What makes you laugh?

Today I was reminded as I read in the book of Proverbs (which I highly recommend, there are 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs so read one chapter for each day of the month).

…. “A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face; a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day.” 

  “A miserable heart means a miserable life; a cheerful heart fills the day with song.”

Now I am not suggesting living in non-reality, but laughter is so good for you…. LITERALLY!!! Ty and I so value a sense of humor We laugh a lot. We know we need it because life is so intense.  So, today I am sharing with you one of my favorite YouTube videos.  Now you might not think it is as funny as I do.  But, take it for what it is worth.  The bigger point is, find out what makes you laugh and do it--often.  

Everyone who comes in contact with you will benefit!!!

Made these muffins this week and they are fairly healthy and yummy.  Try them and let me know what you think.

 

YUM YUM

 

 

Heart Healthy Apple Muffins

 

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup natural applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup low fat buttermilk
• 1 Golden Delicious apple, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch pieces

 

·         Directions

·         Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 12-capacity standard muffin pan with cooking spray.

·         In a small bowl, mix together the pecans, 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar and the cinnamon.

·         In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose and whole wheat flour, baking soda and salt.

·         In a large bowl, whisk the remaining 3/4 cup sugar and the oil until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in the applesauce and vanilla.

·         Whisk in the flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the buttermilk. Whisk just until combined. Gently stir in the apple chunks.

·         Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan and sprinkle with the pecan mixture. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center of one of the muffins comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

·         Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the muffins to loosen them and unmold. Cool completely on the rack.

 

 

The Journey

On a recent road trip with my beautiful and wonderfully talented daughter Annie, we traveled over 1,700 miles together [in two days] in a moving truck. We traversed through 9 different states and one time zone.

 

It became my goal to get the welcome sign for each state we entered and although some are pretty blurry, I accomplished my goal.

 

I would love to have stopped along the way to see some of the sights in each state but for this particular trip, that was not possible.  Our destination was our target, and getting there as quickly as possible was our goal.

Needless to say, I had tons of time to think and reflect as I sat in that truck for two days.  It seems in life I often get my eyes so set on my goal that I fail to enjoy the journey.  I recently read somewhere that, " we must be intentional about enjoying the journey."  The journey comprises most of life and if we are so focused on a goal we will miss so much in everyday life.  I often find myself thinking, once I get this done, or reach this weight, or get through this event, then I will feel great.  When I fall into this trap of thinking, I miss out on the joy that each and every day has to offer.  Like the old saying, “Stop and smell the roses”.  I want to embrace all that each and every day has to offer.  I hope that you will purpose to do the same!!

 

 

It's all about perspective!

I have always wanted to visit New York City and this weekend it is going to happen.  My daughter, Annie Alice Schenzel, is moving from Austin, Texas to NYC.  I am flying down to Austin today to drive with Annie, her U-Haul truck, and all her belongings to New York.  I love to travel.  No matter the destination, I love to meet new people along the way and hear their stories. 

I am in Omaha at the airport as I type sitting beside a gentleman who is retired from Conagra. He has more than 3 million miles flown on United Airlines alone.  He has been to 5 continents and every state in the US except Alaska.  When he asked me where I was headed and I told him, he could not stop talking about how expensive it is to live in New York.  He said before he went to New York the first time, everyone told him how expensive it was to park his car.  When he arrived and went to park his car he said he was surprised when the sign for parking said $2.50.  That’s not too bad he thought…. until he read the fine print….. $2.50 for 15 minutes!!  And that was many years ago.  He went to the deli for a pastrami sandwich and it said $2.50, but when he looked closer it was $2.50 for ¼ of a pound!!  Then, he spoke about the cost of housing in New York and how a tiny apartment costs more than living in a large house in other cities.  So bottom line…… NYC is darn expensive.   His perspective was one you might expect from a retired 80 year old man from Omaha, NE.  The information he shared was no doubt factual, but perspective is everything.

You see, Annie is my beautiful 24 year old adventurer.  She is full of life, passion, courage and promise.  She will no doubt agree that NYC is really expensive, but from her life perspective, so worth it.  She is following her heart into the next adventure and chapter of her one and only life.   And as far as her mother’s perspective, you GO Annie Alice Schenzel!

 

"Flipper Rod"

Hopefully you haven't noticed that I have not blogged for quite some time.  You know the holidays, 3 weeks vacation, home now getting my ducks back in a row, (where did that saying come from anyhow?) 

