Vegan Chocolate Cake

Lately, I've been on a mission: to make more snacks at home as opposed to always buying them at the store. A lot of time has been spent sifting through recipes looking for the quick and easy stuff. In particular, I have been looking for things I can bake that don't require eggs or milk. Those are high commodities in my house. There are quite a few good ones so far. I couldn't resist the recipe for vegan chocolate cake, so I made that one first. The way its written, is not totally vegan since it uses white sugar and flour. But that's what I had on hand. The batter comes out kind of thick. It has the look and consistency of chocolate icing and tastes just as good. The cake was incredibly easy to make and I had loads of fun licking the bowl. The amount of batter was enough for one loaf pan. The cake turned out beautifully. My teenage step-daughter and her friends all loved it. Of course if I knew everyone was coming over I would have doubled the recipe. I want to try this recipe using true vegan ingredients. Poor me, I guess I'll just have to make it all over again:)

Pointless Discussions

Last week I decided to start making pancakes from scratch instead of buying the mix. I figured that I might as well since no matter what it's still going to take me just as much time to make. Homemade pancakes are also cheaper, but of course my husband doesn't think so. He says that I should just give them cereal and milk because it will cost less. Clearly, he hasn't done the math and I refuse to do it for him. Sometimes I get upset and I feel as though he doesn't trust my judgement. Then I put everything into context: This is a man who still tries to eat like a teenager even though he clearly has a thirty-something metabolism. The fact that all that processed food isn't very kind when it comes back out doesn't seem to matter very much to him. For my husband, taste still seem to come before health. So later on, when he questioned my need to buy white distilled vinegar when we had apple cider at home, I stated the purpose and left it at that. Not everyone knows that you can make cake using vinegar.

It's Mother's Day Weekend

I'm actually looking forward to Mother's Day this year. I don't want anything big or expensive. I'm not looking for a gift, but my husband probably won't feel like a good husband unless he gets me a one. That's okay... as long as I get to pick it out myself. I don't want anything big or expensive. just something to pamper myself with. Now that there are children in the house, candles are out of the question. So it'll probably be something I can wear that happens to smell good too. Maybe we could go to lunch at one of the restaurants we've been meaning to try here in Charlotte. Mmmm, food. Any toddler friendly recommendations out there?

National Hoagie Day

Today is National Hoagie day. As a native Philadelphian, I'm happy and proud. I'm also kind of disappointed that I won't be home to celebrate properly. Here in Charlotte, it is extremely hard to find true Philly fare. There are a few restaurants that make good cheesesteaks, but even less when it comes to authentic hoagies. Subs are king here.

For those of you who do not hail from Delaware valley, hoagies and subs are to very different things. Subs are sandwiches on long rolls. You can put just about anything on a sub. Hoagies are different because the require very specific criteria. The roll must be long and white (not wheat or anything else). You slice the roll length wise, open it up and prop it up on its side, like a taco. Most folks start with mayo. I start mine dry. Some people use mustard or oil. Next comes the cheese, American or provolone. After the cheese comes the lunch meat. The specific kind of lunch meat used on a hoagie is dependant upon the kind of hoagie ordered. There's American, Italian, ham, turkey, etc.. The exceptions are tuna, cheese, and cheesesteak hoagies. Nonetheless, there should be almost a pound of meat, at least. Then comes the shredded lettuce, tomatoes and onions. This is very important: no lettuce, no hoagie. Lastly, you can add salt, pepper, oregano and/or oil.

Another important distinction between hoagies and subs is how they are ordered. When getting a sub, you have to tell them what to put on it. When ordering a hoagie, you have to tell them what you don't want. Also because hoagies are open faced, they are eaten sort of like the way one would eat a taco.

I could go on and on but then this would no longer be a post but a book. I will leave that up to the hoagie experts.

I'm Annoyed

Today, the 8yr old is home sick. That means I'm stuck in the house on a beautiful day. To make matters worse, is going to be cold and rainy later on in the week. It totally annoys me when I'm unable to enjoy a warm sunny day. It annoys me even more that I'm annoyed about someone being sick in the first place. It feels quite selfish. You'd think that I would be used to having to change my plans on a whim. You would think that I have come to terms with making concessions. The kids will probably be grown before I get the hang of it. However, the one point on which I refuse to concede is sharing food. Yes, I know, that's what moms do. BUT, if what I put on their plate is the same exact thing that I put on my plate, then why do I have to share the food on MY plate? If anyone comes up with an answer, let me know. I need to pass it along to my husband.
By the way... this rant was inspired by One-Minute Writer's Today's Writing Prompt: Vent