some cake and some skinny and some vegetarian

So I'll start with cake first and then the healthy stuff. You know, life is short, eat dessert first. That kind of thing. For the people who just want cake and no skinny they can stop after the recipe and ignore the good for you part.

A while ago I mentioned I made Skor Dessert sugar free and my lovely brother Derek had a real issue with it. He said it was gross. It wasn't gross but it wasn't good either. Well, I thought it was good but I was deprived. I can see why he thought it was gross. Anyway, when one doesn't eat sugar one sort of feels left out on occasion. For example, I went to a party Saturday night and a girl there had made and brought her infamous cupcakes that everyone raves about. I didn't eat any. And surprisingly, I was fine about it. The cravings are not strong anymore and I get over it a lot faster than I used to. But then the next day I wanted cake. I didn't need it, just wanted it. Big difference. I decided to make the cake I used for the Skor dessert again but this time try something different.

It. Was. Delicious. So moist and sooooo delicious. Or maybe I'm just deprived. You make it and then let me know.

(I already know, because everyone who ate it said so. So there)

Dark Chocolate Cake

1 3/4 cup flour
1 cup Splenda**
3/4 cup cocoa
1 3/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

1 cup honey
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup oil
2 tsp vanilla

1 cup boiling water

Combine dry ingredients. Add remaining ingredients EXCEPT the water. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in (don't beat) the boiling water. Pour into lightly greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 325 for 30-35 minutes.

Check the cake right at 30 minutes, honey makes thing bake differently so keep an eye on it.

Yum yum!
** I don't want a lecture on artificial sweeteners like Splenda. I know it is "bad for you". Everything is "bad for you". Show me a person that never ever puts anything bad in their body and I'll stop making the yummiest chocolate cake you have ever had. Just eat it and zip it already!

Stop here if you were just visiting for some cake. This is where I tell you all what a rock star I was this week.

The Skinny:After the Fact

This week I did 32.65 miles. My knees hurt and I was tired.

Most of that was the elliptical but I don't care. I wasn't feeling the love for the running. So I opted for the machine next door (which is the elliptical and it isn't next door. Just next to the treadmill. Sometimes people take me so literally).

Running is hard, I've decided. I don't feel like I am progressing. Every now and then I have a good run but mostly it's just torturous and every week I have to bump it up a notch but that notch feels insurmountable. I thought it would get easier over time but it isn't.

I have often heard that working out curbs your appetite. Whoever said that was full of kaka. KnowwhatImean? I hit a level of famished about half way through every workout and it takes some serious eating to get it gone. I eat (painfully healthy) before every workout but man oh man, am I starved after.

Starved.

Speaking of eating. Vegetarian month is going mostly great. I'll share my two fave recipes from last week with you this week. Only once did I make something that invoked gagging in any one person who resides in my house. He gagged, the rest of us gobbled. And once I made something that only one person loved. Holden ate three helpings of the Vegetarian Crock Pot Curry Vegetable Stew (the name is redundant I know, but that was the recipe name). It was not good, but the kid liked it. We like that kid. He's like Mikey, he'll eat anything.

I did have a belly ache all week. Not so much a belly ache but a pain in the top of my belly. It has to be the change of diet and the tons of exercise, but more than that I think that it was because Thursday and Friday I was so busy I didn't really take care of myself, other than the working out, and ate a lot of crap. I can see where vegetarians might be confused on their healthy lifestyle. Potato chips may not have meat but they are bad for you. I blame Lost Season 6 on box set. We only had one week to watch it, it was either that or make some healthy food. You see the conundrum. Or maybe you don't. It was only one night and I paid for it at 4 am.

Forgive me.

Sugar? Ummmm, maybe. But not very much. Have you ever had the Ghiradelli Brownies from Costco? Wow, they're good. Interesting fact. They did not bother my heart but Smokey Bacon Lays, which have sugar, did. And so does peanut butter. I have yet to decide if I am officially giving up peanut butter. That is a hard one. It only made my heart beat funny for half an hour. I have to decide if that is 30 minutes too much.

I like the regular heart beat. More than I ever would have thought. What to do.....what to do......

I have officially given up cereal. All cereal. Sad day.

Will Brad pick Emily or Chantal? Wait.... what??