This Takes the Cake

Last Thursday, my wife "asked" me to make a cake for a birthday party she was hosting at her work. Since the recipient of the party happens to a Director at the hospital, the cake needs to be good. Last year I made a Tiramisu, which happened to go very well, thank you very much. This year, she wanted me to make a Chocolate Torte with Apricot Filling. Not a problem, but the recipe she gave me was not written with the correct proportions. Since I did not have the time to work them out myself, I tried to find something else that would be just as good. I ended-up taking parts of three different recipes and combining them into something I am calling Chocolate Fudge Cake with Cream Cheese, Apricot Filling, and Chocolate Glaze. I gave this recipe a test-run this weekend and it turned-out very good. The photo below, shows the cake I made on Saturday, because I was too stupid to take a picture of the one I made for the party. Sorry, I am not the best photographer. My wife just told me that the cake was a hit; there was nothing left to bring home.




Chocolate Fudge Cake with Cream Cheese, Apricot Filling, and Chocolate Glaze
Da Cake Ingredients
1 ¾ cups of All-Purpose Flour
1-cup less 1TBS of Cocoa Powder
1 ¼ tsp Baking Soda
1/8 tsp Salt
3/4 cup (1 ½ sticks) Unsalted Butter (softened)
2/3 cups Granulated Sugar
2/3 cups firmly packed Brown Sugar
2 Large Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla
1 ½ cups Buttermilk

• preheat oven to 350 degrees and line the bottoms of 2-9" cake pans with parchment paper and grease and dust the sides with flour


• Mix flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside


• In another bowl mix the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes)




• This is a very important part, because during the mixing, the sugar is tearing tiny holes in the butter (creating air pockets), which allows the cake to become lighter and less dense.


• Add the eggs, one at a time. Mixing well after each addition




• Tip: to avoid the unwanted egg shells in your mix, first break the eggs into a bowl and use that for your addition.


• Add vanilla


• At low speed, alternately add the dry mixture and the buttermilk into the butter mixture. Mix only till combined. Do not over mix


• Divide the batter evenly into both pans


• Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.


• Place cakes on a cooling rack and let cool for 10 minutes


• Turn-out cakes onto racks, remove paper, and place cakes upside-down to cool
  completely

Hey, guess what, you're 1/3 of the way there!!

Da Filling Ingredients
6 Ounces of Cream Cheese (softened)
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
2 TBS Grated Lemon Peel (about 4 lemons) (careful and avoid the white pith...tis bitter)
1 TBS Lemon juice
1 TBS water (for you science types that's H₂0)
1/3-2/3 cups of Apricot Preserves

• In a bowl, place the cream cheese, lemon peel, lemon juice, and water.


• Mix well, until thoroughly combined

Go Team, Go...

Da Construction

• If you desire a clean serving plate (this was learned the hard way, as seen in the picture below), take strips of wax paper and slide them under your cake; completely covering the edges of your serving dish


• Take the largest of your two cakes and, with it still upside down, place on serving platter and spread the apricot preserves on it


• Spread the filling over the apricot preserves


• Take the other cake and flip right-side up


• Trim the top to flatten


• Spread some additional apricot preserves on the top and then flip over and place on the bottom cake


• Trim the sides, if the cakes are uneven

Hey, You're almost there...

Da Glaze Ingredients
2/3 cup of Heavy Cream
6 ounces (squares) Semisweet chocolate (coarsely chopped)
2 TBS Unsalted Butter
2 TBS Light Corn Syrup
2 ounces White Chocolate baking squares, shaved (optional)

• Put everything into a pan


• Over medium heat, stir constantly until mixture comes to a boil


• Remove from heat and stir for an additional 1-2 minutes, until glaze thickens


• Slowly pour the glaze over your cake and smooth


• If desired take the white chocolate shavings and sprinkle over the top of the cake