So I will begin 2013 sharing a highlight from our time away.  We spent the last night of our vacation in Memphis TN as we made our way back to Nebraska from Florida.  Here is what happened:

When we visit a new city I am always interested in seeing the hot spots.  I am curious about where the great shopping is, what events or entertainment we might want to check out, or what scenic spots we should see.  Then there is my beloved husband.  When we visit a new city he has one thing on his mind..... Where is the "hood"?  I kid you not.  He cannot help himself.  It is like there is a gravitational pull reeling him in.  I however am not always thrilled by this desire.  I know we have been called to Omaha's "hood" and have supernatural covering to be there.  But, an unfamiliar city is another story in my book. 

It happened to be Ty's 52nd birthday.  He was about to get an unexpected birthday gift.  We had just visited Martin Luther King's Memorial.  When we got into our car to head to our hotel I suggested we check out the downtown area of Memphis to see what it looked like.  Within a few blocks we happened upon Beale Street.  Here is what we saw! 

 

Talk about finding where the action is.  We definitely found it.  We parked the car and headed for Beale Street. 

 

Almost immediately we saw two young black men who were performing flips in the middle of the street and then collecting donations from the crowd.  Of course my husband began conversing with one of them and inquiring about their group.  He told Ty that they were known nationally as The Flippers.  He then walked us into an adjacent club to introduce us to Rod, the founder and head of The Flippers.  Rod told us he was no longer an active flipper because he had been shot in the butt.  Ty told him what we do in Omaha and Rod came alive. 

 

Rod called Ty "white chocolate" and commented on his "swag".  Little did he know that he was making my husbands day!!!!  Rod informed us that he was the king of the streets in Memphis and that he was known by all.  He had street cred and was not shy in telling us.  Ty asked about their "hood" and Rod replied, it is right over there, two streets away, wanna see it?  Well, do I even need to tell you what happened next?  We began walking with Rod to see "the hood".   We immediately noticed that Rod walked with an obvious limp.  He told us he limped from the bullet in his butt and deteriorating discs in his back.  As we walked he told us about the area and some history about Beale Street.  It used to be part of the Memphis inner city.  We passed many individuals from all walks of life, and most of them knew and greeted Rod.  Several asked if they could talk with him and he told them to "come by" later.  You got the feeling they would definitely be coming by.  As we walked and he talked we were taking it all in. 

I would be lying if I did not tell you that I had the thought, "he could roll us at any moment", but somehow I knew we were safe.  We walked through empty lots and within two blocks of Beale Street, we were smack dab in middle of the hood.  He took us by "Streets Ministries" which is Memphis' Hope Center and then some.  He took us in a neighborhood convenience store and introduced us to everyone inside.  People continued to ask if they could speak with him and he told them all later.  He told us about his life, the neighborhood and the racial climate in Memphis.  His perspective was fascinating. 

We probably spent an hour and a half with our new found friend.  I think he was as fascinated with us as we were with him.  We walked back to Beale Street and we chatted a bit longer.  We thanked him for the tour and his time.  As we said our goodbyes he told us to be praying for him.  We asked if we could pray for him there and now.  He did not hesitate to say yes.  He told us to wait so he could put down his cigarette.  He said he did not want to go to prayer with a cigarette in his mouth.  We just laughted.  We prayed for his health and safety.  We prayed for favor and revelation of God's love for him.  Then we prayed for healing for his back and blessing on his life.  We hugged goodbye and left Rod standing there talking with his next customer.  Not sure what he was selling and definitely sure we did not want to know.  We will never forget "Flipper Rod".

 

 

Today we had our Hope Center staff Christmas party at our house.  We have an amazing staff (4 staff members were missing in this photo) and we love the opportunity to hang out together. 

 

 

 

We each shared our hightlights of the year, and once again I realized how very blessed I am.  Hands down my highlight was being in the room when our grandson Theo entered this world.  Another hightlight was that Emily, Paul and Theo moved back to Omaha this past June.

So now I am officially a nonnie and I love it.  So here are some photos of my amazing, precious, adorable grandson.  Words cannot express the joy he brings to our life.  Just tonight he was biting my nose and I was laughing my fool head off.  Every home should have a baby to bring joy, innocence and laughter.

Is he precious or what????  I melt everytime I see him, which is almost daily.  I feel so blessed. 

Ok another hightlight of my year was anytime all our children were home and we were all together. 

