What Shall We Bake Today?

Food 2 Minutes

Our first baked item for the month is a Heart-Shaped Cake!

Ingredients

Cake:

1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (3 oz.)

1/3 cup boiling water

3/4 cup (6 oz.) salted butter, softened, plus more for greasing pans

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs, separated

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups (about 6 3/8 oz.) all-purpose flour, plus more for pans

3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa

3/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. table salt

3/4 cup whole buttermilk

Frosting:

3/4 cup (6 oz.) salted butter, softened

4 1/2 cups (about 18 oz.) powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. table salt

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries (from about 3 large strawberries)

1 to 2 drops soft pink food coloring gel

Garnishes:

Pink sanding sugar (optional)

Sliced strawberries

Directions

Prepare the Cake

Prepare oven and cake pans:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease (with butter) and flour 1 (8-inch) round cake pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper; lightly grease parchment paper with butter. Grease (with butter) and flour 1 (8-inch) square cake pan; line bottom of pan with parchment paper; lightly grease parchment paper with butter. Set aside.

Melt chocolate:

Place chocolate chips in a small heatproof bowl; pour boiling water over chocolate. Whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth. Let stand until cooled to room temperature, about 15 minutes.

Make Cake batter:

Beat butter with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add vanilla and cooled melted chocolate, beating until blended. Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating on low speed until just blended after each addition.

Add egg whites to batter:

Beat egg whites in a separate bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 1 1/2 minutes.  Gently fold egg whites into batter. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.

Bake Cake:

Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in centers of cake layers comes out clean, about 25 minutes.

Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove cake layers from pans; remove parchment paper, and let cool completely on wire racks, about 1 hour.

Prepare the Frosting

Beat butter with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and strawberries, beating on medium speed until mixture is fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in desired amount of soft pink food coloring gel until desired color is reached.

Assemble the Cake

Shape heart from Cake layers:

Place the square layer on a serving platter in a diamond position. Cut round cake in half crosswise, creating 2 perfect half-moon shapes. Position halves against the 2 top angles of the square, forming a heart shape.

Decorate Cake:

    Spread Frosting over top and sides of cake, and sprinkle with sanding sugar, if desired.

    Arrange strawberry slices around top edge of cake.

    ENJOY!

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    Published by pat frederick

    Published

    94 thoughts on “What Shall We Bake Today?”

    3. Elizabeth Warren had no comment when reporters asked her why her husband appeared in the latest Epstein file dump more than a dozen times.

      “Those documents haven’t been authenticated,”

      Warren said through a spokesperson, “I wouldn’t trust anything from this DOJ.

      Warren was one of the more outspoken senators on the issue, demanding they be released as recently as a few days ago.

      How they spin it real quick

      Liked by 1 person

    5. Just The News: “Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell says his department won’t enforce a ban on federal agents wearing masks during immigration operations, which California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law last year.

      The law bans face coverings like neck gaiters and ski masks for ICE agents and other federal law enforcement authorities operating in the Golden State. It does allow coverings for people with medical conditions, or SWAT members. 

      McDonnell told reporters at a news conference on the ban Thursday that he disagreed with the policies, and cited the possibility of conflict between police and the federal agencies if it were to be enforced, according to the Los Angeles Daily News.

      “The reality of one armed agency approaching another armed agency to create conflict over something that would be a misdemeanor at best or an infraction, it doesn’t make any sense,” McDonnell said. “It’s not a good public policy decision and it wasn’t well thought out in my opinion. “You look across the country, you see the things that are happening,” he continued. “We are in line with our federal partners on everything except immigration enforcement. What we’ve seen since June here in Los Angeles and seen across the country, we’re as frustrated as everybody else about the way that’s being done.”

      The chief emphasized the importance of immigrant communities in Los Angeles and expressed hope that the federal government would come up with different tactics in its crackdown on illegal immigration. 

      The law went into effect on Jan. 1, but is not being enforced after the Justice Department mounted a challenge to its constitutionality, over the security risks it poses to agents. The Department of Homeland Security has also said it won’t comply with the state law.”

