Best Cake I've ever made

I recently ate at a restaurant and fell in LOVE with one of their desserts.  A Tennessee Whiskey Cake.  It was a dense, moist cake topped with pralines, a butter whiskey caramel and ice cream.  Best cake I've ever had.

Since I had that cake, I was wracking my brain trying to think of a copycat.  I googled, but found nothing even close to what they serve.

I decided to just go with what I knew and while my cousin was visiting, we put together what I believe to be the best, moistest, dense, flavorful cake I've ever made.

First, pralines were made.  My mother makes them best, so I had her whip them up.  It's just pecans, sugar and a smidgen of liquid (we used water).  Stir on medium heat until they smell like roasted nuts and are encased in a gooey syrup.  Pour them out on wax paper to "dry" and crisp.

Now onto the cake.  I took a basic chocolate cake recipe (one that I've known and used for years, but again, it is a meshed recipe that I've made up over the years) and completely flipped it on it's head.  Here goes:

1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup choco chips, or good chocolate
1/4 cup bourbon or whiskey
2 cups AP flour
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter a 10 x 15 glass pan.  In a small saucepan, melt 1 cup butter, 1/2 cup chocolate chips, 1/4 cup bourbon.  Once melted, remove from heat.

In a stand mixer or large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.  Add eggs, vanilla, and milk.  Slowly drizzle in slightly cooled chocolate mixture.  Mix for 1 minute on medium speed, until large bubbles form.  Your batter will be runny, thick, and sticky.

Pout into buttered dish and bake for 25-30 minutes.  The top of the cake will crack and will still slightly wiggle if shook.  Take out and cool completely.

We threw together a caramel sauce to top the cake with (in addition to the pralines).  Here's a basic bourbon or whiskey caramel sauce recipe:

2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup heavy whipping cream
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup bourbon or whiskey
Two saucepans

In the first saucepan, combine sugar and water.  Stir with a wooden spoon (wooden spoons are the only spoon I can make proper caramel with) until clear liquid.  Then let boil until golden amber in color.

In the second saucepan, while the sugar mixture is boiling, combine the whipping cream, butter, and salt.  Just warm until butter has melted and the cream is steaming.

Once the sugar liquid is amber, remove from heat.  SLOWLY (really, slowly), pour the cream mixture down the side of the sugar saucepan.  It will bubble, toil, spittle, etc.  Once it's all in there, stir with your wooden spoon again.  Then add your 1/4 cup bourbon or whiskey (more if you want a really saucy sauce) and stir until combined. 

Poor this golden deliciousness on your cake deliciousness and top with praline deliciousness.

Be ready to die from deliciousness.

Best.  Cake.  I've.  Ever.  Made.

Through a foggy window

Cooking did not happen.  Life happened.

It's like I'm looking through a foggy window and you know how sometimes there's a tiny little spot that seems clear enough for you to look through so you strain your eyes trying to see through that little spot then you realize you couldn't actually see through it to begin with?

That's what I'm constantly feeling like.  I keep getting these little clean specks of window that I try to look through, and it turns out, it's just as foggy as the rest.  

I'm trying.  I try to rub the smudge away, look through it, pretend it's not there.  It's there and I can't see through it.  Other's can see through it, they've found perfectly clear panes and try to tell me what it looks like through it, but I can't get to that point of understanding.

The only feeling I can really convey is sadness.  I'm sad all the time.  Even when I have a moment of happiness, it's not real.  It's just a burst of irrational emotion to counter the sadness I'm constantly fighting.  

I'm at a crossroad in my life.  I feel like if I don't choose the right path, I'm going to be stuck in a lifetime of sadness and foggy windows.  

I want a clear window...or at least one with only a few smudges.

So that happened.

I know no one reads my blog, so I don't know why I apologize.  I guess I'm apologizing to myself for not keeping up on something I told myself I'd do.

Anywho, I have disliked life lately and it's reflecting here, as well as in other places in my life.  I'm trying.  I'm really trying.

Oh, and I'm making my own version of veal scallopini for dinner tonight.  I browsed recipes for a veal scallopini, and they all look exactly like veal piccata, which is NOT the same thing.  So, I'm going to wing it and do what I want.  

You know what makes people smile?

BLIMPS

I was driving out for lunch today and there was a random blimp floating about in the sky.  I got this huge grin on my face...over a freaking blimp.  

It was awesome.

Just some awesome music

I'm just going to list a bunch of artists that I happen to love.  Really, really love.

Oh, they're in no particular order.  But a * means that I would marry them.

Ke$ha *
Azealia Banks
Robbie Williams *
50 cent
Iggy Azalea
Imagine Dragons *
Ellie Goulding
Fever Ray
Lana Del Rey *
Paloma Faith *
The Script *
Florence + the Machine
Ginny Blackmore
David Guetta
Solo Justin Timberlake

I'm all over the place.  I love music.  These are just ones I really love off the top of my head.  I'm sure I'm missing a few, and this list isn't exclusive.

L.O.V.E.

GobbleStopper

Hear me out.

Turkey dinner.  The works.  Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin or pecan pie....

All layered in a gobstopper/jawbreaker type thing.

Ehhhh?  How's that for a weight loss solution?  I would suck on these all day long!

Sure, your stomach may be starving, but your mouth is satiated with deliciousness.

Someone, please make this happen.  I promise, I will buy a lot!

Chicken Sandwich

I've recently been on a chicken sandwich kick.  I don't know why.  I don't really like chicken, nor do I really enjoy sandwiches, but a chicken sandwich is just delicious.

I've tried chicken sandwiches from several places, but one place in particular makes the best chicken sandwich.  I won't name names, but I'll tell you that the sandwich is $1.

