Black Magic Cake

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
• 1 cup strong black coffee OR 2 teaspoons powdered instant coffee plus 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan.Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl.
2. Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes (batter will be thin).Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
4. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.
5. Frost as desired.

Notes:

• To sour milk: Use 1 tablespoon white vinegar plus milk to equal 1 cup.
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Ingredients

1 kg (2 lbs) baby potatoes, washed and unpeeled
Olive oil
Salt and black pepper

Sauce:
4 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp tomato puree (not tomato paste!)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp smoked paprika
Pinch of cayenne pepper or chilli powder
Splash of tabasco sauce (optional)
1 1/2 tbsp mayonnaise

Method

Preheat oven to 230C (446F). Slice the potatoes thickly, about 1/2 inch. Alternatively, cut them into 1 inch cubes. Arrange on a baking tray in a single layer, and brush some olive oil over them. Sprinkle with salt. Bake in oven for 25 minutes until golden and crisp, then turn the potatoes over and bake for another 15 minutes or until browned and crisp.

In the meantime, heat up 4 tbsp olive oil in a large pan and fry the garlic. Then mix in the tomato puree, vinegar, paprika and cayenne/chilli powder. Add salt, black pepper and tabasco to taste. Add the potatoes and toss to coat. Stir in the mayonnaise. Dish out and serve hot.
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20 important life lessons from that Dalai Lama:

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three R’s:
   – Respect for self,
   – Respect for others and
   – Responsibility for all your actions.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great relationship.
7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone every day.
9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and
    think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.
14. Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
19. If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.
20. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

References: 

The Dalai Lama Center 

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