In September they all came home and Ty's Dad and his wife were visiting too,  Definitely another hightlight.  2012 has been another year filled with so much blessing,  I am one grateful lady.

I like doing almost everything with Ty

I love my husband to death, and we love to do most things together.  This past Saturday I was reminded of one of the few things I do not like doing with him.

Ty wants to turn one of our upstairs bedrooms into a prayer room.  We decided to go shopping to look for a comfy chair and ottoman for the room.  I was so excited to go with him.  You see, one of my favorite things to do is go shopping and my favorite items to shop for are home goods.  As a matter of fact, Home Goods was one of the stores we visited on Saturday.  For Ty to suggest we go shopping was too good to be true; one of my favorite activities with my favorite person on the planet. 

So off we went on our shopping mission.  We went to several stores in search of the perfect chair and ottoman.  What I quickly realized was that our outing was actually more of a "hunt".  There was nothing leisurely or browsing about it.  We entered each store, marched to the section that had chairs, scouted out the options, and when we did not find a suitable chair Ty was ready to march back out.  If I veered from the path to look at anything else I realized that I was frustrating my dear husband.  After all, that was not part of our "hunt".  We were shopping for chairs and ottomans and NOTHING ELSE.  To even consider deviating was beyond his comprehension.  He had no margin in his mind that I might see something else that I wanted to look at, touch, or consider buying.

What was I even thinking?  We had been shopping many times in the past and had run into this snag.  We would be leaving a store together and on our way out, I would spot an item that grabbed me.  When I would go to look at it, Ty would protest saying, "I thought we were leaving.  You remind me so much of my mom.  I used to get so frustrated shopping with her.  I could never get her out of the store!" 



Ty and I on a recent trip to the mall (thought taking Theo might help)

Being compared to his mom was a compliment.  She was an amazing "shopper".  She loved to shop, loved buying gifts for others, and had great taste.  So when he would compare me to her I wore it as a badge of honor.

So, I was again reminded that although we love doing most things together, shopping is not one of them.  When we shop together I will most likely exasperate my husband and he will most likely frustrate me.  If we do end up going shopping together, I need to majorly adjust my expectaions and realize this trip will be more of a "hunt" and not my kind of shopping. 

All that to say, I cannot wait to go shopping soon.... without my dear husband.

It was a magical moment

Ty's Dad and his wife Gunn came to Omaha to visit this fall.  Dad and Gunn have been married about 4 years.  Gunn has been a dance instructor for over 50 years.  They met because Dad was taking dance lessons and Gunn was his instructor.  They both love to dance and are beautiful dancers.

While they were in Omaha we decide to take them to a favorite restaurant, Zurlos.  That night there was a live band playing.  The next thing we knew, dad and Gunn got up, walked up to where the band was playing, and began to dance.  Mind you, no one else was dancing that night and there really was no dance floor.  No one was EXPECTED to dance, just enjoy the music during dinner.  Needless to say, all eyes were on them as they began dancing as if they were the only two people in the room.  Their eyes were locked on each other and the smiles never left their faces.

As I sat there watching them I scanned the room and all I can say is something magical settled over the room.  I saw one couple watching them dance and then the wife ( I suppose) leaned over and kissed her husband on the cheek.  Another couple sitting nearby was watching them dance and I heard the wife say, "they remind me of my grandparents, they loved to dance".  It was like romance swept across the room and everyone was infected.  Thats what happens when you encounter those who live life to the fullest.  They are the most "young at heart" senior citizens you would ever meet.  They travel, go to yoga, dance, do cleanses and play rummicube nightly to stay mentally sharp. 

Their life so inspires me to be intensional about not letting my life slip into a rut.

Every day is a gift and we need to live life to the fullest, embracing each moment and squeezing all the life and joy out of it that we can.  I sure needed to be reminded.  They are such a wonderful example of living large.  I wanna be like them when I grow up.  How about you?

Every Wednesday my Millard West Gals come over for WAG.  WAG stands for women and God and this group has been in existence for about 4 years now.  I have had the honor of walking through the high school years with these students.  We choose a book to read and each week we discuss a chapter.  Some of the books we have read together are:

Girls Gone Wise in a World Gone Wild
She's Got Issues
Moral Revolution
A Young Womans Guide to Making Right Choices
To Save a Life
Lies Young Women Believe

I love being a part of their journeys and helping them navigate the crazy years of high school.  Once in a while we bake together and recently we whipped up a batch of my mom's famous "Pumpkin Cookies".  They are for sure a crowd pleaser, especially this time of the year.   

