Want some cake... Better yet, Want a REALLY GOOD CAKE?

This weekend I made a "Pastel de Tres Leches" or "Tres Leches Cake" for a friend's birthday party & it was all gone by the end of the night, I guess that's a good review. It's named for the three milks in the soaking liquid (Leche means milk in Spanish.) The three milks in the soaking sauce for Tres Leches are sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and heavy cream. The heavy cream is also whipped up to use as the topping. Due to the rich ingredients and that it is soaked in a creamy syrup, Tres Leches Cake is extremely dense and moist, almost like a custard.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup oil
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk

Preparation:
Combine flour and baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the oil, sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Add the eggs to the sugar mixture one at a time until well combined. Stir in the 1/2 cup of milk, then gently fold in the flour mixture a little at a time.
Pour batter into a lightly greased cake pan or baking dish and bake at 325 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until it feels firm and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Let the cake cool until it feels room temperature. Turn it over onto a platter with raised edges. Pierce cake throughout with a fork or chop-stick about 20-30 times. Let it cool in the refrigerator for an additional 30 minutes.



Cream Syrup

12 oz. evaporated milk
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon rum or brandy (optional, but I like to use rum)
Whisk together the three milks and the rum or brandy if you are using it. Slowly pour the liquid over the cooled cake. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Occasionally, spoon the milk runoff back onto the cake.



Whipped Topping

3/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon sugar
In a chilled mixing bowl add heavy cream, vanilla and sugar. Beat on high speed until peaks form. Spread a thin layer over the cak & add toppings. In this case I used Peacans & Cajeta (almost like dulce de leche but better)





Enjoy.

We want your, gently used, Sporting Equipment!

We need your help. We, MINI Deeds & I, want to help make the lives of young Calgarians in need that much brighter this holiday season. It's for that reason that we need you to donate any/all gently used sporting gear lying around your house, not being used.

MINI Deeds and I will are accepting donations throughout Calgary & we'll even come, to either your home or office, and pick them up!

We'll be at the Talisman Centre on Friday, November 4th. If you have the time, please stop by and drop off your items. You can also drop them off directly at MINI Crowfoot in the North West or contact MINI Deeds and I by filling out this form and we'll be more than happy to pick them up!

On behalf of MINI Deeds, myself, KooL 101.5, & MINI Crowfoot thank you for helping make Calgary a better place to live.

Remember! See you at the Talisman Centre on Friday, November 4!

Take all your friends out for Halloween...

Of all the members of the holiday family, we all know Halloween is the artist of the bunch. Once a year it casts a spell of mischief on us all, and as we dole out fistfuls of confectionary delights, it doles out liberal doses of creative license in the departments of evening garb and household décor. Everyday things like hairspray, forgotten old clothes, and even the white sheets off your bed have their routine function usurped as they are tossed together in creative ensembles to become the trappings of disguise and entertainment. We don masks and adopt aliases, and we give ourselves up wholeheartedly to the command of our wayward creative spirits.



Being the imaginative community that you are, we suspect you’ve got some clever ideas up your sleeve for this Halloween. What are you dressing up for? But most importantly, how are you getting there? Let your drive down to your friends’ house for Halloween be a fun drive. Get there in a MINI, but don't go alone. Now, you can take all your friends with you.

MINI Reef for the Turtles!!!

Look at this picture... I'll explain shortly "How did we get here?"



Koh Tao is an island off the coast of Thailand whose name literally translates to "Turtle Island." The aptly named tropical paradise of white sandy beaches shaded by towering palm trees is surrounded by waters positively teeming with some of the world's most fascinating marine life. Hawksbill turtles, barracudas, sting rays, clownfish and whale sharks are just a few examples of the colorful fauna great and small that drift happily through the beautiful coral reefs that characterize Koh Tao's surrounding sapphire seascape.



Not surprisingly, the idyllic spot has become known as a hot destination for expert and amateur divers alike. But the influx of tourism to the area poses a real threat to the equilibrium of Koh Tao's delicate ecosystem, and local conservationists face the perpetual challenge of giving visitors the chance to interact with this island's thrilling array of subaquatic treasures without destroying them in the process.



The cement MINI prepares to leave dry land and begin its aquatic journey.. Enter MINI Thailand and their unique MINI Artificial Coral Reef Project. On August 26th, together with a team of about 30 professional divers, they sank a playful, MINI-themed landscape below the waves at the diver training site of Suan Olan. The project, which was carried out in cooperation with Koh Tao Marine Conservation Group and the local Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, will have the double benefit of providing a habitat for the island's wildlife while giving novice divers a place to practice without interfering with the natural reefs that lie clustered just beyond the coastline.



Just about to launch.. With the help of highly specialized equipment like crane ships and air balloons, the carefully engineered structure was built using cement, a material chosen for its suitability as a base for coral to grow securely. Experts estimate it will remain in place for about 10 years, serving as an unusual attraction for visiting divers and a message for posterity about the importance of protecting the natural beauty we too often take for granted.



Nothing but the great blue above, and many colorful years ahead.. On the following day, their hard work done, everyone who lent a hand in this innovative and special project celebrated into the night with an after party featuring live music and fire dancing. The theme was simple: "Thank You For Loving Koh Tao." Simple, but right on the mark, since in the end what MINI Thailand and all who participated on that day had proven was that when it comes to building a brighter future for sea turtles and other marine life, a little love can go a long way.



*Article taken from the MINI Source

Let's Stuff MINI Deeds!

We're calling out to all of the Community Heroes out there to donate any gently used sporting goods lying around your house, taking up space and simply not being used. These items will help make the lives of young Calgarians in need that much brighter this holiday season.

There's plenty of schools, charities and other organizations that will most definately give these items a good use. We want to make sure that kids in need live fun, healthy, active lives. Until the holiday season ends, MINI Deeds and I will be accepting donations throughout Calgary.

Find our next location here on our blog and drop off your items wherever you find us on location. You can also drop them off directly at MINI Crowfoot or contact MINI Deeds and Carlos by filling out this form and we'll be more than happy come to your office or home to pick them up!

On behalf of MINI Deeds, myself, KooL 101.5, & MINI Crowfoot thank you for helping make Calgary a better place to live.

Find us at the Talisman Centre on Friday, November 4!