      Liked by 1 person

    7. “After getting a standing ovation for her ‘Lifetime Achievement’ award, Cher slowly turned around and started to walk back to the stage, giving a funny smile at the back. Host Trevor Noah – a complete jerkoff,  by the way – then suddenly piped up from across the room, and informed the superstar that she was supposed to present the record of the year award.“

      Liked by 1 person

    10. NF: Each item listed includes a link @ his substack.

      “Running List of Highlights in the New Epstein Files (from January 2026)

      Will be continuously updated as more records are uncovered by internet researchers and I find them”

      Jordan Sather, Feb 02, 2026

      “Running list of highlights and notables from the new Epstein Files dropped by the Department of Justice on January 30th, 2026. I will continuously update this list as I find more notables uncovered by internet researchers.

      Note: a name being found in the Files does not automatically constitute guilt of an illegal activity – although one would wonder why anyone associating with Epstein after 2008 would be okay contacting and working with a publicly known child abuser.

      Each line is a brief of the story contained within the File, as well as a hyperlink to the associated tweet posted on X where a screenshot of the File can be read.

      – Allegations of George Bush Sr. raping men
      – Epstein says Bill Gates got STDs from Russian hookers, and then Gates supposedly asked him for antibiotics he could secretly give to Melinda Gates
      – Jeffrey Epstein banned from XBox Live in 2013 for harassment
      – “Pizza” mentioned in the records over 900 times in suspicious circumstances
      – Epstein said Trump never got a massage
      – Former US Amassador to Mexico Wayne Impregnated an 11 Year Old Girl
      – Epstein discussing Ukraine upheaval with Ariane deRothschild in 2014
      – Epstein being told he has permission to kill an unidentified man
      – 4chan founder in the files
      – Sultan Bin Sulayem used Epstein’s address to order 30 DNA testing kits from 23andMe
      – People pitching Epstein on how to normalize the transgender agenda for children
      – Someone called FBI human trafficking hotline with a very detailed story of where Epstein was bringing children to at South State Bank in Richmond, VA
      – Disturbing video of Jeffrey Epstein, chasing young girls around his kitchen
      – Epstein telling Peter Thiel that he “represents the Rothschilds” when trying to arrange meetings on his island
      – An email between Ariane De Rothschild and Jeffrey Epstein claims that, when Hitler was destitute in Vienna, he lived in a shelter that was funded by the Rothschilds and the Epsteins
      – Email from “Esther Cohen-Tizer-Epstein” describes using a turkey baster in a “fertility ritual” to impregnate her youngest daughter
      – Former NBA commission David Stern asking Epstein to get into a conference for free, saying waiting in line is “for the goyim”
      – TMZ founder Harvey Levin is named in the Epstein files
      – Medical records reveal that Epstein’s total testosterone was extremely low at 185 ng/dL.
      – Jeffrey Epstein going to parties at the top floor of the Standard Hotel in Hollywood, the “Boom Boom Room” on the top floor, in 2011
      – Billionaire Tom Pritzker bragged to Epstein that he was in Afghanistan with “boys with toys”.
      – Epstein helped coordinate Robert Kraft’s legal defense following his prostitution arrest in FL in 2019
      – A former Marine was falsely imprisoned for raping an 11 yr old girl when it was an ambassador that raped her and the deal was set up by the 2014 State Dept
      – Reid Hoffman asking Jeffrey Epstein to donate to Cory Booker’s political campaign
      – Possible validation the 4Chan post from 8/10/2019 is a legitimate eyewitness account from an MCC prison officer that Epstein may have been switched out before news broke of his alleged suicide
      – Jeffrey Epstein was getting links from Barnaby Marsh about the “new baby smell” and bacteria on human skin, along with Wikipedia pages and NYT articles on skin flora
      – A surgeon known for performing “sex change” operations, including on teens like Jazz Jennings, visited Epstein’s island accompanied by three kids.

      I will continuously update this list as I find more notables uncovered by internet researchers.”

      https://jordansather.substack.com/p/running-list-of-highlights-in-the

      Liked by 1 person

    11. Filly have you ever seen a nuthatch do his “scary” dance? it’s hysterical (at least to me).

      He spreads his wings and sort of tips from side to side…to seem menacing. I’ve been watching them at the feeder for weeks and they’re just now deploying it…LOL

      Liked by 1 person

        1. they do it with the larger juncos…lol… as well as other nuthatches. it makes me laugh every time i see it. I looked for videos, but they don’t show more than a second or two…not worth bringing.

          Liked by 1 person

    12. hoosiertruthfan

      February 2, 2026 8:59 am

      Giddyup, lets go!

