This has morphed into a recipe/food blog.

Which is a good thing I guess. People like to eat and I like to make delicious recipes. Some are mine, some are definitely not but I think people still would like to know what's delicious out there in this world.

Today is so rainy here in Germany! I ran in between two massive lightning storms doing my little interval training, so I just missed running in the rain. Sometimes I enjoy running in the rain, but definitely not today. I am cold and would rather not be cold and wet. 


I haven't made anything much since the parties last weekend, but I did find that I forgot to mention one tiny Apricot Almond Torte. It tasted pretty good.

This is my last week here in Germany, but I'm ready to go back home. I'm looking forward to seeing my Lou-burger puppy who has been having some serious allergic reactions to an unknown something and is now on steroids. Apparently, she's totally roid-raging and has taken to trying to mount up Steven's smaller boy dog, Kainen. He told me it was the funniest thing he's ever seen because she had no idea what she was doing. Combine that with her fatty appetite on the steroids and unquenchable thirst, and you have Lou on steroids. She'll probably need to take up her favorite activity of terrorizing cats to lose all that steroid weight haha.

Luckily that will all be over when I get back next Tuesday.  I also can't wait to see Steven!! He's promised to take me on a very romantic date night so I am definitely looking forward to it. Plus, I've missed him a lot and he's one of the only people I don't get tired of no matter how much time I spend with him. Awww enough corny stuff - onto recipes!

How it should have looked.

Apricot Almond Torte

From Taste of Home

• 3 eggs
• 1-1/2 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1-3/4 c. all purpose flour
• 1 c. ground almonds
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1-1/2 c. heavy whipping cream, whipped

FROSTING

• 1 pack (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1 c. sugar
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. almond extract (mmmm!)
• 1-1/2 c. heavy whipping cream, whipped
• 1 jar apricot preserves
• 1/2 c. slivered almonds

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla until thick and yellow. Combine flour, almonds, baking powder, and salt. Gradually fold dry ingredients into egg mixture, alternately with whipped cream. 

Transfer to two greased and floured 9-in round baking pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 22-28 min, or until the toothpick inserted to center comes out clean.  Cool for a little while in pans, then let cool completely on wire rack. 

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, and salt until smooth. Beat in extract and fold in whipped cream. 

Cut cake layers horizontally to make four tiny cake layers. Place bottom layer on serving plate and spread with 1 c. frosting. Top with another cake layer, but this time spread apricot preserves on it. Then the next layer topped with 1 c. frosting, then the final layer, topped with preserves. Frost sides of cake and decorate with almond slivers.

I was tired when I made this cake and ended up forgetting the baking powder until, oh, halfway through baking... so I stirred it in while the cake mix was still in the pans and it turned into a more compact cake. It definitely still tasted good, but I refuse to make this when I'm tired ever again! I couldn't get enough of the frosting. 

So, this weekend we are off to Austria to have ourselves a final weekend of Alpine hikes! I hope the weather is not anywhere near today's. That would be miserable.