Cash Flow and Crazy People

Crazy has a smell. Of one hundred dollar bills, cigarettes, and expensive booze.
I love Las Vegas. It’s bright. It’s fun, it’s America but it’s not. There is an eclectic mix of people filling the casinos from various countries all over the world. Men are dressed in their expensive sport coats and women dress to impress in stilettos and sequined cocktail dresses.
Forget the nights of signing off on an expensive tab at the Aardvark. The people who come to Vegas are looking for the time of their lives and have little to no reservations about what their credit card statement will look like next month. Unlike the rundown dive bars surrounding my college campus, every club in this city is lit up with glamorous people, flashing lights, and loud music. DJs can be found at every hour of the day spinning their turntables for crazed dancing fans.
Similarly, the casinos never close, and the sound of change and cash flow fills the room as people rejoice in a win or walk away with lowered heads at the huge loss they just came face to face with. It’s as if time stops, and it’s easy to find yourself walking outside from a night out and realizing the sun is coming up, and the next day has already begun.
By night three I find myself wanting my bed more than any of the free booze or new acquaintances. Saying goodbye is always easy when it’s finally time to go. Walking downstairs you enter a room of bright neon lights and dehydrated people. Checking out you’re reminded of the room service you ordered to your room two nights ago when you just didn’t want to wait in line for the pizza place downstairs.
Finally, as you anxiously wait at the airport for your ticket to quietness and a nap you pass row after row of slot machines full of people trying to make up for the money they lost in the days before.
You have a few dollars left. Why not try one more time?
---Megan Jones

My favorite Pumpkin Cupcake

Fall is arguably the best season of the year in Texas. We get some days of summer, and some days that give us a glimpse of the winter season that is on its way. I am determined to make the most out of fall this year because I think it is highly underrated. Although we do have classes and projects to complete in college, kids to take to school, and careers that create hectic schedules this time of year, why not enjoy the simplicity and comfort of the fall season? Follow my blog for fall inspiration throughout October and November!
Pumpkin Cupcakes
a This week my friend and I were looking for a fall treat we could bake and deliver to people. These turned out to be delicious! They are also super easy to make! What you will need:
• 2 1/4 cups of all purpose flour • 1 tablespoon of baking powder • 1/2 tablespoon baking soda • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg • 1/2 cup of butter, softened • 1 1/3 cups sugar • 2 eggs, whisked • 1 cup of mashed cooked or canned pumpkin • 3/4 cup milk • 2 containers of Pillsbury Cream Cheese Frosting • Cupcake Liners • Cupcake baking tray Combine all these ingredients in a bowl, and whisk the mixture until it is mixed into a batter. Pour batter into the cupcake liners (Makes about 24 cupcakes) and cook in the oven at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Once you take out the cupcakes, let them cool and frost them with cream cheese frosting.
Original recipe can be found at About.com under Southern food-http://abt.cm/bbRhyY Great treat with a glass of white wine. The pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg in these cupcakes will get you in the fall spirit right away! Enjoy!
Original Blog Post can be found at: http://kenziemarieclarkson.wordpress.com/2013/10/18/pumpkin-cupcakes/ ---Mackenzie Clarkson

A Fair-Weather Fan in a Crazy Weather Place: The 2013 Kansas City Chiefs

Just because I am from Kansas City does not make me a part of the tragically devoted football fan base behind the Kansas City Chiefs. Their record in the past decade is far from stellar; last year I think they won one game. I don’t even know, but I do know they’ve sucked as of recent.
Their unpredicted winning streak this season, however, has piqued my interest in supporting the home team. Their current 7-0 record has me rooting for them every Sunday (or at least retweeting an avid-fan friend of mine who did, since I obviously didn’t watch the game.
I’ve come to learn from my dad and brothers that this unforeseen victory romp is the result of numerous factors all coming together to make one massive red, gold, and notoriously loud fan base very happy:
1. The team got the Philadelphia Eagles’ Coach, Andy Reid, who got axed last year despite his overall success there. Sucks to suck, Eagles, hope you’re enjoying your 3-4 season so far.
2. The Chiefs’ defense has dominated thanks to their new defensive coordinator, Bob Sutton, and the team’s three star linebackers; Derrick Johnson, Justin Houston, and Tamba Hali.
3. Jamaal Charles, who has accounted for 38.8% of the Chiefs’ offensive yards, is the only good thing about their offensive line. But hey, whatever works, right?
If the Chiefs start to lose in the weeks to come, possibly in the much-anticipated game against their rivals, the Denver Broncos (who I only know for their Jesus-loving ex-quarterback, Tim Tebow), my interest will surely fleet. For now, however, I will defend them and their Super Bowl chances until the cows come home- I mean, this is Kansas we’re talking about.
For more information about the Chiefs from someone who actually knows what they’re talking about, visit: ESPN.com.
-Gillian MacInerney

