Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

I am notoriously awful at hearing song lyrics correctly. I have become so good at mishearing lyrics, it's becoming something of an art form (or at least that's what I tell myself). Of course, I have no idea I'm hearing them wrong; it isn't until I sing them loud enough for others to hear do I become aware of this. Embarrassing? Yes. Humiliating? Just a bit. No one wants to be that person belting out the wrong words to a favorite song.

Let me give you a few examples. We'll start small.

Only a year ago did I learn the true lyrics to Prince's When Doves Cry. I've always heard "When the worlds collide" instead of "When Doves Cry." When Doves Cry may be the conclusion of the chorus and the name of the song, but my translation sounded so cool I didn't question it. The real lyrics are much more disappointing than my own interpretation, I think. Doves crying isn't nearly as awesome as entire worlds smashing into each other. In fact, this misheard imagery is what made me a Prince fan in the first place. Such is life.

There was a commercial when I was very young featuring Johnny Nash's I Can See Clearly Now. The song was used to sell glasses for the masses. They changed the lyrics from "I can see clearly now, I can see all obstacles in my way" to "I can see clearly now, I can see all opticals in my way." Clever advertising, but my small, undeveloped mind didn't notice this. It wasn't until I was singing this song in a car full of friends did someone point out that it wasn't opticals, but obstacles. It took me nearly 18 years to be corrected on that one. Once I actually thought about the lyrics, it seemed strange that Johnny Nash would be obsessed enough with eye health to include it in his songs.

Perhaps the most absurd misheard lyrics comes from One Republic's Apologize. Instead of "it's too late to apologize," I've always heard "it's too late to father a child." I kid you not. The first time I heard the song, these lyrics stopped me in my tracks. Too late to father a child? When is it ever too late to father a child? Why is the song called Apologize? Whenever the song played on the radio, I'd listen closely to the lyrics trying to find some context for this conclusion (of which there is none, by the way). I couldn't understand how this song was so popular despite the fact that it didn't make an ounce of sense. Eventually I brought my confusion about this up to a friend who set the record straight. To this day I struggle to hear the real lyrics whenever the song plays. It's too late to father a chiiiild, it's too laaate...

What are your best misheard lyrics?

This recipe is my first foray into gluten-free foods and I'm not disappointed. These flourless peanut butter cookies are the ultimate peanut butter cookie. The peanut butter flavor is concentrated and intense and so good. Even without flour, these cookies hold together well and do not crumble. Because I am such a sucker for chocolate, I drizzled a little on top, but this step is completely optional; the cookies don't need anything extra to taste great. If you like peanut butter cookies, make this recipe instead (trust me on this one). With only four ingredients, these cookies are a snap to make.

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Devil's Food Cake

There is something to be said about a simple chocolate cake. No frills, no fuss, no mountains of too sweet buttercream to spoil the treat—just chocolate and cake.

Growing up, I didn't like chocolate. I didn't like the way it looked, the way it smelled, or the way it tasted. I avoided brownies, chocolate ice cream, and chocolate cake like the plague. I'd snub my nose at candy bars. On my birthday, I would insist on eating strawberry shortcake—chocolate wasn't going to grace my special day. I was too cool for it and I wanted everyone to know it. Chocolate was the enemy.

On occasion, I would gobble down as many chocolate chip cookies as possible. I loved chocolate chip cookies. I was probably too naive to understand the brown spots were chocolate. Or, better yet, I knew they were chocolate but I had a tough girl I-don't-eat-no-chocolate image to uphold. I don't remember much from this stage in my life (perhaps I am blocking it from memory because I cannot fathom a life without chocolate), but this is what my mother tells me. And we must believe our mothers.

You can see my opinion on chocolate has certainly changed. Over 1/3 of the recipes on this website prominently feature chocolate as one of the main ingredients. I can't help myself. Chocolate is my vice; it corrupts me. I can't handle this level of decadence on my own, so I'm bringing you down with me.

I hope you don't mind.

This devil's food cake is the quintessential chocolate cake. It is dense and rich with chocolate. It is thick and sticks to the roof of your mouth. It is satisfying in the only way chocolate cake knows how. The frosting is a dark chocolate frosting. Made with brown sugar and unsweetened chocolate, it's dark, rich, and intense. This frosting isn't playing around. Combined with the devil's food cake, this is a lethal (and delicious) combination. You need this chocolate cake.

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Banana Pudding

This week has been full of sad, devastating, and difficult news. With the disaster of unfathomable proportions in Japan and the Libyans struggle for freedom, it's easy to feel upset or overwhelmed with emotion every time I turn on the television or glance at a newspaper. When I see the footage of Japan, I just get sick to my stomach. I feel helpless as an observer.

There are certainly ways to help or get involved; a donation to the Red Cross can aid a wounded nation. The simple act of sending out thoughts of hope and support can comfort others in the smallest (and biggest) of ways.

Though, for me, sometimes it just doesn't seem enough.

I admit I feel guilty when I see disaster or people struggling. I have so much (maybe too much?) while others have so very little. I have a roof above my head and solid ground beneath my feet. I can communicate through the telephone and internet; the news informs me of what has been and what is to come. I don't have the threat of radiation poisoning looming over me. I know where my loved ones are.

Today my biggest concern was what to make for dinner. It seems petty in comparison to the plight of others and, though it may be true, is that a fair comparison for me to make? I asked myself this question today. I don't believe it is. I could make this comparison every day of my life and there will always be someone who is struggling more than I am. There will always be someone who has less than I do. There will always be someone suffering more than I ever will. Feeling guilt for having more isn't the answer. Neither is feeling unworthy of what I do have. So what am I supposed to do?

I sincerely believe the solution can be found in appreciation. Appreciation for what you have and the good in your life. Appreciation for the troubles that do not plague you. Loss and devastation on the scale that Japan is feeling can seem like far off nightmares—too far to be recognizable; too far to be reality. Appreciation and sympathy for those who are suffering is the only way you can even begin to try to understand. You may not ever truly understand (and you won't unless you have personally experienced it), but it's a place to start. When was the last time you considered the washing machine or stove top a luxury instead of a necessity? When did you last sit quietly and truly feel grateful for the people in your life?

Do what you can to help those in need, in whichever way you are capable, but then help yourself. Acknowledge your blessings. Be grateful for everything good and bad in your life—without the contrast both are meaningless. Though today may hold peace and calm, tomorrow may bring new strife or tragedy. Appreciate your today.

This banana pudding is soft and full of banana flavor. It has a smooth texture that comforts the taste buds. The chocolate shavings make this simple pudding something special. Today I am appreciative that I can sit in the calm of my home, enjoy the sunshine of an early spring day, and eat this banana pudding in peace. That's just enough for me—I don't need anything more.

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