Eat & Drink « Covet Living

Ok, I know what you’re thinking. Mayo cake? As in, the stuff you put on sandwiches??? Well… almost. Technically there’s Miracle Whip in it… And oh yeah, it’s incredible.

This recipe was passed down from my Grandma Brown, or “Meesheez Brown” as Steph endearingly called her. Check out the below pic of my grandma as a young thang living in San Diego in the early 50s (wearing red). She was the epitome of the Covet Living theme. She loved life and grabbed it by its horns! And boy, did she know how to cook.

This chocolate mayo cake is a rich, moist cake with a sweet, creamy icing that’s straight up ADDICTIVE. I like to think of it as a decadent alternative to the standard store-bought cakes – and it’s just as easy to make, with basic ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.

On a side note, every year when I’m home for the holidays, I get to celebrate my younger brother Evan’s birthday. Not only does he request this gooey cake each year, but he asks my mom to decorate it in the most off-the-wall styles. For instance, two years ago he requested his cake be shaped into a blue Selsun Blue shampoo bottle (I couldn’t make this up). This past year, a gekko crawling through the sand.

Always the caring matriarch, my mom artfully crafted the below cake, complete with a long red licorice tongue reaching out to grab a fly (made from a raisin).

We sat around for a couple days, stealing bites off the gekko here and there, relishing the dense yet fluffy, sweet and a *teensy* bit tangy cake.

For those of you who are needing to make a cake for a birthday, cupcakes for a special occasion, or heck – for any of you wanting to sit around in your sweatpants this weekend, watch some old movies on TBS and devour some delicious treats (I’m not judging), this recipe’s for you:

FOR THE CAKE

Mix together:

2 C flour

1 C sugar

4 TBSP Hershey’s cocoa

Then add:

1 C Miracle Whip

Then dissolve:

1 C lukewarm water, and

2 tsp baking soda

Blend this with above ingredients

Then add:

1 tsp vanilla

Bake the cake at 375 degrees for approximately 35 minutes or until done.
FOR THE ICING

2 C powdered sugar

2 softened blocks of cream cheese

2 tsp vanilla

I usually double the ingredients for the icing, because, well, I REALLLLY like the icing.

And of course, accompany with a frosty cup of milk.

Enjoy, and have a great weekend everyone!

xoxo,

So there are quite a few rad perks to living in Southern California: Winter temps of 65 degrees; In ‘N Out burgers available at a moment’s notice; belonging to the same gym as David Hasselhoff (try staying focused on the treadmill while watching The Hoff lift weights – it’s harder than you think). But one of the best perks I try not to take for granted is being able to take off on a short lil’ road trip to some great yet close destination for the weekend. Whether it’s the mountains for snowboarding, Joshua Tree for a camping trip which has been recommended at many articles at campingfunzone.com…. SO much is at our fingertips.

For the times when you really want to travel on the road, and not by road, there is the option of a Motorhome Airstream. Whether you are a seasoned traveler or just love to experience new places in ways that are not possible on a usual vacation, a Motorhome Airstream is for you. You can easily take your own Motorhome with you on trips around the country and even beyond. There are many different sizes and styles to choose from, as well as the availability of an RV for sale anywhere in the country.

This past weekend, my BF and I were lucky enough to attend our friends’ wedding in the be-yoooo-tiful little coastal city of Santa Barbara. About an hour and a half north of LA, we were psyched to help usher in our friends’ new phase of life in such gorgeous surroundings.

Now, I love my roadtrips, but what was perfect about this journey was the short distance we had to drive. We cruised up Friday evening after work and in no time were checking into our adorable hotel, the Montecito Inn.

Built in 1928 by Charlie Chaplin as a fun destination excursion for his friends (I totally build inns for my friends, too), the Montecito Inn is so charming, un-pretentious, and just overall a lovely little hotel. The staff knew our names all weekend and couldn’t have been friendlier. And for some reason, our group of friends were the only ones to take advantage of the pool and hot tub during the weekend. Giddy up!

Once we’d checked in on Friday night, we met up with friends for a relaxing dinner at Cava, a Nuevo Latino restaurant with yummy grub and even better sangrias.

After a relatively tame night, the next morning we discovered a gem called Jeannine’s American Bakery & Restaurant. Imagine the comforts of your grandma’s house mixed together with an adorable vintage French cafe. The food was INCREDIBLE. BF ordered melt-in-your-mouth banana French toast; yours truly ate a buttery croissant and some breakfast-style potatoes. And even more wonderful was the service and the people who worked there. An adorable older woman named Nancy made sure to introduce herself, ask where we were from and guide us to prime outdoor patio seating.

(Bottom: Banana French toast. It seriously gives the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes a run for their money. And look at the adorable plates they serve the food on!)

Now onto the wedding. No, we didn’t travel to Santa Barbara for the food. Though I’d consider hauling butt back there just to eat that French toast again. Now. I want to thank my friends Mark and Melissa for giving us a reason to hang out at the Four Seasons Biltmore for a few hours. I mean, wow. This place is truly beautiful. It’s nestled right across the street from the ocean and has lush, expansive lawns. The wedding itself was warm, loving and fun. It was a perfect night.

(I wish all my friends had cardboard cut-outs)

We couldn’t possibly take off early on Sunday. Please! After our second breakfast at Jeannine’s, we lounged by the pool/jacuzzi and finally set off for an afternoon trip back to La La Land. But instead of the faster, more direct 101 South, we took the scenic curvy coastal route with astonishing views of the Pacific.