August 20, 2010

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

13 comments:

paige said...

next post we must see the seasalt spray aveda whipped hair
ok girlie!!

bummer on the picked off paint
big yumminess on the cake

have a fab weekend friend
xo

Laurie said...

One word- YUMMY!

Suzann said...

Well, you had me at AVEDA. LOL. I've been an addict for greater than 20 years. So, I imagine your hair will be amazing. : )
Your chocolate cake looks delightful!!

Shannon said...

That cake looks delish!!
Have fun tonight :)
Not so fun re-doing that chair though, if kids only knew how much work we put into things.

Kasey said...

that cake looks heavenly.
yes...it does.
and i want to see your hair.
now.

Lulu and Co. said...

oh my word tha is seriously amazingly delicious looking... it looks so moist! I need an chocolate evening my heart is a flutter with worry about my kids new schools! Enjoy your weekend and save me a piece of cake!!
xo,
LuLu

Urban Farmgirl said...

Ummm...so what time should I be there???

And come on, show is that super cute hair. (I know it is!)

~mary~

Shannan Martin said...

Yowza Wowza. I'm not really a chocolate girl either. (I'm a fruity pie-ish girl) but that cake looks amazing!

ps- I want to see the hair, too. Pronto!

MamaMonki said...

That cake looks beautifully delish! Hope you have fun with the girls night.

Anonymous said...

how do you get your frosting so perfect??? I'm seriously impressed!! What a beauty! It looks like it's from a store! Hope the girls were impressed! and bummer about the chair! Oh, and your two little girls are just so darling!

Jeanne Oliver said...

Got to see the hair! NOW!! That cake..oh my...why did you have to show THAT???

Beki - TheRustedChain said...

Oh.My.Word.

I just licked my screen.

koralee said...

Oh my goodness...I love it...this is amazing...you inspire the pants off of me my friend. Can you make me one and ship it here asap!
xoxoxoxo