Bet you won't guess what this is!

Delicious.

Yummy.

Fruity.

..........Baked pineapple!

Another Tastespotting adventure. Perfect for the bridal shower I attended yesterday.

Baked Pineapple

20 oz. crushed pineapple

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs, beaten

Mix all ingredients and spread in 1.5 quart dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350° for 1 hour.

The only change I would make is a dash of cinnamon in the mix itself. Maybe a little more on top. I mean really, how can you go wrong with cinnamon flavor?

Gym Etiquette

So I'm running on the track today, minding my own business, and suddenly I am overtaken with this aroma. What IS that?!, I think. Then, that runs up beside me. Homeboy has drenched himself in cheap cologne before coming to the gym. Some of us like to breathe, dude. Especially when we're running.

Which brings me to another no-no I've noticed/almost had to slap some people over at the gym lately - If you want to sit and daydream, find a chair. Get off the only tricep press machine. Do you really need a 5 minute break after each rep to pump yourself up for the next?

But, on to other more pleasant (?) fitness matters. Mom and I went up to the mountains for a 6k (me) and 15k (my hardcore mom) trail race this past weekend. I question the pleasantness of this because of the straight uphill portion of the race and the most extreme soreness of my life in the days following. But the downhill definitely made it worthwhile. Seriously, running down a mountain is fun.

Ta da!

I have a reputation when it comes to layer cakes. And it's not a good one. So when I stepped into the kitchen to tackle mom's birthday cake yesterday, I was a little apprehensive.

I had my taste buds set on the Pioneer Woman's "Coffee Cake. Literally." As the title indicates, this is literally a coffee-flavored cake (not one of those coffee cakes you pass off as appropriate for breakfast).

Well, the layers didn't exactly slide out of the pans, and the stovetop did blaze up in flames once, but overall, the cake was a success!

Look at those perfectly aligned layers. Seriously, I was amazed - truly one of my proudest moments as a human being.

Oh yeah, it was also completely delicious. Definitely for coffee lovers (though my aunt who never touches a cup of coffee wasn't opposed to seconds).

I only made a few very minor changes...

Coffee Lovers Cake

Ingredients

• FOR THE CAKE:
• 2 cups Flour
• 1 1/2 cups Sugar
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• 2 sticks Butter
• 3 Tablespoons Instant Coffee Crystals
• ½ cups Buttermilk
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla
• _____
• FOR THE ICING:
• 1-½ stick Butter
• 1 pound Powdered Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Instant Coffee Crystals
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• Milk

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two round baking pans.

In a large bowl, mix sugar, flour, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.

Melt 2 sticks of butter in a pot over medium-low heat. While that’s melting, add 3 tablespoons instant coffee to 1 cup boiling water. Set aside.

Once butter has melted, add coffee mixture to the butter in the pot. Let it come to a boil for about ten seconds, then turn off the heat. Set aside for just a minute.

In a separate bowl, add buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Mix until well combined.

Pour the butter/coffee mixture into the flour mixture. Stir the mixture together gently. The purpose here isn’t to mix it together perfectly, but to cool down the heat before adding the egg mixture.

Add in the egg mixture and stir gently until well combined. Then pour into pans. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until set.

Allow to cool completely.

Combine all icing ingredients, adding milk a tablespoon at a time until you reach desired consistency. Then ice the cake. Chill for an hour before serving.

Girls Gone Wild

Well, my spring break has been craaaaazy. So far I have gone to the science museum with four of my younger cousins, attended an eight-year old's Spongebob-themed birthday party, saw The Blind Side (finally! It was as good as I had anticipated.), and visited my old office where I interned this summer (and somehow ended up sitting through a meeting with the Chamber).

It's pretty much been like Panama City. Without the beer. Or half-naked college students. (Ok, there has been a few beers. I did make it out to a country/western nightclub this past weekend. Yehawww!)

The wildness continued today as I babysat my eight-year old cousin. While playing house (yes, he's in touch with his feminine side), he suddenly looked up at me and asked, "Rebecca, if you had a husband and your husband died, and you had a baby, and then you had to go to jail, would they let you take the baby with you?"

Hmmm. I'm just hoping this isn't some kind of prophecy.