Dear Constant Reader,
It’s the first tip of February! This winter has been a lot already and there’s more to get through. I was reminded just the other day of this piece of wisdom.
Whether you believe you see the darkness or the light, you’re right. — Groundhog Day proverb via Breaking Cat News
These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 19 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.
Dear Constant Reader,
As you know, if you’ve been a Constant Reader for a while, we have a long-standing relationship with Deacon Giles Distillery and Speakeasy Lab in Salem. In fact, our next show is February 14th! After our shows I often get asked if I teach anywhere on the North Shore. So, we decided to give it a try!
I created a new routine, something I could teach in two hours to complete beginners. This, as always, was a challenge. Choreography is not something that comes quickly or easily to me. I wanted to give the students something fun, yet easy to learn. Something that would let them sample a variety of moves and still make sense with the music.
Because it’s January and Valentine’s Day is not far off, I picked “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm”. Then I needed to pick a version. That’s the nice thing about standards — there are a lot to choose from. After listening for tempo, musical interest, song length, &c, Ella Fitzgerald was the winner!
I had the basic outline and was filling in the specifics, but got stumped during the instrumental section. I wanted to use the boas there (we were wearing boas like scarves with winter coats), but the music was very jazzy (no surprise) and I couldn’t come up with something that wasn’t too complicated to learn in the short time we had. Scratch suggested I let the students improvise. Brilliant! It’s jazz, after all. So, I picked a bunch of moves to teach and let the students use them as they chose or just flirt shamelessly with their audience.
I love teaching in general, sharing my knowledge about things I am passionate about. Teaching experienced burlesque performers is its own kind of joy. We have a shared vocabulary and experience, so I can use some shorthand and also get pretty granular.
However, there is nothing like a group of eager novices. I adore welcoming them into the world of burlesque and watching their excitement as they see what they can do. Everyone who came to the workshop was enthusiastic and engaged. Two hours absolutely flew by!
The fabulous students!
One of my mottos is “no choreography survives contact with reality”. I’m prepared to change things on the fly if something doesn’t work when students are actually doing it. That’s my error, not theirs. So I was delighted that everything went as writ. *pats self on back*
All in all, I was very pleased with how the workshop went and hope to do some more in the coming months. Big thanks to everyone at Deacon Giles who made it possible!
These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 19 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.
Dear Constant Reader,
It’s Friday again! I’m excited for my upcoming class, ValenTease, starting Monday, and our upcoming show, True Lust, on February 14. What are you excited for?
Here’s your tip:
If you’re in a show (or similar situation) and something you do (or failed to do) causes a problem. Accept responsibility and work with other folks to solve the problem.
Don’t try to deflect blame. Don’t leave it to others to fix the problem. Learn from the situation so it doesn’t happen again.
These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 19 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.
Dear Constant Reader,
January has been a rough month for many, so today’s tip is:
Do something nice for yourself. And then do something nice for someone else.
These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 19 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.
Dear Constant Reader,
Today’s tip was inspired by the great David Lynch. “She’s dead, wrapped in plastic.”
Do not store your costumes in dry cleaning bags.
If you were obsessed by Twin Peaks, as I was, I hope you thought fondly of that iconic line.
Dry cleaning bags are just supposed to provide temporary protection to get your clothes home safely. Used long term, they can cause discoloration, especially yellowing, and can trap moisture. Don’t kill your costumes…
You’re much better off ditching the bag once you get home (and taking it somewhere that recycles plastic film) and storing your costume wrapped in a fabric made of natural fiber, like cotton.
These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 19 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.
Dear Constant Reader,
You all know of my devotion to Fannie Farmer’s Kitchen Cabinet, but occasionally I branch out. Scratch got me a set of recipe cards titled “Seven ways to hold a Husband”, published in 1924 by Mabel Claire (Mrs. Jack Bechdolt) who also wrote The Busy Woman’s Cookbook. 
