TheSnackHound

Recently, I reported on the semi-annual Fiestaware / Homer Laughlin China Company tent/factory sale. I put out the request to readers to send in their bargain hunting tips.

Janet Means recommends the outlet store sale. Thanks for the great tip!

Check out the spring sale dates at the outlet in Flatwoods, WV. I’ve not been to one of these, but I hear they are crazy. I do know the seconds room at Flatwoods is not huge, and it gets packed on regular weekends, so I can’t imagine what it will be like during a sale.
http://www.everythingfiesta.com/

Elaine E. gave some wonderful tips!:

I go to both the factory tent sales, and went to the first sale last fall at Everything Fiesta. Keep an eye on the HLC website, I talked to the folks at the outlet yesterday and they say that the date will be announced in May. The last couple of years the summer date has been in June.

HLC is quite organized… they post their rules and are quite strict about sticking to the rules. They don’t allow children under 16 or so inside the tent. The first tickets are given out at 7 am. Then you can leave, as long as you’re back in line (ticket number order) by 9:45. Sale begins at 10, and they begin giving out tickets for the rest of the day at that time. Seems like they only allow about fifty people inside the tent at a time, so as people begin to check out, they allow others to enter. They will give you FOUR milk crates, and that’s your limit for that trip through the tent.( After you check out, you can get a new number and get back in line as many times as you like, though.) If you’re smart, you’ll bring a dolly and bungee cords so that you don’t have to heft and wiggle your wares to the check out line. Prices are good, and generally speaking the people in line are very nice. The check out area is organized, and the workers are fantastic about wrapping and boxing your purchases. Believe it or not, I’ve never arrived home with any broken fiestaware.

HLC runs a shuttle van from the tent area back to the parking area after sale hours begin, which is quite helpful in getting your wares back to your vehicle, or they’ll let you bring your car down just long enough to load. Usually the factory outlet has some specials on first quality items, too.

If you don’t like getting dusty or waiting in line… don’t go. I’ve been when it was really cold, and I’ve been when it was REALLY hot… and had a terrific time regardless.

Oh…and they didn’t do tours during the sale, so you might want to plan an extra day there if you want to do that. Usually the tent sale runs from Thurs- Sat, but I’m sure the HLC folks will get us up to date on that as soon as they can.

Thanks ladies for the great advice!

For every birthday, I made a special request to have a Mud Cake. What is a Mud Cake? The more proper name is “Chocolate Pudding Cake” but my grandmother made it when my cousins and I were little, and the name stuck.

It is a very simple recipe, involving a standard cake mix and a box of cooking pudding. I decided that I was going to make it to impress my boyfriend. He is my husband now, so apparently I did not poison him. I certainly came close that night.

I called Grandma up to proudly tell her what I was doing. I bought the cake mix and the pudding, and followed the package to a “T”. I had my egg and flour out, made the cake mix and then stirred in a box of the pudding.

As it was cooking, I noticed something didn’t look quite right, but I chalked that up to performance anxiety. When I brought it out to cook, I noticed that one side of the cake was only about a centimeter high, where the other edge almost was as tall as the lip of the pan.

My boyfriend came over, and tasted the cake.

“What is this supposed to be? A brownie?,” he said.

“No. It is supposed to be Chocolate Pudding Cake. The one that my Grandma makes.”

Inspired by his looks of incredulity and a cake texture that the NHL would be begging me to reveal to them to use to make practice pucks, I called Grandma up.

Then she laid it on me:

I was supposed to MAKE THE PUDDING. When it was thoroughly stirred, I was to stir in one chocolate cake mix. Then, instead of putting it in the fridge to set up, I was supposed to pour it into a cake pan and back it.

Can dyslexia translate beyond the written page and cause one to confuse left and right and get spoken directions backwards too?

Mud Cake aka Chocolate Pudding Cake
The REAL Recipe

1 Commercial chocolate cake mix
1 4 oz Packet of chocolate pudding. Must be the baking kind, plus the milk or water it calls for.

Follow directions on pudding package. When ingredients are mixed thoroughly, open and add the full cake mix.Follow temperature suggestions recommended for the cake mix, making sure to check the cake often to adjust for your oven and elevation. Test with toothpicks. When they come out clean, the cake is done.

