Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Dessert and a Coke, Please!

Can you say *heaven*? How about *chocolate heaven*? Let's all take a moment and revere at the above picture of chocolate heaven. Thanks to Marjie at Modern Day Ozzie and Harriet, we experienced said glory today in the form of a splendid Chocolate Roll. Check out Marjie's post for ingredients and instructions on how to make this baby. Marjie's called for coffee to create a Mocha Roll; I went for the straight up chocolate flavor. It's a unique combo of textures with the cake portion being actually very light, and the cream filling ... well, it's cream, so it's dreamy and rich. This rolled up little giver of joy served as hubby man's birthday cake, and let me tell you, he was a happy birthday boy when he got his chocolate fix. The man is so transparent ... feed him chocolate and he thinks I'm a goddess. Oh, and it's gluten free, too, so little miss had her first baked dessert in long, long time. Hallelujah! Thanks, Marjie!

Actually, tonight's birthday meal was derived from multiple online and blog posts. Let me tell ya, the kitchen smelled awesome! We had a Mexican Fiesta of pork tamales, beef tacos, and Mexican Rice. Salad, salsa, and an assortment of toppings rounded out the meal. The garden contributed cilantro and I got such a thrill just stepping outside to pick what I needed. Check out Homesick Texan's recipe for Mexican Rice. It was soooo yummy! My oldest daughter commented on how many new things we are eating now! Yep, the world is my teacher, babe.

Along those lines, several days ago, I read on Homesick Texan's site a post about Dr. Pepper. I didn't know that folks in Texas liked to put peanuts in their Dr. Pepper! I guess there is a tiny town that still processes making Dr. Pepper with real cane sugar. The ensuing conversation talked about how folks are seeking out and ordering Coke products that are made with real cane sugar. One catch ... they are bottled in Mexico and hard to find in the States. Fast forward to this past weekend where I'm wielding my gigantic spaceship of a cart through Costco and low and behold what do I see? A HUGE display of imported Coke made with real cane sugar. A case of glass bottles no less. Hmm ... what do you think I did? Oh yeah, I muscled that huge, hefty case into my cart. Just look at that little bottled beauty. Isn't it cute? The bottles are small, like what they used to sell in those decades old vending machines where you reached in and had to pull out the bottle. Remember how on the side of the vending machine, there was a built-in bottle opener with a little hopper underneath to catch the lids? The bottles were only $.10 then ... okay, I better stop before I launch into walking to school, uphill, in a winter blizzard .....




I've got to tell you ... this stuff tastes pretty good! It's not as fizzy as regular "Coke", and the taste is both familiar and new. You can definitely tell there is sugar in it. My kids were fascinated watching me use a bottle opener. They live in a world of twist off caps for everything, so this crinkled metal thing sealing the bottle was oh so interesting. Thus my offspring got a lesson in using that old fashioned, had to dig around the utensil drawer to find it, hand held bottle opener. Limber up those wrists, children, I've got an almost full case yet to go!

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

It all sounds delicious. I love Coke in a bottle too, so much better than the nasty cans.

Kelly said...

Yum!! I wish I could cook. I burn everything.

Marjie said...

I'm so glad Mr. Paula liked his birthday cake! I had never tried a jelly roll before that experiment, and I think I may need to get me a jelly roll pan now....

We had a carpet supplier in Georgia who had a glass bottle vending machine with the opener on the side, selling bottles for a quarter, and it was still in operation the last time we were there, about a decade ago. The glass bottles feel so nice! And to introduce the offspring to the classic church key...how much more fun can it get?

pam said...

Okay, seeing this dessert twice now, I just have to try it. I am going to have to look for that coke. Does it have sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup?

Chef Jeena said...

I love coke in glass bottles! I love ths swiss roll it looks wonderful, I could eat swiss rolls all day long and this sounds soooo good. :-D

Paula said...

Noble pig: I'm really enjoying the bottles! Thanks for stopping by.

Myutopia: This was my first baking attempt in a long time that didn't start out in a box labeled Betty Crocker. Marjie inspires me! Check out her site! Thanks for stopping by!

Marjie: He loved it! They all loved it! I used a small, rimmed cookie sheet and it cooked up great. Your step by step instructions helped so much. Church key! That's the name I couldn't remember! Thanks again for the great recipe and for always stopping by!

Pam: Do try it! It is sooo good. The hardest part for me was removing the wax paper, but if I can do it, anyone can. The coke ingredients are: water, sugar, caramel color, phosphoric acid, natural flavors, caffiene. Between the dessert and the coke, my sugar quota for the year has been fulfilled! Actually, I bet the sugar content contributes to why so many of my "mexican" recipes call for coke! Thanks for stopping by.

Jeena: The glass bottles are a perfect 12 oz serving size, and the roll is superb! Thanks for stopping by.

Anonymous said...

Coke in a glass bottle is by far one of the best, if not the best, way to enjoy it.

I love coke really. Sure, it's a massive global giant that caused the downfall of a village in that movie, "The Gods Must Be Crazy," but I love it.

My point beyond that is that I love it most in a glass bottle from somewhere like Mexico. India still has the glass bottle as well, and I think I remember it in Thailand. But wherever it comes from, glass is best.

I think I have stated that I like coke in glass enough now.

Peter M said...

Hi Paula, nice looking chocolate roll and I do prefer coke in a bottle or any sodie-pop for that matter.

Anonymous said...

This cake looks absolutely DELICIOUS!!! FYI, my b-day is in January (hey, just in case you'd like to ship me one of these yummy things!).

As for Coke, I seriously think I have an addiction to Diet Coke :) Seeing that coke bottle made me thirsty!

Chocolate & Coke - who could ask for more?? Great post!!!

La Bella Cooks said...

I remember having cokes in bottles as a kid but soon after it turned to plastics and cans. My parents said it was never the same as an ice cold coke in a bottle! I've always been a sucker for a coke with some cake. Beautiful cake!

test it comm said...

That roll cake looks really good!

amycaseycooks said...

Ohhh! We love those little Coke bottles. I am a Coke drinker - on occasion - and pick them up when I see the bottles. Enjoy!

Lisa said...

I don't really drink Coke much anymore but I do get nostalgic about vending machines and glass bottles and the way the cold glass felt in my hand on a hot day when I was waiting for my aunt at the beauty parlor and....well you get the idea.

I can't believe you found them right there at Costco.

Pam said...

The cake sounds really good! I love an ice cold coke in a bottle too.

Paula said...

Hi Wheneatingawolf (great name!), Peter, Maureen, Bridgett, Kevin, Eat!, Lisa, and Pam ... I'm getting caught up after taking a mini-vacation over the July 4th holiday! Since we drove to our destination, we brought a cooler and my hubby packed a couple bottles of Coke for me. It was such a delight to pour a cold glass at the end of a day of driving! Thanks for stopping by!

Maria Verivaki said...

coke in a bottle - i haven't had that in years - like since i was a kid - what memories!