Saturday, posing as Friday

It's been a grueling week. Studying and schoolwork (TA responsibilities) have taken up every free moment, with the exception of 7-8 pm when we eat and relax. I stay up late to study, then get up early to keep studying. When finals are over I'm not sure I'll know what to do with myself. Oh wait -- I'll be grading papers and finals. And working on a proposal. But at least it will be much less tension-producing.

Anyway, my three thankfuls for this week:

1. So thankful for spousal unit who supports my weekend study strategy and ups his daddy time with August.

2. As much as I like my teaching and TA job, it will feel like such a luxury next year to focus on research. I'm grateful there's grant money to fund this part of my program.

3. Chocolate cake. I am not suppose to be eating this (gluten! sugar! chocolate!), but damn it it's been a rough week, and I have the BEST recipe for a simple chocolate loaf cake a la Nigella:

1 cup soft butter (or 1/2 butter and 1/2 applesauce; it's just as good)
1 2/3 cup brown sugar (I used less than this, like 1 1/2 cup)
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
4 oz bittersweet chocolate
1 1/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup + 2 Tbs boiling water

Preheat oven to 375. Melt chocolate. While cooling, cream butter/applesauce and sugar, then add eggs and vanilla. Beat well, then fold in chocolate. Sift and stir in flour and baking soda bit by bit with the boiling water until you have a smooth and fairly liquid batter. Pour into greased or lined 9x5 loaf pan. Bake for 30 min, then turn heat down to 325 for 15 more minutes.

Let cake rest in pan on cooling rack before trying to get it out. Better yet, just leave it the pan. I shove it in the fridge at the end of the day, and it's even better the next day.