This is a really easy and rich cake, it's gluten-free, it costs right around $7 to make. I have read recipes that call for dark or bittersweet chocolate. That's just awful if you are going to make a durn chocolate cake and eat it, make it sweet and yummy. No one really eats dark chocolate for their heart health, they do it because they feel better about eating chocolate by eating the gross version. Just make it the yummy way and go some extra sit-ups the next day. This does have around 500 calories per slice, and that's if you shave it down to 10 slices instead of the 8 we use around here. It's not diet food, yo.
You need:
10 inch round cake pan
I use a 10.5 inch spring form pan
1 pan
1 large microwave safe mixing bowl
2 spoons
baking spray
1 12 oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 12 oz bag of milk chocolate chips
6 eggs
2 sticks of butter (1 cup)
3/4 cup of sugar
1/4 tsp of salt
1/2 cup of water
Set the oven to 300.
Pour the semi-sweet chips into the big bowl and microwave to melt. Keep a close eye if it's your first time, they can scorch. Look and see if there's a 'melt' setting on your microwave and use that if possible. If not, put them in at 50% power for one minute and then stir. Once melted, add HALF of the milk chocolate bag (you want 18 ounces total) and stir those in.
Put the water on to boil, add the sugar and salt and dissolve. Once it's all hot, put in the butter and melt that as well.
Make sure the chocolate chips are melted through, then add the sugar/butter mixture and stir. Add the eggs once it's started to cool a little and keep stirring.
Spray the cake pan and then add the mixture, bake for 45 minutes.
It will still be wet in the middle, just pull it out anyway and let it sit to cool. When it's cooled off, put it in the fridge overnight. It will firm up.
When you cut it, it will not be cakey at all. It has the same texture and flavor as the inside of a chocolate truffle. It is super duper rich, some whipped cream would be okay but don't add caramel or more chocolate sauce, you will die from the heavy sweetness, likely of instant diabetes.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Red Mountain
 |
| Click and it will become MUCH BIGGER. |
See the artifacts we 'found' here!
http://ecrawfordphotography.blogspot.com/2013/03/artifacts.html
http://ecrawfordphotography.blogspot.com/2013/03/artifacts.html
On Saturday, we wanted to get outside for the day and see something new. We decided on Birmingham because I thought there'd be some wildflowers up there since they area on the brink here. But, no. Nothing we don't already have up ourselves.
We discussed Ruffner Mountain and Oak Mountain or maybe Tannehill and I remembered seeing that Red Mountain had recently opened up part of their new trail system, so I started looking around for that and we decided to head over there and check it out.
We started off planning to hit an overlook and see at least one of the several old mining areas and I wanted to check out the treehouse. So, we picked up a map and took off, trying out different trails until we had seen them all and then we decided to head over and check out the zipline tour.
Tours (March 2013) are currently $50 per person, I imagine they will go up once they add more to the course, which is currently underway. It looked like lots of fun!
We discussed Ruffner Mountain and Oak Mountain or maybe Tannehill and I remembered seeing that Red Mountain had recently opened up part of their new trail system, so I started looking around for that and we decided to head over there and check it out.
We started off planning to hit an overlook and see at least one of the several old mining areas and I wanted to check out the treehouse. So, we picked up a map and took off, trying out different trails until we had seen them all and then we decided to head over and check out the zipline tour.
Tours (March 2013) are currently $50 per person, I imagine they will go up once they add more to the course, which is currently underway. It looked like lots of fun!
After checking out the zipline, we wandered over to see the above mine site and decided to keep going on up the mountain to the Grace's Gap Overlook at the end of the trail.
That was my favorite part of the whole day, I loved the entire trail. Be sure to check here to see the 'stuff' along the way.
On the way back through to the van, I took some shots of the zipline tour group in action.
We stopped at Taco Bell to grab a bite en route to home and once here, we snarfed down my first attempt at flourless cake. Let me just say, it was AWESOME. I will be taking pictures next time I make it (today!) and post them.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Something
I saw on a food documentary yesterday said cilantro and parsley were good for detoxing, they pull the gunk out of your gut that your liver hopes to get rid of when it cleans your blood. So today, Matt came home with a huge bunch of each, which we will be adding to our salads all weekend. Tonight the salad was P and C and spinach with raspberry and bean sprouts.
Tomorrow it will be P and C and spinach with these tiny white mushrooms that even I like and I hate mushrooms. And mango and avocado.
