Best Chocolate Cake ~ This Side of the Rockies!

In celebration of my father's birthday into heaven . . .

This is the absolute BEST chocolate cake EVER! No, I believe you cannot find a yummier cake this side of the Rocky Mountains! (Anywhere, really.)

The secret is the HOT strong black coffee added to the batter. You love coffee? You’ll love this Dark Chocolate Cake !

This recipe is even better if made a day ahead.

Raspberry jam is a tasty addition between the layers.

NOTE: To sour milk: Use 1 tablespoon white vinegar plus milk to equal 1 cup.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely. Frost as desired. Yields 10 to 12 servings.

My family has been baking this chocolate cake since I was a young'un.

That White Stuff . . .The albedo of cit­rus

I'm talking about the white layer under the orange peel . . .  Did you know that it is good for you?

One day, a friend, watching me eat "the white stuff" - properly called albedo - commented on how healthful it was to eat.

Really! I have always eaten it simply because I love it; it is especially entertaining when I am dieting and cannot have anything more to eat. (I do the same with lemons.)

Homegrown oranges and lemons seem to have a thicker and sweeter layer of albedo. In fact, even the peels are pretty tasty. (You are cautioned not to eat the peels of store bought oranges because they are often dyed, waxed, and contains allergenic substances.)

The albedo is a great source of pectin, which is said to lower cholesterol, control blood sugar,  and even curb appetite - suppressing hunger for several hours. The albedo also contains limonene, glucarate, which the body uses to fight cancer.

Read more, here, about why you should . . . Quit picking the white stuff off citrus

Life Is N-o-t Like a Dream

How often do you dream something at night and then spend the next morning or day thinking about your dream?

In some of my dreams, I do amazing things… I like those dreams.

Last night I was running (in my dream, of course…wearing some sort of high school cheerleader outfit – white with a navy blue stripe trimming the V-neck sleeveless top and the lower edge of the pleated skirt). I expected to soon become breathless, but to my amazement, I kept right on going, finishing off a mile down the road with a few effortless leaps and bounds. Wow, I was good!

I awoke with a grand desire to live that dream. A few minutes after 7:00, dressed in shorts, a t-shirt, and my running shoes, I headed out into the foggy morning. A chill was in the air; it was about 37 degrees – not too cold for shorts, right?

Five times around my block equals 2 miles; I have measured this with both my pedometer and my vehicle . That was my goal – 2 miles.

I ran half a block, walked half a block, ran and walked (thinking all the way that I should have worn gloves – my fingers were freezing) until I finished 2 miles – gasping, wheezing, and panting for breath.

As I said, life is NOT like a dream.