Epic Cake + Miscellaneous Ramblings

A while back, I got the Smitten Kitchen cookbook. One of the recipes that caught my eye was for S'More Cake: graham crackers in the cake, chocolate filling and toasted meringue frosting. I have wanted to make it ever since but the occasion never arose. Last night, our small group peeps had a pool party/BBQ and I decided it was time! So I made the cake (recipe here). I will admit sometimes I make recipes just because they sound fun to make and the eating part is secondary. I like trying recipes. Everything went smoothly til I needed the torch. The torch was MIA. Houston, we have a problem. First I tried a match. It worked, but I figured the kids would be graduating high school by the time I finished. I briefly tried using a rolled-up paper torch but figured I had a greater chance of burning my house down than toasting the cake. Then I had an idea! Call Dad! It was one of the stranger requests: 'uh, yeah, Dad, do you have a torch? Because I'm kind of in a hurry to get to this party and I have a cake I have to basically light on fire and I can't find the torch...' So I threw the kids and the bathing suits and the cake in the car and headed over. I ran in, torched the cake and ran out. Nothing unusual, not at all! You will have to take my word for it, but the cake looked pretty cool and tasted great. I should have taken a picture.

In other news, after a long, dark winter, I have busted out the canner and commenced jamming. I was shocked this year when we actually ran out of jam...horrors! I usually make enough jam to last a millennium. So far I have made (don't drool on your keyboards please) Ginger Vanilla Rhubarb Jam, Strawberry Rhubarb Jam (can you hear the angels singing?) and a new and ridiculously delicious Strawberry Mango Jam. Now to make the other 874 new recipes I want to try... :)

P.P.S. Boy, I am good at rambling. So, my kids are apparently very spoiled in the food department. The other day, Tyler asked for his 'favorite syrup'. I am actually out of it til peach season returns, but I got out some similar peach jam instead and tried to pass it off. But no! He wanted the stuff with the 'black spots' in it. Because doesn't every 4 year old ask for Peach Syrup flecked with vanilla bean seeds? Recently, Katie and Tyler were over at a friends house having a tea party. She said you could tell they were my kids because Tyler kept serving up imaginary food like 'Strawberry Vanilla Bean Jam' and 'Lemon Basil' whatever...these kids are goofy!