I hope you enjoy your cake

Shopping List for Entire Recipe
1 ¾ Cups Flour
1 Cup Unsweetened Chocolate
1 ¼ tsp Baking Soda
1/8 tsp Salt
2 Sticks Unsalted Butter
2 Cups Granulated Sugar
2/3 Cups Brown Sugar
2 Large Eggs
1 ½ Cups Butter Milk
2 tsp Vanilla
1/2 Pint Heavy Cream
6 Ounces (squares) Semisweet Chocolate
2 Ounces (squares) White Chocolate baking squares (optional)
2 TBS Light Corn Syrup
6 Ounces Cream Cheese
5 Lemons
1-15.5 Ounce Jar of Apricot Preserves

A Brilliant Award

I was pleasantly surprised last week when Aimey at cherry-blossom.us dropped by my site and told me that I was being presented with an award.




I was especially surprised when I saw what type of award it is...Brilliance. It couldn't be because of awe-inspiring template design, so it must have been my brilliant writing style (or lack thereof). Could Aimey's inspiration have come from my wonderfully poetic Ode to a Weekend or was it my riveting account of squirrel behavior in Squirrels, Cats, and Lawnmowers? Anyway, thank you once again for bestowing this award upon my humble person. Once again, I realize that not everyone will be able to participate, but that does not matter. I only want you to know that you are deserving of this award and to thank you for making my wanderings throughout the Internet more enjoyable.

To forestall the arrival of the Award Police, let me go over Da Rules...

• Create a post and choose 7 or more blogs that you find brilliant in either their content, design, or both.


• Link to the person who presents the award to you


• Show the names and links to those you pass the award to.


• Leave a comment on their site to let them know that they have won an award

Now, the hard part: choosing only 7 people to pass this award on to. It was difficult, but my choices are as follows...

Mom's Cafe Home Cooking

Random Ramblings

Life Marriage and Kids

cooking with kuting

The Junk Drawer

Life With Kim

Lainy's Musings

Thank You to my Advertisers 9/21-9/27

As of November 2009, I will no longer be with Entrecard, so in order to free-up valuable file space, I have removed the images and contents from this page. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. However, I invite you to stop by my main page and see if there is anything of interest to you...

Everyday Living

Fridays & Fotos

Seen many times before, but worth another look...

courtesy of... failblog


Do You Think She Noticed...

courtesy of... funnycatsite.com


Can You Say Duh...

courtesy of... www.pyzam.com


This is my new $350.00 clothes hanger...

courtesy of...mightywombat.com

My Total Gym and Me:Part-2

As you can see from the picture, the gym consists of two frames that are attached to each other. One frame holds the bench, which slides up and down on rollers. The other frame acts as the incline and allows you to raise and lower the bench. The Total Gym also includes other attachments that are used for a variety of exercises: a Pilate's Bar(the U-shaped bar at the base), which can be used for...Pilate's, but can also be used for Lunges and reverse pull-ups, Dip Bars, a Press-Up Bar (not shown), Leg Pulley Accessory (not shown,but attaches at the top of the vertical column), a Wing Accessory, and a Weight Bar, which can be used to attach additional weights for added resistance (up to 75 pounds).

Length:
folded...51"
in use...94"

Height:
folded...10"
in use...44-1/2"

Width:
With Weight Bar... 24"
Without Weight Bar... 16-1/2"

Weight:
Unit Weight...69lbs.
Max User Weight...275
Max Additional Weight...75
Total Weight...350

As you can see, the Total Gym 1700 can be folded when not in use, which is a great
space-saver for small residences.