Who knew that meme went back so far…
Anyway… The seven ways are desserts. There’s a cake and a pie and cookies and a pudding and a frozen dessert and a meringue and a fruit dish. The best part is the names! I was considering trying Gloom Chaser or Fluffy Ruffles first, but I had some egg whites leftover from making creme anglaise, so Angel Pudding it was.
You’ll need:
egg whites, cream of tartar, sugar, flour.
Start by whipping the egg whites and then add the cream of tartar. Acidity helps stabilize the the egg whites, so if you don’t have cream of tartar, you can use lemon juice or vinegar. The Victorians used copper bowls for the same reason.
Then beat the whites until they form stiff peaks, gradually adding the sugar. Finally, gently fold in flour.
The mixture bakes in “an ungreased tin in a moderate oven”. A moderate oven is about 350F; however, there’s no indication how big a tin. I ended up using a 5x 9″ loaf pan and the mixture filled it about half-way. I baked it for the recommended half hour.
I should mention that I was making a half recipe. The full recipe “will serve four persons. Halve the recipe for two.” So, for a full recipe, you could still use the loaf pan or a 8″ square or 9″ round would work as well.
Instead of cooling on a rack, you invert the pan onto a plate until the pudding is cool and then remove it from the pan.
Then there’s the sauce:
brown sugar, butter, cream, and vanilla
Melt the first three ingredients together, then add vanilla. That’s it. I followed the instruction “Do not cook much”, but I probably should have cooked it a little longer as it still had a bit of a granulated texture.
How was the Angel Pudding? Very much like an angel food cake with butterscotch sauce. Light and sweet.
It was also very easy to make with my trusty stand mixer. With mostly pantry ingredients, it’s a great way to use up egg whites. However, the half recipe was more than enough for two, like enough for four. I’d only recommend making the full recipe if you’re having a dinner party.
Angel Pudding (serves 4)
8 egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup sifted flour
Whip egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and beat until stiff, gradually adding sugar. Fold in flour. Spoon into a ungreased pan and bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Turn pan upside down on a plate to cool. Remove from pan and serve with sauce.
Angel Pudding Sauce
2 cups brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (The recipe just says “Flavor with vanilla.” This is the amount I used.)
Heat sugar, butter, and cream together and stir until melted. Take off the heat and beat in vanilla.
Enjoy!
These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 19 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.
Dear Constant Reader,
It’s Friday again! How’s your year going so far?
This is a great time to…
Organize your costume closet!
Pull everything out and decide what still suits you and what can be sold, remade, or given away. Decide if your current organizational system is working for you and if it’s not, try something new. Then put everything away and congratulate yourself!
These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 19 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.
Dear Constant Reader,
Happy New Year! I hope 2025 is a good one for you!
Often early in the new year we look forward by making resolutions (which I don’t care for) or set ting goals (which I do). I’m going to suggest a look backward for today’s tip:
Look at what you’ve accomplished over the past year.
Every month I write up a summary of my activity for my Patrons, so they can see what they’re been supporting. In January I sum up the entire year and I’m often quite amazed at how much I did. Give it a try — I suspect you’ll be amazed too.
These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 19 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.
Dear Constant Reader,
As we reach the end of the year, I am so grateful for all of you who follow my creative endeavors — here, at the Kitchen Cabinet Project, in print, on Patreon, on YouTube, and in real life.
One of my barre instructors ends every class with…
Expect nothing; appreciate everything.
which I think is a nice thought on which to end the year.
These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 19 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.
Dear Constant Reader,
Happy Friday! This is a crazy time of the year and I’m grateful you’ve taken the time to read this brief missive. That said, here’s your tip!
Go out and see live entertainment.
I’ve probably given you this tip before, but it bears repeating. In the past several weeks, I’ve seen a variety of different shows, from Shakespeare to sideshow, and it reminded me just how great live performances are.
The performers are energized by the audience and vice versa. There’s just something exciting about being in a space with a bunch of other people who are all there to enjoy themselves. And you never know what will happen with a live performance…
Live entertainment was hit really hard by the pandemic and is still struggling. Your ticket supports performers financially and your attendance supports them emotionally.
These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 19 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.
Oh, The Glamourous Life! 