Black Gold

If there were two resources that have made Texas what it is today it would be oil and natural gas. In fact, if Texas were a country (many already think it is) it would be the 12 largest oil and gas producing country in the world.
For the last decade the United States has been on a mission to increase the amount of oil and gas produced in the North America and decrease the amount imported from the Middle East. One of the key factors that have restricted this from happening is the lack of support for the oil and gas industry from the current administration.
Regulations on off shore drilling and the lack of refineries being built have all been burdens on the industry and country. I don’t think anyone is amused when they have to pay over $3.00 a gallon at the gas pump. A key aspect that could help change this is the completion of the Keystone XL Pipeline. The pipelines job will be to transport heavy oil from the tar sands of Canada down to the refineries of South East Texas. The only section of the pipeline not complete is “phase 4.” This section runs from Hardisty, Alberta, Canada, to Steele City, Nebraska.
This section of the pipeline has run into a lot of controversy from landowners and farmers. The pipeline cannot be completed until it has presidential approval. The implementation of the pipeline can play a large roll in decreasing the amount of foreign oil and gas brought into the United States. Oil and gas have supported the United states for the last 100 years and can continue to do so for a 100 more, but it does us no good if there is no way to economically transport it to the refineries.
--Garrett Grimes

A Different Kind of Recipe

When I decided that I wanted to start a blog about food, the first thing I did was Google it...naturally. What I came across was another blog talking about how to blog about food. I will go ahead and let you know right now that I am not going to follow this so called “holy trinity” of food blogging. This concept requires food photography, which I am telling you now will not be my original work since I’m not a natural born photographer. Not even close. Another piece of the trinity requires “rock solid recipes”. Let me explain that I will most definitely be providing recipes, but they will most likely not be technically “rock solid”. Since I love food to the extreme, as well as making up recipes, I will simply tell you all about the fantastic new ideas I come up with as I continue to experiment with food.
Last night my boyfriend and I decided to attempt to replicate a fancy, high-end restaurant steak meal. This included filet mignon, sautéed broccoli, and baked potatoes. I left Josh in charge of the meat and broccoli, since I wanted to play around with the potatoes. Normally I would have just wrapped the potatoes in some foil and popped them in the oven. But then the butter on the counter caught my eye. I grabbed a butter knife and started slathering the butter all over the potatoes followed by some kosher salt and olive oil. These were going to be the most amazing baked potatoes Josh had ever had. After overwhelming these delicious potatoes with butter, salt and olive oil, I threw them in the foil and sat them in the oven. An hour and a half produced the most fabulous, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth baked potatoes in the world.
So maybe I’m not really the first genius to think of this, but I’m going to give myself the credit anyway. I can at least say that I will literally never cook a plain potato ever again. If you know what’s good for you, take this idea and drown your next potatoes in salt and butter. There is no specific recipe. You can’t really mess this up...
Happy cooking!
Christine Bathke

