Toni’s Corner

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.