Sunday it will be P and C and spinach with carrot and chopped egg and zucchini.
Hopefully by Monday I will be able to report the amazing change that has amazingly changed my life. hahaha.
This is day 6 of no fake sugar, corn syrup and about 1/3 my usual gluten intake along with a huge increase in raw foods. So far, I feel better. Some of that is because of the sun being out, and some has to be from knowing I am taking steps to get us all healthier. And some of it is from the blackberry wine Matt brought home. ;D It's Kosher for passover-real sugar!
Tomorrow it will be P and C and spinach with these tiny white mushrooms that even I like and I hate mushrooms. And mango and avocado.
Sunday it will be P and C and spinach with carrot and chopped egg and zucchini.
Hopefully by Monday I will be able to report the amazing change that has amazingly changed my life. hahaha.
This is day 6 of no fake sugar, corn syrup and about 1/3 my usual gluten intake along with a huge increase in raw foods. So far, I feel better. Some of that is because of the sun being out, and some has to be from knowing I am taking steps to get us all healthier. And some of it is from the blackberry wine Matt brought home. ;D It's Kosher for passover-real sugar!
One Week In
Already a full week into March! This month is starting off slowly, but will pick up speed and by April, we will be zipping around again.
On the GF front, Matt pointed out Tellico Grains is not GF. We have so much food here that it will be closer to the end of the month before we will have it all out of the house. In the meantime, I have been buying only GF foods to bring back in, replacing or substituting and reworking recipes to make it work. Good thing most of our very favorite meals are already GF! Fish tacos, sushi, stir fry, chicken salad, taco salad and Ben's beloved chicken noodle soup works well with rice or yam noodles. As soon as I figure out a GF bread, we will be good to go. Or closer anyway.
There's grabbing something while out for the day or the weekend-figuring out where we can eat. Chick-Fil-a has grilled nuggets, Taco Bell has crunchy tacos. Everywhere else has salad, but I can't see getting Jake to eat a salad when for his whole life, he has eaten a burger. I blame my mother, I would have raised him vegetarian, but she poked pork in his mouth every time it opened for 2 years and now his favorite thing to eat is salty meat. He's the main reason I am changing our diet, his idea of varied diet involves mainly where he's sitting to eat his pizza. For variety, he will eat broccoli. I have gotten him hooked on fruit-apples, oranges and grapes. He loves raw carrot sticks and sugar snaps and will eat cilantro all day long. It's a start. And he really does like stir fry and sushi, it's not a lost cause yet!
I think the American diet has proven that 'teen metabolism' won't negate a bad diet any more. Just cutting out corn syrup, he dropped 30 pounds nearly overnight, it was FAST-maybe 6 weeks. Now he's 145-150 and that's MUCH better suited to his frame. Ben and Chan are slim already, if I can just help them establish good eating and exercise habits now along with good spending and savings habits...they will have a MUCH MUCH better time of young adulthood. That's about 90% of what causes stress: money and waistline.
It has been cloudy for DAYS. I feel like it's perpetually 7 a.m., I can barely get moving when it's like this. My deep cleaning has been thus:
Sunday: cleaned out all the cabinets in the kitchen and donated various small appliances, replaced the broken Crock-pot, wiped out the cabinets and arranged everything neatly.
Monday: sprayed and wiped down the washer and dryer, vacuumed the dryer lint slot and checked the hose clamps on the washer.
Tuesday: pulled out all the things on top of the counters and wiped them down, cleaned the microwave and windows.
Wednesday: cleaned out the hot water heater closet and swept that, shook the insulation blanket outside (mouse poop!) and moved a couple things around. I need to put mouse bait behind the heater where they come in from under the house.
Thursday: that's today. I think maybe I will run the self-clean on the oven and call it done for the day.
Tomorrow Matt has the day off and he will be fixing the hot water heater
in the morning, we may go see a movie with the teen group over the
weekend...maybe run up to Tellico Grains for one last hurrah before we
go GF. I will really miss that place!
Here is the single photo I have taken this month:
Here is the single photo I have taken this month:
Monday, March 4, 2013
Major Announcements!
Or, you know, just things pertinent to me, hahaha!
Number One:
I am letting my hair grow..I am 95% on this one.
Number Two:
We are finally getting our passports! Or, at least finally have the stuff printed out and filled out. Waiting on April to come and go first so we will have the money, them things ain't cheap.
