One of the hobbies Adam and I do together is play video games. It is a staple in our lives that started when we were kids. For me it stopped and picked up again when Adam gave me a Nintendo 2DS for Christmas when we were first dating. For Adam it is something he has never stopped since he got his very first GameBoy back in the day. I thought it would be fun to interview him and see what his thoughts/memories/opinions are around gaming and to share them with you. Check out his responses below: Can you tell me about your first memory of video games?
“My most vivid memory of video games from when I was a kid was when I received a Gameboy color and Pokemon Red Version for my birthday in November 1998. I had been asking my parents for a Gameboy and Pokemon for a while, since it was the hot new thing and everyone had the cards and watched the anime. It was a really special moment when I received it and I still remember it to this day!" What video game have you probably spent the most time playing? "This question is twofold, since I definitely spent the most time over the years playing all the different Pokemon games, but that is more of a “what video game series have I spent the most time playing” thing. As for just a straight up game, it would probably have to be Halo 2. My brother and I spent an entire summer break one year playing that game (and getting insanely good at it). We both played it way more as the year went on as well, so I likely logged over 400-500 hours in that game." What are your top 5 favorite video game franchises of all time?
When was the first time you played video games with other people? "The first time I recall playing video games with someone else was when my brother and I played our copies of Pokemon Blue and Red, respectively. We would sit together and talk about all the things we were doing as we were doing them in the game; which looking back on it probably drove everyone else in our family crazy. Our family made fun of how many hours we could sit there playing these games and I even recall my grandma saying “They can’t even hear us when their heads are in those games!” but you know what? I totally did hear you grandma!" Do you prefer to play games on your own or with friends/on teams/against others? "This one is tricky, because I am not the type of “gamer” who sticks with just one style of gameplay. I really enjoy getting to play solid single-player games such as Skyrim, Pokemon, or other RPGs, and I also really enjoy playing team based games that are competitive such as Halo, Gears of War, Rocket League, etc. At this age though, I am definitely happiest whenever I get to play a game with my friends but we are all on the same team against the game (PvE gaming as it is called), because I really enjoy the teamwork aspect without having the stress of playing competitively against other real humans. This is one of the main reasons that the Dark Souls game series is so high on my list, since my friends and I can beat the game together, fighting the enemies and bosses in sync with each other." What do you define as a “gamer”? "I would define a “gamer” as someone who is passionate about video gaming and sees it as an art form that it really is. There is literally no other art medium like it. It brings together the music, video, reading, and learning aspects of all the other mediums out there and makes it into one cohesive piece (as long as it is a good game). I think that people who appreciate this and enjoy it should call themselves a “gamer”, and not think of it as only someone who plays competitively or earns money from gaming." Do you see video games always being a part of your life? "I really do. I can’t imagine a time in my life at this point where I will altogether stop playing games. Even with the stresses of moving, college, grad school, getting married, and moving some more, I have always carved out time to play video games. As I have evolved over the years, so too have video games. You can now play them portably much easier than when I was young, and with things like Virtual Reality (VR) on the rise, I cannot wait to see what the industry has in store for the future. Video gaming is a hobby of mine that I am very passionate about, and I love getting to share that passion with others such as my lovely wife, family, and friends. " How have video games benefited you up to this point? (List several ways if there are several) "I sort of touched on this with the previous questions, but video games have been a universal truth in my life that have been around all of the ups and downs I experience. When I was young, video games helped me learn how to read, reason, and helped with things like my vocabulary and understanding more about the world around me. As I grew, video games were an outlet and a passion that helped me when I would feel stressed from my family or friends. Times such as my parent’s divorce, going through puberty, high school and going off to college, were all surrounded by one never-changing constant; Video games. I truly think that without gaming my life would be quite different from what it is today, which may sound a bit over dramatic until you think about how something like your favorite television show, movie, or book may have helped you through tough or trying times in your life. Video games are a fun way to relax and destress, but they also teach me more about who I am as a person, and how I can work to achieve my goals. " How have video games hindered you up to this point (if at all)? "Probably the first thing that comes to my mind with how video games have hindered me up to this point is that they can on occasion be used as a “crutch” so to speak. Just like how some people will in their darker times turn to alcohol, binge watching tv shows, or overeating to make themselves feel better, so too have I been guilty of video games being this “crutch” for me. There have been times where rather than face my problems or try to fix them, I instead chose to instead jump on another game of Call of Duty. Or instead of going out and trying to make new friends and meet new people, I have chosen to sit inside and play Skyrim for 18+ hours on a weekend. My point is, people all have their own vices that they use when faced with hard times, and the reason they do these things is because they bring fleeting moments of joy and help distract us from the real issues at hand. By using video games in this way throughout points in my life, I would say it probably hindered me at certain points. However, just like alcohol and relaxing and watching TV can be done responsibly, so too can gaming. Finding the balance in life is what is important, because as they say, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing."
