Wednesday evenings are becoming music night with a couple of my choir buddies. We listen to music together, sing a lot and share dinner. Today started like this:
1:30 a.m. Alarm goes off. I sleep walk to the dehydrator to turn it off so the cake for the ice cream rolls doesn’t get too dried out.
9:30 a.m. I’m up now and check the cake. Oops, it’s not dry at all, I turn the dehydrator back on. Thank God I have all day.
9:40 a.m. Power goes out.
9:50 a.m. Husband informs me that PG&E won’t have power back on until 11 a.m.
9:51 a.m. My internal alarm sounds as I realize I need to print 120 name badges and FedEx before 5 p.m. plus deal with last minute online registrations which I now can’t get because the power’s out. AND make two kinds of ice cream using an electric ice cream maker and put the dessert together requiring electric blenders in preparation of tonight.
9:59 a.m. I talk myself down from the roof and decide to do my usual trip to the Wednesday Farmer’s Market, followed by a hike up Sugar Loaf. Heck, by the time I return the power will be back on. I’ll have plenty of time. Life is good.
11:30 a.m. Huh, that’s funny, still no power. Husband informs me PG&E won’t have power back on until 2 p.m.
11:30:01 a.m. A panic attack sets in as I wonder how I will get everything done. Why does life have to be so difficult?
11:31 I switch into “when the going gets tough, the tough get going” mode. Yes, Deb is home, Yes, she has power. Off I go with my two dehydrator trays of soggy cake batter and the carmelized nuts to use Deb’s dehydrator. Backing out of the driveway the #$%&@ ! gate won’t open. Oh that’s right, it’s electronic, no power. I call my husband who opens it manually, but steps in dog shit so hops around on one foot to the hose. I appreciate the comedy relief.
11:33 I make mental note: husbands are handy even with dog shit caked on their shoe.
11:50 Put husband to work hooking up new computer monitor. Figure this is a good way to use dead time (I never have time to boss him around for stuff like this). I turn my compost pile. I check voicemail with my cell, since my phone system is out too. I’m not panicking, I’m NOT panicking.
1 p.m. I continue to develop different strategies on how I will get the name badges done by 5 if the power doesn’t come back on. I imagine hoofing my computer and ice cream maker to Deb’s. I make more business calls.
2:15 p.m. Power’s back on! Oh no, I forgot the cake at Deb’s. My God, I hope it’s not overcooked. I barrel out of the driveway and almost ram the gate down. Damn! It’s still manual because we didn’t plug it back in yet. I open it myself this time, careful not to step in any piles.
4:30 p.m. Husband says he is going downtown. Oh! I say, would you wait a few minutes for me to finish these tags so you can drop them at FedEx? He says yes. Mental note to self: Husbands are wonderful, especially with no trace of dog shit smell.
5 p.m. I’m in the kitchen ice-creaming up the Star Thistle Gelato and Chai Ice Cream.
Later that night…The dessert turns out beautifully and very delicious. I am proud. We sing and listen to a bunch of songs together and as we sing What a Wonderful World together I feel very peaceful and content after such a hectic day, and I say to myself, what a wonderful life.
(see comment for recipe)
1 comment:
Chocolate Cake Rolls with Chai Tea Gelato and Star Thistle Gelato
Note from MK: Go buy a couple of young thai coconuts to get started. Next start the cake a day or two before, as well as the chai concentrate; and the candied almonds start the day before
Chocolate Cake
1 c almonds (soaked and drained)
½ c sunflower seeds (soaked and drained)
1 cup pine nuts
½ c honey
7 tblsp cocoa powder
¼ c golden flax meal
¼ c diced, peeled Fuji apple
2 tblsp olive oil
1 tsp nama shoyu
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ c water
Chai Tea Concentrate
½ c maple syrup
1 tblsp ginger juice
1½ carob powder
1 tsp ground cardamom
1½ cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
Chai Tea Gelato
1½ c cashew milk
½ c coconut water
¾ c young thai coconut meat
6 tbsp date sugar (or any other sugar will do)
¼ c chai tea concentrate
3 tblsp coconut oil
¼ tsp seeds vanilla beans
Chai Tea Sauce
¾ c Almond milk
¼ c chai tea concentrate
Almond Milk Sauce
1 c almond milk
¼ c young Thai coconut meat
1 tbsp maple sugar
Candied Almonds
½ c almonds soaked, drained and patted dry
1 tblsp maple sugar
½ teasp nama shoyu
3 c Star Thistle Gelato
1½ c cashew milk
½ c coconut water
¾ c chopped young thai coconut meat
6 tblsp star thistle honey (or any other honey will do)
3 tblsp coconut oil
½ seeds vanilla bean
the cake
Dehydrate almonds and sunflower seeds at 105 for six hours or until dry.
Food process almonds, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, honey cocoa, flax, apple, olive oil, shoyu, vanilla and nutmeg, slowly adding water until a smooth batter forms.
Spread batter on dehydrator sheets (I recommend putting them on parchment paper, then half way thorugh drying, peel it off and lay the cake directly on the drying sheets. I also recommend spreading the batter more in a rectangle shape). Divide dough evenly between two dehydrator sheets forming a 14” square on each sheet. Dehydrate for 5 hrs at 105, flip and dehydrate for 8 more hours until dry but pliable.
When done, cover and refrigerate.
Chai tea concentrate
Mix all ingredients and refrigerate for 1-2 days
Pour thru sieve.
Chai Tea Gelato
High speed blend all ingredients until smooth, then freeze in ice cream maker.
Chai Tea Sauce
Mix chai tea concentrate with almond milk
Candied Almonds
Mix almonds, maple sugar and shoyu together then dehydrate 105 for 8 hrs, flip, then continue 16 hrs or until crisp. Chop coarsely.
Assembly
Put chai tea ice cream on cake covering 2/3 of the length, then roll up cake like a jelly roll.
Do the same with the star thistle gelato with the other cake.
Cut cake rolls in equal pieces and garnish with the two sauces and candied nuts.
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