"Scott" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,

> New Years Day, I'm going to a party thrown by a friend of mine. I
> *always* bring home-made there, because the people he invites appreciate
> such things. Last time, it was a home-made apple pie and an apple cake
> ('twas fall, and I'd just been to a local orchard). People called it the
> best apple cake and apple pie they'd ever had. This time, maybe whiskey
> cake and some fudge.
>
> When you make things from scratch for people who APPRECIATE such food,
> it can be a rewarding experience.

I love cheesecake and I think I make a good one, same with carrot cake.
When my partner would go home to visit his mother, I would try to send
something. As it was usually a special occasion, I often sent a large
cheesecake. Last year his mother came for a visit. We were at a restaurant
and someone pointed out that they had cheesecake on the menu. The Evil
mother-in-law spontaneously frowned and said "I wouldn't go out of my way
for cheesecake." I was really ****ed because often it wasn't convenient to
bake something and pack it for a long road trip. She also announced earlier
in that visit that cinnamon causes heartburn and therefore she doesn't eat
anything with cinnamon - scratch the carrot cake! I decided that I
wouldn't be baking anything for her in the future. Ironically, she
purchased a Junior's Cheesecake from QVC for Thanksgiving. I checked the
QVC website and found that the cake, with shipping, costs about $42. The
cheesecake that I make happens to be out of Junior's cookbook and they claim
it is the same one that they sell in their restaurant. I haven't figured
out why she bought it since she said she didn't like cheesecake and in fact,
said she didn't care for the one she ordered. In any event, I was glad that
her ambivalence was on her dime and not mine.