Nuf said?

Almost.

My daughter is a big Dr. Pepper fan, so I had to try my own version of the chocolate cakes I’ve seen here and there with either Coke or Dr. Pepper added. And boy am I glad I tried it. This cake? It’s a must do. Rich and moist, and oh, so easy – there’s no excuse not to try it at least once. Just make sure you’ve got a group to bake it for, ’cause it’s dangerous to have leftovers hanging around.

Look giant chocolate cake. Ooooooh. Ahhhhhh. Ohhhhhhh.

One of the things I like about this cake is the ease at which it comes together. Seriously simple. It bakes in 20-25 minutes – it’s gone in 10. All ingredients are combined in a saucepan and poured directly into a 13×9x2″ baking pan. Speaking of ingredients, see the brown sugar pictured?

I’ve baked this cake a few times, both using 1 c. brown sugar + 1 c. regular ‘ole white sugar, as well as all 2 c. of white sugar and I couldn’t tell the difference. Maybe I’m missing something, but if you need to combine, or just want to, go ahead. Just make sure at least 1 cup of the sugar is white. You probably would be able to tell a difference if all sugar used was brown. But I dunno.

Also, for both the cake batter and frosting, I used Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa powder. It’s good stuff. Hope you can find some.

Begin by combining the Dr. Pepper, oil, butter and cocoa powder in a saucepan over medium heat.

When it comes to a simmer, mix well and turn stove off.

Mix dry ingredients together (sugar, flour and baking soda), add to saucepan and mix well.

You don’t need to beat the heck out of it. It will be a little lumpy at first but just mix well until combined.

In a separate small bowl lightly beat the eggs and buttermilk together then add them to the saucepan.

Combine batter well and pour into a greased baking pan and bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Be careful not to over bake.

(Extreme cake bokeh – sorry folks.)

The frosting works the same way. Combine butter, cocoa powder and milk together in a saucepan, over medium heat, stirring occasionally until melted and smooth. Add in the powdered sugar a little at a time, combining after each addition until smooth.

Pour over warm cake. Yuuuum.

While the frosting is mighty yummy, I think the cake is quite tasty without it, or maybe just with a little dusting of powdered sugar and a tall glass of milk.

So what are you waiting for? Go grab a Dr. Pepper and get to work!

Dr. Pepper Chocolate Cake Recipe
(makes one 13×9x2″ baking pan)
(adapted from “Cracker Barrel Double Fudge Coca-Cola Cake Recipe” found at thatsmyhome.com)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup Dr. Pepper soda
• 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
• 1 stick salted butter (8 tablespoons)
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder (again, I used Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder)
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 350° F and grease or spray with cooking spray a 13×9x2″ baking pan.

- Begin by combining the Dr. Pepper, oil, butter and cocoa powder in a saucepan over medium heat. When it comes to a simmer, mix well and turn stove off.

- Mix dry ingredients together (sugar, flour and baking soda), add to mixture in saucepan and mix well. Don’t over beat.

- In a separate small bowl lightly beat the eggs and buttermilk together, then add them to the saucepan and combine batter well.

- Pour into a greased baking pan and bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Be careful not to over bake.

Chocolate Frosting Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 stick salted butter (8 tablespoons)
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 8 tablespoons milk
• 4 cups confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)

Directions:

- In a saucepan, combine butter, cocoa powder and milk together over medium heat, stirring occasionally until melted and smooth.

- Add in the powdered sugar a little at a time, combining after each addition until smooth.

- Pour over warm cake.

- Lock all the doors, draw the shades, don’t answer the phone and get the milk.

Enjoy! And let me know how it turns out.

My husband thinks I’m anal.

(I think that’s pretty lame.)

Just because I fold my towels so they will all stack up the same?

Some people have clean houses –

with no dust to be found.

As long as the towels stack up straight, dust bunnies can keep hoppin’ around.

