I had resisted for as long as I could, and I didn’t want to upgrade my mobile phone. My old one was perfectly fine for my rather small needs, and I really couldn’t justify upgrading just for the heck of it. The electronic landfill jungle didn’t need my contribution of a perfectly workable phone, just because I wanted a prettier one.
There had been quite a few comments of why don’t you just get a new phone, but I just solemnly shook my head.
The old girl isn’t dead yet, I would whisper. Not until she passes on, will I look for another.
Other’s phones came and went. Kids started playing with toy models that looked remarkably like mine. Still I refused. My old phone would sometimes reject messages and pictures that people would send me, as the older style just simply wasn’t compatible with today’s technology.
I still refused.
But then she started to falter. Two new re-chargers, some re-wiring from Mr Chocolate and she was good to go again. For another couple of months anyway. Then the charge started to take longer than what the phone could actually be used for.
Nope, not yet I would tersely whisper…
She isn’t dead.
The week finally came, and I noticed the phone was running a little hot. Not in a I’ve had lots of phone calls kind of way, but in an oh, that’s really hot to touch and I haven’t even been using you. Then the funny game of turning on and off every two seconds started, (which is probably why she was running a little hot.) Unusable, irretrievable and really annoying. I jigged, I fiddled, I let her cool down. Nothing worked. Five years ago I would have gone a lot longer without a mobile but these days it’s how so many people communicate, without access to one I kind of felt a little…nude.
The time had come, I succumbed.
With determination and a steely eye I headed to the phone shop. Blah, blah, blah from the sales man. His selling point wasn’t sure where to head when he enthusiastically told me all about using facebook on one particular phone. I hated facebook I told him.
Oh… well how about this one then? That one looks like an older model than the one that just firebombed my ear. Really?
What seemed like half a day later, I trotted out of the shop with a new contract and new phone in my hand. It looked decent enough, seemed to be able to do everything I wanted, and would sure to be saving me money in the long run , (NO, I didn’t really believe that selling point.)
So a new phone to fiddle with, I’m up to date (for at least a few months anyway) and contactable again.
Now I just had to work out how to use the damn thing, (luckily I had this simple Central American cake by my side to help me through it.)
*******
Torta Tres Leches
4 egg yolks
1 egg*
150g (3/4 cup) sugar
2 tsp vanilla
225g (1 1/2 cups) s/r flour
50g (1/2 cup) desiccated coconut
125mls (1/2 cup) milk
******
395mls condensed milk
120mls evaporated milk
120mls milk
60mls esspresso coffee
Cream eggs, sugar, vanilla, and milk together than mix in dry ingredients. Bake in a greased and lined square tin (approx 23cm) at 180C for about 30 minutes. Bake until golden in colour.
While cake is still hot, leave it in the cake tin, prick it all over with a skewer or fork then pour on the milk mixture. (Combine in a bowl, condensed milk, evaporated milk, milk and coffee together beforehand.)
Leave cake to soak up mixture in the fridge over night.
Serve with fresh seasonal berries or something else tasty, (depending on your season.)
* I happened to have 4 egg yolks which needed using, otherwise swap recipe for 4 eggs?
cityhippyfarmgirl 
I had a similar experience with my phone about a month ago. My six year old phone (which certainly wasn’t the latest model when I got it) began to die. Rather than buying new one, I’ve got a second hand phone from a friend. Still over two years old, but light years ahead of what I had. Green and money saving credentials!
P.S. Wouldn’t three eggs be a bit closer to 4 egg yolks and one whole egg. Wouldn’t be as rich but I think it would be closer in volume than 4 eggs? Regardless I’d like to taste it!
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It’s good to have friends like that!
With the eggs, quite possibly you are right. This kind of cake, a lot of the recipes I looked at though had quite a few eggs in it- one even had 8! So, 3 or 4 your choice 🙂
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I HATE the people in phone shops – they just bamboozle me with their spiel and leave me confused. It’s no use believing a single word any of them say as there is no way on this earth to verify or compare. I just work out what I want the machine to do, work out how much I am prepared to pay and hold out the credit card. Might as well be a a big white flag.
However, I have seen recipes for this cake before and am quite prepared to believe that I would find it very comforting indeed. Is it truly as lovely as it seems?
