Part 2--- Disaster!!!

OH AUTUMN WHEREFORE ART THOU?


This was NOT supposed to happen. Next time, I'm using the fancy silicone, or the one that has the swirling thing in the bottom. Actually the Wise Woman would have used the springform pan. I, unfortunately, am not the Wise Woman and ergo did not prevent disaster.

But it tastes REALLY good!
(But not as good as Autumn's.)

Autumn's Warning (or I Can't Believe It's Been a Year Already)

The one thing everyone remembers about our wedding (besides the whole kilt thing) is the Cake. It was the ooeyiest, gooeyist, chocolatey, buttery, BEST CAKE EVER!!! If for any reason, you should be anywhere near western PA and find it neccessary or desirable to get a cake, by all means go to http://www.autumnscakes.com/ (and no she isn't paying me for this commercial, but seriously, not only does she make the BEST CAKE EVER!!! but she's just an amazing and nice person.)

This is what our cake looks like one year later. She warned us, she really did, she said it was never as good the second time around. She even offers to make a new cake, but we had to go move to Ohio. Of course, we did think about driving back to PA to get it, but then reality reared its ugly head. Since it is tradition, I pulled it out the original and defrosted it. I also have the champagne we drank, and I put that in to chill. I know I'm a sap. I can't help it. (Stop making little vomit noises- I can hear you!)

But since the cake looks so good, but isn't going to taste at all like Autumn's BEST CAKE EVER!!! (it really does deserve the caps and exclamation points each time), I decided to bake a new cake today for FarmerGeek. (Stop making those vomit noises- I mean it!!!!)

So today, for your pleasure, my own chocolate chocolate chip cake, which is no where near as good or as cool as the BEST CAKE EVER!!! but as good as I get. Which is why I don't make cakes for a living.

Step 1:

Put in the Mamma Mia Soundtrack. Do not question me, just do it. Man it's the first step and already you question me... this does not bode well...

Next I got out the old Betty Crocker cookbook. It always good to have a jumping off point to start a recipe. I used the Devil's Food recipe.

Step 2: Assemble the Cast of Characters

1/2 c Hot water

3 sq. chocolate- melted

1/2 c of shortening (softened)

2 c of sugar

3 eggs

2 1/8 cups of flour, sifted

1/4 tsp of soda

2 1/4 tsp of baking powder

1 tsp of salt

2 tbsp of cocoa powder

4 tbsp of cultured buttermilk (the dried stuff)

1 c of water

Half a package of chocolate chips

Step 3: Start Assembling

*Melt chocolate in microwave. DO NOT TASTE... I'm warning you... you WON'T like it.
*Whisk in the water. Make sure it's still hot and don't worry if it looks funny, it'll be OK.

*Cream together the shortening and sugar, only hold back 1/3c of sugar for later.

*Then add three eggs.

(Can I just say- look at those eggs... do you SEE how dark those yolks are? That's my girls!)

* Remember that chocolate mixture we did in the microwave? Time to mix that in.

(Do not get distracted by the fact that your college roommate sent you a message on Facebook... ok, but not for too long!)

* Sift the flour, soda, baking powder, salt, and powdered buttermilk together. Then slowly mix into the chocolate mixture. Once that's mixed in, then add that last cup of water. Mix throughly.

* Add 2 tsp of cocoa. Then taste the batter and decide if/how much extra sugar you should add.

* Stir in half bag of chocolate chips.

* Your batter should now look like this:

And your kitchen should look like this:

And your face might look like this:

* Now carefully, pour evenly into two cake pans. And bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

Now post on your blog while it's baking....

And wait for part 2....

On a cold late fall morning...

It's finally happened, I was finally able to capture the true moment, the exact second, when the whole world holds its breath for an instant just wondering if God would really allow the sun to crest this morning. Would He reach out with His hand, the Hand that created the world and life itself, would He really reach out and give the sun that extra nudge to crest the horizon?

Behold all... the buttcrack of dawn.

Mmm.... tastes like chicken....

So our poor chickens have turned cannibal. Or they are on the cusp of turning cannibal, but they have been pecking each other's feathers out. The poor black and white one's butt is completely bare. So here I am in my choring outfit: old and ill-fitting jeans, work shoes, FarmerGeek's sweatshirt (which I have permanently borrowed), FarmerGeek's old corduroy work jacket, my work gloves, and my brand new red, shiny, faux crocodile purse.

I was pretty.

Of course, I was just heading out to the local Wal-mart- excuse me SUPER Wal-Mart- and Tractor Supply. I bought some things to hopefully stop the cannibalism. There are things I never thought I would do in life, like paint a chicken's butt with pine tar and utter the words, "I can't find her vent, I need to make sure I don't cover her vent or her a$$h0l@!"

But I finally got to take an egg out of the coop! Although, now all I can smell is that god-awful pine tar and chicken poop.

For your viewing pleasure, the chicken from "The Great Outdoors" if you know what I mean.

Home on the Homestead

So we got our first chickens. I really wanted to name them Sophia, Violet, Rosalind, Juilet, and Ophelia. Of course we got ten of them so I would have to come up with other names. I'm thinking Stew, Soup, Ann Dumplings, Cacciatore, Caesar, Fingers, Noodle, Fried, Broiled, and Bob. (Cause of course we need a Bob.)