Okay, talking about lameness, this post? Pretty lame. But seriously folks is it too much to ask that the towels be folded all the same way? My husband, and now my kids, do a lot of folding, so I really don’t care how they’re folded so much anymore (and believe me, there are many ways people recommend to fold towels), just as long as they’re folded and folded alike.

I know it’s silly. But I want them to match.

I want them to stack neatly in the cabinet – be straight and uniform. I suppose I should be happy that they’re folded and put away at all, straight or not. I’ll work on that, but in the meantime let me show you what I mean.

See…the same.

Different.

Can you tell?

Sure you can. The results above are from two folding approaches. Here’s number one…

And here’s the second folding technique…

Tadah!

Did you see the difference? I know you did. Now, is it anal that one would start a job or task in one fashion and continue in that same fashion throughout the task?

No. I think not.

On the contrary, I think that it’s just plain haphazardness on the part of a towel folder to start folding towels one way and switch to another technique. Why would you do that? Why? The horrors!

So, please, for me, fold your towels all the same way – whatever way you choose, just so it’s the same for each and every single towel. They deserve at least that much.

Now I’m curious, how do you fold your towels?

Hey Hope! Come here and show me how you fold your towels. I’m taking a poll.

You’re doing a grand job sugah pie…

Lookin’ good!

Nice.

Hey Hope, sweet child of mine, you wanna fold the rest of the pile?

Hope?

Hello?

Bueller?

Shoot. I thought I snagged her for a while. She’s slick and fast.

And gone.

So, again, how do you fold your towels?

Are they neatly stacked all in the same direction? Do you fold in half and half and half? Or thirds? Or are you a ruler measuring towel foldererer?

Last week I went for a stroll through our pitiful garden plot that needs tilling and a bunch of attention before spring. Of course the only thing that’s looking alive is the cilantro (and the damn mint – damn you mint). The cilantro is only a few inches tall but it’s held its own through the winter and in a few weeks will be going strong until the summer heat zaps it.

In hopes of a bumper crop of fresh cilantro I began thinking of how to use it up. Pesto is a favorite that I love to make with fresh basil throughout the summer but I’d never tried a cilantro pesto.

After some thought I threw together a combo of a bunch of green things hoping for the best. Cilantro, roasted peppers with pisatchios pesto is now on my list of regulars.

Yum.

That’s all I’m gonna say.

I served it with pasta and shrimp but it certainly could be used for bruschetta, added to chili, or thinned for a sauce over chicken or what have you. As far as the pistachios, I had some leftover from the holidays so that’s what I used. You could certainly substitute the traditional pine nut or walnuts.

The ingredients for the pesto are simple: cilantro, poblano peppers (roasted), a jalapeno pepper (roasted), pistachios, garlic, parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Begin by roasting the peppers. Everyone seems to have their favorite way to roast peppers but here’s one way to do it. First cut the peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and seed knob.

Coat them inside and out with olive oil then place them, cut side down, on a baking sheet and bake in a 500° oven for about 15 minutes.

They turn a deeper color and look a little shriveled but, oh, they smell so good! For the pesto, I removed the skins but if you were using them in a soup or sandwich the skins on would be fine I think.

To loosen the skins on the peppers for easier removal, put the roasted peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or foil and let sit for another 15 minutes or so.

To remove the skins, lay the peppers skin side up on the cutting board and with a knife or your fingers peel the skins off.

Now you’re ready to put the pesto together.

It’s basic. Basic. Basic.

Basically, you put all the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.

I usually process the garlic and nuts alone first so they’ll be more finely chopped, then add the cilantro, peppers, olive oil (streaming in slowly) and ending with the cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. The recipe that follows makes roughly a cup of pesto.

To proceed with the pasta dish, I used half of the pesto to about 4-5 oz. of pasta. I’ve been looking into making pasta by hand for the first time but haven’t yet. I did buy some good quality egg pasta though. It’s not cheap.