I am never happier than when my whole family is home. They were all home last weekend and the time went way too fast.

 Last fall 2011 we became empty nesters.  I had heard all about the "empty nest", but nothing really prepares you for it.  The house gets quiet and the laundry decreases considerably.  After being a stay at home mom of 4 I hardly knew what to do with myself.  I guess what I am most grateful for is the fact that Ty and I really enjoy spending time together.  He is my best friend and we were intensional about working on our relationship and prioritizing marriage in the midst of parenting. 

I am on a mission to help women prioritize having a healthy marriage in the midst of raising their children and all the demands of running a household.  So here we go:

Always make your husband glad he came home!!!  How does he feel when he walks through the door?

Regular date nights are important.  Even if it is not fancy, go out together and do not talk about the kids.

An annual get away is very important and again if the budget is tight, get creative.  A whole weekend to focus on each other will pay dividends in the long run.

Make it a point to compliment him regularly.  You can always find something to thank him for.  Does he get up and go to work every day?  Thank him for that!!!

Read books on marriage to keep moving in the right direction. 

There you have it for now.  Keep the fire burning ladies and if the fire has gone out, relight the flame.  A healthy marriage takes work so tend to it!

I had the honor of sharing at The Bridge Church's womens retreat last weekend.  What I know for sure is that I absolutely love investing in the lives of women who are coming behind me in wifehood and motherhood and ... life hood.  It just makes sense to me to take the life lessons I have learned in over 5 decades of living on this here planet, and pass on anything of value I have gained.  

One of the topics I addressed is fully embracing who God made you to uniquely be.  It has taken memany years to accept who I am and who I am not.  So often I would look at other women I respect and admire and wish I could be more like them. Wished I was more contemplative or deep or studious.  I have friends who go on spiritual retreats alone and are quiet for days at a time.  One of my worst fears in life is to go on a silent retreat.  If there are no people and no talking allowed, count me out.  That is just not who I am, but for years I thought I needed to morph into that type of women.  Now that does not mean I cannot appreciate those who are like that.  In fact, I really admire them.  That is just not how I am wired. 

I have found that I get quiet by moving,  Don't know if that makes any sense at all, but when I am riding my bike, walking on the beach and even driving in the car, I can connect with The Lord and hear better than when I am completely still.  I do get still at times and value that time too. 

I now have accepted that I love people, need people and enjoying doing most things with someone else much more than alone.  I really like to cook but I LOVE to cook with someone.  I like to shop, but I LOVE to shop with a friend.  I like to bike, but I LOVE to bike with a friend. 

It has been so freeing to embrace how I am wired and not try to change who I am.  Don't get me wrong.  I always want to grow and be challenged to develop as a woman.  I just want to do it as I embrace who I uniquely am.  So, that's it.  I will just be the best version of me and no one else.  What a relief. 

Making crepes with my neice Sydney at the beach

Emily's blog post

I want to share my daughter Emily's blog post from this week.  It really inspired me.

A litte perspective Posted: 16 Sep 2012 09:28 PM PDT   Do you ever just have an off day? I am happy to report that I have less "funk" days the older I get and the more I mature- but yesterday was one of those days. My baby was fussy and teething, my husband was home for only a day before leaving for a work trip, and I felt tired. Urg, can anyone say #funkcity??? Crap, I could feel myself getting sad mid-day, bracing for my husband leaving and missing him even though he was with me. Then I was irritated with myself for being sad on the one day he was in town... dysfunctional cycle... actually, let's hashtag that sucker #dysfunctionalcycle...   I cried in the car after we had to leave Starbucks early because Theo was fussing... I cried, ok,- you caught me, I sobbed. I told him we should maybe only have two kids so that I could have enough quality time in the future- DARN having "quality time" as my #1 love language- there are just no short cuts to filling my love tank!!! If I wasn't sure I couldn't be pregnant I probably would have thought I was! Nope, just living life imperfectly.....   Paul (who is a pro by now at handling emotions) just spoke life over me- told me that this day doesn't define me, that I am a powerful person who can handle life, etc. That popped me out of my funk about being apart the coming week and I was able to enjoy the rest of the night with him.   So today, guess what happens?!! I meet a wonderful, sweet woman from Kenya at a birthday party. She and I start talking and lo and behold, she has been living away from her husband for SEVEN year... yes, SEVEN years. She is here going to nursing school, working, and sending home money to Kenya. By herself. She has 2 kids- also still in Africa. She came to Omaha not knowing anyone or anything about American culture... She looked at me with tears in her eyes saying that she missed her husband, but she was strong and had deepened her relationship with the Lord. "He's all I've had. I thought I knew God before this experience, but no, now I know God. This time has brought me so close to Him." I stood there literally having an encounter with gratitude just talking to her. I asked her if I could hug her and said that I was pretty sure God had sent her to tell me her story at the perfect time.     Nothing like a little perspective. So tonight I came home, I tucked my baby into bed. I called my husband and told him how thankful I am for our life together. Now I am laying in bed, praying for my new friend and grateful for the opportunity to live my life with more joy.

