For those interested in baking a chocolate cake with mayo and coffee...here is the recipe.
I actually got the recipe from the March/April 2009 issue of Cook's Illustrated. If you are not familiar with Cook's Illustrated I HIGHLY recommend this cooking magazine. It does not overwhelm one with recipes and photos, instead it focuses on a few recipes and the method behind the cooking.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
1 cup hot coffee
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla
Confectioners' sugar
Steps:
1 - Heat oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray an 8-inch square baking dish.
2 - Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in large bowl. In separate bowl, combine cocoa and chocolate; pour hot coffee over cocoa mixture and whisk until smooth; let cool slightly. Whisk in mayo, egg and vanilla. Stir mayo mixture into flour mixture until combined.
3 - Scrape batter into pan and bake 30 - 35 minutes.
4 - Cool cake in pan on wire rack, 1 - 2 hours. Dust with confectioners' sugar, cut and serve.
Yum!!!!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
Garden...The Second Year
Amy, Lisa and I decided to expand our garden this spring...we realized trying to pack everything into one space just didn't work - the tomatoes went crazy and overshadowed everything so the other plants had to grow UP before they could produce.
We also discovered that because of the overshadowing some plants didn't grow because of the lack of sunlight...therefore when we pulled out the tomatoes at the end of the growing season...the onions came back!! But then it snowed. But then spring came and the onions came back AGAIN!! Therefore we are experimenting to see what will happen when we finally decide to pull out the onions that have sat in the ground - ALL winter. Will they taste ok...be sweet...be strong...or nothing special?!?!
Anyway...Amy expanded to two spots by her apartment and Lisa and I expanded to two spots. One spot is tomatoes so they can grow all crazy in their own time and space and the other spot is devoted to nicely spaced peppers, onions, eggplant, cucumber, zucchini, radishes and acorn squash.
The chicken wire is up...we almost lost some plants to the rabbits before we got it up...but it now up and we are patiently watering and waiting for plants to produce!
Whoo!
We also discovered that because of the overshadowing some plants didn't grow because of the lack of sunlight...therefore when we pulled out the tomatoes at the end of the growing season...the onions came back!! But then it snowed. But then spring came and the onions came back AGAIN!! Therefore we are experimenting to see what will happen when we finally decide to pull out the onions that have sat in the ground - ALL winter. Will they taste ok...be sweet...be strong...or nothing special?!?!
Anyway...Amy expanded to two spots by her apartment and Lisa and I expanded to two spots. One spot is tomatoes so they can grow all crazy in their own time and space and the other spot is devoted to nicely spaced peppers, onions, eggplant, cucumber, zucchini, radishes and acorn squash.
The chicken wire is up...we almost lost some plants to the rabbits before we got it up...but it now up and we are patiently watering and waiting for plants to produce!
Whoo!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Five Guys in Washington, DC
Thanks to my sister for taking a job transfer with her government job, I now have the opportunity to travel to Washington, DC and stay for FREE!!!
Thanks Sara for being brave and moving to uber-expensive rent land!! She lives just up and I literally mean up from Dupont Circle...so any eating that we did at Five Guys was walked off!
For my whirlwind weekend trip to DC...I enjoyed a 10 mile run of the Mall Monuments, the Tidal Basin, Pennsylvania Avenue, the White House and Dupont Circle.
We had adventures in Georgetown looking for the cupcake shop, shopping at LUSH and eating Paella.
We checked out a couple of Smithsonian Museums, the National Cathedral and checked out the different embassies in Sara's neighborhood.
We took every circulator bus route one night just to get within walking distance of Sara's place.
All the walking was a good thing because the eating we did was crazy! I am now a fan of Teaism's Salty Oat Cookies! Yumm!!
Thanks Sara for being brave and moving to uber-expensive rent land!! She lives just up and I literally mean up from Dupont Circle...so any eating that we did at Five Guys was walked off!
For my whirlwind weekend trip to DC...I enjoyed a 10 mile run of the Mall Monuments, the Tidal Basin, Pennsylvania Avenue, the White House and Dupont Circle.
We had adventures in Georgetown looking for the cupcake shop, shopping at LUSH and eating Paella.
