Making a Cake

When I was growing up, we usually had a cake in the house. It was no big deal. These days, it seems like a homemade "from scratch" cake is a delicacy!

Making a cake from scratch isn't that difficult, just a bit more difficult than preparing a cake mix, but the results are well worth it.

Cakes come in all shapes and sizes. Simple cakes baked and iced (or not) in a square cake pan are great for "every day". Fancier cakes, like layer cakes, seem kind of like special occasion cakes - they take a little more time to prepare. Of course layer cakes are traditional birthday party fare. But there's no reason you can't invent a special occasion either!

My favorite cake my mom made was her carrot cake. It is easy to make and this is how you do it!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Blend together sugar, oil and eggs. Beat until slightly thickened.

Mix flours, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Combine with egg mixture. Stir in carrot, apple, raisins and nuts.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 9 by 13 inch cake pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool. Then eat!

Response to Mike Sorenson's Blog Post

Mike's post on Tiger Woods and Nike golf was very interesting. To realize how much money he has made from endorsing Nike Golf is crazy! To make millions of dollars for wearing Nike clothes, use Nike clubs, and use Nike balls is outrageous. During Mike's post he said "Nike Golf would be nothing without Tiger Woods" and I agree with that. Yeah, Nike would still do well without Tiger, but not nearly as well as they would like. Tiger Woods has brought so much more money in for Nike Golf than any other Professional golfer would. Another part of Mike's blog that made a lot of sense was when he talks about how other golf companies have been around a lot longer than Nike has and once Tiger Woods signed with Nike the revenue that Nike Golf brought in sky rocketed. Tiger Woods made Nike Golf what it is today and he is worth every penny they paid him.

The one thing I did find interesting about Mike's blog post was that he didn't say anything about this situation with Tiger Woods and his wife that has recently hit the news. I believe that this brought down some revenue that Nike Golf brought in but people aren't interested in his personal life, they are interested in the fact that he is the greatest golfer in the world. Their thought process is, if Tiger Woods uses these clubs and balls, then that is what I should use as well.

Peer Response

In regards to Mike's speech I thought it was done very well. He had great speech all throughout his demonstration. He explained everything about putting in great depth that made sense. He was excited while he did it because it is something he loves to do and is knowledgeable about. He was loud and clear with his words. Throughout the entire speech he had great eye contact which made it easier for us to hear. He physically showed us how to putt and the techniques. His speech was very effective and got my attention. The putters he brought in really caught my interest as well. Mike did a great job and it was a lot of fun listening and learning about how to putt as well learn about the different putters and different styles of putting.

Speech Evaluation

Throughout my speech I chose to talk about how to properly tape a hockey stick. Not many people knew the techniques and what the tape was even for so I thought it would be something that would interest them. I first talked about how to tape the knob of the stick and the purpose of that. I showed a few different ways of how to tape the knob and which ways were the best to do so. From there I talked about taping the blade of the stick. I showed the two different colors of tape and where to start. I showed the class that you start at the heel of the blade and work your way up to the toe. I also talked about the purpose of this and how it hides and grips the puck.

During my presentation I thought I had good energy and enthusiasm. I knew what I was talking about and spoke loudly and clear for everyone to hear. Throughout my speech I had good eye contact when I was talking and while I was taping the knob and the blade of the stick I would stop and show the class what I was doing and have eye contact during that as well. My physical demonstration overall I thought was good. It was a little difficult to see the tape on the stick for the people in the back so if I did it again I would pass it around next time for the class to look at a little closer.

Overall I think it was an effective speech. I would imagine not many kids in the class knew what all of the tape was for if they even knew you used tape on the stick. I believe that it brought interest to the class to see what I do everyday before I go onto the ice.

If I were to give another speech I would definitely choose this topic again because I believe not many people know much about hockey and I also think it is interesting to learn about sports. I would like to have it be a little more smooth but as far as the visual aid goes there isn’t much more you could use. If I had to do this speech again I would pass around the stick at the end so people could see what the tape job looks like.

Response to Kat's blog post

In response to Kat's post, I think she explained it very well. She spoke of her opinions on her thoughts of the words of Michael Pollan. She talks about how the food thats being stocked on the shelves aren't really food. She says that with all additives that are put into the food makes it not real. This also makes it unhealthy as she says. Kat says, " consumer's buy these foods hearing that they are healthy, but that the consumer's don't go into depth on how unhealthy they really are."

I do disagree on her thoughts on the the fact that she believes that it isn't a bad thing that the additives get put into the food. I think it is bad for Americans and that is why quite a few Americans are unhealthy and obese. I believe that all the real parts of the food whether good or bad are needed in your diet. The additives are what makes us Americans sick and unhealthy.

I really enjoyed reading the part in her post about how Pollan speaks of the nutritionism. She goes into depth on this paragraph and really tells it how it is.

Kat's post was very well written and she goes into great details on all aspects of the post. She speaks the words of Pollan and gives her own opinions on the topics and puts it into words the average American would understand.

Eruzione-model citizen and man

At Boston university, Eruzione captained the hockey team his senior year. A 1977 graduate of Boston University and is currently one the school's all-time leading scorer with 208 points, earning him induction into the schools Athletic Hall of Fame. While at Boston University he was named outstanding defensive forward for four years, was an ECAC all-star for three years, and made the all-New England team three times. Was a member of the 1975(Munich) and 1976 (Katowice, Poland) U.S. National teams. He graduated with a degree in education.

Not only was a the Captain of the 1980 olympic Gold Medal team, which most people know. Eruzione travels all over the United States to give back to his country. He gives speeches all around the place motivating kids. From special ed kids to normal everyday kids. He makes the time and effort to give back and that is something our country needs. He is a special man with a lot to give.

Thoughts of Defense of Food

In todays world experts on nutrition do not know enough about all the different kinds of foods to tell us what and when to eat. Yeah, processed foods are bad, but almost all our restaurants use processed foods. Knowing that nobody should eat out but many people do. Michael Pollen believes that whole foods are the only natural way to achieve good health. He believes you should eat a peach off a tree not out of a can because they take all the nutrients out of it and add sugar to it. They do this to make it taste better and it tricks them into thinking they are eating healthy but in reality they are not at all. He believes that people used to eat what their ancestors ate and what their culture ate. Many cultures thrived doing this and were very healthy but the only culture that this did not work for is the "Western Diet." Eating is more than just giving your body what it needs to be healthy, it is to enjoy food and enjoy the company around you. You should go out and enjoy a tasteful meal with your friends and family whether it is healthy or not. Michael Pollan says in his book, "People in America are starting to have an unhealthy obsession with eating healthy."

I believe that the Western Diet is struggling more than other cultures because of the fast food restaurants. I agree with Michael Pollan that foods should not have the nutritious part of foods taken out. This causes heart disease and all around health problems with people from this culture.

I also agree with Michael Pollan when he says that we should be eating tasteful things that we like and to enjoy with the people that are closest to us. That makes life worth living in my opinion. A good meal with a fun crowd can create very memorable moment. You should be able to enjoy your food and embrace the taste of it.

The last thing I agree on that Pollan says is the fact that he thinks that people are too obsessed with eating healthy. People lose their minds about eating healthy but in return they don't always get all the nutrition they need to keep their body going strong and healthy. Yeah they may appear to look in shape but in reality their body is suffering.