Does the price make it taste so good?  I'm unsure.  I tried the spicy version there, and it was hotter than a farmer's balls in a cotton field during summer harvest.  Not good.

The regular one, however.....delicious.

Please don't stay

Has anyone seen the music video for "Stay" by Rihanna ft. Mikky Ekko?

I love the song.  I really, really love the song.  I can't watch the music video though.

Why you ask?  It's so raw and meaningful you say.

Plaque is my answer.  In every close up of Rihanna's face, there is an overwhelming amount of plaque on and between her teeth.  

I just can't handle it.

Brush yo teef.

The song can stay...the video, not so much.

Two dates

I have been in the dating game for a couple of years now.  That can't be, you say, you're 28 in November...how is it only a few years???

Let me explain.

I didn't date in high school.  I was busy being smart and not paying attention to guys.  I could have dated...there were opportunities when I look back, but I was so oblivious that it never happened.

In college, I tried dating...once.  It lasted a few months.  I didn't like it.  He was a jealous type and  at the same time seemed almost uninterested in me.  

So after we were over, I didn't date.  I had a ton of friends and just had a good time.  I was happy with this.  I wasn't looking for a relationship.

Then two kind of happened back to back.  I started dating this one guy who was perfect for me on paper, but there just wasn't chemistry.  While I was dating him, I met "Derkin", again, not expecting a relationship, and we only had chemistry.  

That dangum relationship lasted two years...during which we both tried to convince ourselves that we were happy...we weren't.  

After we were done, I again had no interest in dating.  I didn't have interest in anyone.  I'm going to be honest, I was a bit heart-broken and just wanted a break from everything.  That lasted for a year or two, then I started dating again.

I haven't made it past date two with ANY of the guys I've gone out with.  And there have been a lot.  Some have been on my part, some were on them.  

Here's the way that works...if I'm not interested, or am not feeling it, I break it off.  If I'm interested and want to continue, they keep acting like they want to see me again, but a third date never happens.

This is starting to hurt my feelings.  I'm pretty awesome.  Have you seen the "over attached girlfriend" meme on the interwebs?  If not, look that shit up.  Anyways, I am NOT like that girl at all...yet she's a girlfriend!!!

After several drinks of tequila tonight (even though this is posting the next day if I schedule it right), I have decided that I'm just going to stop seriously dating anyone.  

I'm tired of texting and getting my hopes up and getting all these "girl" feelings and then having them smashed to bits.  

I may keep dating casually, but I am resolute in that Massimo will be the only "guy" in my life.

Not what I was expecting

Tequila is like my one true love.  It makes me the life of any party...because I've only ever drank (drunken...?) it in public situations.  I drank quite a bit of it tonight thinking it would brighten my day.

Turns out, tequila makes me really sad when I'm by myself.  Like, turn up the sad playlist, sing loudly and relish in my woes.

Maybe wallow in my woes is more accurate.  

Realizations of the evening:

1.  I have a furry child...and it's probably the only child I'm ever going to have (it's ok, I love you, Massimo).

2.  I am apparently unbearable after two dates.  I will forever be a two date person. (I'm going to write a whole damn entry on this).

3.  I have a green thumb...

4.  Until the plants I planted today die in three weeks...as they are wont to do around me.

5.  My butt starts to hurt after sitting on the floor for several hours.

6.  I still hate doing laundry.

That's a French word?

The other day I was trying to get Massimo to pick up a toy and come to me.  I said "toute de suite, Massimo"...and he actually came.  

Now, I know I did well in Geography in High School, so I know for a fact that France is nowhere near Mexico...Massimo is a pomchi...Chihuahua's originate from Mexico, ok...if anything, he should understand Spanish.  So, I wonder...where to Pomeranian's originate from?

I hope it's France.  Mass doesn't really listen to anything I say unless he wants to, so when he actually came to toute de suite, I was shocked.

My aunt made me laugh...she thought I got it from the older movie "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", which could be true since I didn't spell it out, I just said it.  I'm fairly confident, however, that that song is "Toot Sweets".  Which I now have stuck in my head again.  

That reminds me, there used to be these candy whistles at the grocery store growing up that were just basically suckers, but always reminded me of that movie.  I haven't seen a whistle pop in years.  Maybe adults realized what a horrid idea it was to give a candy whistle to a child.

Why must everything have a title?

Today was a gorgeous day.  The sun shone, it was almost 80 degrees, and I drove home with my windows down.

Then I got home.  My house is an inferno...I forgot that if I don't leave the fans on during the day, the air conditioner really doesn't work.  At all.  

So, as I'm typing this, I'm sitting on my couch in a sheer cami and my undies.  Classy as all get out.

I also just finished a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (strawberry)...made with all natural stuffs on whole grain bread, of course.  Hey, I try to be good sometimes.  On an anti-note: I'm also on my second lemon-rita.

Is that a thing?  lemon-rita's?  If not, it really should be.  I don't know why I never thought of it before...it's basically lemonade spiked with tequila and triple sec.  I got the idea from one of my close friends who made rita's this past weekend with lemons and limes and it was amazing.  Since I'm home for the evening, I figured why not have a little somethin' somethin' instead of water or sweet tea (which I would have had to make...and brewing takes a bit...patience was running thin).  So, I put some simple syrup on to boil (literally just water and sugar) and squeezed some leftover lemons I had from baking some pies a week or two ago.  Put it together with probably more tequila than normally goes in and about two shots of triple sec and tasted...ice and done.

Woo.  It is yummy and quenches my hot thirst.  Which is good, since again I'm practically in a cotton swimsuit on my couch...still hot as Hades.