** These observations are written based on my usage of the machine at 4-5 times a week for just over 13 months.


The Bench:

As mentioned, he bench slides up and down on the lower frame. It can be used either with or without the pulley/cable attached. So far, I have had no problems with the bench or the rollers. I have had to lubricate the rollers recently, but other than that, just a general weekly wipe-down will keep the bench rolling smoothly. To lubricate the rollers, it is suggested by the manufacturer to use machine oil. Cables:

OK, here is where I ran into some problems. After about 8 months of use, I noticed
that the outer, protective coating on the steel cables was started to crack. Although, this would cause no problems with the integrity of the cables, I did not wish to take any chances. This is when I discovered the Total Gym does not support its older models. However,after a great deal of searching, I was able to find a company,Huck Products which supplies ALL the items (at a higher quality) you may ever need. It supplies cables, rollers, benches, ropes, pulleys, hardware, etc. I purchased the replacement cables and have been using them ever since with no difficulties.

Rope/pulley and Foot Harness:

This is used for a variety of exercises that target the leg, thighs, buttocks, and the lower back. I have used this attachment for several months. However, as of last month the stitching on the foot harness has been tearing away. I will also need to
replace this before I can continue with these set of exercises.

Dip Bars and Pull-up Bars:

I have had no problems with these attachments.

Leg attachment:

The only problem I have had with this attachment, is the padding has just
recently started to tear.

All in all, I have been very happy with my Total Gym 1700. The problems I have mentioned have occurred after extensive use over a long period of time. The results I have obtained through the exercises has been phenomenal. If used as described, 3-4 times a week for 20 minutes a day, you WILL see results within the 6-week time period.

The Total Gym 1700 comes with all the accessories mentioned above and also includes a workout DVD (which did not work on our DVD player or computer), a workout manual, which illustrates the various exercises you can do, and a convenient workout Flip Chart, which can be mounted on the gym itself.

If you are a serious weight lifter, than this system is not for you. You would be better-off looking into a BowFlex. However, if you are just a person wishing to supplement their cardio workout with strength training, I would highly recommend this system.


Where to get...

If you decide that you want all the bells and whistles...




Now, if you just want to work your upper body, then here is something that I have been using for the past several months. It's called the Iron Gym.

As you might be able to tell from the photo, it fits in your doorway and you use if to do pull-ups and chin-ups (you can also get a great ab workout using it). Just be sure to measure your doorway, to make sure that it will fit. As I said, I have been using it for several months, along with the Total Gym, and the results have been fantastic.

I hope this answers any questions you may have about my Total Gym. As I said before, I have been using this system for over 13 months now and the results have been outstanding. However, you will only get out of the system, what you put into it. If you are faithful and exercise on a regular basis, you WILL see the results. If, however, you decide to give-up on your exercise regime, than I have to say that you just purchased an expensive clothes rack.

Good luck and I hope that I have given you the information you need to make an educated decision. If you have any further questions or require additional information, please leave a comment and I will get back to you.

See also...My Total Gym and Me:Part-1

My Total Gym and Me:Part-1

As you may know, one of the pieces of equipment I use in my exercise routine is the Total Gym. Well, over the course of a few months, I have had several people (OK, 3 people) ask whether it really works. So, in response to those "several" comments I will, over the course of the next few days, give you my review of the Total Gym.

When I first started seeing the commercials for the Total Gym, I didn't think it would work. I mean, you lay down on a bench and use pulleys to slide up and down on a frame. Gee, how tough is that? Yes, you can increase the height of the bench, but I didn't think it would give you enough resistance to do any good. Now, during this time I was looking into purchasing a BowFlex; I was looking very seriously, that is until I saw the price...$1,900 to start. Since I do not have that type of money lying around (hence all the little ads on my site), I needed to look elsewhere. What I needed was something that I could use; something that would work; something that was cheap.

I checked-out the official Total Gym site and I noticed that they wanted over $700 for one of their models. Naturally, this caused me to look around elsewhere and I soon discovered that Amazon sold an older model for much less. This is why I purchased my Total Gym 1700 through Amazon. I later learned that Total Gym does not support its older models, but I will talk about that later.
So, I purchased my gym and a week or so later, it arrived and the fun began.
I got the gym inside and opened the box. After reading the instructions (yes, I know I lost several Man Points for reading the instructions), I set it up and just had to try it. From the lowest setting, I tried an arm pullover. I didn't expect it would take much effort to do the exercises...boy was I wrong. I couldn't believe how tired I got after just a few reps (at this time I was a total couch potato). Then and there, I decided that I had made a good purchase. No, it wasn't my coveted BowFlex,
but it would do.


