Kitchen Resolutions and Applesauce Cake

I've seen several people with kitchen goals for the new year. I decided to make some of my own, maybe this will help me actually do these things...I don't like not meeting goals!

1 - Make Vietnamese Spring Rolls. I've been wanting to do this and just haven't. It's a must this year.

2 - Make something using my new mandolin. There is an Emeril recipe that I have in mind.

3 - Have someone over for dinner at least once a month. I think this is doable if I don't get caught up in schoolwork.

4 - Enter recipe contests. I've got a few original recipes that I haven't posted here and hope to enter in some contests. Maybe I'll come up with more.

5 - Make spanikopita.

6 - Go to a cooking class at Everyday Gourmet.

7 - Make a rolled cake.

8 - Try more new recipes. This may sound easy, but with school it's hard to do new things, much easier to do what you're familiar with.

That's all I have for now. If I think of another later, I'll add it. Now on to the recipe. This is a cake that my grandmother made when my Dad was growing up. When his cousin visited us after Christmas, she said that she remembered it, too. I don't really care for the taste because I don't like the taste of whiskey. It isn't a strong whiskey flavor, but I can taste it, especially in the raisins. Make this if you need to serve a lot or want leftovers. I'm pretty sure my parents had it around 2 weeks and it kept well.

Applesauce Cake

1 cup butter or oleo
2 cups sugar
2 cups applesauce
2 tsp. soda
4 cups flour
2 tsp. each cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg.
2 cups raisins
1 cup whiskey
2-4 cups pecans

Cream together butter and sugar. Put soda in applesauce and add to butter/sugar mixture. Sift together flour and spices. Dredge raisins in 1/4 of flour mixture and set aside. Add the balance of the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture alternately with the whiskey. Begin and end with flour mixture. Add pecans and raisins.
Bake in 10 inch tube pan, which has been greased and floured, at 350 degrees until done. (Granny has to bake it 1 1/2 hours in her oven. The original recipe said one hour.) Check for doneness with toothpick. COOL IN PAN (it will break apart otherwise)