Really, the greatest Christmas I ever spent was the morning I found a Betty Crocker Illustrated Cookbook under the tree! Throughout my teen years, I experimented with the recipes in that book. As long as you stay in the book, you are fine. It can get sloppy and mixed up when one decides to listen to a more successful baker. In other words,you step out of the pages of the book. Though I am not an natural baker I believed I could follow anyone's directions and get equally good results. I wanted to try something new. I asked a Phillipine friend her recipe for Mocha Chiffon Cake. For the beginner, this cake requires the addition of coffee. Little did I know that the main ingredient, the coffee could not remain by itself,but needed to be mixed with water. The egg whites went in,the flour, sugar,shortening, milk , vanilla, baking powder and of course the straight undiluted sanka instant coffee. It is important that a cake must have the desired consistency. When I mixed the ingredients , the texture of the cake was cement-like resembling concrete. It was then I began to pray for a miracle; however my prayers went unheeded. I believe even God was chuckling. I had promised to bring the cake to my local church. A good friend of mine solved my bakery tragedy. She told me " I should be ashamed before God" Then the Grace stepped in the cake was ushered by her through the crowd and out the back door. Here the mess found its final home- the garbage can. Make sure you send me all your cake orders!