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![]() Our sweet puppy Ace just turned 6 months old so I wanted to talk about some of the development we've seen in him through Month 5. We last left off at Week 17 so it only seems appropriate to base it off of months vs. weeks now. For starters, Ace has hit several milestones including:
These all seemed small as they were happening but thinking back and remembering where we started I realized these were huge milestones! Three weeks ago I was pretty sure he might never learn "bed" and that he would just wait for me to drop treats on it forever. Ace has also grown up a lot in his behaviors. He self-entertains a lot with his favorite toys, he is a lot more mellow (and open for snuggling), he seems to understand Adam and I and what we are communicating better than he ever had before, and he is in full puberty mode. He has started marking trees and light posts on our longer walks (thankfully he has not marked in the house) and he has become more confident when playing with other dogs. This weekend will be Ace's first experience with boarding and his first time away from home for more than 3 days. It will also be Leo's first time at home alone without Ace for that long since bringing Ace home. We are a little anxious to see how it goes, but the place we are boarding him is really nice and came recommended from several friends. I am sure he is going to have a ton of fun, I just hope he gets to the fun part sooner rather than later. The Three Dog Bakery visits are still in full swing (in fact I am sure we'll stop by when we pick Ace up on Sunday) and we get all of our dog biscuits there since they are made in-house. Watching this sweet pup develop and learn new skills has been so fun, and he has become so emotionally in-tune with Adam and I it is insane. So there is nothing I love more in the winter months than a warm, savory, hot dish of sorts. A crowd favorite is the traditional shepherd's pie, and Adam and I make some version of it every winter. This time we took a chance and left out the breading to follow our current diets, as well as used venison since we have so much in stock. We are calling it a "Hunter's Pie" and honestly it might be the best take on Shepherd's Pie I've ever eaten (and I love a good breading). Hunter's Pie
Directions:
One of my goals for this year was to run a 5K and last Saturday I competed my second one in the past month! I intended to follow the None-to-Run plan and honestly just really failed at it. For the first 5K I worked to give myself a month to train, which really turned into two weeks of semi-training (it is important to note that I had not run anything in months and was not on an even slightly consistent work-out regimen before those 2 weeks). For the None-to-Run guidelines I had a lot of trouble with wanting to just be able to run without the extra time. I ended up only running once or twice a week with a once a week with a Pilates work out thrown in between, which did not help me build up much endurance at all.
With a surprising time, a new motivation, and one month until the next race you would think I learned my lesson and started training to improve, right? Wrong. I ran twice that week, but with the weather, an approaching vacation, and peak advising season beginning I started only making it to the gym once a week and really falling behind on training. Adam and I went maybe 4 times that whole month, and I started to have some real anxiety. So, the week before I followed the same steps I did previously, and this time I went in with the mindset that I would not run this 5K at my best. Instead I would make it a planned work-out so that I could keep training and avoid the intense soreness that followed the Wizarding Run.
