I just read this and everything is so true! I have been baking, decorating, and cooking for 48 years - my stories of saves and near disasters would filll a book. One of my favorites was when I was delivering a wedding cake to western MA. I drove three hours and alll was fine until the last 1/4 mi. when I had top bounce down a dirt road and the top layer rolled. I took the cake in and set it up. At the time I was 22 and looked younger. Although I had been baking and decorating wedding cakes for 6 years by that time, I don't think my long hair, blue jeans, and T-shirt instilled confidence. As I turned to wal to the car (leaving the smashed player behind me) everyone in the reception hall started sceaming and shouting. Of course I was just going to the car to get my reserve icing and decorating kit, but the looks on their faces were priceless. Two days ago, I had my most recent challenge. I was halfway through baking 2 dozen Stollen. The first 12 were great, but I was rushing to start the second 12 rising - something seemed wrong. I started 1/2 the batch rising and then the second. And then I realized that I had left out the 8 eggs from the batch! I then beat some eggs and kneaded them into the completed batches. What a mess! In the end, one batch worked and the other not so much. Next time I will use your tape trick or simply apply my usual "mise en place" and just make sure there is nothing left on the counter! I'm sometimes asked how I think about staying out of trouble in the kitchen; it comes from screwing just about everything up at least once! I would have loved to have seen the looks on their faces at the wedding ;-) Susan

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