Cocoa Mocha Cake

I followed a recipe in an old cookbook, the red and white checked one, you know it. Anyway, it might have been called a fudge cocoa cake or something like that.
I used strong coffee instead of water, and added the zest of one orange, using a microplane. After the layers cooled, I brushed them with kahlua.
It was frosted with an easy butter cream: butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, cocoa, pinch of salt, coffee. Garnished with long strips of orange zest. Served with Breyer's Natural Vanilla ice cream.

Chicken Stock, it's a beautiful thing.

Actually, this is Cornish hen stock. I the backs and wing tips from the Cornish hens I prepped for dinner last night into a small slowcooker. I added carrots, celery, parsley, garlic, a couple of cloves, and peppercorns, and covered with water. I set it on low, and left it overnight. In the morning, i strained it and let it cool a bit before setting in the fridge I'll lift off the accumulated and hardened fat before use. Maybe use it to saute some vegetables.

Wheat Berries

First, I toasted the berries in a dry cast iron pan until fragrant. Then, I soaked them in water for awhile. We went for a walk.
Upon our return, I drained the wheat berries, put them in the rice cooker with chicken stock, a bay leaf, a smashed garlic clove, and a splash of olive oil.
They cooked for a bit, maybe a little longer than brown rice, and I added some water along the way.