      Dr. Oz is investigating fraud in medical services in CA. One doctor alone billed for 120 million in a year.
      Good grief, that is just one small part of the way we are being defrauded by these unsupervised and corrupt government programs.

      California is flush with corruption.
      Winnow every bit of it out and stop making red states support blue city and state corruption.

      https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/02/eyes-california-18-total-us-home-health-care/

      Liked by 1 person

    13. here we go again. “so highly classified”… how to share with congress? well gees…tell it to the gang of 8…they’re reliable–they won’t leak any speculative bullshit, right?

      Liked by 1 person

    14. gimme a break…”executive strut”…”self made millionaire…(translation–THIEF taught by auntie piglosi)

      Like

    15. Hmmm….I see some mention that remdesivir might be effective on the new virus in Asia, Nipah. FYI: I am thoroughly convinced that remdesivir killed my son…..

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Yeah, right! SMH – Wheezer finally showed up during daylight hours. He had eaten some dry food and was snoozing on the chair. Now he’s chowing down on tuna…..

        Liked by 1 person

    18. more on that story from GWP…fraud in CA hospice centers

      The Gipper Lives

      February 2, 2026 10:38 am

      Eyes on California: 18% of Total US Home Health Care Billing Is Coming Out of LA County – One Doctor Billed Govt. for $120 Million IN ONE YEAR! (VIDEO) | The Gateway Pundit:

      “… one LA doctor billed the government $120 million, claiming to oversee 1900 patients… in one year!
      18% of THE ENTIRE COUNTRY’S home health care billing is coming out of Los Angeles County!

      And, Los Angeles has almost 2,000 registered hospice agencies! That is more than 36 states combined and thirty-times more than the whole state of Florida and New York.

      Dr. Oz explained how easy it would be to open a hospice in LA, you don’t even have to live there!

      Dr. Oz: “How is that possible? And take a look at this map, a cluster of 287 hospice providers, in a two-mile radius, some in strip malls, unmarked buildings, even a wrecking yard and vacant lot. All of it is just paperwork. I could fill that out in Kazakhstan if I want and get a hospice license waiting for me.”

      Via Wall Street Apes -video

      More than 36 states combined
      a cluster of 287 Hospice providers in a 2 mile radius
      They’re signing up healthy people, paying them for their Medicare number

      The Gavin/Bass Arsonists are burning down the Health Care $y$tem, too.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Even a lowly secretary SHOULD have caught this fraud somewhere in the process chain and brought it to the attention of their bosses – actually, many secretaries along the chain. But they don’t because they are sucking on the government teat and just don’t care as long as they get their gravy! Had I gone to work for the government, I would have been the one who would raise a ruckus about it and I would NOT have had a job for long! Nor would I have been able to get a job with any government contractor in the future!

        Liked by 1 person

    19. “The Great Blizzard of 1888 struck at a time when the United States had almost no meaningful weather forecasting, so the storm arrived essentially without warning. What began as a heavy rain quickly shifted into a violent mix of snow, hurricane‑force winds, and plunging temperatures. 

      Cities like New York, Boston, and Hartford were overwhelmed as snowdrifts climbed higher than second‑story windows, trapping people in their homes and bringing daily life to a standstill. The storm exposed just how vulnerable rapidly growing East Coast cities were to extreme weather.

      As the blizzard intensified, the region’s infrastructure collapsed. Above‑ground telegraph and telephone lines snapped under the weight of ice, cutting off communication between major cities. Railroads, the backbone of transportation and commerce, froze in place, leaving passengers stranded for days. Emergency services were almost nonexistent, and many people who ventured outside became lost in whiteout conditions. The chaos revealed the limits of 19th‑century technology and the dangers of relying on exposed, weather‑sensitive systems.

      In the aftermath, the blizzard became a catalyst for modernization. New York City accelerated plans to move utilities underground and pushed forward with building its subway system, recognizing that elevated tracks were too vulnerable. 

      The storm also influenced the development of more coordinated national weather forecasting, eventually leading to the systems we rely on today. The Great Blizzard of 1888 wasn’t just a natural disaster, it reshaped how American cities prepared for and responded to extreme weather, leaving a legacy that still shapes urban planning and emergency management.”

