the weird social interactions of single life, something i actually think about a lot. the bottom line is, in single-and-mormon-land (and maybe non-mormon-land as well, but i don't know anything about that mythical place) this whole business of being social can be a tricky one, and the internet doesn't help. like when you sign onto facebook (i love you! i hate you!) and see pictures of a party or spontaneous gathering of some kind to which you were not invited but other people you know were and then you get your feelings hurt until you realize that's dumb because you don't really like half the people who were there anyway and you wouldn't invite them to a party or spontaneous gathering either. you know? it can actually be really hard to decide how to spend your time and with who, unfettered by all these (usually false) notions about who and what is cool. it was, if i do say so myself, a most interesting and illuminating conversation.

and then marc came home and we started talking about boobs. just for a minute, though.

and then emily and i forced ourselves off the couch to tackle the frosting recipe. do to some inadequate vetting on my part, the recipe was a little more complicated than the usual frances cake fare. luckily, emily knew what it meant to have something "softball" so we managed it successfully. it was sort of magic frosting that turned hard as soon as it was spread, like that magic shell stuff for ice cream, only infinitely more delicious.





the frosting also spurred a highly important and intellectual discussion of whether it's carmel or caramel or both. does anyone have expertise in this? because i would love to hear it. my contention, unfounded on anything, is that carmel is attached to something else, like it's frosting or sauce or something, while caramel is a stand-alone thing. like, you can say "i am going to eat a caramel" but not "a carmel." who's with me?

then emily gave me her famous late autumn mix cd (which i am listening to right now, as a matter of fact) and then we decided that frances cake had really sealed the deal and we could now be the kind of friends who go to a random movie in the middle of the week. in other words, it's go time. which is a good time indeed.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Frances,
Didn't you learn at your parents' knee to keep a dictionary in the kitchen? Caramel: 1 sugar or syrup heated until it turns brown, used as a flavouring or colouring (okay, it's the Oxford English dictionary) for food or drink. 2 a soft toffee made with sugar and butter that have been melted and further heated.
Carmel -- not a word.
But your caramel cake looks delicious and your friend looks nice.

Tim & Alicia said...

Francis, I met you back when you were Cheri's assistant at the CofJ Pageant. I stalk your blog. I am sure that the only thing that might make me cool is being related to the Jones clan, but I wish that we had crossed paths when I lived in Utah. I LOVE Francis Cake posts. I love the idea, and someday when I don't live in the middle of no where, I hope to have my own version of your Francis cake adventures.

Ems said...

your mom is right, I am nice! but thank you so much...I loved the whole evening (and nate and joel loved the cake the next day).

k8 said...

um, can i invite myself to a frances cake someday?

Jill N said...

Frances, I'm obsessed with these cake posts! I read them all back-to-back today.

My only wish? That you linked to the recipes so we could attempt to make them at home, too! (Or at least normal people who don't live in Africa could...)

frances said...

emily, so glad you came! and that nate and joel enjoyed the cake. marc finished up what was left at my house, so i guess it was good to have boys around.

katie, come to frances cake any time! it is an open invitation to all, especially to those who have been subjects of my various stalking.

and jill, i wish africa were a little closer so you could come, too. but, i think you're right that posting the recipes is the way to go. from now on, it will be so.

Kate said...

I know we're already friends so it's too late for us, but maybe you and Harry could make a friend cake when we visit in February. Is there such a thing as baby cake? (Go, Google, go!)

Anonymous said...

I feel like I am missing out on so much of your life. Dang long vacations to Asia. I miss you lots and can't wait to gossip with you about all that's happening in your life. loves loves loves
Sallee