one is the loneliest number

Today I received a personal email from a fellow blogger asking if I missed cooking while traveling far from home.

Don't gasp but the resounding answer is yes!

I don't mean to get on a soap box here, but since I have taken to eating the products of someone else, someone who doesn't quite care whether I am nurished with healthy nutrients or just fillers, I find myself feeling quite gross! Although I must admit that they pull a mean pint in this town.

That said, and I hope I don't offend anyone here, but we are in Ireland, hardly the gastronomic capital. Further, we have not yet made our way to Paris where I'm sure I will be greeted with a cornucopia of local and delicious food.

For now I am stuck staring at this, my last blueberry carrot bundt cake. And yes, I do travel with homemade goodies. I like to be reminded of where I come from...because I like where that puts me.

More pictures tomorrow of this glorious town if you are still with me!

Shhh... The NOT Carrot, Carrot Cake

Not Carrot, Carrot Cake

In our house it's something of a joke. Not just the fact that I'm quickly becoming the bundt cake queen (I would much rather share the title 'Goodie Bag Queen' with my mother!), but more the fact that G has told me time and again over the past 4+ years how much he really does not *like* carrot cake. Funny, since it is his cake of choice time and again, blind to the 'secret spices' as he goes for seconds at each Viennese table.

This weekends appearance of mini purple carrot bundt (or is it bunt?) cakes were short lived, performing a magical disappearing act almost instantly, which is why you are stuck with a picture of their second cousins.

Baked Friday afternoon, three dozen of these little guys were all but a memory on Sunday morning. I guess they are the perfect treat for the unexpected guest, neighbor, and doorman. Not as imposing as slicing a piece of cake or bread, darling in all their cute bundt(bunt)-ness, and almost healthy in their inclusion of, ahem, not carrots of course!

This is a recipe adapted from my bible of sorts, the Joy of Cooking. My secret to a soft, almost sponge like cake is in the addition of vanilla yogurt in lieu of half of the oil. The other secret that leaves eaters guessing about the extra yummy 'je ne sais quoi' flavor is a heaping teaspoon of ground ginger in addition to the other spicy goodies!

I think my hubby was the culprit of at least 4 mini-bundt cake burglaries over the weekend guessing by the Hansel and Gretel trail of crumbs. Apparently he doesn't like carrot cake after all .... ;)
Purple Carrots! Like I said, if it's purple, I'm cookin' it...