See also:My Total Gym and Me:Part-2

** These observations are written based on my usage of the machine at 4-5 times a week for just over 13 months...

An Award for the Fall

Lea over at Ocean of Perspectives has let the cat out of the bag when she graciously presented me with the


I Love Your Blog Award.
I want to thank you very much for thinking of me and I want you to know that it is greatly appreciated. It is now my honor to pass this award to others. This is no easy task, but I have decided to present this award to two others. As always, I realize that some of you may not be able to participate, so whether you participate or not, I just want you to know that you are appreciated.

Drum roll please...


smokey-n-tiger (LoL Cats)

Unpredictable Life

Again Lea, thank you very much!

Thank You to my Advertisers 9/15-9/20

As of November 2009, I will no longer be with Entrecard, so in order to free-up valuable file space, I have removed the images and contents from this page. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. However, I invite you to stop by my main page and see if there is anything of interest to you...

Everyday Living

Fun Fotos for Friday

Is it Just Me, or Does it Get Windy in Wyoming...




Uh, I think we need some more repellent...

Courtesy of...www.darkroastedblend.com



Seagulls, the Outlaws of the Bird World...

Courtesy of... flickzzz.com



Does this Look Familiar...

Courtesy of... www.acc.umu.se
See Also...More Photos

Just do it...

I must say that so far, I am sticking to my guns and I'm exercising on my Nordic Track. Has it been fun? NO, but I'm doing it anyway. Why, because I said I would. I need a little self-discipline in my life, so I figured I could start here.

You may be wondering why I shy away from my ski machine. Well, the simple answer is, I get bored while exercising on it. Yes, I use an iPod to listen to my music, but that doesn't help the fact that I am doing the same thing over and over for 25 L-O-N-G minutes. I currently have the machine facing my bedroom window, so at least I can look out and watch the weeds grow.

With the Total Gym, I am at least able to switch and do different exercises. I am always doing something different so, even if I am doing an exercise I hate, I know that I will be done after a certain number of reps. Not so with the Nordic track, I'm stuck doing the same throughout the entire workout.

To make a long story short, I am going to continue giving my Total Gym a break for the rest of this week and starting next week, I will be going to a 3-on and 2-off schedule. This means that I will strength-train on M,W,& F and do the Nordic Track on T & Th. The following week, I will switch them around, etc. Now, all I need is the self-discipline to continue with that schedule.

The Exercise Dilemma: Part-2

Now, I have been going full-tilt for several weeks and allowing only 2 days for my muscles to repair themselves. Obviously, this is not enough time for the muscles to do their work. I need to start reading what I write and apply that knowledge to my situation. I KNOW what I am supposed to do, yet I refuse to do it. I keep exercising the same muscles; I keep putting a strain on the same muscles and I do not allow them ample time to repair themselves.

I have heard that the most successful weight lifters only workout a few times a week. They know that rest is a very important part of the strength-training process. Why can't I see the same thing? Is it because I want to continue seeing results and maybe "rush" the process? I think that is exactly what I am trying to do and in the process, I am doing more harm then good.

Being so close to a problem makes it difficult to see the solution, even when it is right in front of your nose. By stepping back and looking at the entire picture, as I am doing with this article, it is easier to see the solution and apply it accordingly. So, With iPod in hand, I am going to force myself to take a break from strength-training and I will revisit my old Nordic Track to resume my cardio workouts.

http://www.lifeschool.freedomnames.co.uk/bodyguide/2.why-muscles-grow.html

http://www.healthcentral.com/fitorfat/408/42172.html


see also...The Exercise Dilemma:Part-1

The Exercise Dilemma: Part-1

Koko doing his workout on my Total Gym

I am facing a dilemma: I need to change-out my exercises, but I really do not want to miss-out on the benefits of the exercises I am currently doing.

