The plan was that I would leave early in the morning, drive the hour and a half to her town, attend Easter Mass with her, and then have lunch with the whole family in the afternoon.
The recipe for the cake called for two sticks of butter. I thought I should make the cake a little healthier by replacing the butter with something else. When I looked up substitutions for butter, I got applesauce, and banana. Since I didn't want to buy a large jar of applesauce and have it sit around, I decided to substitute one stick of butter with a banana. The cake came out beautifully:
Well, except for a little piece that stuck to the side of the springform pan. But frosting could fix that.
I was a little disappointed though--the cake tasted like banana! It was a banana chocolate cake.
I left my apartment a little later than I would have liked on Easter morning, but arrived just at the start of Easter services. I couldn't find my grandmother, but found an empty seat as the first hymn was being sung. Halfway through the hymn, I got a tap on my shoulder--it was Lynn, a friend and neighbor of my grandmother's. They had seen me come in, and I had missed their waving at me. I followed her to where she and Grandma were seated.
The church is fairly small, but it was full, though there were still seats available in the pews here and there, and no one was forced to stand. There were TONS of altar flowers for Easter. It was a really beautiful service.
After church, I walked with Grandma and Lynn back to their houses. After the service, Lynn had gone and gotten bottles of Holy Water, and copies of "The Little White Book", a book of devotional readings. I now owned my first bottle of Holy Water!
Grandma and I had breakfast after church. I had eaten a granola bar on the way to Easter services, and I didn't think I was very hungry. I accepted a slice of toast, but then Grandma brought out a large peach kolache from the store, so I had some of that too, with a glass of milk, and a cup of tea. I had brought some chocolate squares with me to make frosting for the cake--I didn't want to frost the cake beforehand, because I thought it might bet messed up on the car trip to Grandma's. So, I made the cake frosting at Grandma's.
Grandma gave me a painted wooden egg. She told me about some old traditions: on Easter Monday, boys would go around sprinkling water on the girls. When a boy went to girl's house, they would get an egg or maybe a penny or nickel. I think the next day, the girls got to sprinkle water on the boys.
I had some time to relax at the house. I read some Prevention magazines. I think I would like a subscription to a health/fitness magazine.
We went over to an Aunt's house for the actually lunch. It was very good. Ham and salad, vegetables, and au gratin potatoes. I learned about boiling a ham first, before baking it, to get the salt out of it. And I learned about how one can make delicious oven baked hamburgers from my cousin's grandma, who was there at the lunch. Her church had a potluck the day before, and she had made them, and they went over really well. I've forgotten the recipe though. I'll have to see if I can get it. It will be useful for future reference.
I took Grandma back to the house after the lunch, and head back to College Town. I got my car washed, and the tank fueled. It was a good day.
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Flourless Chocolate Cake (from Whole Foods)
Serves 12
INGREDIENTS
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips or bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
1 cup (2 sticks) plus 3 tablespoons butter, cut into chunks
1 1/4 cups sugar
6 eggs
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray, then line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Spray the paper with cooking spray, too, then set the pan aside.
Place two-thirds (8 ounces) of the chocolate and 1 cup (2 sticks) of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Stirring often, melt chocolate with butter until completely blended. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. (Alternatively, you may use your microwave to melt the butter with the chocolate, if desired). Add sugar and mix well. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Sift cocoa into bowl and stir until just blended.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cake has risen and top has formed a thin crust. The cake should be just firm in the center when done. Cool for 10 minutes, then invert onto a plate, removing sides of springform pan. Remove and discard parchment paper and set cake aside to cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the chocolate glaze. Melt remaining 4 ounces chocolate and 3 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat, then stir in milk, honey and vanilla. Set aside to cool slightly.
When cake has cooled, pour glaze onto the center. Using a spatula or the back of a spoon, very gently smooth glaze along the top and sides of the cake. Chill cake, uncovered, for 30 to 60 minutes before serving to set the glaze and make the cake easier to slice.
NUTRITION
Per serving (1 slice): 440 calories (300 from fat), 34g total fat, 19g saturated fat, 155mg cholesterol, 40mg sodium, 40g total carbohydrate (4g dietary fiber, 32g sugar), 7g protein
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