This is a SUPER MOIST cake. If you plan to serve the cake on a different date from when you serve it, you must lightly dust the top with baking powder. Okay, if you make it the night before and take it to a party the next morning, we will count that as the same day. We are not talking actual calendar days, but common sense. This is especially crucial if you plan to store the leftover cake in plastic. The cake may get moldy very quickly because of the moisture content if you do not.

And I am still strongly discouraged from baking til this very day.   I think I should keep an open mind as I could have done better if I promoted them as the world’s most compact and harshest tasting brownies.   One could say that I achieved that.

Here is a very simple recipe that an eight year old should be able to make by themselves. However, because it is so simple, there are many ways for someone who overthinks things, such as myself, to make mush out of it.

Here is the premise:

Ingredients List:
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Peanut Butter
1 Egg

Mix the three ingredients in a bowl. With a spoon or whisk.

(Aside #1: Now, this is where the recipe went south for me once. I successfully cracked the egg and measured out very level and accurate one cup portions of the other 2/3 of the ingredients. Where I erred, is that I thoroughly mixed the egg and peanut butter. After I created he promising mix, I realized that my chemistry was off. I should have started with the egg and sugar.

What resulted, were dough balls that were reminiscent of gumdrops, with the sugar as the exoskeleton. A slightly gritty consistency. Okay…back to the recipe.)

Now, divide the portions up into 8-12 portions, depending on how large you would like to make the cookies. Although, I might add, nothing is stopping you from making one huge cookie. Place them on a cookie sheet.

I forgot to add that you need to preheat the oven or the toaster for this. DO NOT USE THE MICROWAVE. (I will say it again. Just don’t do it.) I *think* you would want to set the temperature at 350 or 450, but I really don’t remember. If you are used to baking, you will know what temperature it is supposed to be on.

(Aside number #2: A common mistake is to bake at the wrong temperature. Unless you check them every five seconds. They can quickly turn from mush to crispy in an instant so be careful.)

When they are all baked, take them out to cool.

(Aside number #3: I have to admit that half the time, the cookies turn out soggy and half the time they turn out like a hockey puck. There is a fine balance between leaving them very soft knowing that they will continue to bake on the inside while they cool, and taking them out too soon and basically eating peanut butter with raw egg drippings on it)

If my luck is on your side, you will get 5 really nice cookies out of these, 1 unfit for consumption, and 6 others that you would never serve, but you eat yourself out of mercy. You don’t want to waste food, after all.

Look on the bright side: It is a great way to fill up Grandma’s cookie platter and add the inviting smell of fresh baked cookies to your home.  Buy a cookie dough scented candle to cover up the evidence.

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Did you know you can tour and even purchase directly from the Fiesta Ware factory? The Homer Laughlin Company offers tours of the facility if you make an advanced reservation. They recommend planning at least two weeks in advance, and being understanding of cancellations due to weather. Tours are conducted on Mondays and Fridays, and includes a visit to the Homer Laughlin China museum, where you can view over 130 years of their offerings.

There is a tent sale twice a year. One is typically in October at the factory that people far and wide rush to. There are online rumors that the first one of the year will be in July. I do not know if this is at the outlet store, or at the factory itself. I will return with updates as soon as I find out. There are no rumblings on the Fiesta Event Page.Tips if you go to the sale:

• Items are not neatly stacked, so expect to do some sorting and hunting.
• Many shoppers recommend bringing thick socks or rags. You can put the socks on your hands to protect them from any chips. Also, they are good for getting rid of dust when you claim your treasure.
• Condition of the items are firsts and factory seconds. Many people buy factory seconds because a little bubble in the glaze does not inhibit the use of an item.
• If you cannot do any lifting, bring a friend who can. I remember that there is a several case limit per person, and most people are eager to buy their limit. There are no wagons to use, as far as I know, so be prepared!

I don’t know about you, but as I bruise easily, I am taking all the advice to heart!

Have you pushed and shoved your way through the West Virginia Sale before, or are you planning to go? Write me at info (at) thesnackhound.com and tell me your story!

The Snack Hound is born! Please be patient as I move some of the furniture around. In the meantime, please feel free to look around. The pictures are already on the walls for your viewing pleasure.