April Fool's Day Frosting

April Fool’s Day Frosting

Dorcas Annette Walker

My father wasn’t one to pull pranks or make jokes. In fact I viewed my father as being a stern parent whose wrath I didn’t want to fall upon my head. So us kids became fair game for my father’s one prank of the year on April Fool’s Day. No matter how hard we tried to be on the alert, my father was a master at catching us off guard. Ironically enough my father’s birthday was April 1st and he lived up to the tradition of fooling everyone, most notably the medical profession by outliving the many predictions given. When born the doctors said that my dad would never live to see his teen years, then never reach his twenties, the thirties, or forties, with his severe bleeding condition. My father often bragged that he had more lives than a cat- referring to the numerous times doctors gave up on him. One such incident remains vivid in my mind. While I was in grade school they tried to operate on my father. After eight hours of surgery the surgeon came out to tell my mother that he was going to close the incision as my father was losing blood as fast as they gave it to him no matter what they tried. My grandparents came out to help my mother prepare for a funeral only for my dad to come home in a couple of weeks so weak he couldn’t even walk by himself. By my teen years, my dad’s episodes of being in the hospital at death’s door didn’t even faze me as I knew sooner or later he’d sign himself out and come home. After I was married, one time my dad got an internal shoulder bleed, waved off our protests, and drove three hours across the state to where a hemophilia clinic was only to pass out inside the emergency room door after staggering inside. The bleeding had spread across his chest nearly suffocating him. A couple days later I received a frantic phone call from the specialist in the evening with the news that my father was planning on signing himself out of the hospital. After two hours of arguing with my dad, I finally convinced him that if he wouldn’t let us come and drive him home to at least wait until daylight hours. So when my father died at age fifty-nine it was quite an adjustment to the entire family to realize that he was really was gone. Even though several years have passed since my father died, April Fool’s Day brings lots of memories to mind.

I discovered what I call the April Fool’s Day Frosting in the early days of my marriage. I was thrilled with the simple ingredients and easy-to-make instructions. Those were the good ole days before store-bought icing was available. The recipe seemed to be a no-fail icing with a marvelous texture. Even my husband was impressed when I served the light-green frosted cake for dessert. The next day my husband asked me what had happened the cake when he went to get another piece. I thought he was kidding (my husband is known for his pranks) when he said the icing was gone. I couldn’t believe my eyes. There sat the cake minus the frosting with only a faint green trace of color left on the chocolate cake. I even accused my husband of eating the icing- he did have a sweet tooth! I was totally floored to discover that my beautiful frosting had disappeared overnight. On the spot I named it April Fool’s Day Frosting. We have laughed about the incident many times since. In honor of April Fool’s Day, I’ll share my recipe with you making no promises or guarantees of whether it will disappear or remain.

April Fool’s Day Frosting

Beat 1 egg white until foamy.

Add:
1 c sugar
½ c pineapple juice
Whip on high for 10 minutes until the frosting stands in soft peaks. You can add a couple drops of food coloring if you desire. Ice cake and serve!

Weekly tip: Add a pinch of cream of tartar as you beat egg whites to add a firmer texture!

Dorcas Annette Walker is a published author, syndicated columnist, freelance magazine writer, and photographer from Jamestown, Tennessee. Contact her at: dorcaswalker@twlakes.net For more information check out: www.dorcasannettewalker.com