Average Jane

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  • Average Jane’s Whiskey Sour Cake

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    I recently participated in a great #BoozyBaking webinar sponsored by Maker's Mark Bourbon. They sent me a bottle of Maker's Mark along with a bunch of other goodies to make Old Fashioneds and other holiday treats. As part of the promotion, we were invited to create a recipe based on a classic cocktail.

    I decided that I would see if I could make a cake with the flavor of a Whiskey Sour. I modified a recipe I found on on Fine Cooking and it turned out just as I'd hoped. The cake has a tangy flavor from the lemon zest, and the flavors of orange and Maker's Mark Bourbon in the glaze round out the impression of the cocktail on which it is based.

    Maker's Mark Whiskey Sour Cake

    IMG_7937Cake ingredients:

    2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
    2 cups sugar
    1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
    1/2 tsp. baking soda
    1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
    3/4 cup cooking oil (I used grapeseed)
    2 tbsp. fresh lemon zest (about 2 lemons' worth)
    1 tbsp. vanilla extract
    1/2 cup fresh orange juice (strained)
    1/4 cup Maker's Mark Bourbon
    5 large eggs

    Glaze ingredients:

    1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
    1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
    2 tbsp. Maker's Mark Bourbon
    1 cup powdered sugar, divided

    Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 12-cup bundt pan (I'm actually all about the Baker's Secret spray!).

    For the cake:
    Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and soda into the large bowl of a stand mixer and use the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until crumbled and fine. Switch to the whisk attachment. With the machine running on medium speed, whisk in the oil, lemon zest, vanilla extract, orange juice and Maker's Mark. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, then increase the speed to high and whisk the batter until light, about 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl if necessary. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.

    For the glaze:
    While the cake is baking, whisk together the orange juice concentrate, butter, Maker's Mark, and 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar. When the cake is done, set the pan on a cooling rack for 5 minutes. Take a thin skewer and poke the cake all the way through to the bottom of the pan in about 100 places. Pour 1/3 cup of the syrup over the cake and let stand for 1 hour before removing the cake from the pan. (At this point you can wrap the cake in plastic and hold for up to 3 days at room temperature.) Cover the remaining syrup with plastic and store at room temperature.

    When you're ready to serve the cake, whisk the last 1/2 cup powdered sugar into the remaining syrup. Set the cake on a rack over a baking sheet and pour the glaze over the cake. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

    Disclosure: While I did receive free product from Maker's Mark Bourbon, it was my choice to write this blog post and participate further in the program. My words are my own.

  • Average Jane’s Dog Visits Santa Claus

    I took Toby to a playdate with other Italian Greyhounds a couple of weekends ago and he had his usual good time. Because it was December, there was an opportunity to make a donation to the Missouri/Kansas Italian Greyhound IGCA Rescue and get your dog's photo taken with Santa. So of course we did that.

    Toby and Santa

    Can you tell Toby asked for treats?

    Despite a lifetime of enthusiastic pet ownership, this is actually the first time I've ever had a pet's photo taken with Santa Claus. Usually I get some shots of the cats under the tree or licking a gingerbread house, but that's been my limit. This may be where it all turns around.

    Speaking of holiday pet photos, Wellness Natural Pet Food is hosting a "Naughty or Nice Photo Contest" through December 23rd. You can visit their Facebook page and submit up to four photo entries. Two grand prize winners (one dog and one cat) will each be chosen to receive a year’s supply of Wellness Pet Food. There will also be up to 10 runners up who will each receive a Wellness cat or dog prize pack. As I've mentioned before, Wellness is our cats' favorite food brand, so I am always happy to share them with my fellow pet people.

    Disclosure: Wellness Natural Pet Food is sending me with some free cat and dog treats at no charge in exchange for my mention of their promotion in this post. I retained full editorial control over the content of the post.

  • Average Jane Listens To Her Dream

    One morning earlier this week, I woke up and remembered that I had been dreaming that I was listening to a band called Little Bear. Because I wake up and go back to sleep a couple of times each morning, I was still in enough of a dream state on that particular morning to actually open the browser on my iPad and do a search for "Little Bear." If I hadn't done it right then, I'd have forgotten all about it.

    LittlebearonlineA couple of days later, I opened my browser again and there was the search, with results leading to a band called Little Bear in Derry, Ireland. I had some time before I needed to get ready for work, so I started listening to the songs they had on Soundcloud and I really liked them.

    Interestingly, there's a very dreamy quality to their music. Since then I've listened to the songs several more times and I find them quite beautiful and calming and they stick with me long after I've stopped listening. My next step is to see if they're available for sale online anywhere.

    Considering that there are probably thousands and thousands of unknown and little-known bands with their music posted online, the odds that I would ever have run across this one under any other circumtances are pretty much nil. 

    It's a great reminder from my subconscious that there is a lot of wonderful art out there if I just go seek it out.