      Liked by 1 person

    25. Just The News: “President Donald Trump on Monday announced that he had reached a trade deal with India after a call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

      “Out of friendship and respect for Prime Minister Modi and, as per his request, effective immediately, we agreed to a Trade Deal between the United States and India, whereby the United States will charge a reduced Reciprocal Tariff, lowering it from 25% to 18%,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “They will likewise move forward to reduce their Tariffs and Non Tariff Barriers against the United States, to ZERO.”

      “The Prime Minister also committed to ‘BUY AMERICAN,’ at a much higher level, in addition to over $500 BILLION DOLLARS of U.S. Energy, Technology, Agricultural, Coal, and many other products,” he added. “Our amazing relationship with India will be even stronger going forward. Prime Minister Modi and I are two people that GET THINGS DONE, something that cannot be said for most. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

      Trump also insisted that India had agreed to stop purchasing Russian oil.

      “We spoke about many things, including Trade, and ending the War with Russia and Ukraine,” he added. “He agreed to stop buying Russian Oil, and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela. This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week!”

      Liked by 1 person

    26. Atule’er Cliff Village in Sichuan Province, China, where wooden homes cling to sheer cliffs accessed by 800-meter bamboo ladders, highlighting the daily risks for over 80 resident families

      Liked by 1 person

    32. Sunriver Patriot

      February 2, 2026 12:23 pm

      $$$ Waste Of The Day: Monkeys Throw Poop, And $600K

      Monday, Feb 02, 2026 – 06:20 AM
      Authored by Jeremy Portnoy via RealClearInvestigations (emphasis ours),

      Topline: In 2012, a study published by Agnes Scott College and Emory University concluded that chimpanzees that know how to throw their own poop have stronger communication skills than those that do not.

      The National Institutes of Health must have used similarly primitive communication skills when deciding to award the study three federal grants worth $592,000 in 2011. The money would be worth $849,000 today.

      Liked by 1 person

    44. Feisty Hayseed

      February 2, 2026 5:14 pm

      Florida congresswoman pleads not guilty to charges of stealing $5M

      Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) pleaded not guilty Monday to federal charges of conspiring to steal $5 million in federal disaster funds amid the COVID-19 pandemic and funneling some of it into her congressional campaign. 

      Cherfilus-McCormick faces 15 counts that accuse her of keeping Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds overpaid to her family’s health care company, Trinity Healthcare Services, for which she served as CEO.  

      Prosecutors claim she and her brother, Edwin, received the funds in July 2021 while their company was working on a FEMA-funded staffing contract tied to COVID-19 vaccinations. But instead of returning the money, the siblings allegedly routed it through multiple accounts to “disguise” the source and keep it. 

      The indictment against Cherfilus-McCormick alleged that within two months of receiving the funds, more than $100,000 was spent to purchase a 3-carat yellow diamond ring for the Florida Democrat.

      https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5719246-sheila-cherfilus-mccormick-pleads-not-guilty/

      Liked by 1 person

    46. Just The News: “Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Monday that the Trump administration is deploying body cameras for every federal agent in Minneapolis after two protesters were killed during clashes with agents in the city last month. 

      Minneapolis has been a hotspot for Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in the wake of revelations of large-scale public fraud linked to the Somali expat community in the state, which has prompted anti-ICE riots in the city.

      Noem said that the order was made in conjunction with President Donald Trump’s border czar Tom Homan, Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott and acting ICE Director Todd Lyons.

      “Effective immediately we are deploying body cameras to every officer in the field in Minneapolis,” Noem said in a post on X. “As funding is available, the body camera program will be expanded nationwide. We will rapidly acquire and deploy body cameras to DHS law enforcement across the country. The most transparent administration in American history—thank you [President Trump]. Make America Safe Again.”

      The move comes as congressional Democrats push Republicans to include body cameras as part of their demands to pass a DHS funding bill this week. Democrats are also calling for the legislation to include requiring judicial warrants for immigration arrests, a ban on agents using masks while on duty and creating a “uniform code of conduct and accountability.”

      The move also comes after a federal judge in Chicago last year ordered federal agents to wear body cameras, following the agency’s use of tear gas against protesters.”

      Liked by 1 person

      1. don’t a lot of these criminals already have arrest warrants–for failing to show up for deportation hearings and the like? and they already have a code to follow and as for the masks–KMA–they have the right to wear vests, body armor and MASKS! for their protection.

        Liked by 1 person

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