For fun, I made a pre-plan of Adam and I's running schedule for this week and the weeks to follow. It is great for anyone starting more "in the middle" than the average beginner. It is important to take your own health and other factors into consideration, while our work outs work for us please feel free to adjust them at your own discretion.
Asian BBQ Chicken Dish
Directions for Vegetable Rice:
While I have only been an academic advisor for 6 months now, and I work in an office that is more hands-on than most advising offices, I thought it would be fun to make a list of things Academic Advisors wish students knew going in. This is based off of collective ideas and thoughts I've heard around the office, so I hope you enjoy the tips! 1. Book Your Appointments Early
2. We Are Here For You
3. When We Send You An Email, Read It
4. We Are HumansCrazy, right? To think someone could be sick sometimes or go on a vacation every once in a while; but it is true. We are here to help you, and we love our jobs, but sometimes life happens to us too and we may need to reschedule an appointment. That does not make us care any less, it is just what makes us human. 5. We Can't Give You Professor RecommendationsA big misconception I hear about on what academic advisors do is when I hear complaints about, "well my advisor is the worst because they told me to take ... class!" Or "Ugh my professor is the worst, I can't believe my advisor would tell me to take their class." The classes we "tell" you to take are classes you need to graduate, we have no control over when it is offered or who is teaching it. And we can't tell you not to take a class because of the professor, because opinions on teaching styles are often so subjective. We can recommend classes/options/electives that other students have enjoyed, but for those it is still really up to you on if you choose to take them over another option. 6. Know Your Degree PlanWhen you first begin at most institutions you are given a degree plan for your major and your academic start year. Whether that is a sheet of paper, a fancy degree works website, a giant book of majors, or a combination of the three, you have access to what classes you need to graduate. Part of being human is that advisors also sometimes make mistakes. We do our best not to, but seeing so many students it is hard not to miss some things.
After our trip to New Orleans you could say Adam and I left inspired. We have always talked about Gumbo and Crawfish Etouffee but have never actually made it ourselves. With most of the ingredients already taking residence in our kitchen we decided to go for a venison gumbo. I should warn that this recipe lasted us almost a full week, only coming short because we shared some with friends at work. With the northern winds blowing in for a chilly week it has been the perfect lunch/dinner, and it seems like the gumbo continues to gain flavor each day. Venison Gumbo
We are approaching my absolute favorite time of year - the holiday season - and a few of my coworkers and I have already started to think about, pick out, and even purchase some of the holiday gifts for our friends, families, and secret santas. I pride myself on picking out thoughtful, fun, and occasionally elaborate gifts for those close to me, whether it be for the holidays, their birthday, or just a rough day in general. So here are a few tips that have really helped me whether getting a gift was a well-thought out process or a last minute grab! 1. Keep a list on your phone
2. If you see something early, buy it (especially if it is on sale)
3. Stay OrganizedAre you a gift-giver on a budget? Or just the kind of person who always forgets what they got or plan to get someone? Keep a running Google Sheet. It helps Adam and I budget what we are able to spend, keep track of what gifts are for who, and gave us an idea of what we were looking for during Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. We ended up saving almost $200 the first year we started this trend, and it helps us reference what we've already given family members. It also helped because in joint gifts (either from Adam and myself or from multiple family members pooling in) we were able to keep track of who was pitching in for what. 4. Stock up on some universal gifts![]() This may seem counter productive, but it is not what you think. If you have the opportunity to stock up on universal gifts like