You scream, I scream, it gets awkward...

There's nothing quite as rich and comforting as a chocolate cake, all warm and gooey with the frosting sliding down the side. Goodness, it made me take a breath just to type that! So, this chocolate cake is seriously the best ever. I find reasons to make it. Such as, "I almost got a ticket today, but got a warning instead" Time to celebrate!! But, I had a really good reason this time. It was Bill's birthday. And, even though his favorite is Key Lime pie, I'm disastrously bad at making one. I've tried over and over, and the poor guy just smiles and thanks me for my effort. I'll try that again another day. He loves chocolate cake, so, I have no guilt about making that instead. So, here it is.. it can't get easier than this. You really have no excuse not to try to make one. Like yesterday. You'll thank me. One of the reasons I'm even doing this blog is to challenge myself to try new things, and to spice it up a little. Today was the day I had my "oh, yes" moment. I normally make paninis the same way. I have a set thing I do that's my go to recipe. It's simple, and good, but I'm so used to the flavors. Today, my mouth sang, and then danced a little. This Panini was just so stinkin good. And new. And fresh. It's why I'm doing this and it made me happy. I did tweak her recipe a little because I was too lazy to go to the store. And, I must say, I have no regrets. Here is hers: (I'll tell you what I did different in mine. I used smoked paprika on my chicken when I cooked it, and I didn't have fresh sage. But, it totally worked dried y'all! And, I'm not in love with red onions, so I tossed that too. It's not on her website, so I'll give you a short recipe version. Two boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved, 12-16 fresh sage leaves, 1/4 cup apricot preserves, 1/4 cup mayo (not miracle whip!) crusty French bread, butter, 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced. Cook your chicken in a little oil. I used smoked paprika, added some kosher salt and black pepper. slice it so it's thin. Add the sage leaves to the hot oil and let them crisp. Mix together the jam and mayo. Assemble the Panini by putting the jam sauce on the bread, then the onions, then the chicken, then sage leaves. Butter the outside, then put on the press til golden. Yum is all I can say. And then, just think, leftover chocolate cake for dessert. Now you see why there's screaming... Ok. Try it y'all. Let me know what you think! Hugs~ Lori