Morsels of Megret

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I had to create a "Southern" dessert for tonight's Bible study/home group at our house. I went through tons of recipes.....I considered things like banana pudding, bread pudding, pecan pie, and even peach cobbler. I always came back, though, to the simplest and the best: Deep Dark Chocolate Layer Cake. I have tried so many layer cake recipes over the years. It never failed: Either the cake or the icing would turn out to be a flop. I would have to say that cakes have been one of my biggest culinary frustrations. I have decided to no longer trust anonymous internet cake recipes....I will instead rely on tried-and-true family recipes or published recipes that have been tested a kazillion times before they are printed for public use. I stumbled across this cake recipe when I was crafting a birthday cake for my good friend, Suzanne, last May. I could not believe how a cake recipe that was so easy could turn out so delicious. It became my staple chocolate cake recipe from that ...

I splurged and finally purchased professional-grade aluminum 8" cake pans yesterday. I had the standard 9", but these produce a taller cake...more elegant and classic. Martha would be proud. :)

The layers turned out beautifully, thanks to parchment-lined pans.

The finished cake....chilling in the fridge for that delectable "cold cake" experience that I happen to love.

Last night I embarked upon creating a tried-and-true vegetarian recipe for Ken and I. I discovered this recipe two years ago after my aunt Melinda gave me some recipe cards she had from a Vegetarian Times subscription. The title of the dish, "Home-y, Hearty Lentil Loaf," didn't grab me (probably wouldn't grab anybody, even a vegetarian), so I changed the name to simply "Vegetarian Meat?loaf." Now, don't turn your noses up quite yet. It is not so much a meat-flavored dish as it is a lentil dish. I will tell you what I tell people about veggie burgers....it isn't meat, so don't try to compare it to meat. It is what it is....but it's not meat. I think we could enjoy more vegetarian delicacies if we quit spending all of our time looking over the plate for any traces of hidden meat hidden underneath something else. Enjoy it and savor it....you might just like it! So, here is a chronology of the basic steps in the meat?loaf-making process. I will r...

The lentils are slow-cooked with only salt, water, and bay leaves. Did I mention that this dish is also very frugal?