Number Three:
As soon as the current crop of wheat products is consumed, we are going gluten-free for at least the 6 week trial period. I have a feeling it will make a difference. And if not, 6 weeks without gluten will hardly harm any of us. We will be totally GF by the 15th and until then, will be transitioning. I thought about either storing or giving away the gluten food we have, but it's SO much food, I can't afford to just replace 2 weeks worth of groceries simply to try out a theory.
Number Four:
I entered us into a family make-over (camping) contest and heard back today that we are in the running! I think it's probably because I already take photos and blog about our trips and that we homeschool, so scheduling for publication and getting photos is no issue for the magazine. But it's still kind of exciting. And I don't know how many other families are also 'in the running'.
Number Five:
We FINALLY replaced the Crock-Pot!
None of these have anything to do with one another, just all new developments in my world.
Number One:
I am letting my hair grow..I am 95% on this one.
Number Two:
We are finally getting our passports! Or, at least finally have the stuff printed out and filled out. Waiting on April to come and go first so we will have the money, them things ain't cheap.
Number Three:
As soon as the current crop of wheat products is consumed, we are going gluten-free for at least the 6 week trial period. I have a feeling it will make a difference. And if not, 6 weeks without gluten will hardly harm any of us. We will be totally GF by the 15th and until then, will be transitioning. I thought about either storing or giving away the gluten food we have, but it's SO much food, I can't afford to just replace 2 weeks worth of groceries simply to try out a theory.
Number Four:
I entered us into a family make-over (camping) contest and heard back today that we are in the running! I think it's probably because I already take photos and blog about our trips and that we homeschool, so scheduling for publication and getting photos is no issue for the magazine. But it's still kind of exciting. And I don't know how many other families are also 'in the running'.
Number Five:
We FINALLY replaced the Crock-Pot!
None of these have anything to do with one another, just all new developments in my world.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Good Week
I like a laid-back week. Monday was rainy and chilly, we stayed in and the kids did math and science nearly all day. I am amazed how they will throw themselves into hours of 'school' and then leave off for days on end only to do it again. Almost like they learn better in cycles. Jake is my exception, as he loves history and will watch anything on YouTube that delves into details, in particular strategy and anything ancient. It's not usual for him to watch 3 hours a day of various college lectures, Khan and of course the Green brothers.
Tuesday was art and afterward, I stopped by and made 2 different mechanics listen to the noise my AC is making. They both assured me I was hearing things. I swear, not that I wanted anything to be wrong, but it's making a new noise! The second guy checked out the compressor and finally offered to empty the freon and change the compressor oil and refill everything for $100. I scheduled it, since it's a half-day job. We agreed it may not help but at 155k miles, it won't hurt either. The compressor checked out fine and there's plenty of freon, I guess the new noise is just that...a new noise.
Wednesday, the kids and I hung out with Sammy and Amanda and their kids all day and when it was time to go, only Nia and I actually left. Back at home, Matt agreed I was looking very puny indeed and needed him to take Thursday off to take care of me.
We spent the day making and eating large amounts of food and watching Fringe on dvd and avoiding the freezing weather. I bet I ate 3,000 calories and we did not even walk, not even on the treadmill. When we went to collect the kids, we stopped at the store and came home with cookies, which I did manage to not eat that same night, though I spent some time thinking about them. Double Stuff Oreos with vanilla almond milk. We got the very welcome news that he was not needed on the March trip to Erie since it was for an engineering thing and not a financial thing, it will be June before he has to go again, maybe even July! I don't even pretend to know what he does at work and other than the guard shack and one time we had to do a meeting in the cafeteria...can't remember why, but anyway, I have never even seen past the gates. I don't care as long as it's boring and safe and he comes home at 5 every night.
Friday was Skate Day and brought the welcome sight of several friends who have been scarce of late. Afterward we went grocery shopping and headed home with pizza. It snowed overnight and left us with a light frosting of icy pellets for Saturday. Matt and I worked on camping gear for a few hours, making some repairs and getting better organized for the upcoming season. I have been doing a deep cleaning cycle again, so each day all week I cleaned something. Monday I scrubbed my bathroom top to bottom, Tuesday I cleaned off the porch and swept and picked up things in the yard that had been blown or puppied around, Wednesday I cleaned out my computer files and backed up photos and deleted old e-mails, on Thursday I scrubbed the hall bathroom-even the icky bits behind the toilet and Friday I cleaned out from under my bed. Today I tackled my closet. I tossed one bag of junk and gathered up another bag of clothes to donate and got a HUGE stack of cardboard to recycle. I have no idea why I had so much cardboard in there, I think every box we ever got in the mail got stacked up for just in case.