  • Average Jane’s Bad Back

    I scooped the foster kitty's litterbox this morning and when I bent down to put it back on the floor my back spasmed so bad that I thought I was going to pass out from the pain, right there on the filthy floor of my basement. It hurt so much I felt like I was going to throw up, and I got all hot and sweaty.

    I couldn't help but moan my distress until my husband came to find out what was wrong. He brought me an Alleve and a glass of water and eventually had to come down and open the back doors so I could walk all the way around the house to get upstairs, because there was no way I could make it back up the basement stairs.

    I spent about an hour on the floor working my muscles with the foam roller and a tennis ball, then slathered Bio-Freeze over a large percentage of my body, and now I can actually stand upright. I'm not so sure about driving, though.

    For those of you keeping score, this is the second time I've had this happen this year. The last time was in the spring, and it took two deep-tissue massages before I was fully functional again.

    The underlying problem is that I am not in very good physical shape because I don't exercise enough. Clearly, that's something that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.

    For now, I'm trying to get to the point where I'm pain-free and flexible enough to get dressed and go to work. I seem to be sitting fairly comfortably, but if the last time is any guide, it's the standing up part that's the problem.

    When I think of someone having a "bad back," I always think of my grandfather. Then again, it's possible that he was about my age when his back started "going bad." Isn't that a sobering thought?

  • Average Jane and Her Foster Cat

    IMG_0132In case you're wondering how things are going with Sooty the foster cat, the answer is very well!

    First of all, we reached the fundraising goal for getting his dental work done. A thousand and twenty thank yous from me and Sooty both to everyone who donated!

    On his last trip to the vet, he had almost reached eight pounds (he was six-and-a-half when I first brought him home) and I would guess he's there now. The antibiotic shot from the first visit had improved his gums to the point that the vet decided that he did not in fact have stomatitis; just a bunch of bad teeth. I got him another shot and made him an appointment for his dental on December 15th.

    I'd had a suspicion that he might have ringworm based on an increasing number of patches on his body with no fur. The vet said no, it was just places where he'd gotten injured and the fur fell out along with the scabs. That made sense considering the ordeal that led him to the shelter. I'm keeping an eye on a wound on his hip that I think was originally a burn. It looks like it's healing, though.

    In the photo you can see one of the bare patches on his left front leg, but the fur is already filling in.

    His coat is actually looking quite lovely and he's very soft. I've upgraded his canned food quality to what our cats are eating (initially he was getting the cheap stuff because his appetite was poor and that's what he liked). He's on his second bag of dry food as well, and his appetite appears quite healthy.

    Yesterday we set up a pet gate between the TV room and kitchen so he could hang out with us while we watched television. He is very active and curious and was interested in meeting our cats on the opposite side of the gate. They were less enthusiastic about him, but the drama was relatively minimal. Sooty seems as though he really likes other cats. He kept rolling around on his back as if to say, "Look how non-threatening I am! Let's play, you guys!"

    Since we don't know how long it will take to find him a permanent home once we have his veterinary needs taken care of, it would be considerably more convenient (and make him much happier) if we could integrate him into the general pet population. We're taking it slow to avoid the kind of all-out war that Xena and Trillian engage in to this day.

    Sooty seems very afraid of the dog, but it shouldn't take long for him to realize that Toby is no threat at all. We actually had Toby in the room with him most of the evening yesterday because otherwise the incessant barking would have put us all on edge.

    That's where things stand today. I'm looking forward to finally getting his bad teeth taken care of so his entire system can finish healing. His progress has been frankly astounding and the vets say he's the luckiest cat in the world. If you're interested in adding Sooty to your family, let me know! He's a great guy.

  • Average Jane’s December Photo Challenge – Day 6

    December 6th – Shopping

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    Here's what arrived this week. If you think I'm getting my Christmas shopping done, you can think again. These packages contain dog food, a pet screen so Sooty can come upstairs and be slowly introduced to the other cats, and a new ornament for my tree (whenever I finally put it up).

    I've ordered a few gifts, too, but not as many as I should have by now.

  • Average Jane’s December Photo Challenge – Day 5

    December 5th – In my cup

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    It's always the same: black coffee. Refill? Yes, please.

  • Average Jane’s December Photo Challenge – Day 4

    December 4th – Shoes

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    Today I wore my black boots, but it wasn't just for fashion. In fact, I wore all black in solidarity with everyone who also believes that #BlackLivesMatter.

  • Average Jane’s December Photo Challenge – Day 3

    December 3rd – Wishes

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    I think it's no accident that wishes are associated with things that float on the wind, like blowing the seeds off a dandelion or an eyelash off your finger. Butterflies are a good symbol for wishes because they also fly on the wind, but not until they've undergone a complete transformation. Of course, their flying time (and lives) are brief, so they're a reminder not to hesitate too long to pursue our truest wishes.

  • Average Jane’s December Photo Challenge – Day 2

    December 2nd – Happy Place

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    My living room is where I hang out with the cats and the dog, read, surf the net on the iPad and generally just relax.