Now that I have totally confused you with that statement, let me try to explain. For the past several weeks, I have been concentrating on strength training. That is, I have been using my Total Gym almost exclusively. Yes, that's right, I have been sadly neglecting my Nordic track. For the past several weeks, I have been working out a total of five times a week. Although I enjoy feeling the soreness and seeing the results, I have yet to see any results on the scale. In fact, my weight has actually gone up a few pounds.Hence, the reason for mixing things up a bit.

What I need to do is come to realization that my muscles need a rest.

"When you exercise, for example as you lift weights, perform aerobics etc, you will break down muscle tissue in the body. The more you exercise the more tissue will be broken down. When you stop your activities, nature will attempt to rebuild the broken layers of tissue, but a little stronger than last time so the tissue doesn't break as easily. Over a period of continuous destroying and rebuilding, your muscle will grow and adapt to the strain you put on it. The skin will stretch and your body will gain size and strength.When I strength-train, I am putting a strain on my muscles. When this occurs, tiny tears are created in the muscle. As the muscle rests, it repairs these tears and that is how the muscles grow."¹

In short, the main portion of the muscle-building process occurs while your muscles are at rest. So, why I am ignoring this very important step? Simple, I'm impatient. I feel that if I am not actively trying to build muscle, than nothing is happening. Although this is far from the truth, it is what I believe. So, I need to do some serious attitude adjustment.

Next time: Part-2

See also...The Exercise Dilemma:Part-2

http://www.lifeschool.freedomnames.co.uk/bodyguide/2.why-muscles-grow.html ¹

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-Do-Muscles-Grow?&id=1000689

http://www.healthcentral.com/fitorfat/408/42172.html

Thank You to my Advertisers 9/7-9/14

As of November 2009, I will no longer be with Entrecard, so in order to free-up valuable file space, I have removed the images and contents from this page. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. However, I invite you to stop by my main page and see if there is anything of interest to you...

Everyday Living

Fotos for Friday

This should be posted above every cat...

Courtesy of... Cheekies.com



Courtesy of... darkroastedblend.com


This isn't over, buddy...

Courtesy of... photofile.ru


At the home of a prominent hunter, the deer finally have their revenge...

Courtesy of... frogpondsrock.blogspot.com
See also...More Photos

I'd Like to Thank the Academy...

Last week I received yet another award for which I am truly grateful. I apologize for it taking so long to pass it along, but I had to actually take some time and write a few articles. I have been writing articles for my site since March and I have to say that it is really nice to have you all honor me like this. I want to give a big Thank You to:

check nyo for giving me this award...






Da Rules...

1. Only five people allowed
2. Four have to be dedicated followers of your blog.
3. One has to be someone new or recently new to your blog and live in another part of the world.
4. You must link back to whoever gave you the award.


As always, it is difficult to decide who to pass on these awards to, simply because there are so many sites deserving of recognition. Now, I understand that some may not be able to participate, but that does not make a difference. I am doing this to let you know that you are appreciated and I enjoy visiting your sites.

Alas, the Summer Fades Away

Well, it has begun. The annual draining of the pool. We have a small 12 foot by 3 foot pool, that we set-up in the backyard each year. Usually it is just my wife and kids that use it. I figure if I would be seen outside without a shirt on, someone might harpoon me. Anyway, this signifies the official end of summer and I for one, have mixed feelings about its departure.

It's not like I dislike summer, it's just that I no longer have the same feelings about it. When I was younger, I would look forward to the last day of school with steely anticipation. Once that bell rung, summer had officially begun. My days would be spent down at the pool with all my friends and my nights would be spent looking forward to the next day.