This week Ty and I rode our bikes around lake zorinski.  I love riding bikes a lot.  Ty rides bikes because I love to.  He even bought a bike last year so he could ride with me because he knows how life giving it is for me.  If it were not for me, he would not own a bike.  It is not life giving to him. 

That is what love looks like; doing things that someone you love, loves to do.  We have been intensional about being interested in what each other care about.  Ty loves football.  In the fall he begins to get as excited as a kid at Christmas.  Knowing that the football season is about to launch just makes him plain giddy.  HE LOVES FOOTBALL.  So, sometimes, not always, I sit and watch football with him.  Often I would rather be cooking or riding my bike or shopping, and I do make time to do those things.  This past week I spent a couple of hours ironing and watching a game with him.  Sometimes I will be on my laptop getting caught up on my emails, while he is watching a game. I used to get annoyed that he watched football so much but not so much anymore.  I know it really fills his tank and he can completely get lost in a good game.  I know he needs that escape when life gets stressful.  I am glad he has something that he enjoys so much.  Sometimes when he is chillin on the couch watching a game I will say to him, "Honey, you deserve to relax, I am so glad you are."  It always makes him smile when I say that and I think he even relaxes a little bit more.  And I know... soon we will be going for a bike ride together:)

My man on his bike

Lake Zorinski

the view from our ride

R E S P E C T , that was my topic last Sunday when I had the privilege of teaching at Covenant Presbyterian.  Respect is a man's greatest need, and men need it most from their wives.  I asked the women if they had a vision for their marriages.  I asked if their husbands would say that their wives showed them honor and respect publically and privately.  I shared a quote from John Maxwell that goes something like this:

"Make the big decisions first and then the rest of life is managing those decisions."  I decided early in our marriage that I wanted to be the greatest blessing in Ty's life.  I wanted to be a part of seeing him become an amazing man of God.  I will share next blog entry some of the ways I manage the decision to love and respect my husband.


Theo looks like he is about to make a big decision.  I hope it is that he NEVER WANTS TO MOVE OUT OF NONNIE'S HOUSE!!!!

Today I want to share with you one of my all time favorite children's books; "Sombody Loves You, Mr. Hatch".  Now I must emphasize that it is "one" of my favorites. 

I absolutely love childrens books and I loved reading to our children.  I have so many memories of reading to our children on a daily basis.  Bedtime always included a story or two... or three if they got their way. 

For Christmas each year, each of our children recieved a new picture book to add to their collection.  We have them all saved in a special box and they will each have them to read to their children.

Mr. Hatch is a wonderful story about the power of love.  I especially loved the books that provided a life lesson. 

 

 

Friday night Ty and I went to Millard North vs Millard South High School football game.  Laura Slosson, one of our Calvary youth, snapped this photo of us.  We did not even know it till she posted it on Instagram the next day.  Her caption touched my heart. 

 I am so thankful that 26 years ago I married my best friend.  I am also thankful that God gave me a vision for my marriage and my role as a wife.  I realized that how I loved my husband was directly connected to the kind of man he would become and visa versa.  We have been blessed with a fulfilling, life-giving relationship.  God's ways work!!!  I am so grateful to The Lord for how He has blessed our marriage.

I found the following recipe in a magazine and decided to give it a try.  It has become a favorite.  I especially loved being able to pick the basil fresh from the plant on my deck.  Love fresh basil.  Oh the smell

Quinoa and Bean Salad

One 20 –ounce can kidney (or black) beans (drained and rinsed)

2 Cups cooked quinoa (3/4 cup raw)

1 red onion finely chopped

2 bunches fresh basil leaves chopped

Juice of 2 lemons

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a large bowl, mix together the kidney beans, quinoa, onion and basil.  In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice and olive oil; season with salt and pepper.  Pour dressing over quinoa salad and toss to coat evenly.  Serves  4.

