Sunday Update - Week 39

I realized something on Thursday.  I went the whole day without thinking about writing or editing and without feeling guilty about not writing or editing.  And when I realized that, I immediately felt guilty about not thinking about it all day.  Not sure what all that means.  Something to ponder for a while.

Needless to say, nothing writerly was accomplished last week.

My reading week was a dud.  One really good book and loads of DNFs.

My activity for the week was also pretty much dudsville.  Of course, my knee giving out the week prior didn't help.  I sucked it up and went for a walk Thursday night.  Lazed out Friday, then walked again on Saturday night.  We'll see what today brings.

I went fishing!  I caught two little bluegills, a channel cat, and a redear sunfish.  I could've brought the cat and the sunfish home, but I wasn't in the mood to clean fish that day.  Off you go fishies.  I'll catch ya next time.

The weather got a bit cooler, so I baked stuff.  Sunday I made granola bars.  Also, I made a chocolate cake from scratch that was to die for.  The cake went well.  The frosting?  Well, I didn't realize I was almost out of powdered sugar when I started the Super Fudgy Frosting recipe, so there I am with all the other ingredients already doing their things and I reach for the powdered sugar.  Recipe calls for 3 cups.  Might've had 1 cup left.  Blerg.  In a frantic mindset, I cobbled together something I hoped would be passing fair.  Needless to say, it was really dark dark chocolate frosting which basically turned into a layer of fudge of top of the cake which actually worked out.  I couldn't replicate the frosting recipe if I tried - a little of this, a little of that, 3/4 of a bag of melted, stale mini-marshmallows - but the cake recipe is below.  AND I also made baked meatballs with were also to die for.  And that recipe is also below.

Not sure what the week ahead will bring.  At this point, I'm wondering if I should change the name of the blog from The Writing Spectacle, you know, since there ain't much writing going on around here.  :shrug:

What was up in your week?


Recipes:

Homemade Chocolate Cake

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup baker’s cocoa

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

½ cup vegetable oil

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp instant coffee

1 cup hot water

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease and flour 9x 13” cake pan.  Sift together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and baking powder in large bowl.  Beat in oil, milk, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.  In a small heat-safe bowl or mug, add hot water to instant coffee.  Stir until coffee granules are totally dissolved.  Stir coffee into cake mixture until totally combined.  Mixture will be wet.  Pour into prepared pan.  Bake for 30-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Do not over bake. 

Original recipe said 25-35 minutes. Bake time for my oven was 37 minutes.

Baked Meatballs

1 lb lean ground beef

1 cup seasoned Italian bread crumbs

2 Tbsp grated Parmesan

1 egg, beaten

1 Tbsp minced onion

¼ tsp garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbsp olive oil

In a medium bowl, use your hands to squish all the ingredients together until it forms one big ball.  Pull off chunks and roll into balls approx 1-1.5 inches in diameter (ping-pong ball size).  Once all the meat is rolled into balls, heat oil in frying pan on medium-high.  Brown meatballs.  Preheat oven to 375F.  Put browned meatballs into 8x10” cake pan.  Bake for 20 minutes or until no longer pink in the middle.

Alternate:  After placing meatballs in baking pan, cover with spaghetti sauce and sprinkle liberally with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.  Bake until bubbly and meatballs are no longer pink in the middle.  Serve over spaghetti noodles.