I still have a huge list, what I want is for someone to come over and sit at the kitchen table and talk to me while I work at sorting things out. It's so dull. *sigh*
Last night I stayed up until after 2 reading a book set after the Yellowstone supervolocano erupts. Today, I started asking Matt about building greenhouses and buying me a rifle and also we need more books and hand tools and jars of Vitamin C. He just sighed. I said I did not yet want to bury an old school bus in the pasture to use as a bunker, but I had not read the second book in the series, so it may or may not be on the list-I know just where to put it, too. I am going to learn how to make rugs out of old blue jeans anyway. If it's going to be winter for 3 years to one decade, that kitchen floor has GOT to have some insulation. Also, snowsuits. This snow today and the bleak, bleak sky is only making me more paranoid...
Tuesday was art and afterward, I stopped by and made 2 different mechanics listen to the noise my AC is making. They both assured me I was hearing things. I swear, not that I wanted anything to be wrong, but it's making a new noise! The second guy checked out the compressor and finally offered to empty the freon and change the compressor oil and refill everything for $100. I scheduled it, since it's a half-day job. We agreed it may not help but at 155k miles, it won't hurt either. The compressor checked out fine and there's plenty of freon, I guess the new noise is just that...a new noise.
Wednesday, the kids and I hung out with Sammy and Amanda and their kids all day and when it was time to go, only Nia and I actually left. Back at home, Matt agreed I was looking very puny indeed and needed him to take Thursday off to take care of me.
We spent the day making and eating large amounts of food and watching Fringe on dvd and avoiding the freezing weather. I bet I ate 3,000 calories and we did not even walk, not even on the treadmill. When we went to collect the kids, we stopped at the store and came home with cookies, which I did manage to not eat that same night, though I spent some time thinking about them. Double Stuff Oreos with vanilla almond milk. We got the very welcome news that he was not needed on the March trip to Erie since it was for an engineering thing and not a financial thing, it will be June before he has to go again, maybe even July! I don't even pretend to know what he does at work and other than the guard shack and one time we had to do a meeting in the cafeteria...can't remember why, but anyway, I have never even seen past the gates. I don't care as long as it's boring and safe and he comes home at 5 every night.
Friday was Skate Day and brought the welcome sight of several friends who have been scarce of late. Afterward we went grocery shopping and headed home with pizza. It snowed overnight and left us with a light frosting of icy pellets for Saturday. Matt and I worked on camping gear for a few hours, making some repairs and getting better organized for the upcoming season. I have been doing a deep cleaning cycle again, so each day all week I cleaned something. Monday I scrubbed my bathroom top to bottom, Tuesday I cleaned off the porch and swept and picked up things in the yard that had been blown or puppied around, Wednesday I cleaned out my computer files and backed up photos and deleted old e-mails, on Thursday I scrubbed the hall bathroom-even the icky bits behind the toilet and Friday I cleaned out from under my bed. Today I tackled my closet. I tossed one bag of junk and gathered up another bag of clothes to donate and got a HUGE stack of cardboard to recycle. I have no idea why I had so much cardboard in there, I think every box we ever got in the mail got stacked up for just in case.
I still have a huge list, what I want is for someone to come over and sit at the kitchen table and talk to me while I work at sorting things out. It's so dull. *sigh*
Last night I stayed up until after 2 reading a book set after the Yellowstone supervolocano erupts. Today, I started asking Matt about building greenhouses and buying me a rifle and also we need more books and hand tools and jars of Vitamin C. He just sighed. I said I did not yet want to bury an old school bus in the pasture to use as a bunker, but I had not read the second book in the series, so it may or may not be on the list-I know just where to put it, too. I am going to learn how to make rugs out of old blue jeans anyway. If it's going to be winter for 3 years to one decade, that kitchen floor has GOT to have some insulation. Also, snowsuits. This snow today and the bleak, bleak sky is only making me more paranoid...
