Wacky Cake

A while back, I promised you a recipe involving chocolate & sprinkles. Have no fear, that recipe is here! 

But first let me ramble for a bit. Some things in life just don't add up!

Some things are crazy:
Today is an extra day! (That means you should eat cake! In honor of those leap year babies, of course.)

Some things are curious:
I revere the ocean. I grew up with salt water in my veins yet I'm afraid of open water.

Some things are odd:

Of all the midnight snacks a freezer contains you'd think they'd put a light inside it. It's just the considerate thing to do.

Some things are bizarre:
I look at things people wear in magazines & think "Gosh, that looks like a trainwreck!" then I read the caption that says "Fab! Best dressed!" I don't get fashion.

Some things are eccentric:
Up until recently I would never set my alarm on a time that ended in a "0" or a "5". It was too structured for my taste.

Some things are quirky:
I have OCD yet having all the canned good labels facing the same way is a lil' too creepy for me. (Have you seen "Sleeping With The Enemy"?)

Some things are wacky:
This spongy, chocolate cake is scrumptious even though it uses vinegar in the place of eggs & milk. (It's another great recipe that arose from the days of war when rationing made dairy products scarce.)

Bad Day?

Ever wake up, think you can take on the day & show it who's boss?
Ever had that same Monday come at you like this?

May I suggest that you come at Monday like this?!

Take the day by storm!

Friday Flipbook: Week 24

Forsyth Park, Savannah, GA

This week in pictures...

25 Years Ago Today...

...Mr. A arrived here on Earth.

Happy Birthday, my love. 

This video is dedicated to you! Remember that time we heard someone singing this in Barnes & Noble?  May we laugh as hard today, on your birthday, as we did that very moment. 

                                                                                           

                                                                                                 Elephant Shoes,

                                                                                                 Bay

Jokes.com
Brian Regan - Dora the Explorer
comedians.comedycentral.com
Brian Regan Comedian Stand-Up

Whether You're A Chocoholic Or Not

Sometimes 'simple' is superior. It's just enough. It's no fuss. Just K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid).

It's like reveling in the simplicity of a strong brewed cup of coffee. A nondescript black t-shirt. They need no accompaniment. They stand alone. This cake is the confectionary equivalent of that principle.

I'm not saying scratch-made cakes can't be wonderful, but I don't have the storage space for more than 10 canned goods at a time much less multiple kinds of baking flours. 

(Can someone please explain to me how it's possible that our behemoth kitchen, by apartment standards, can be so comically deficient in storage? But I digress.)

This cake keeps it simple, stupid. It's a semi-homemade cake filled with semisweet goodness. In keeping with the theme, I would say "less is more". But in this case, just a bit more Amaretto at the end makes this cake nothing less than extraordinary.

Many, many thanks to my former coworker, Tamera, for kindly passing this recipe on to me. Since than, this is Mr. A's birthday cake of choice every year.

Chocolate Amaretto Cake

Ingredients: 

1 box Devil's Food cake mix
1 small box instant chocolate pudding (3.9 oz)
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup sour cream
½ cup oil
½ cup water
¼ cup Amaretto
4 eggs
⅓ cup Amaretto

1. Preheat oven to 350 °.
2. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl (except for the second amount of Amaretto).
3. Pour into a bundt pan & bake for 60 minutes. (or a 9x13 pan for 50 minutes.)
4. When the cake is cool, invert it onto a serving plate & drizzle with the second amount of Amaretto.

(Coco Chanel always said to remove one accessory before leaving the house. So this cake left the frosting behind. No need for such a thing. But, if you must have an accompaniment, I can attest to how lovely it was when Tamera served it with fresh whipped cream.)

Anecdotes & Antidotes

"I'm just tryin' to change the color on your mood ring." 

-Kanye West

Anecdote: Once in a while Often, your neighbor's cleaning routine involves a thorough 2 AM vacuuming as they clod around above you like Lurch. Don't you just love poorly made buildings?
Antidote: Tell them through your ceiling, "You know what?? I hope you step on a Lego!!!" Then listen to Ray LaMontagne to lull you back to serenity.

Anecdote: We've all been there. You go through eight channels of customer service reps, repeating the nuances of your problem each & every time only to be disconnected right before speaking to someone of power. It makes you want to lash out irrationally.
Antidote: You're going to need to stroke a puppy's ear for several minutes to calm down before you start over. Oh, and curse. A lot. Get it all out of your system now before you pick up the phone.

Anecdote: "This remote has too many buttons", you think to yourself just as you manage to accidentally erase the entire contents of your DVR. 
Antidote: Get a pint of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream STAT & watch 'Finding Nemo'. The tune of "just keep swimming, just keep swimming" can be incredibly encouraging.

Anecdote: When emptying the bag of cereal into its designated container, you find it fits all but a cup's worth of cereal. You & your OCD can't bear to put the bag as well as the container back into the cabinet. It's just not sensible. 
Antidote: Knock over the open container of cereal sending it careening down the crack between the counter & the fridge. Problem solved. The container has just enough space to accommodate the remaining cereal now! Ahhhhh. That feels better.

Anecdote: You forget Panko breadcrumbs for the 8th consecutive grocery trip. (Oh, how I wish I were exaggerating.)
Antidote: There is no consoling you. There are no words. This is ludicrous. Just laugh.

