death by chocolate...

Alright everyone....

I don't have any pictures of my new so-called " hair-do"

but maybe another time...

 the hair whip that I got was from Aveda...

it is a defining whip

it's amazing how much product you have to use to get the "natural" beach look

on top of the sea salt spray

and volumizing stuff I already had...

but anyway...

I am desperately needing to take some pictures

I have been the slacker for too long now

and at the lake...my camera didn't come out once

shame on me, right?

because now it has left me without much to say

this week was a simple week

among my favorites...

was waking up to the smell of fresh lavendar on my bedside table

driving with the windows down and the radio up

seeing my vines outside take over our porch

having the girls stay up extra late with me last night to go see the 4 toads

and tree frog that we have in our yard...

and laughing as we are chasing them so we can pick them up

and then getting peed on by them

the toads peeing not Madison and Hayley

just in case you were wondering:)

we stopped by the pet store on the way home one day
we had so much fun adoring all the animals

from the dogs, rabbits, fish, birds, lizards

oh how I just wanted to grab a new addition to our family

but we didn't, of course...

and this morning aggravated that the newly painted chair I finally and just finished

had the paint peeled off by Madison

so I have to start over

grrrr...

but the frame for the mirror has been completed and I love the color

At first I wasn't sure about the color

I had picked a seafoam color that turned out lighter than I thought

but it'll end up being just fine

I still need to convert the mirror into a big chalkboard

well okay I have to recruit Bobby's help on that

I'm too much of a wuss to have the chalkboard spray bubble on me

all these things leading up to a death by chocolate night with girlfriends tonight

only for special, special people do I ever make chocolate cake for

{meaning only Bobby and my favorite girlfriends}
that doesn't mean you aren't special if I haven't made one for ya...
I just have to have an event to motivate me to do so

 chocolate cake is not my favorite

I won't say I don't like it

 but I'm just a plain vanilla or white chocolate kinda-girl

and tonight everyone has to bring chocolate chocolate

to our girls night

I may feel sick by the end of the evening

but I'm looking forward to another night out with the girls

to put a spin on the chocolate cake I made for the baby shower in June

I made it how the directions actually said - 3 layer cake instead of a bundt cake

with the original icing and made some ganoche on the side to dribble over the top

ridiculous, right?

on half of the cake between the layers I purchased black raspberry seedless jam

to spread between 1/2 of the cake so it isn't just chocolate

and topped with fresh mint leaves and blackberries

I was informed by Bobby that not everyone likes fruit filling

{meaning just him}

so I was instructed to do that for only 1/2 the cake

if you know Bobby at all he has an indirect way of telling you things

pretty much he was saying...

"Martha don't ruin the cake with fruit filling because I want the left overs"

I told him fat chance

no really if there isn't any cake left over from us girls there are issues

because this cake is huge and weighs twice as much as the cake plate

and there are 6 of us bringing desserts

although I must admit saving him some cake will become great leverage

because one way to his heart

is when I make chocolate cake for him

it usually only comes twice a year

Valentine's Day and his birthday

so this is a special occasion to him

I'm not going to lie and act like I don't bribe my own husband

with chocolate cake

because I do

{I tell you that as I chuckle}...

I absolutely do

it works every time like a charm

and to be honest...he really doesn't mind

so I'll save him a few pieces of this heart attack chocolate cake

just because I'm a good wife like that

in case you are a chocolate lover...

here's the recipe...

Sour Cream Chocolate Cake

from the Taste of Home cookbook

1 cup baking cocoa

1 cup boiling water

1 cup butter, softened

2 1/2 cps sugar

4 eggs

2 t vanilla extract

3 cups flour {I did part wheat flour}

2 t baking soda

1/2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

1 cup sour cream

frosting:

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips {I swear Trader Joe's has the best chocolate chips}

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sour cream

1 t vanilla extract

4 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

ganoche: {this is not from this cake recipe...but from a different one...so it makes a ton extra you won't              use but just adds texture and pretty to the overall cake}

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream; heated to a simmer

for garnish: fresh mint leaves and blackberries

and if you want to add fruit filling between the layers...I purchased black raspberry

1.  Dissolve cocoa in water; let stand until cool. in a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla.

2. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well. Add cocoa mixture; beat well.

3. Pour into three greased 9-inch round baking pans. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until toothpick insterted comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

4. In a heavy saucepan, melt chocolate chips and butter over low heat; stir until smooth. remove from heat; cool for 5 minutes. Place in a large mixing bowl. Add sour cream and vanilla; beat until blended. Add confectioners' sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Spread between layers and over the top and sides of cake. This is where I also added the black raspberry jam between the layers.

5. for the ganoche: chop chocolate chips into tiny pieces or you may use a food processer and pulse them until chopped. Add heated cream as you are pulsing the chocolate chips in a slow steady stream until the mixture is smooth and cream. Drizzle while warm over the cooled cake....{I just did a little to cover up the imperfections of my icing}

6. Garnish with mint leaves and blackberries and/or raspberries