This box, which serves 5-6, was $7-8. But it’s so worth it. If you’ve never had egg pasta before, go find some. It’s good. Really good. Tagliolini is my favorite noodle size. It’s like linguini but thinner.

(FYI – The pesto plus pasta recipe is not posted below, just the pesto recipe but I thought I’d show you how I add the pesto to the pasta for perfection on a plate.)

Okay, so prepare the pasta as directed on package – don’t forget to salt the water! Hold back some of the pasta water – about a 1/2 cup.

Saute your shrimp or chicken in a little olive oil and salt and pepper.

When the shrimp or chicken is done (this is where I probably break every rule of Italian cooking), I push it to one side of the pan and tilt the pan so the remaining olive oil drains to the other side of the pan, then add the pesto and 1 tbsp. of the pasta water.

Whisk the pesto and pasta water together over low-med. heat until blended smooth.

Next add the pasta right into the pan, and gently (gently, don’t squish the pasta) toss the pasta with the pesto sauce and shrimp/chicken.

You’re ready to serve!

Cilantro, Roasted Pepper & Pistachio Pesto
(makes about 1 cup)

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup pistachios; roasted (pine nuts or walnuts may be substituted)
• 2 whole garlic cloves
• 2 poblano peppers; roasted, seeded and peeled
• 1 jalapeno pepper; roasted, seeded and peeled
• 1 cup cilantro; loosely packed
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese; shredded
• pinch(s) salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions:

- Process nuts and garlic in a food processor until finely minced.

- Add peppers and cilantro and process while slowly streaming in the olive oil until smooth.

- Add cheese and pulse a few times until blended.

- Salt and pepper to taste.

- Refrigerate covered until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

I’d love to hear back if you try this one to see if you enjoyed it as much as we did.

This guy was rockin’ y’all. He’s got skills. Or is it skilz?

Anyway, John was turnin’ the beat around. He was movin’ and groovin’ – definitely to the beat of his own drums, much of which was junk, or what most would consider trash.

(Okay, is the droppin’ the “g” and addin’ an apostrophe botherin’ you yet?)

You have to wonder if the people who threw out some of this stuff out would be surprised at what joyful sounds come from it now? One man’s trash…

I was so enthralled with his energy and performance that I didn’t read his signs until I got home and viewed the pictures. Look he’s got a website.

You can watch videos, hear audio and read more about John here at Kingdrums.com. He’s even got a mission statement – that’s more than I have. And if you have kids be sure to show them some of the videos. Fun stuff. You never know, it may inspire an impromptu jam session in your own kitchen.

If you’re ever in San Francisco during the weekend, look for John and his drums near the Ferry Building. And don’t forget to tell him you like his hat!

So, have you met or seen anyone that inspires you lately? Do share…

My recent trip to Napa was full of cooking and exploring an array of ways to use beans. We discussed how cooking with beans is more than just opening a can, heating them up and serving them as a side. Beans are an ingredient to be used creatively in sauces, salads, dips and as thickeners to name a few.

Soon after starting this blog I started a series called “The Bodacious Bean” highlighting a variety of bean recipes. And with inspiration from all the great people I cooked with in Napa (and a little creativity of my own), I can’t wait to continue to add to “The Bodacious Bean” recipe file. I’d love to hear any ideas you have utilizing the bean too.

The first recipe I want to share is for a salad dressing. We cooked many recipes and shared endless ideas but this caesar salad dressing, using bean puree instead of eggs, really surprised me. The flavor and texture offer a pretty good match for the original. Plus it’s healthier.

By no means am I saying it’s better than the original but it is a good option for those with egg allergies, or others who can’t eat raw eggs for one reason or another.

The ingredients are basic: white beans, olive oil, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, pepper, anchovy paste, garlic, and water to thin if needed.

Begin by pureeing a whole can of white beans and their liquid in a food processor.

