Enjablog

Got together for Saturday brunch this weekend to pre-celebrate TLD’s birthday. There was an abundance of waffles, bacon, and marble cake. Sarah and I didn’t coordinate, but that just meant there was more marble cake to be consumed!

Marble Cake (Derived from Betty Crocker Chocolate Mocha Cake)

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

1 2/3 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs

1/2 cup water
1 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup baking cocoa
1/2 tbs instant espresso coffee (dry)
3/4 cups water

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease well and flour three 8″ round cake pans.
2. In medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. In medium bowl, cream sugar, butter, vanilla, and eggs. Stir in dry mixture.
4. Split dough between 2 bowls.
5. In first bowl, add 1/2 cup water and extra vanilla. Beat on high until blended, scraping bowl occasionally.
6. In measuring cup or small bowl, mix 3/4 cup water with cocoa and coffee.
7. Pour liquid mixture in second bowl. Beat on high until blended, scraping bowl occasionally.
8. Alternate pouring batter into pans and drag knife through to create marble pattern.
9. Bake 25 minutes.

Frosting
1 cup butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp instant coffee (dry)
3 tbs cocoa
4 oz melted unsweetened chocolate

1. Cream the butter until smooth and well blended.
2. Add vanilla extract.
3. With the mixer on low, gradually beat in the sugar. Scraping bowl often.
4. Mix water, coffee, and cocoa before adding to mixture.
5. Beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes).
6. Beat chocolate (melted) into finished icing.

Notes: I only used the coffee/cocoa in the frosting because I forgot to halve the coffee/cocoa when I was mixing that part for the cake and had a bunch leftover. Worked out well in the frosting though. I would recommend trying a little more coffee and a little less cocoa next time to bring out the flavor more. I cheated on the chocolate and used 2/3 cup semi-sweet morsels. Definitely should try unsweetened or bittersweet next time. The coloring and flavor in the frosting was a little light and a little too sweet compared to the cake.

And for the adventurous, try a different flavor in the vanilla/plain part of the cake. The chocolate mocha part kind of over-powered the rest, but would probably work well with a white chocolate, caramel, or hazelnut.

Happy new year!!

I forgot to tell my boss I wanted today off, so I’m spending my day in meetings for work. Woo. Hope you all are having more fun than me! (Plus flurries today!)

The hell..?

Lillian Vernon: Seatbelt Helper

No more stretching or straining to reach your seatbelt

Stretchable silicone seatbelt helper easily attaches and helps you grab the buckle to strap in.

So, I’m currently on probation for grad school because of the Aero/Hydro class I decided not to drop. I hadn’t really heard anything about it lately, so I figured it didn’t matter.

Until yesterday. When I received an email from an up-and-comer on the faculty asking me if I had time to meet with him to discuss my immediate plan of action.

Yikes.

I emailed back explaining that I’m a distance learning student, so I would be unable to conveniently meet with him in the short term, but I could definitely discuss over email or phone if that was acceptable to him. I further explained that it was just the one course that was below standard and it was not indicative of the other graduate coursework I had done up to this point, refraining from giving him my endless list of excuses for that class, from the awful TAs to my getting the flu for the first time ever.

He emailed back thanking me for the information and saying that if I was comfortable with my current plan, so is he. As in… he was sincerely concerned about my academic well-being and not just letting me know that he noticed my grades suck and I must not belong here.

I’m not sure why I thought he’d be a jerk about it… He started teaching in the department my last year at VT and, while I didn’t have any classes with him, he always seemed like a nice person. He was particularly helpful when we wanted to do some wind tunnel tests for the sub team.

That, and pretty much all the professors in my department were at least helpful as long as you demonstrated a little effort. Most were even nice!

So, all is well. As long as I earn at least a B+ in my 2 classes this semester, I’ll be set. And with both classes being graded on homework and projects, i.e. effort — with no exams — I think that’s a feasible goal.

What’s going on, Hokies?

Our university community was shocked by a brutal murder Wednesday night at the Graduate Life Center. The suspect is in custody and the nature of the incident points to an isolated, very personal tragedy. Our hearts go out to the victim and her family. An act of violence like this one brings back memories of the April 16 tragedy and I have no doubt that many of us feel especially distraught.

I seem to be oddly unhealthy lately…

Friday night, I was struck rather suddenly with a stomach bug of some sort. I got home and was in bed by 9. I woke up a few times on Saturday to drink water and eat some crackers, but was otherwise uninvolved with the day. Sunday, I got up mid-morning and was pretty normal the rest of the extended weekend.

Today, my nose has been running non-stop pretty much all day. I don’t feel unwell, I just have one symptom at a time. If this is how my cold is going to play out, I’m going to be very impatient.

Wow, how glad am I that I’m me today? I finished up my workout and grabbed my towel from my locker. Already camped out at the mirror stations opposite my locker were 2 girls doing their hair. (They brought their own hair dryers, btw.)

I took a shower, got dressed/ready, did my hair, bundled up and left… and they were still on hair. Also discussing that awful bridezilla movie that’s out: “There were parts that were predictable, but there were a few surprises.” Yeah, that you paid money to watch that. Hm, no. On second thought, not surprised.

I’m mostly cranky because I got spritzed with peripheral hair stuff pre- and post-shower by the same girl. Blech.

The World Unseen ipod

• The Patsy divx

buy Changeling Not a very good view today, if you like cars.

Spending the day in front of the TV. Hope you’re all watching! :)Superman: Doomsday move download Invincible

Birdman of Alcatraz movie

Intolerable Cruelty rip

…and I kicked someone in class today. It was totally not my fault either. I was actually on beat and kicked back when the girl behind me kicked forward.

I can’t wait until February.

Ian and I joined a gym a couple months ago and we’ve been going pretty regularly each week. I try to make it to as many of the kickboxing classes as I can, filling in with yoga and strength training on the other days.

The evening kickboxing classes are typically pretty popular, with a full class around 30-40 people. I made it to a couple Friday morning classes with ~5 people, which were fantastic. The morning classes are more kickboxing (with gloves and using the punching bag) vs. the evening Tae bo class.

Last night’s class was crazy. There were at least 60 people in the room. It was so crowded, I was actually worried I was going to kick someone in the head… you know, accidentally. This is of significant concern to me already since I am rhythmically challenged and don’t always stay on beat. The density of people in the room didn’t help matters.

The instructor started the class, as he does each Monday, by asking if there were any new people in class. One person raised her hand. How many people are here because of a new year’s resolution? <silence>

Liars.

There’s this aerobic/dance (zumba) class after kickboxing which typically starts lining up a half-hour before the class starts. Last night, the line went across the entire second floor to the stairs. And I passed more stragglers rushing up the stairs as I was leaving too.

Good for them, I guess… but I’m looking forward to the end of the month when things start going back to normal.