an Alexa, an iHome, a classic book, a coffee mug with candy in it, etc. it can really save you in a pinch. It happens so often that a birthday comes up or someone brings an unexpected guest to a family holiday event that require a last minute gift, and it is not always reasonable to run to the store. Having a few back-up gifts that are easy to wrap can be a life saver. Personally, I love to overstock on Bath and Body Works products when there is a sale so that I can combo a few as a gift if needed. That works well because if we end up not needing them for a long period of time Adam and I can still use them ourselves so we don't feel as though we wasted money buying those items. 5. Think about the personThis may seem obvious, but to sometimes it is easy to get wrapped up in getting a "good gift" vs. a gift the person will appreciate. Ask yourself, is this person sentimental? If yes, a picture or something from a memory is a great gift; but if the answer is no it is important to look more into gifts the person might find "useful". Another good question, is the person going through a major life event? One of the best gifts I've ever received was a cookbook of recipes compiled from my grandmother's kitchen. My aunt went through all of the cookbooks and note cards, even scanning some instead of typing them if it was a recipe she wrote by hand. My aunt gave copies to all of our family the first Christmas after my grandmother's passing and I still believe it was the perfect gift. It carries so much sentimentality, but is also something I've used 20+ times over the past year. It was very relevant to what was happening in our lives right then. One last tip to consider, what is something this person will actually use? It ties in to the other two questions but is still strong enough to stand alone. This is something I really struggled with for a while because I would think of things I live vs. what another person would like. Coffee mugs are amazing if you drink coffee/tea at home, but for a person who hates coffee or is always on the go it may be better to consider other options. This especially applies to children. When choosing gifts for kids it is so easy to think of what we liked as a kid or interests we want kids to take on, but it is much more beneficial to ask their parents what their interests are or if you are able to ask the kids themselves. Every year I debate getting my brother a book or a cool science-y toy, but he loves football and playing video games so gifts revolving around those things mean so much more to him. I hope these tips can help you this holiday season, and maybe just in general! Giving something to someone else is a gift all on its' own, and it feels great to give something that brings them joy. What are some of the best gifts you've received and why were they the best? What are some of the best gifts you've given to others? Let me know in the comments.
Being a huge Harry Potter nerd surrounded by other Harry Potter nerds, there was a night recently that was discussed which harry potter characters fit the different engineering majors that we advise. We had so much fun coming up with them so I hope you enjoy our list as much as we enjoyed making it! Chemical Engineering - Draco MalfoyAerospace Engineering - Madam HoochBiosystems Engineering - Neville LongbottomArchitecture/Architectural Engineering - Luna LovegoodCivil Engineering - Fred & George WeasleyMechanical Engineering Technology - Harry PotterIndustrial Engineering - Ginny WeasleyMechanical Engineering - Dean ThomasFire Protection and Safety Engineering - Seamus FinniganComputer Engineering - Percy WeasleyElectrical/Computer Engineering Double Major |
There were so many different genres and bands that it was hard to go wrong. Personally, I am so sad I was not able to see Post Malone, and I wish so so much that he'd been scheduled for Friday or Saturday instead, but Guns n' Roses and Bassnectar were both incredible main night acts as well so I think it would have been hard no matter who played Sunday. One thing I also enjoyed about the line up was how fun it was to walk around the grounds and catch artists you didn't necessarily know. There was not a single artist I didn't enjoy while there, I only wish I could have seen Bae Miller (canceled due to whether) and Post Malone. Check out the line up here for more details. |
Vana's Packing List: | Adam's Packing List: |
