How the Blackberry was "Born"

I was looking at my phone one day and was just wondering how the designers decided what they were going to call it.

Here is my version of the story:

Imagine a large conference table with people seated around it. There is a power point presentation and this symbol is currently on it...

The woman giving the presentation says, "This is the symbol we have all agreed should represent our new phone. Now we just need a name for it."

Several possible suggestions were thrown out but none were accepted.

Someone says, "We need a name that will match the symbol."

A man asks, "But what is it?"

Everyone sits and stares at the symbol. Minutes tick by.

A lady finally speaks up..."You know, it kind of looks like a blackberry."

And that's how the blackberry phone got it's name...







I Think the Words Chocolate Cake are Redundant

I just recently made the first "from scratch" chocolate cake I've made in years. I've always bought into the whole "boxed mixes are so easy" concept. However, I've discovered after making this one that it is just as easy to make one from scratch. And it tastes so much better!

Here is the recipe I used for the cake:

ONE BOWL CHOCOLATE CAKE

Ingredients

• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two nine inch round pans.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, mix for 2 minutes on medium speed of mixer. Stir in the boiling water last. Batter will be thin. Pour evenly into the prepared pans.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cake tests done with a toothpick. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.               

And here is the recipe for the frosting:

CHOCOLATE FROSTING

1/3 c. butter, melted
1/3 c. cocoa
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. powdered sugar
2 tbsp. milk (more as needed)

Whisk together butter and cocoa. Add vanilla. Mix in powdered sugar gradually and alternately with milk. Frost cool cake.

 

 

 

This is a great recipe...very moist cake.

 

I don't know if I'll ever be satisfied with a boxed mix again. YUM!

 

 

Whole Lot of Shakin'

I experienced my first earthquake last night. In Arkansas. Crazy huh? There actually is a pretty big fault line that runs through east Arkansas, so they aren't completely unheard of. But I've lived in this area for most of my life and this is the first one I've experienced. This one was a 5.6, and the epi center was about 39 miles from Stillwater OK.

It was just a normal Saturday night. Shane and I were both kicked back in recliners with laptops on our laps. We heard it as a noise first. I thought it was the wind really kicking up. Then the shaking started. We were both sitting there looking at each other with "what in the world?" looks on our faces. I'm not sure how long it lasted. It seemed really short, and yet seemed to last forever at the same time. As soon as it was over, Shane says, "that was an earthquake!" So of course, being the avid facebookers that we are, had to jump online to see if anyone else felt that. Turns out it was felt from Oklahoma to Arkansas, Kansas and Texas. Craziness!

A little bit later, a car went by the house. It was one that was kind of "rumbly" so it kind of unnerved us a bit. We were wondering for a second if it was another one. I don't know how the people in California live with them happening on a regular basis. While I have to admit I think it was kind of neat to experience one...I think once...was enough.

Although...this morning I thought I felt another one...but then I realized it was just the Dear Hubby rolling over in bed. :0)