Betty Crocker and Sara Lee can kiss it!

I just want to say that I love to do things for my friends. Well, a friend of mine is celebrating his 30th birthday this week. So, what better way to celebrate than to have a really good, homemade cake, right? So, that is what I set off to do tonight. Mrs. Cindy Jo had brought in an AWESOME chocolate cake a few weeks ago (the recipe ran in the paper). I LOVED it. So, that is what I wanted to make him.

You know that irritating little phrase that says “You learn something new every day?” Well, I learned something today. I learned that I have NO business being anywhere near a kitchen. Although I am certainly proud of my result, it took WAY too much effort. (I feel like I backslid on a few things I said last night during this project.) My two cakes were only finished after a bunch of obscenities, three threats to go to the ABC liquor store, one ruined shirt, and one threat to send my mama to the home if she didn’t hush and get out of my way. ;-)

Well, I made the first cake for us to try (I wouldn’t give someone a cake that we wouldn’t eat at my house….okay, okay…maybe I wanted some cake too). The cake part went together really easy. Then came the icing. Somehow, in reading the recipe, I translated softened butter with melted butter. If you didn’t know…melted butter won’t fluff up. So this is what my first attempt at the icing looked like. Yep, throw up in a bowl.

I had to drive BACK to Hitchcocks to buy more stuff. Aye-yi-yi. It was a mess. BTW, my apron (though you can't see it) is very cute. Picked it up in Cedar Key. It says “I take life with a grain of salt, a wedge of lime, and a shot of tequila.” Cute.

Finally, FINALLY, after umpteen million dirty dishes, chocolate smeared all over the counters, and marshmallow crème all over everything…I’m finished. Here is the finished product (ours…everyone seemed to like it at my house…so hopefully he likes his).

All I can say after all this mess is….it will be a long time before I attempt another cake. Sara Lee and Betty Crocker can kiss it. I’m SO not a domestic diva. Anybody know any men that can cook??