Chocolate Wasted on Your 21st

One of my best friends recently turned 21 and for her birthday she asked if I would make her a cake. She is absolutely obsessed with chocolate, like more obsessed than anyone I've ever met, so I sent her a link I found on Pinterest with around 100 different cake recipes. I told her to pick one. Before sending it to her I already knew which one she was going to pick: Chocolate Wasted.
The recipe of the cake wasn’t exactly up to par, it was more about the looks than it was about the taste, so I just kind of winged it. I looked at the picture and decided instead to alter it and make it my own. I used a recipe from one of my favorite celebrity chefs, THE BAREFOOT CONTESSA, and made her basic chocolate cake. Since the cake from the original recipe is literally drowning in every single type of chocolate experience possible –chocolate candies, chocolate frosting, chocolate drizzle- I figured that the actual cake part should be a little milder in flavor.
After I baked the cake I brushed a mixture of Kahlua and vanilla extract over each layer to infuse and make it even moister. I then made a fluffy chocolate butter cream spiked with more Kahlua and an overdose of vanilla. I’m not exactly the frosting type but this stuff was lick-the-spoon worthy!
Then I frosted the cake and poured on the candies. I doused the thing in semi-sweet and dark chocolate chips. It literally looked like I dunked it in hardened chocolate. The top was overflowed with broken Hershey bar pieces, Rolos, Twix, and Kit Kat bars. And, as if that wasn’t chocolaty enough, I made a dark chocolate ganache and drizzled it all over the cake. It was a mess but a really indulgent one!
It’s the kind of cake I'm sure I will never make again or ever really want to cause it was so over the top, but it was for a really special friend, on her really special day, so I figured it was worth it.
By Katharine Probst

Best Places in Fort Worth to Get Dessert

I consider myself to be a dessert connoisseur; because of this I have had the rare privilege to stuff my face with some of the best desserts in Fort Worth.  I’m going to give you a detailed list of the three best places to get dessert in Fort Worth. These places range from quaint bakeries to sit down restaurants, and everything in between. You should be warned: if you are not willing to for-go your diet and guiltlessly consume the entire dessert, you probably shouldn’t go to these places. Frankly, you probably shouldn’t even read this blog at all. However, if you are any of these I gladly accept the challenge to change your ways before the end of this blog. It should be noted that these desserts are by far too delicious to only eat a small portion of, and are so expertly crafted that it would be disrespectful not to clean your plate. If you agree to the conditions above continue reading.

            The best place to get a cupcake or gourmet sugar cookie is J. Rae’s Bakery located on Foch Street in the West 7^th Area of Fort Worth. This bakery sits in a bustling strip between restaurants, yoga venues, and hair salons. As you enter the bakery the smell of the rich buttercream icing fills the air; my mood instantly shifts from happy to ecstatic as I take in the smell and view. Behind a glass panel I see an entire spread of fresh baked cupcakes and cookies. The cupcakes come in a variety of flavors ranging from chocolate-chocolate to lemon with icing piled high, and hints of sprinkles and edible glitter. Sitting next to the cupcakes are the hand iced sugar cookies. They come in various designs with TCU themed being a customer favorite. I order a chocolate-chocolate cupcake, and a TCU circle shaped sugar cookie. Without a doubt of hesitation, I know that this will be the best decision I’ve make all day.

 Patrizio’s is known for their decadent Italian food, but what most people do not know is that this is where you can get the best slice of carrot cake in town. The restaurant is bustling with customers, as I walk in and patiently wait to be seated. I have already decided to go with the Spinach Mushroom Chicken Lasagna for my entre, as the hostess calls our party’s name and we are led to the table. We sit and idly talk about the latest gossip happening in our lives. We finally finish our main courses as my anticipation builds with the thought of my dessert to come. My taste buds begin to salivate, as I view our waiter carrying my slice of carrot cake towards the table. It comes delivered to me on a square white ceramic plate, sliced extra big, and drizzled with caramel. As I consume my first bite I can tell that this Carrot Cake is made from only the best ingredients—real cream cheese frosting and fresh shredded carrots. The final touch is the sprinkle of fresh ground cinnamon on top. One bite of this feast and I can no longer call my Grandma’s carrot cake the best!

Budino di Cioccolato. Bet you can’t say that five times fast. Though the name might sound intimidating, the dessert is not. Once you have built up the courage to order this wordy dessert, all that is left is to patiently wait for its arrival. I first discovered this creation when attending a surprise birthday party two years ago. I walked into the small restaurant, located in the heart of downtown, and thought it would just be another dinner out. That was hardly the case though! I fell in love with Taverna, and their chocolaty masterpiece. For those who were wondering, the Budino di Cioccolato is a petite chocolate cake with the texture in between a cake and a pudding. Each bite of the is rich and chocolaty; the closer you eat your way to the center the more densely packed and “pudding texture” it becomes. Served perfectly warm with a chocolate and raspberry drizzle, this dessert always satisfies my sweet tooth and leaves me wanting to order a second one!

--Allison Roehm