Playground Parody

I'm sure you've heard Rihanna & Eminem's "Love The Way You Lie".
It's a horribly catchy song with a not-so-pretty subject matter. (Eminem mentions warm fuzzy feelings though!)


I found this lighter hearted parody of it by 'The Key Of Awesome' entitled "Love The Way You Like".

I don't know about you but my favorite line was "We've always been close cause we have assigned seats." 
I just can't help it, a great play-on-words gives me that warm fuzzy feeling.

Friday Flipbook: (Week 23) Photo Challenge

It's been 30 days since I created this challenge & posted it to my Pinterest boards. 

As I cross off another item on my "25 Before 26" list, I present to you a look behind my lens this past month... 

(Confession: Day 10 was my favorite challenge!)

Day 1: In Your Bag/Wallet

Day 2: Food

Day 3: Your Handwriting

Friday Flipbook: Week 22

Afternoon Delight

This week in pictures...

Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight

 It's time for Five Minute Friday! The Gypsy Mama assigns a prompt & we write for five minutes without hesitation.

The Prompt: REAL

Five Minutes On The Clock! GO!

One Last Nap

"It's going to take some getting used to." 

"Is this real?"

 "This is wonderful!" 

"Is this what it's like for everyone else?" 

Mr. A & I are adjusting to a new routine. For the last two years, & the length of our relationship, he's been on overnight shifts. For those unfamiliar with that lifestyle, it means he works overnight until late morning, then gets his eight hours of sleep during the day while the rest of us are out & about. (They called him vampire for that very reason.)

So we got to see each other for a few hours either before or after his "nap". On his days off he had to block out some extra time to "nap" so his body could reset to being awake during the day. The strength & will that he possesses to be able to handle a schedule like that is incredible. He never ceases to amaze me.

Now, times they are a-changing! Mr. A was promoted & also now gets to work days! We still can't wrap our heads around being able to fall asleep & wake up next to each every morning. We can't fathom it because we've never known such a thing. We ask "Is it always going to be like this now?"

The answer is yes. And it's incredible. And delightful.

And surreal. How lucky we are.

What Genitalia Proves, In Case You Were Wondering...

In case you are having a bad case of the Mondays, fear not! I am here to set you free via laughter.
I saw this comedy special maybe a decade ago & it has remained in my psyche. 
If you're ever looking for the perfect explanation of the bits Adam & Eve had under those fig leaves, Lynne Koplitz has summed it up perfectly.

Jokes.com
Lynne Koplitz - Lollipop
comedians.comedycentral.com
Lynne Koplitz Comedians Stand-Up

Super [Bowl] Cramps

The last ball has been kicked, the last chip has been dipped,

oh how it pains me to say, the trophy has been stolen away.

The game could have gone two ways... 
Instead of finding me doing my happy dance (which looks something like this), 
you can find me...

taking this toaster...

to the shower.

Hope no one wants a bagel any time soon. I'm going to need a moment.

When I Dip, You Dip, We Dip

Sweet Vidalia Onion Dip

Behold another story & a recipe as we gear up for the Super Bowl!

It's 1997. I'm at a middle school dance wearing the first (& also eighth) outfit that I tried on back in my strewn-with-frog-knickknacks bedroom. Boys are trying to be charming or tough, depending on their style. Girls are giggling as they shuffle back & forth waiting to be approached. All of this happens as this song fills the gymnasium... 

Now I'm hoping that no one asks me to dance because my hips lack the know-how for that kind of dip. Instead, I ponder how misleading the movie "Clueless" turned out to be. I could wear stylish knee-highs & platform heels all I wanted but it didn't clinch me a spot in the popular crowd. Ah, popularity... thou art a heartless **tch.

I have always be known to preach that it's more about the quality of your friends over the quantity. However, that being said, had I known how to make this dip in my schooldays, there surely would have been more attendance at my parties.

Friday Flipbook: Week 21

Our New Neighborhood

This week in pictures...

How Do You Pronounce Pecan?

A Bite So Sinful It's Heavenly

This time five years ago you would find my mom in a hotel ballroom setting up vase after vase of grandiose floral arrangements. She's fussing over how they look from all angles, taking this flower & putting it just so, traversing a ladder to spritz a glistening mist on them before scurrying out the door as the party gets underway.

The next morning, we construct this luscious Super Bowl spread before tuning in to watch our New England Patriots fight for glory. (The game was held nearby that year so we pulled out all the stops. Please don't bring up how it ended. Thank you.)

We scurry about the table concocting leaning towers of treats on our plates as they announce the starting lineup. It's then that we hear my mom exclaim, "Holy @#$* I sprayed that guy yesterday!! He was so little he walked right under the flowers & into a shower of mist. Oh, he was so nice about it! We had a good laugh."

I wrapped my mouth around a cupcake & my head around the image of my mom spritzing floral mist on Wes Welker.

My family loves that story. Clearly, we love football as well as food. Suffice it to say we don't half ass it when it comes to football food. So, in honor of my big brother Tony's birthday today, I'm going to share his favorite snack-sized pecan recipe! Because sometimes you may feel like a nut, but in my family we always do!