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Sunday Revelations
Today, while out walking, I realized. I want to backpack and camp and go all these places I can only get to by foot, but, I don't like walking all that much. It's tiring and stuff. I am not sure what to do about this, maybe it's the pollen talking or maybe I need better shoes or to get off my duff and walk even more. But gah. I get tired, my feet hurt, I find myself wanting a hot bath, I don't like weight on my back. Nia just won't get big enough to help carry stuff, I need a llama.
I have always known that weather extremes are horrific to me, I don't like being hot or cold and I really, really, really don't like being wet. I think I may need to rethink my backpacking plans and look more at staying in a nice motel with a heated pool and breakfast buffet. *sigh* Maybe I can hike with my llama from one hot springs to the next, in pleasant and dry weather for 2-3 day stints.
Maybe I need a remote robot like that one Sheldon has, and I can roll it up the Appalachian Trail and wince when the temps are under 50 or over 80 and just turn off the remote viewing screen if it rains. Also, bugs. I don't like them landing on my ears. I think that's all. Oh, smelling sweaty. I don't want to smell myself. Okay, I feel better. I think I can get over most of my list, I just don't feel well right now. I would think mono if I had any chance at exposure. I had mono once, it was much like this. Random fevers, feeling really tired and whiny, not wanting to DO anything. Achy and stiff neck and shoulders...
Today we hit Bean Road at the Refuge again, I was still sleepy, despite my hearty sleeping overnight. We decided we would walk the whole roadway and then get lunch and decide if we wanted to walk Airport Road as well. I knew about 20 minutes in, I was not interested in adding more miles. By the time we were back to the van, I had decided I wanted 2 things: hot salty fries and a hot soapy bath. As Matt and I agreed at Burger King over fries straight out of the vat (thank you Jeffery and Eddie), there are SO many ways to undo a 6 mile walk. They have these things called cheesy tots now, and molten chocolate balls and coffee with caramel. We are having baked fish and salad for dinner. *sigh* Fries...
That dot back there is Matt, I walked off and left him at the van and did not realize it right away and so I stopped to wait and he was all ansty and unhappy. He HATES to be left.
I have always known that weather extremes are horrific to me, I don't like being hot or cold and I really, really, really don't like being wet. I think I may need to rethink my backpacking plans and look more at staying in a nice motel with a heated pool and breakfast buffet. *sigh* Maybe I can hike with my llama from one hot springs to the next, in pleasant and dry weather for 2-3 day stints.
Maybe I need a remote robot like that one Sheldon has, and I can roll it up the Appalachian Trail and wince when the temps are under 50 or over 80 and just turn off the remote viewing screen if it rains. Also, bugs. I don't like them landing on my ears. I think that's all. Oh, smelling sweaty. I don't want to smell myself. Okay, I feel better. I think I can get over most of my list, I just don't feel well right now. I would think mono if I had any chance at exposure. I had mono once, it was much like this. Random fevers, feeling really tired and whiny, not wanting to DO anything. Achy and stiff neck and shoulders...
Today we hit Bean Road at the Refuge again, I was still sleepy, despite my hearty sleeping overnight. We decided we would walk the whole roadway and then get lunch and decide if we wanted to walk Airport Road as well. I knew about 20 minutes in, I was not interested in adding more miles. By the time we were back to the van, I had decided I wanted 2 things: hot salty fries and a hot soapy bath. As Matt and I agreed at Burger King over fries straight out of the vat (thank you Jeffery and Eddie), there are SO many ways to undo a 6 mile walk. They have these things called cheesy tots now, and molten chocolate balls and coffee with caramel. We are having baked fish and salad for dinner. *sigh* Fries...
The whole walk was punctuated by the flow of water draining to the river
about 500 yards away.
about 500 yards away.
You'd think he was over being left, but as I turned to look at him, I noticed I was getting the Stink Eye. Soon after came the Hissy Fit.
You may think I overexposed the above shot, but no, that's the sun shining off his lily white back after a full season of being covered.
Still mad about being left, he tries to Spiderman shoot me.
If he HAD gotten web in my hair, I would have had a hissy of my own...
If he HAD gotten web in my hair, I would have had a hissy of my own...
THAT is pollen, it is FEBRUARY.
We took the Dancy Bottoms Trail that runs off Bean Road,
but it was flooded out about half a mile in.
but it was flooded out about half a mile in.
 |
| Trillium |
 |
| Buckeye. I think. |
Some guy I saw standing on a pile of wood.
6 miles of this: flattish winding graveled road.
I do not know what this is. Well, I know it is a bloom, but of what flower, I have no clue.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)