THUNDER CAKE!!!

I remember when I was in the third grade we read a book called 'Thunder Cake' by Patricia Polacco. The book talks about a girl and her grandmother making a cake when their is a thunder storm. The girl is afraid of the thunder and her grandmother soothes her by telling her to count after their is lightning and stop counting when the thunder booms and then they will know how many miles away the storm is. The grandmother's goal is to eat the cake by the time the storm is overhead. They have to go out into the farm and collect the ingredients to make the cake. At the end of the story is a recipe for thunder cake, the cake the girl and her grandmother made. (Note: you do not need to make this cake when there is a thunderstorm ;P)

Thunder Cake

Sift together:

Cream together, one at a time 2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup shortening or butter 1/2 cup dry cocoa

1 3/4 cups sugar 1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp salt

3 eggs, separated

(Blend in the yolks.

Beat whites until stiff, then fold in)

1 cup cold water

1/3 cup pureed tomatoes

Mix dry mixture into creamy mixture. Bake in two greased and floured 81/2 inch round pans at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.

Frost with chocolate butter frosting. Top with strawberries.

Richnigthder and Jerome said they wouldn't like the cake because it has tomatoes in it. Honestly, you dont even taste the tomatoes. We have been trying to figure out what purpose they serve in the cake. We did notice though that they made the cake a little red on the inside.. hmm... It is a really reallly reallllly goood cake though! :) I used vanilla frosting and no strawberries. I don't think that made much of a difference though :p

PROM!?!? Or Freak Show??

I know I was turning this into a recipe blog but mom insited I post this. Last night one of my best friends wanted me to go and watch 'the Grand March' at her prom. I thought that meant we would go to her school, stand there, and watch everyone walk into the school for prom, then leave. Boy, was I wrong. She also invited another friend of ours whom I am going to ask later today what she thought about it. This is how it all went down....... We got to the school and tons of people were already there, practically the whole darn school. We went into the gym (The gym? What? Why would prom be in a GYM?) and sat in the stands with the tons of other peoples. It was caous for a while! Everyone was yelling and running around and going to see who was there and wearing what and who they were with ect ect ect. . . Finally things calmed down when the annoucer started talking. She was listing sponsors and events going on. Then she said 'And remember, the prom party will be held at Midway Lanes (Our local BOWLING ALLEY!)! The busses will load up as soon as we are all through here.' So, the took busses to the bowling alley for prom, classy. Did they exchange their high-heels for the bowling clown shoes? After that interesting announcement we got to watch the kids walk, no joke, we watched them parade around in their dresses and suits. The announcer would call the girl's name and she would walk out from behind this curtain thingy and then the announcer would call the guy's name and he would come out from behind a curtain on the opposite side of the gym area they decorated. They would meet in the middle and the guy would give a flower to the girl and they would walk down this decorated runway thing and have pictures taken then walk away together. As soon as they got through everyone, everybody joked around by doing odd things like one group of boys carried on girl out who held a sign that said 'CAN WE WEAR SHORTS YET?' and all the boys carrying her had shorts on. Or another example was one boy walked out with two girls and they kissed him on each cheek and he stuck his tongue out to which the old ladies sitting behind said was way to provocative for prom. Hah hah hah hah! Then everyone got up and left. Just left, went home so the kids could get on the BUS and go to the BOWLING ALLEY! Oh, and to top it off, WE PAID TO WATCH THIS!! WE PAID! MONEY, REAL MONEY! NOT MONOPOLY DOLLARS! HAHA! I thought you would enjoy a good laugh!

PB Blondies (OKay is this a dessert blog?)

I have been loooking and loooooking and loooooooooooking for recipes and I finally found this one! I found it in the First magazine and thought I would try... it is goooooooood!!!

1 1/2 sticks butter, room temp
1 cup, plus 2 tbs. peanut butter, divided
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 tsp. each vanilla and baking powder
1/2 cup chopped peanuts, divided
1 cup vanilla frosting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In mixer on medium, beat butter, 1 cup peanut butter, and sugar for 2 minutes. Beat in egg, flour, vanilla, and baking powder. Stir in half of the peanuts; pour into greased foil-lined 9" square pan. Bake 30 minutes; let cool. In bowl, mix frosting and remaining peanut butter; spread over bars. Sprinkle with remaining nuts.

Supposedly it will serve 12, I can't remember how many bars we were able to cut, but I know it wasnt 12! It is delicous, especially if you love goodies with Peanut Butter!