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Amanda, just quietly…yes. It is as lovely as it seems. There seems to be quite a few tweaks on the basic 3 milk concept, but essentially it’s a soft, moist condensed milk kind of cake that I think is quite versatile to suit peoples taste buds. I wouldn’t make it without the coffee, (as I love coffee) and didn’t bother with whipped cream on top as it is most often served.
But over all a really easy cake that can be made ahead of time and fancied up if you want to.
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Im with you, use them till they die, I have had only 5 phones in 15yrs, one the kids killed on me and the one I have now seems undestructable so far, very simple, very me. The teenagers on the other hand think they need to change phones evry six months….not in my world kids!! Cake looks scrummo !!
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Jen I’m with you, 5 in 15 years as well. Which included one that went for a swim in the toilet- care of my 18 month old son at the time.
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As always I’m drooling over your latest bake! Enjoyable read – hope your new phone lives up the sales pitch 🙂 I don’t own a mobile phone (much to people’s astonishment) and loathe trying to keep up with technology. An iPod is as far as I’ve ventured and I’ve bought two in the last few years – the first one spontaneously died of mysterious causes with no way of fixing it. And the latest one looks like it’s on the way out too. Argh.
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Oh you rock! Don’t give in.
I’ve got an ipod, but I still don’t know how to charge it, (Mr Chocolate’s job 🙂
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Mr Bite’s mobile was (by the sounds of things) almost as old as yours up until this year – and he never used it. It was carried around, off, for ‘in case of emergencies’ and that was about it. Most frustrating for me! Then he got an Android back in April, because he’s into the technology behind those models (Android is Google affiliated), and now he and the phone are inseparable. But he still doesn’t use it for calling or texting – just lots of applications and clever features.
Such side notes aside, I hope your new phone draws you in soon – if it doesn’t, at least you have this cake as consolation 🙂
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I think it has drawn me in Kari. Compared to what the last one could do…errr, which was pretty much nothing- it’s rather impressive.
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Hehe it took me ages to get a new phone too! Now I have a smartphone but I hate it and want a different one. Although I must admit that it is better than my old one. Best of luck with the new phone! 🙂
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Lorraine I would imagine with your job, you definitely need a mobile!
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I was nagged by B for the last six months to get new phone, Mine was seven years old and much loved. I got one the same sort of size, and have no patience at all to try and figure it out, it is too smart for me! Long live cake!
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Joanna thank goodness there will always be cake.
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I kepy my last phone going until I really couldn’t read the screen anymore – what should have been displayed on the top half of the screen was interlaced in alternating rows of pixels with what should have been on the bottom half of the screen. I used it for two weeks with the top half of the screen being on the bottom half and the bottom half on the top half before that, and I can’t even remember all the weird glitches that had started months before that. I then was given my mum’s old phone (she’s a gadget person and likes to keep up with the latest), and finally my brother got me a top-of-the-line smartphone for my birthday. I never used to care about my phone or features but I love my fancy phone now. Especially the part where I didn’t have to pay for it 🙂
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Fancy phone that you don’t have to pay for Betsy? They are the best kinds!
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I resisted purchasing a new phone for a very long time because I don’t believe there is a phone company out there that doesn’t intend to rip you off. But when my youngest child smashed my phone I was forced to purchase a new one. I have to say, upgrading from my dinosaur to an iphone has been a really pleasant experience. I love my new phone!
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Wouldn’t it be lovely if the phone companies really were working for you, just helping you with keeping in touch and not with dollar signs in their eyes instead.
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Did you finally get an iphone?!
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not an iphone, but it is the touchy screeny kind
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Your post made me smile. I read it once; left to ask my boy when did I get my mobile phone; he answered. It was Mother’s Day in 2004; the kids and their father all put in to buy me a phone. I never asked for one! But eldest daughter, frustrated with not being able to speak to me about staying back at school, popping down to the shopping centre, not getting the bus, going with a friend, etc etc, instigated the idea that Mum ‘needed’ a phone. And so the phone I ‘needed’ is now 7 1/2 years old and get ready, drum roll – still going strong. The battery has been changed once in that time – just two months ago. I have looked after it, never dropped it – not once, never used it with wet hands, never changed the ring tone (I worked out how years later); still never changed. Unlike my two girls who between them, most probably have owned ten phones for the last eight years.