We checked out a couple of Smithsonian Museums, the National Cathedral and checked out the different embassies in Sara's neighborhood.
We took every circulator bus route one night just to get within walking distance of Sara's place.
All the walking was a good thing because the eating we did was crazy! I am now a fan of Teaism's Salty Oat Cookies! Yumm!!
Friday, April 10, 2009
Schmeckfest 2009!!
2009 is a Schmeckfest Year!!!
It is not every year that I attending the feeding frenzy that is known as Schemckfest...luckily 2009 is a Schmeckfest year!
I enjoyed a Friday evening with the Kaufman famimly...eating:
...Noodle Soup
...Green Bean Soup
...Stewed Beef (Dampfleisch)
...Fried Potatoes (Gebratene Kartofflen)
...Salat
...Sauerkraut
...Twin Buns (Zwiebach)
...Bratwurst
...Cheese Buttons (Kase Mit Knopfle)
...Relishes (Geschmacke)
...Dried Fruit Sauce (Pluma Moos)
...Kuchen
and last but not least...Poppy Seed Rolls (Mach Kuchen)
It is true...I ate it all...not in gianormous amounts but enough to care me through the evening and into mid-afternoonish of the next day.
Woo!
It is not every year that I attending the feeding frenzy that is known as Schemckfest...luckily 2009 is a Schmeckfest year!
I enjoyed a Friday evening with the Kaufman famimly...eating:
...Noodle Soup
...Green Bean Soup
...Stewed Beef (Dampfleisch)
...Fried Potatoes (Gebratene Kartofflen)
...Salat
...Sauerkraut
...Twin Buns (Zwiebach)
...Bratwurst
...Cheese Buttons (Kase Mit Knopfle)
...Relishes (Geschmacke)
...Dried Fruit Sauce (Pluma Moos)
...Kuchen
and last but not least...Poppy Seed Rolls (Mach Kuchen)
It is true...I ate it all...not in gianormous amounts but enough to care me through the evening and into mid-afternoonish of the next day.
Woo!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Shoe Obsession
OK...I have a problem...a shoe problem...after a year of not spending money (no unneccessary shoppping in 2008...I think I might be the reason for the recession)...I am back in the shopping game. Whoo!
In the past week ,thanks to my co-workers' shoe addictions I was able to feed my addiction with FOUR awesome new pairs of shoes - two pairs of Eccos, one pair of Danskos and one pair of Soft Walks!!!
I am a HUGE fan of Danskos and Ecco so I branched out with the Soft Walks. I also have my eye on some sassy sandles but I'm not ready for sandle shopping yet...I just want to survive the freaky, snowy, cold March weather.
Anyway...I am enjoying my new shoes!!! The shiny red Eccos are my most favorite!!!
In the past week ,thanks to my co-workers' shoe addictions I was able to feed my addiction with FOUR awesome new pairs of shoes - two pairs of Eccos, one pair of Danskos and one pair of Soft Walks!!!
I am a HUGE fan of Danskos and Ecco so I branched out with the Soft Walks. I also have my eye on some sassy sandles but I'm not ready for sandle shopping yet...I just want to survive the freaky, snowy, cold March weather.
Anyway...I am enjoying my new shoes!!! The shiny red Eccos are my most favorite!!!
Monday, March 02, 2009
Lychee Calpis
My new favorite drink - Lychee Calpis!!!!! I am a huge fan of the Calpis Water drink, which is a popular Japanese non-soda drink.
I found this drink in the beverage section of the 99 Ranch Market at the Great Wall shopping mall. If you have never had the chance to try Calpis Water...go to good Asian market and buy some. It is awesome!!!
The best description of Calpis Water, it is a yorghurty, milky (but NOT milk taste) type drink with flavoring....the flavoring can be fruity like orange or lychee. The lychee flavored Calpis is by far my favorite.
Try some today!!!!
I found this drink in the beverage section of the 99 Ranch Market at the Great Wall shopping mall. If you have never had the chance to try Calpis Water...go to good Asian market and buy some. It is awesome!!!
The best description of Calpis Water, it is a yorghurty, milky (but NOT milk taste) type drink with flavoring....the flavoring can be fruity like orange or lychee. The lychee flavored Calpis is by far my favorite.
Try some today!!!!
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