Friday: Guns N' Roses Crop Top Metallic Mesh Shirt Ripped Black Jeans (Walmart) Leopard Print Shoes (Walmart) Edgy Jewelry Rain Jacket Sunglasses Small Purse Poncho Drawstring Bag Saturday: Sunflower Romper Hippy Jewelry Hiking Sandals Sunglasses Rain Jacket Small Purse Airport Clothes: Shorts/Athletic Pants Fitted T-Shirt Vans | Friday: Ripped Denim Vest Bright 80s Pants AC/DC Shirt Rain Boots Rain Jacket Sun Glasses Leather Bracelet Poncho Saturday: Jeans T-Shirt Sweat Shirt Rain Boots Airport: Sweat Pants T-Shirt Sweatshirt All-Bird Tennis Shoes |
1. Pineapple Food StandEvery year there are a number of groups and programs that run food stands as fundraisers. My personal favorite for back-to-back years is the pineapple food stand! This group makes jerk chicken and serves it in a halved pineapple, but what I love is the "Cowboy Juice" served with dry ice in a fresh pineapple. It is very tasty, non-alcoholic, and makes for some great pictures! If pineapple is not your thing there are a ton of other stands to check out and support a good cause. |
2. House DecksIs it really a walk around if you didn't make it to see a few house decks? The time that goes into pomping these is insane, they are made entirely out of tiny pieces of tissue paper glued and stuck between chicken wire. A lot of the time there are big moving parts and intricate mechanics involved as well. This year Adam and I couldn't resist getting a picture in front of the Dallas, TX themed house deck. |
Ingredients: - 1 Cup Finely Chopped Walnuts - 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar - 1 Cup White Sugar - 3/4 Cup Unsweetened Flaked Coconut - 20oz Can Crushed Pineapple with Juice - 2 Eggs - Cake Flour (or all-purpose as a sub.) - 1 tsp Cinnamon - Pinch of Salt - 1 tsp nutmeg - 1 tsp vanilla | FDirections: - Mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl - In a separate bowl mix eggs, vanilla, and pineapple; then add and mix with dry ingredients. - Pour into a greased 9X13in pan (we use a Pyrex) - Bake 35-40 minutes (35 is typically plenty for us but it is good to have a range) at 350F or until a butter knife or toothpick can be stuck in and come out clean. - Let cool for Almond-Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting or make a Glaze Icing and pour on while the cake is still hot. Both are below! |
Ingredients: - 8oz Cream Cheese - 1&1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream - 1 tsp Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp Almond Extract (or more vanilla as a sub.) - 1 Cup White Sugar | Directions: - Put all ingredients into a stand mixer bowl. - Mix with stand mixer and medium to high speeds for 3-6 minutes (or until the frosting is nice and thick). - Once the cake is cool carefully spread the frosting over. *Optional - add toasted coconut on top of the frosting for garnish |
Ingredients: - 1 Box Powdered Sugar - 1 Stick Margarine - 1 tsp Almond Extract | Directions: - Melt the margarine in a pot. - Add the sugar and the extract. - Bring to a high temperature and continue to stir for 2-3 minutes or until it comes to a boil - Drop the temperature and continue to stir until it settles into a thicker but still some-what clear liquid. - Poke small holes throughout the hot cake and carefully pour the glaze over the top. *Optional - add toasted coconut on top of glze for garnish |
Ingredients: - 8oz Diced Ham - 16oz Sour Cream - 2 Cups Shredded Cheddar - 1&1/2 Cups Shredded Parmesan Cheese - 1 Tbs Garlic Powder - 2 Cans Condensed Cream of Potato - 1 Pack Frozen Hashbrowns | Directions: - In a bowl mix half of the bag of frozen hash browns with the cheddar cheese, diced ham, garlic powder, sour cream, and condensed cream of potato. After it is well mixed, add in the other half and continue until it is well mixed. - Pour ingredients into a greased 9X13in pan (a deep one is preferred). Spread out the mixture evenly. - Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese evenly on top of the mixture. - Bake at 375F for 1 hour. |
Is it more of a grab-and-go kind of morning? Then you better be careful, Adam and I tend to splurge hard on a lazy weekend. We can grab a waffle egg-bacon-cheese sandwich, kolaches, a pecan roll, and cake donuts from the Red Rock down the road. And what kind of fall morning would it be if we didn't grab some nitro brew coffee to go with it? |
