February 14, 2011

Winning Hearts & Minds Chocolate Cake

The other night, Casey and I had a discussion about chocolate cake. He seems to think that the best part of chocolate cake is the frosting. I disagree. I think the CAKE in chocolate cake is the best part. I’m actually one of those people who scrapes the frosting off chocolate cake and leaves it to the side of my plate. Does that make you think less of me? I hope not… It’s just too much chocolate for me to take! I always make sure to give Casey my extra frosting. This is love.

This cake is the perfect compromise for both of us. A cake that needs NO frosting because it’s moist, delicate, fluffy and oh so fudge-y. Frosting on top of this cake would be absolutely insane. I do believe that a light dusting of powdered sugar spruces it up and makes it cute! Slightly sweetened whipped cream makes is decadent but somehow even lighter! Who would have thought that was possible? See the heart on top? I made this sweet little cake for our Valentine’s Day last year and in the course of a few days that cake disappeared hunk by hunk from the kitchen counter. It’s no wonder Molly decided to serve this cake as her wedding cake. Hope you win some Hearts & Minds this Valentine’s Day! XOXO
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Photography, Uncategorized

February 12, 2011

365-Week 6

A food related photo every day til 2012. Here’s week 6:

42/365 Playing with my food! That’s me!

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around the home, Uncategorized

February 11, 2011

FAIL! FAIL! FAIL!

Today I’m opening up the vault and letting you in on a few of my cooking & baking FAILS! I’ve got a bunch of pretty pictures wasting precious space on my hard drive because the recipes were bunk or I failed at executing them! It’s time to clear up some space!

Ahhh mistakes….We all make them! The most important thing is to learn from them! That’s the only way to get better. Here’s some failures for ya….

This Lentil & Bulgur Soup sounded too good to be true! I was attracted to the recipe because the ingredients list was short. Little did I know the soup would be short on taste! I tried to add more vinegar to the recipe to wake it up. Unfortunately, the vinegar only made it worse. Parmesan cheese didn’t even help it. How lame is that? FAIL.

recipes, Uncategorized

February 10, 2011

Everyday Chickpea Salad

Everyday. Chickpea. Salad. Everyday–meaning this salad is so good, you could eat it every day and can use everyday ingredients to make it! Nothing fussy, nothing crazy, just GOOD simple ingredients in a delicious/healthy salad that will make you feel full AND exceptional afterward.

I’m such a sucker for adaptable salads because there’s a nice ease to making stuff with what I already have in the kitchen. When I went to gather the ingredients for the dressing, I looked to see how much olive oil I needed to measure out and realized that there IS NO OIL in the recipe! Brilliant! The cashews and Dijon mustard act as the emulsifiers! The combo of balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard make it tangy! I love how the dressing soaked into the couscous, adored the crunchy sweetness of the peppers, and loved the creaminess of the chickpeas. I’m glad to have this salad & dressing in my current rotation.

Whitney & Anna both seduced me into picking up a copy of the Appetite for Reduction cookbook. Everything is entirely vegan, low calorie, low fat, but definitely NOT lacking in flavor. I made the Brussels Sprouts Potato Hash (post coming soon!) for lunch this week and now I’m totally hooked. I have over 15 recipes marked to try! I love that feeling.

So yeah, I’m back on the salad wagon (again). It’s such a nice wagon to be on. It always makes me feel fantastic, healthy and light! I hope my friend Jenny (who is going vegan for a week) LOVES this salad!

around the home, Uncategorized

February 10, 2011

And the winner is….

How exciting! One of my blog friends won! Sara from Rhymes with Spoon, YOU ARE THE WINNER of my fun little Organizing Giveaway from FIVE SPOONS!! This little package is yours! CONGRATS! I’ll be sending you an email shortly!

around the home, Uncategorized

February 9, 2011

What’s in my bag??

If you’ve seen some of my bag posts, you might already know that I’ve been on the search for THEE PERFECT handbag for what seems like FOREVER. I’m never 100% satisfied with my handbag purchases because I get so close to finding one that’s PERFECT and then there’s something that always ruins it. The straps, the pockets, the lining, how it doesn’t fit all the stuff I have…you name it.
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recipes, Uncategorized

February 8, 2011

The Joy of Almond & Coconut Candies

Valentine’s Day is coming up! Want to impress a loved one?? You should totally make these Almond Joy inspired candies. Not only are they super easy to make, you won’t be that person scrounging around for an overpriced bouquet of long stem roses at the last minute. Are you that person? Don’t be that person! Don’t wait til the last minute. People always know. I hope you at least write something sweet & thoughtful in your card!

By the way, I overheard your sweetheart saying that they’re not really into roses! They were telling their coworker how much they dig coconut! They especially love it covered in chocolate! They also LOOOOVE salty, crunchy roasted almonds and guess what?? There’s one waiting in the middle of EACH. ONE. OF. THESE. CANDIES. Make a batch of these and you’ll totally seal the deal. You’ll make up for that god awful ratty teddy bear you bought last year. You know why? Because people are always impressed when you make candy. ALWAYS.
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