Had a bad day? I can relate.

Every so often I need a good reminder that life isn't so bad. Yes, our little family has it's challenges and I frequently feel as though I am not very good at being a husband or a dad. This is usually compounded by something malfunctioning within the inner recesses of my car, one of the kids microwaving a pancake for 3 minutes, or watching the latest windstorm rip the shingles from my roof and deal them onto the lawn as if it wanted to start a game of Texas Hold 'em. Events like these usually leave me wondering if anyone else struggles as much as I do and why I am being picked on.

That reminds me of this little treasure of a book. Some of my greatest learning experiences have not come from great tomes of literature. They happen in little packages my children can understand. Alexanders day does seem pretty terrible, horrible, no good, and very bad. His mom's wisdom at the end of the book doesn't fix the day but contains a lesson we can use to survive all those days that make us want to pull the covers over our head and avoid facing our challenges.  

Usually in reminding me that life isn't so bad the Lord will often point out that life could be much worse. I am a firm believer that if everybody threw their problems into a pile I'd be rushing to pick my own back out again. What I have learned through my latest bout of poor me syndrome is that my current state of being is seldom my permanent state of being. And even if the grass may be greener in Austrailia there is also probably some exotic snake or spider that would try to kill me.

From Alexander's lunchroom table I give you:

Easy Jelly-Roll Cake

From The America's Test Kitchen Cookbook

Makes one 11-inch log

Any flavor of jam can be used here. For an added treat, sprinkle 2 cups fresh berries over the jam before rolling up the cake. This cake looks pretty and tastes good when served with dollops of fresh whipped cream and fresh berries.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups fruit jam
• Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Instructions 

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 12 by 18-inch rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil spray, then line with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.

 

2. Whip the eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until foamy, 1 to 3 minutes. Increase the mixer speed to medium and slowly add the sugar in a steady stream. Increase the speed to high and continue to beat until the eggs are very thick and a pale yellow color, 5 to 10 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. 

3. Sift the flour mixture over the beaten eggs and fold in using a large rubber spatula until no traces of flour remain. 

4. Following the photos, pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread out to an even thickness. Bake until the cake feels firm and springs back when touched, 10 to 15 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. 

5. Before cooling, run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen, then flip the cake out onto a large sheet of parchment paper (slightly longer than the cake). Gently peel off the parchment paper attached to the bottom of the cake and roll the cake and parchment up into a log and let cool for 15 minutes. 

6. Gently unroll the cake and spread on the jam, leaving a 1-inch border at the edges. Re-roll the cake gently but snugly around the jam, leaving the parchment behind as you go. Trim the ends, then transfer the cake to a platter. Let the cake cool completely, then dust with confectioners’ sugar before slicing and serving.

To Make Ahead

The rolled cake can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and kept at room temperature for up to 1 day.

Making a Jellyroll Cake

1. Using an offset spatula, gently spread the cake batter out to an even thickness. 

2. When the cake is removed from the oven, flip it out onto a sheet of parchment paper and peel off the   parchment attached to the cake.

3. Starting from the short side, roll the cake and parchment into a log. Let the cake cool seam-side down (to prevent unrolling) for 15 minutes.

4. Unroll the cake. Spread 1 1/4 cups jam over the surface of the cake, leaving a 1-inch border at the edges. 5. Re-roll the cake gently but snugly around the jam, leaving the parchment behind as you go.

6. Trim thin slices of the ragged edges from both ends. Transfer the cake to a platter, dust with confectioners' sugar, and cut into slices.