Last, but not least, our most common meals are either 2 fried eggs on toast, or a yummy quiche/egg bake. Quiches and egg bakes are so perfect for a morning on the go, and they are packed with protein and veggies. These are what Adam and I stick to throughout the week, and perhaps what helps us stay nutritious after a sugar-filled weekend. We are working on our eating habits, but are already on a good track as far as Monday-Friday go! |
Directions: - Start to pre-heat the vegetable oil in a pan to 300F. - While waiting - In a bowl scramble the 2 eggs together and set aside. - In a separate bowl, mix together flour, bread crumbs, coconut, garlic, curry, and onion powder. - One the oil is ready, take a fillet, coat it in the egg wash, lightly set and press it into the dry ingredients bowl on each side, then set it on a plate with a paper towel. Repeat until all 2-4 fillets are ready. - Take the plate over to your pan and carefully set the fish inside the pan. Allow to cook for 4 minutes in the oil before gently flipping to cook for 4 minutes on the other side. - Once fully cooked set the fish on a plate with a clean paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Repeat the process. - Once all fillets are cooked, plate and serve. |
It is not often Adam and I are fortunate enough to have wild game in our freezer, but when we do we make good use of it! Between Adam's Dad's once a year hunt and our coworker and close friend that hunts often we have been able to acquire some really great venison. Wild game can be difficult to cook with, so for the recipes we make this round I want to be sure to share for anyone unfamiliar with it. We made some deer nuggets last week that were so good we ate all of them in one sitting, and if you are ever able to make them, you are sure to love them too! |
Ingredients: - 1 Carton Original Unsweetened Almond Milk - Venison (we used 3 4oz strips, but you can use as much as you want) - 1&1/2 Cups Flour - 7 Cups Vegetable/Cooking Oil (or enough to fill your pot half way) - 2 Cup Bread Crumbs - 1 Tbs Garlic Salt Tools: - Pot - Food Thermometer | Directions: - Wash venison carefully with water, then place in a dish large enough to hold all that you have. - Pour almond milk over the meat until it covers it entirely. - Cover the pan with saran wrap, tin foil, or whatever you'd prefer. Place in fridge for 48-72 hours. *Leave for 2-3 days* - Remove meat from almond milk, washing it off with water. Slice meat into small bite-sized cubes (approximately). - In a bowl mix flour, garlic salt, and bread crumbs together. - Take cubes of meat and coat them in the flour mix. - Fill pot with oil and heat it to 320F-350F. - Once heated up put meat cutlets in the oil to cook for 5 minutes. - Remove and place on a plate with a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. - Let cool and enjoy! |
Leo Stevens Named After: "Loke, the Leo in Fairy Tail" Favorite Color: "Blue" Favorite Treat: "Cheese" Favorite Flavor: "Salmon or Chicken" Favorite Weather: "Warm and sunny" Favorite Vacation Spot: "Venice in the spring" Favorite Hobby: "Chasing the dog, napping on the floor, or taking walks on my leash" Absolute hates: "Shots, and therefore, the vet. I will have my vengeance one day" |
Favorite Movie: "I am a big fan of Kiki's Delivery Service, but I also love the Aristocats as it is similar to the way my parents met" Favorite Nap Spot: "The living room window sill when it is open" Friday Night Plans: "I hope I'll be able to curl up in my favorite chair and watch a movie with my mom and dad. Maybe if the dog settles down he can join us too." Favorite Celebrity: "Ernest Hemingway - did you know his home serves as a refuge for cats?" Guilty Pleasures: "Sleeping near the dog and sneaking treats and toys for him, and crashing mom's blog pictures" |
What Constitutes Your "Purrfect" Day: "A perfect day for me is a simple one. I wake my mother up at 4:30am and she responds by feeding me before going back to bed. The dog sleeps in so that I can snuggle up to my dad's feet in bed before they start to wake up. Once everyone has left I stay in bed for a while longer, enjoying the warm sunlight through the window. Later I take a long stretch, chase the dog around the house, play with my favorite feather toy, and if I'm lucky my mom will give me some catnip." |