You’ll only need one cup of the puree – 1 15 0z. can of beans makes about 1 3/4 cup of puree. You can use the remaining puree in a soup or as a thickener for a sauce.

In a blender add all ingredients, except the water and blend until smooth.

Yum…parmesan.

If needed, add water to desired consistency but I didn’t add any to mine. Also, feel free to adjust the amount of anchovy paste if you’re not an anchovy fan. You can also use whole anchovies minced.

Toss with some chopped romaine hearts and serve. Yum. Yum. Yum.

That’s it. So simple.

Not-So-Caesar Caesar Salad Dressing

adapted from Joyce Goldstein; 2010 Worlds of Healthy Flavor Conference
(makes about 2 cups)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of white bean puree (canned beans & bean liquid pureed in food processor or blender)
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (juice of about 1 lemon)
• 1/4 cup parmesan, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced (about 2 large cloves)

1/4 cup water

Directions:

- In a blender combine bean puree, olive oil, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, pepper, anchovy paste, and garlic until blended and smooth.

- If needed, add water to thin to desired consistency.

- Refrigerate until used.

Enjoy!

I’d love to hear about any favorite bean recipes you may have. Are you a classic chili bean lover? Is there a tasty bean dip you can’t pass up? Please share – can’t wait to see hear from you!

But, for me, Napa was more about the people.

Thanks to the gracious people from Bush’s Beans, I had the privilege to travel to Napa to cook at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA for short) for a day with three other bloggers. Sandy from Reluctant Entertainer, Tina from Mommy’s Kitchen, and Aggie from Aggie’s Kitchen were my cohorts in the culinary adventure. They’re wonderful, beautiful ladies, inside and out. We had great fun in the kitchen.

I’m so tickled for the chance to get to know each lady – hope to see them again soon!

We cooked, ate and shared creative ways to use beans. It was a blast. (Be on the lookout for new recipes that I’ll be posting soon adding to my Bodacious Bean recipe file.)

Ken, Katie, and Christina, all representing Bush’s Beans, were our hosts along with Connie Guttersen.

Their genuineness and relaxed demeanor was passed on to all of us. You feed off of people like that. I have to admit that I left home a little concerned about not measuring up or feeling uncomfortable, but they certainly set me at ease immediately. Their companies hired well.

Under the direction of Connie Guttersen, R.D., Ph.D., author of The Sonoma Diet, and Andy Wild from the CIA, we managed not to lose any digits and succeeded in cooking up some tasty eats.

Connie Guttersen is as refreshing and positive about what she does as anyone I’ve ever met.

She knows her stuff and was a wealth of information in the kitchen. She’s an encourager – a cheerleader. Connie will be starting her own personal blog soon and I can’t wait to share it with you as soon as it premiers.

Andy Wild from the CIA was our instructor in the kitchen for the day.

I’m not sure what he thought about all of us taking pictures of every single thing he said and did, but I was thankful that he was chosen to be our go-to man.

He taught us the basics in knife skills as well as other tips.

I was sad to say goodbye to the CIA Friday afternoon. It truly was a day I’ll not forget.

Later that night my husband (yep, Randy was able to go with me and I’m so glad he did) and I met Michelle from What’s Cooking and her husband, Glenn at Ad Hoc for dinner.

Once again the food was fabulous but the company was even better. We laughed and talked for hours, practically closing the place.

Look how cute and tan she is? And I’m so, so…pink.

How is it that you can meet people for the first time in real life and feel like you’ve known them forever? It’s amazing to me. Michelle is a forever kind of a friend. Be sure to check out her site – especially if you’re interested in cooking with kids.

I know this sounds like a bunch of hiney kissing, but honestly, everywhere we visited over the weekend we met super people. Whether a cab driver, wait staff, door man, or a stranger on the street, at every turn there was a smiling face, a helpful hand – definitely noteworthy hospitality. And I’m from the South where we’re known for hospitality.

