#MeatlessMonday - Adventures with Cake #dessert #recipe

Last week was a week of chaos. I've been working on the June 1st re-release of The Island and Struck, and on my new release, Poppy (June 6th). Having one book release is stressful enough, but three? Absolutely insane. 18 hour work days. Living on coffee and Clif Bars. Looming deadlines. I found myself struggling on the home front. My house went to crap, my teens were living on take-out for dinner, and my dogs were probably posting on Craigslist for a new owner. Yeah, everyone was pretty much on their own.
I was finally able to take a breather when Friday rolled around. I took my dogs on a much-needed walk, I cleaned house (scary!), and I decided to bake a cake to show everyone how much I appreciated their understanding.

Busy Day Cake

Ingredients

1-1/2 c. all purpose flour
3/4 c. sugar
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 c. milk
1 egg
1/2 c. shortening
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt

In a small mixing bowl combine all ingredients. Spray 9 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or till done.

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That was the recipe and it seemed simple enough. I'm doing a bit of a rewrite because here's how it went down.

1-1/2 c. all purpose flour
3/4 c. sugar

Find your flour. Swear profusely because it's way too high up on the shelf. Make a mental note to rethink your kitchen.

Reach (on tiptoe!) for the sugar sitting behind the flour.
While juggling both, drop the sugar. Sugar goes everywhere...onto the floor, onto your computer, and onto the dog. The dog is happy.

2-1/2 tsp. baking powder

Dig through the old marshmallows from last Halloween, mismatched cupcake liners, and stray bottles of food coloring to get to the baking soda. Somehow, get green food coloring all over your hands. Now you look like Yoda. Let out a Yoda laugh for emphasis. Your green hands inspire a story idea. Go to your computer and make a note of it before you forget. While typing, try and ignore the fact that the keys are crunching down on the sugar you just spilled. 

Return to the cupboard to find your baking powder. Success! The tin is almost empty, but you shake the last of it into a single teaspoon. The recipe calls for 2-1/2 - probably a suggestion rather than a hard rule.

3/4 c. milk

Stare at the contents of your refrigerator until it dawns that you have no milk. Wonder if sour cream or coffee creamer will do. If you use the last of the coffee creamer, you won't have any for your coffee later. Sour cream will have to do, because...coffee.

1 egg

Grab the eggs from the refrigerator and promptly drop the entire carton onto the floor. Manage to save one egg. The dog is now your best friend. At least his coat will be shiny.

1/2 c. shortening

You can literally hear the brakes go off in your head when you realize you have no shortening. At least you have butter. Using a butter knife, squish the butter into a measuring cup and get it everywhere. When you finally manage to fill the 1/2 cup, suddenly remember butter comes wrapped in 1/2 cup cubes. *Face palm*

1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt

Digging in the pantry, you find an old bottle of vanilla that's gone dry. There's an entire bottle of peppermint extract, however. Talk yourself into the idea that extract is extract.
Add the salt.

In a small mixing bowl combine all ingredients. Beat mixture for 2 minutes and pour into pan.

Accidentally turn the mixer on high. Batter goes everywhere--and it really smells like peppermint. Oh dear.

Spray 9 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan with cooking spray. 

Swear profusely because the cooking spray can was pointed in the wrong direction. At least the cake won't stick to your face when you eat it.

Preheat oven to 375F  

While waiting for the oven to heat, taste the batter. Shrug it off. Batter usually tastes gross anyways.

Transfer batter into pan 
Bake 25 to 30 minutes or till done. 

Write a quick blog post while you're waiting for the cake to bake. Become so involved with editing, that you almost forget the time. When you open the oven, a cloud of smoke whooshes out. The peppermint smell is strong with this one. *Yoda laugh*
Technically, it's not burned. Completely. No worries. Icing will fix everything.

You search for an icing recipe...

Thoughtful Thursday-Travel and Indecision

If you could go anywhere on the continent where would you go? That's the question my husband asked me last week. He does a lot of business travel and has enough miles to purchase an airplane ticket anywhere. And surprise! He's decided to give me that ticket for my 50th birthday. Yeah, my husband rocks. It seems like an easy enough thing for me to decide as I'm not a picky person. An awesome "me" vacation would consist of 1) ocean 2) cooler weather 3) a remote location.

However...

I'm overwhelmed with such a gift! There are SO many places I want to go--some for relaxation, some for sightseeing, and some for novel research. Novel research is pushing first in line but requires the longest airplane travel. I've changed my mind more times than I care to admit, even going as far as to tossing all the places into a hat and picking one. Yeah, that worked for maybe an hour until I started over-thinking it.

So far I've come up with:

Salem, Mass
Clyde Harbor, Maine
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Vancouver, B.C

I'm lingering at Vancouver, B.C because it's closest to where my novel in progress takes place. It requires 8 hours of airplane time, plus driving, plus a ferry ride out to where I want to go. Oh, and did I mention? I only have 5 days because July is a busy month for everyone. But shoot, I'll take it. I can do a lot in 5 days. I have the essentials: backpack, laptop, coffee.

I just need to make a decision...