Special Talents: "I have been training to become the next cat-ninja-warrior for quite some time now. I have mastered the art of running stealthily, climbing on things, pouncing on pray, and finding very secure hiding spots" Hunter or Gatherer: "Definitely hunter. Although I have been known to steal food from my brother Ace's bowl" If I was a Dessert, I would be: "I would be a dreamsicle because life with me is the true dream" Favorite Day of the Week: "Sundays because my whole family is usually home" |
Ingredients: 2 Tbs Coconut Flakes 1 Cup Crushed Pineapple 5 Cups Bread Flour 1/2 Cup Sugar 1 Egg 3 Egg Yolks 6 Tbs Apricot Preserves 2 Tbs Melted Butter 2 Tbs & 2 tsp Shortening 1 Cup Water 1 Tbs Active Fast Growing Yeast 3/4 Cup Pineapple Juice 2 tsp Salt All-Purpose Flour Needed Tools: - A stand mixer - A bread hook - Plastic wrap - Cooking Spray - 9in by 13in baking pan | Directions: - In a mixing bowl pour in the yeast packet and the water at room temperature. Stir it and then let it sit for a minute or two. After that add pineapple juice, 3 egg yolks, shortening, bread flour, salt, and sugar. Set the bowl in the mixer, attach your bread hook, and mix on "1" or "low" until it is well mixed. Then pick the speed up to "2" until it looks like a well-mixed ball of dough. - Once well mixed spray the dough ball and the mixing bowl with cooking spray, cover the top in plastic wrap and let it sit for 1 hour. - After one hour has passed, take half of the dough ball and (using flour to prevent it from sticking) roll it out flat. - Spray cooking spray inside and around the 9inx13in baking pan and lay the now flat dough into it. Take 1/4 cup of your crushed pineapple and 2 Tbs of the apricot preserves and spread them evenly over the dough. - Now take the other half of the dough, roll it out flat, and place it on top off the apricot/pineapple coated dough. Cover pan with plastic wrap and let sit for 40 minutes. - Pre-heat your oven for 325F. - In a separate bowl mix your egg, coconut flakes, melted butter, 4 Tbs apricot preserves, and 3/4 cup crushed pineapple in a bowl. - Take out a pizza cutter and run it through your dough in the pan to make 2in by 2in squares. Then, take the separate bowl mix and evenly pour it over the top of the dough. Spread it out well, and bake for 30-40 minutes or until you can stick a butter knife in it with no dough residue. - I recommend enjoying it as soon as it is cool enough to pull apart, but it also refrigerates well if you cover after it cools. |
Last Christmas was the first one spent without my grandmother, Connie Otto (or CiCi to us grand-kids). My grandmother was a phenomenal chef. She could cook almost anything, and she could bake too. She was the type of person who always had a dessert or appetizer on hand for when company came over, and we couldn’t visit without gaining 5+ pounds in a week from all of the delicious treats. A classic one I remember her making is her Rum Cake. It is very simple, with a glaze to match, and reminds me of the sliced pound cakes served in coffee shops. This weekend I felt inspired to pull from her recipes (courtesy of the book my Aunt Becky made with all of CiCi’s favorites) and I found myself fixated on the Rum Cake recipe. After making it I realized there was no way I could keep it in the house, Adam and I would eat the whole thing if we did! So I brought it to work where it was devoured by lunch. Check out the recipe below: |
Cake Ingredients: - 5 eggs - 2 cups flour - 1 & 3/4 cups sugar - 2 sticks butter - 1 tsp vanilla - 1 tsp rum extract/flavoring | Directions: - Mix dry ingredients in one bowl and wet in another (I melted and cooled the butter before starting) - Slowly mix dry ingredients with wet ingredients until smooth. - Pre-grease a cake pan (i chose a bundt cake pan) and pour in mixture. - Bake at 300F for an hour. When done make glaze: |
Glaze Ingredients: - 1 cup sugar - 1 tsp rum extract/flavoring - 1/2 cup water Glaze Instructions: - Put all ingredients in a sauce pan and cook at high heat until it begins to boil. - Once the boiling mixture looks clear bring the heat down. - While the cake is still hot, pour over the top and let it drip down onto and into the cake. (I used a bundt pan for the cake so I removed it from the bundt pan before glazing it). At home my husband and I enjoyed it with some chocolate ice cream, but we brought most of the cake to work after letting it refrigerate over night and it was a hit! |
I am a student affairs professional, an amateur chef, and an adventurer at heart.
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