Truly the people made our experience a real treat and I’m very thankful for that.

(While Bush’s Beans covered much of the cost of our trip, no one paid me to say these nice things. There are nice people in this world – real nice people – everywhere. No bull. Nice people. Nice.)

Anyway, since I’m eating yummy stuff all day long I may be having one of these for breakfast this morning.

KIND bars, found at many places, but I usually get them at Starbucks when I’m on the go. Yeah, I know not the most nutritious breakfast but it’ll work in a fix – or if you’re attached to the morning shows you never get to watch and are being too lazy to go find breakfast.

KIND bars come in many flavors but my favorite is Cranberry Almond.

So good and tangy and crunchy and perfect with a Mocha from Starbucks. Wish I had one of those right about now.

I hope y’all have a great weekend– thinking about ya!

(The great people that make the KIND Fruit + Nut bars or Starbucks didn’t pay or give me anything to promote their products – but that would be pretty cool wouldn’t it?)

I have one possible explanation – at least for this pair. Please note that I’m not a goose expert or gooseologist, but I think these are female geese.

Why female?

Because they’re shopping – maybe looking for the newest spring fashion.

Black and white works for these gals. A classic choice. But I would’ve thought they might step out of their comfort zone with a pop of color, you know, spice it up a bit.

Creatures of habit I guess.

As you know, many children across the U.S. are not so blessed.

Share Our Strength has been working diligently to fight childhood hunger across America through many programs to raise awareness, educate and raise funds. This spring I’m honored to join many other food bloggers from all over the U.S. in the 1st Annual Food Bloggers Bake Sale as part of the Share Our Strength’s Great American Bake Sale.

The bake sale will be held on April 17 nationwide. You can participate too. Sign up to host a bake sale in your area, or join another one already in the works. Gaby from What’s Gaby Cooking has a list of food bloggers (by state) to contact for more information on how to get involved in your area.

Or if you’re in South Carolina and would like to join me for a local bake sale in the upstate or organize your own in your town, please leave a comment here or contact me. We’ll need a public venue (with permission/permits), helping hands to work during the sale, baked goodies and of course people to spread the word about the bake sale. Again, leave a comment here or contact me through my “Contact” page if you’re interested.

It will be a fun time to come together, bake some yummy goodies to share, while spreading the word about how we can end childhood hunger in the U.S.

For more information about Share Our Strength visit http://www.strength.org/.

Can’t wait to hear from you. Don’t forget to spread the word too!

Harry Lauder was a popular Scottish singer, comedian, and movie star. (No doubt where my husband gets his talent – the family talent runs deep.) Here’s one of his albums.

He was a spiffy chap whose trademark was a crooked cane, or walking stick.

I wish I still had a turntable ’cause I bet “A Wee Deoch-an-Doris” is a rockin’ tune.

And “Breakfast in Bed on Sunday”… Harry you sound like my kind of man.

He was definitely “the man” back in the day. Now he’s perhaps best known here in the U.S. for being the namesake of this shrub, Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick.

The botanist who named this species was apparently into early 20th century pop or a Sir Harry Lauder fan.

This shrub (or dwarf tree) is a baby that we planted a little over a year ago and only a few feet tall. Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick is a hardy, but slow growing shrub but can grow to be 8-10′ tall and wide. I can’t wait – I bet it’ll be a show stealer. And while the foilage is pretty, it’s best features are enjoyed in the winter garden when the curly, wild branches are stage front.

The shrub is perfect for zones 4-8 and is fairly easy to grow. Other than well drained soil and full sun to part shade, Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick tolerates many conditions and pests. Check with your local garden center or Ag extension for specific (and more accurate) information.

Be sure to keep your eyes open for Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick, and if you run across one, do a little jig in memoriam.

So, what famous lineage do you hail from? Any Kings or queens? Presidents? Movie stars? Nascar drivers?

I can’t wait to hear your stories – do tell!