And if you think I’m some kind of dinosaur, then all I’ll say is my 22year old boy is like no other on this planet (at least from what I’ve seen). He was gifted a mobile phone from my visiting overseas relative three years ago. It sat in his cupboard unused; until his uni mates complained with not being able to reach him. Lots of team assignments in engineering. He pulled out the phone; gave his mates the number and never spent one cent on credit. I sit here laughing as I recall trying to contact him to find out what time was he going to be home; only to hear the phone ringing in his room.
I think my comment has turned into a post; sorry; but your story really struck a chord with me; and others too by the looks of it. I think when my mobile phone dies; I may have to give it a proper funeral. But that’s a long way away if I can help it!
BTW – your torta looks sorta grand. Cheers Mariana
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Now that IS unusual for most 22 year olds Mariana!
…and if your phone does die after such generous service for so long, a think proper funeral would be only fitting… and perhaps some cake at the service 🙂
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Haha!
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Fab looking cake. I guess this must be the reason I still can’t use my smartphone (bought about 10 months ago…) – I didn’t have a slice of cake by my side as I attempted to understand the instructions!
I hate the feeling that my phone is smarter than me, but actually, I think it probably is….
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See at least now you know the remedy for finding out what to do with the phone…cake! 🙂
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And here I thought you were going to discuss the technology behind a tres leches…evaporating milk, condensing, etc…The mother earth news had an article from a book about that a couple of months ago.
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Ohhh, now that would be interesting! I wouldn’t have a clue how you would make those kind of milks…hmmm, now I’m intrigued though, and will have to do some reading.
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I have had a succession of phones.. and computers.I believe that have a built in program that makes them slow down over time until you’re so frustrated you have to buy a new one… Planned obsolescence I say!! At least cake will never go out of style… I love this one!!
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It annoys me too, how they all have a life cycle, of what seems like not particularly long!
And you are right, at least we shall always have cake.
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I think we could’ve written this post. Well, not nearly as well of course. We’ve been resisting the new phones too. Technology and what’s in just changes so fast. Texting is a pain and there are a lot of times a smart phone would come in handy though…. Anyway, that dessert looks wonderful.
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It’s always could to hear there are so many like minded people about.
You being a whole lot closer to central america than I am, have you come across this dessert much?
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gosh, I so want this! will have to do more than simply bookmarking it… will have to go get the ingredients! totally love the idea of soaking a cake in milk, condensed milk (my childhood favorite) and coffee. reminds me of a sweet treat my mom used to make – right before starting to get obsessed with calories 😉 thank you for sharing this interesting recipe.
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It reminded me a little of Tiramisu Barbara, with the soft soaking and the coffee. Either way, I think you should make it!
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I’m doing good keeping up on the computer… hand held technology is overwhelming. I have a cell- I use it to call. I have accepted some texts- never change the ring tone or use apps- never played angry birds-most of the time I will answer if someone calls me.
Now that cake really interests me. I like its yolk usage- because I AM making your berry and cream and meringue tart for Thanksgiving and will need some way to use up those egg yolks!
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That my dear Heidi, is precisely why I had yolks to play with 🙂
Can’t wait to hear how yours turns out!
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I managed to keep the whole mobile thing at bay for a long time and went from having none at all to an iPhone last year. Still hardly use the phone bit, but the rest is great.
A milk drizzle cake, this sounds so unusual, I’m going to have to try it.
BTW, I tagged you on a Food Bloggers Unplugged post I did a few days ago. Don’t worry if you don’t want to take part – it’s entirely optional.
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I can so relate re the phone!
I have an old far-from-smart phone. The screen is blurry, but I can still make and accept calls and texts, but thats about it. Every now and then i’ve been tempted to upgrade, but I know it would be just another time-absorber.
That cake looks delicious!
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give me the cake before the mobile phone – the less I have to do with them the happier I am! I am onto my second and sylvia loves playing with my first – she would probably play with my current one if she ever saw it about – it recently went for 3 months being uncharged – luckily it didn’t get hot like yours or I might have had a burning hole in my bag – enjoy your new toy
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