PS if quinoa is new to you here is what it looks like in the box:

and here is what it looks like once it is cooked

looks like couscous but even smaller

ENJOY, let me know how you like it :)

My daughters, my friends

When your daughters become grown, they become treasured friends.  I feel so blessed to have two beautiful, wonderful, amazing daughters who I love more than words can express.  Annie is visiting from Austin this week.  Emily(left) and Annie(right) and I had a mother daughter outing this morning.  We started with coffee of course.  Then we headed to the farmers market in the old market.  We bought beautiful tomatoes and other fresh produce to make homemade salsa, and a tomato basil tart.  Next we headed to lunch and had time to just chat and catch up.  I love having them to share my heart and dreams with and to hear theirs.  They are as different as two girls can be.  I love who each of them have become and all that they bring to my life and others who know and love them.  I love how much they love each other and I love to hear them reminisce about their childhood and all the memories.  They are both incredible, but I am one biased momma!!!

Annie loves to cook as much as I do and Emily is liking it more and more.  Yesterday Annie and I cooked and baked all morning.  Since Emily now lives in Omaha we are getting to cook together more and more.  Today we dreamed about the day we can travel together to Italy.  When we go, I hope we can take a cooking class or two. 

So today was a best day ever day, and I will cherish the memory of a day with my beautiful daughters.

Last week my family (extended, 25 of us)  went on vacation to my favorite place in the whole world..........



My immediate family

The BEACH!!!!!

Now I have a great family, 2 brothers, 2 sisters and their children and my parents.  But what you need to know about my family is that we are a bunch of smarty pants.  When we get together there is much joking and laughing,  and with that comes.... S A R C A S M

So early in the week we decided that each time someone make a sarcastic comment, they would have to pay a fine and put it in this jar.

We had many laughs as we waited to catch each other making yet another sarcastic comment.  We were amazing at how effortless these remarks just flowed from our mouths.  After a while we all headed to the beach and forgot about filling the jar.  But what it left me with is how, in the name of humor and joking, sarcasm can get out of hand and peoples feelings can be hurt.  Sarcasm can be a very bad habit and damaging to those around us.  We can think we are just having fun, but words are powerful and can leave lasting scars.  It is not true that, "sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never harm me".  Words do matter and just saying, "I was kidding", does not void the offense.  It reminds me of a proverb, "death and life are in the power of the tongue".  I don't know about you, but I want to be a broker of "life" and not "death".  I am purposing to watch my tongue and it is not as easy as I had hoped.  But... I am trying.

Chocolate fudge cake with vanilla buttercream frosting and chocolate ganache glaze

This is the cake I made for the fourth of July.  It is very rich, but on a special occasion, you can justify it!!!

Ingredients

Cake:

• 3 cups packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 3 eggs
• 2 2/3 cups flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/8 cups cocoa powder

Frosting:

• 1 1/2 pounds sweet butter, soft
• 3 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1 pinch salt

Ganache:

• 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 3/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Oil 3 (10-inch) cake pans and line the bottom with parchment paper. Alternately, oil the pans and then flour them.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the brown sugar and oil. Turn on the mixer to a low speed and mix in the eggs. Let the sugar, oil, and eggs mix while sifting together the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Set this mixture aside.
In another small bowl, mix the vanilla into the milk and set this aside as well. Bring the water to a boil and pour over the cocoa and whisk it until it is smooth. To the egg mixture, alternately add the flour mixture and the milk mixture beginning and ending with flour. With the mixer off, scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition. With the mixture at a low speed add the cocoa. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pour this mixture into the prepared cake pans. Bake the cake for approximately 15 minutes or until tester comes out clean. When cake layers have cooled, remove from pans and refrigerate until cold.
To make the frosting: In an electric mixing bowl place the soft butter and beat it on a low speed while adding powdered sugar. When all the sugar is mixed in, turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the vanilla and salt and let the mixer beat for 5 to 7 minutes on a medium speed. Fill and frost the cake and refrigerate it for 10 to 20 minutes to set up the frosting.
To make the ganache: In a heatproof bowl, place the chocolate chips and the corn syrup. Bring the heavy cream to a full boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and whisk it until smooth then set it aside.Pour ganache over the top of the cake and, with a cake spatula, smooth the top of the cake and allow ganache to spill over the sides. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or longer.
Serve the cake cold or allow it to come to room temperature before serving.

Enjoy!!!!!!