As I grew older (about age 14), I spent less and less time at the pool and more of my time working. When I did have a free day, my friend and I would walk to theater and see a movie. Soon, even that would fade away to just a memory and the days of summer would become just that...days. I would go to work and go to school ( I went to school during the summer, so I could graduate early); thus the days would pass.

These days, I enjoy watching my kids have fun during the summer. They look forward to it and just hate to see it end. I really hope that they take after my wife and never lose their child-like love of summer.

It's been just about 12 hours now and the pool should be just about empty. As the pool gets dried-off and stored in its box so too, is summer placed in storage for yet another year.

Lethargy, Anyone?

Have you ever had one of those days when you simply don't want to do anything? Well, I must say that today falls into that category. I got up this morning and I just didn't feel like doing anything. I guess I could just chalk it up to Mondayitis, but it went far deeper than that.

Usually when this sort of thing happens, it works itself out after an hour or so, but today it lingers on into the afternoon. As I write this, I still have no motivation to do anything. This also translates into the fact that I want to have nothing at all to do with my Total Gym or Nordic track. I don't even want to look at them. I see them staring at me, but I won't even give them the time of day. Of course, I had to teach school (we home school our kids), but after doing that, I just want to go lay down. I'm even not to excited about watching Monday Night Football, so you know I got it bad.

It could all be due to the fact that the seasons are changing or it could be the fact that I haven't had a day-off from working on this site since March, but I think it has a lot to do with my diet. You see, I have been at the same weight for over 2 months and I even gained 4 pounds since last week. My wife thinks it's due to muscle gain which could be correct, since I have recently increased my workout from 4 days to 5 days a week and I have also increased the resistance on my exercises, but it is still depressing.

Anyway, enough of this, I need teach Algebra (which is enough to depress anyone) and I need to have my wits (what there are left of them) with me. Tomorrow is another day... Have a great day everyone.

Thank You to my Advertisers 8/31-9/6

As of November 2009, I will no longer be with Entrecard, so in order to free-up valuable file space, I have removed the images and contents from this page. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. However, I invite you to stop by my main page and see if there is anything of interest to you...

Everyday Living

Friday's Funny Fotos

Please, Don't Look Behind You...


Its Finally Happened...


Next Version of Microsoft Windows...


When Al Gore Does the Weather...


See also...More Photos

I {heart} Your Blog Award

On Monday, I was bestowed with an award from Luxor and on Tuesday, Blogging Us-Exploring Colorado gave me this award as well. I guess you can say that there was an elusive Luxorium siting in the beautiful mountains of Colorado. I am very honored to have received these awards and I again wish to thank you very much!



There are so many of you out there that are deserving of this award, but Da Rules say that I can only choose seven. Even if you don't post it, I just want to thank you for all your hard work.

Da Rules:

1. The winner can put the logo on his/her blog
2. Link the person you received your award from
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs
4. Put links of those blogs on yours, and
5. Leave a message on the blogs that you've nominated

My First Award

Over the past three days, I have been given three awards. I just want to tell you how much I appreciate them and thank you very much for thinking of me. Today and tomorrow, I will be sharing these awards with you.

On Sunday, I discovered that I have been given an award. This is the first award I have received and, to someone who has only been doing this site since March, it really means a great deal.


The BFF Gold Card Award
has been given to me by: Chica & Pumuckl



There are so many of you out there that are deserving of this award, but Da Rules say that I can only choose five. Even if you don't post it, I just want to thank you for all your hard work.

Now, Da Rules:

1. Only five people allowed
2. Four have to be dedicated followers of your blog.
3. One has to be someone new or recently new to your blog and live in another part of the world.
4. You must link back to whoever gave you the award.

A Big Advertiser Thank You

As of November 2009, I will no longer be with Entrecard, so in order to free-up valuable file space, I have removed the images and contents from this page. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. However, I invite you to stop by my main page and see if there is anything of interest to you...

Everyday Living