Toni’s Corner
Snow Day Shenanigans

Recently I was blessed with a Snow Day, I was over it by 12pm.
The anticipation of the moment was greater than the plans I actually made for the day. I woke up at 6am, already notified of the impending day off. I simply wanted to see the snow coming down. I traipsed out to the patio in my pajamas and got my obligatory Instagram shot. The first true snow of the season! I sat on my bench for a while until my pajamas no longer provided the proper insulation from the cold. As I hurried back inside, I wondered what to do with my day with glee. I’m not one who goes to the store the night before a predicted storm, so I was limited in what I could make for breakfast. I decided to grind fresh coffee beans with my mortar and pestle. (I still haven’t bought a proper coffee grinder, yet I continue to buy whole bean coffee). After a bit of work, I had tiny grounds and made a large batch of hot coffee for myself.
The coffee was delicious with almond milk and some cocoa powder. I sat on the couch and perused my streaming channels. My stomach started growling so I ate a banana, then a protein bar, popcorn, and finally a meal I had prepped in the fridge. When I’m home too long, I just eat. I started watching television and had soon consumed 6 cups of coffee! All of this happened before noon.
By 12:30 PM, I was bored. Completely and utterly bored. I began acting like a child, pestering friends and family to come save me from my apartment. No one came much to my chagrin, so I decided to bake. Oh my dear, I decided to bake.
I knew the night before the storm, I had no eggs. I passed three grocery stores on my way home from work, and didn’t bat an eyelash. I figured if I needed them, the internet would provide me with some saving grace in alternatives already found in my pantry. I should’ve stopped for eggs.
I decided to bake a chocolate cake. Using our faithful friend Google™ I found a recipe that was a dairy-free chocolate cake. Reading further, I decided I could sub in cocoa powder for the necessary chocolate chips. I also chose to use olive oil instead of vegetable oil, because hey, I would be the only one eating this creation. Kahlua and leftover coffee were my choices of substitutes for milk. Thinking back, I really thought I was about to create something innovative.
As I mixed the batter, I immediately could see that it was really dry. I continued adding more Kahlua and coffee until it resembled cake batter. I poured this mess into my greased pie pan and baked with anticipation of a divinely moist chocolate cake. The timer rang, still runny, baked it some more…..still runny….15 more minutes. Once I took it out, it looked cake-ish, so I cut a piece while it was warm.
Yikes!
It tasted like unsweetened cocoa powder and bad dreams. I ate one piece of this cake for the entirety of the day off. The cake is still in my freezer. It seems like such a waste to throw away a dessert I will never eat. Every time I open the freezer for ice, it glares at me. It’s wrapped so delicately in plastic wrap, waiting for me to eat it. I probably should give up and let this one go. Next time I will join the rest of the world at the grocery store the night before a winter storm.