Eileen’s Chocolate Cake

IMG_1392My mother-in-law was  a lot of things, but fancy wasn’t one of them. And even though in the end she would wind up living on a golf course in Florida and belonged to one of the swankier beach clubs on the Jersey Shore, she stayed pretty true to her humble Pennsylvania roots. She saved rubber bands and plastic bags and twist ties and presumed birthday candles were good for a few birthdays. Why chuck perfectly good candles out after just one use?

She was also good at getting the job done. A real pragmatist. So when her youngest of four was old enough, she went back to school to get her master’s degree, often carting him along and depositing him at some childcare situation on campus. She landed a job as the librarian (back when we had librarians) at one of the local high schools where she worked for 25 years and retired right as the Dawn of the Internet approached and her long-practiced methods would become obsolete.

So when she cooked for her family, her offerings were basic but good. Comforting. The broccoli casserole covered in mushroom soup on Christmas. The savory baked beans she’d prepare for a summertime bbq. The pot roast she brought over the night I came home from the hospital with my own fourth child.

Of course she baked all sorts of cookies around the holidays and put them out on her fancy tiered plates on Christmas Day for us to nibble on as we opened our stacks of presents. And she would make a peach crumble in the dead of winter using canned peaches that brought me back to my childhood desserts of the 70s. When my mom would serve us bowls of peaches floating in that sweet syrup straight out of the can. Those nights were so much better than when she’d open the can of fruit cocktail with the sour pieces of grapefruit lurking within. #buzzkill

But my favorite of my mother-in-law’s desserts was her chocolate cake that is as no-nonsense as she was. A real workhorse. It’s always a crowd pleaser and couldn’t be easier to make and when served a little warm with a big dollop of freshly whipped cream (or perhaps a scoop of ice cream), measures up to some much more complicated recipe. But who has time for that?

Life is short, people. Bake a cake and share it with the ones you love.

 

EILEEN’S CHOCOLATE CAKE

  • Box of Devil’s Food cake mix
  • Box of instant chocolate pudding
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a tube pan (Eileen’s trick: use the cake mix as your flour). Mix together everything up to the chips and then throw them in at the end and pour into your prepared tube pan. Bake around 45 minutes to an hour or until the cake looks firm and not jiggly. Let it cool for a bit before removing from pan and serving to your happy family. Taste the love.

What mommy doesn't want to feed her baby cake (and apologies for blinding flash but I'm really a much better writer than photographer and have to live with that deficit every day)?

(Clean) Banana-y Pancakes

When I’m not eating Trader Joe’s veggie sticks on my couch late at night (#donttelldan), I generally try to eat pretty healthy. Pretty “clean,” as the kids say.

What that looks like is a lot of fruits, veggies and protein. After two years of trying to eat this way it’s gotten to the point that I think pretty long and hard before I put a piece of bread or cookie into my mouth.

Unless I’ve been drinking. Then all bets are off.

And usually I’m happy eating the same-old-things everyday. A plain, Greek yogurt/fruity smoothie for breakfast, a poached egg on something for lunch and chicken or ground turkey as a platform for something for dinner (like curried chicken or turkey ragu for the squash I spiralize with my veggettiI really just like saying “my veggetti.”).

But even someone who really doesn’t like change needs a change every once in  a while.

So, I’ve discovered a new breakfast lately — a yummy, pancake-y deal — courtesy of my Food52-addicted, slightly paleo, Gwyneth Paltrow-lovin’ girlfriend across the street that requires three ingredients. Four, if you want to count cinnamon as an ingredient.

It’s chock-full of sweetness and protein and also takes about three seconds to make. Perfect, if you’re a lazy sugar addict like me.

I really need to teach myself how to take better pictures. Especially early in the morning. This photo does not do my yummy cakes justice.

This year, I really need to teach myself how to take better pictures. Especially early in the morning. This photo does not do my yummy cakes justice.

(Clean) Banana-y Pancakes

1/2 to 3/4 squished banana

1 tablespoon peanut butter

1 egg

pinch cinnamon

Smoosh all the ingredients together in a bowl. Heat non-stick pan and spray with coconut oil. Pour in batter and let sit for a bit. I break into half with a spatula and then flip each half. Done! My daughter loves a few chocolate chips in her pancake and I think some blueberries or raspberries would be yummy, too.

Now you’re on the road to good health and wellness, just stay away from the veggie sticks.

Sign up to get all my posts sent directly to your inbox. Just plug your email into the “receive new post in your inbox.” 

You can also follow me on Facebook and on Twitter since none of my kids will let me follow them.