For quite some time, I have wanted to make a rich, dense chocolate cake with the consistency somewhere between a gooey brownie and a cheesecake. I think some people call it a torte.

So, when I saw this recipe in the November issue of RealSimple magazine, I knew I needed to give it a shot.

I made the "cake" and my kids ate it, but called it "nasty". hhhhmmmm.....
Then I tried with with vanilla bean ice cream, sour cream whipped cream (which rocks, by the way), Cool whip and vanilla pudding... It is different. It is not for everyone. But one of my tasters called it a "grown up dessert". That describes it quite well. This cake is not sweet, but with the addition of one of the above toppings, it is a nice, rich dessert in which you probably will not over-indulge.




I started typing this all out for you when genius struck! I'll bet I could PASTE the recipe in instead. And so I have. Call me lazy.

Whatever.





You can click the title to be taken over to the RealSimple site in case you want to browse their tasty archives.



Bon Apetit!

***edited to add***

I forgot I took all these fabulous photos for you guys.

***

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for the pan
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for the pan
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 5 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
• 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more for dusting

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350° F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and dust with cocoa powder.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat the butter with ¼ cup of the heavy cream over medium-low heat until the butter is melted. Add the chocolate and stir until melted and smooth; remove from heat.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, and cocoa powder; whisk in the chocolate mixture.
4. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake until puffed and set, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 1 hour. Run a knife around the edge of the cake before unmolding.
5. Using an electric mixer, beat the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream with the crème fraîche and confectioners’ sugar until soft peaks form. Dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar and serve with the whipped cream.

As for the answer to the obvious question of whether or not this is the recipe I was looking for, it is not. But it was still good and I'd make it again, though maybe not for my kids. ;)

A Veterinarian and a Butt-Kicking

This morning I am exhausted and sitting on the couch (believe it!) so you are getting 2 posts in one week from me. This seems unbelievable after the month I have had. I have to get back in the saddle or I will miss my chance to guest post. Well, I suppose there are worse things.

Next week is a big deal for my kids. We celebrate Catholic Schools week once a year with all kinds of craziness. I am driving for 2 field trips; that right there makes a big week for me!  That's a lot of noisy kids in my back seat. LOL  Actually, I am driving Junior High kids. They are more subtle. There will be notes passed in the back seat, some snickering and a lot of "upspeak", right?

If you are the mom of a Jr. High student you are got that, right?

I never know.

There will also be an open house on Monday at the school. My 1st grader is going to give a report on what she wants to be when she grows up. Some of the parents have come in to talk about their jobs and expose the kids to different career options, etc. It's such a cute program. She wanted me to come in and talk about my job. It's sad to say, but I am not feeling particularly enthusiastic about the job I do, so I let another mom cover the SAHM career. It all made so much more sense when I had 3 kids at home with me, but these days I am not sure where we are going. I'm telling you, I can feel the winds of change....

(this is what happens when you let a boxer run in the snow. Check out that Santa beard! LOL)

Anyway, The Princess is going to be give her report on being a veterinarian. We borrowed a stethoscope from a friend and she listened to the dog's heart beat. I'm pretty sure the cat disappeared when she saw that thing coming at her. She's slick like that.

For the actual report (they have to stand up and read it in front of the parents.), she is going to examine a Fur Real Friends cat, so the darned thing can't run away!

Back to the reason I am tired: Zumba. whew!


Well, the truth it, that the Zumba is not the worst of it, the WORST of it is how out-of-shape I really am. WOWSERS!  (thus, the I -got-my-butt-kicked reference.)




I need to eat my fruits and veggies and be a good girl,

...but in fact, I have a new recipe for you. I hope to type it up over the weekend. It is not on your diet, OK. You have been warned.

Green Chili Potato Soup

I have a new recipe for you. It's perfect for these cold winter evenings and the best part is, it's not the same old thing you've been eating! I got this recipe from Penzey's, like a lot of my recipes, but I do think it could have a better name. Either way, it's yummy!

4 Lg. russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
6C whole milk (more as needed)
2C heavy whipping cream
1 tsp salt
8 strips bacon, cut into 1" pieces
1 small yellow onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 TB ground cumin
1tsp oregano
1 14.5 oz can sweet corn, drained
2 C cubed zucchini (approx 1 medium zucchini)
2 C green chilies, cut (3 4.5 oz cans)
2 C cut green beans (1 14.5 oz can)
1/2-1 tsp ground pepper
2 TB chopped fresh cilantro
1/2-1 C shredded Pepper Jack cheese



Bring large pot of water to boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender. About 8 minutes.

I don't follow directions well. I left the skin on the potatoes because I like them better that way.



Drain and return to the pot. Add the milk, heavy cream and salt. Heat over medium heat, but do not boil. In a skillet cook the bacon and onions until the onions are tender. Add garlic, cumin and oregano and cook for about 2 more minutes.

Drain well on paper towels, then add to the pot.

I was not satisfied with these directions because I hate soggy bacon, so I kept cooking. I may or may not have scorched it. Next time I would cook the bacon first, to a nice crisp, then add in all that other jazz.

Add corn, zucchini, beans and  chilies to the pot. Cover and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes until the zucchini is tender but not mushy. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Top with fresh cilantro and cheese when serving.

If there is one thing I would NOT skip, it is the cilantro. This soup was just kind of "eehh" out of the pot, but the fresh cilantro made a HUGE difference and everyone loved it! I also used just a Mexi-blend cheese instead of pepper jack. It was still good. I think you could add black beans to this too, for a little more color and texture.

The recipe title will take you  to a printable version of the recipe, if you'd like.

Have a great day!

In Which I Say Very Little

I have written about three posts now and deleted them. Is this what they call writer's block? LOL






It's starting to annoy me.






Well, since I seem to be lacking in anything witty to share, I will tell you what we had for dinner. (You know I would not be bringing this up if we had ordered pizza or something!)


I decided to make this:

image is linked

It was yummy! And since I was at the store buying round steak I picked up strawberries and salad and Brianna's Strawberry Salad Dressing. Oh my! Then I made cheesy mashed potatoes and a chocolate cake because, let's face it, I have lost weight and what the heck am I going to do when I reach my goal weight? I might as well make this a challenge don't you think?


My kids have all had strep or the flu since Christmas, so I am itching to get out of my house! I just need a day of shopping I think. Anyone want to donate to that cause? :)




The big news in my family is that my mom get a new puppy. I will try to get some pictures of him.  OMG. You will be dying. He is soooo cute!






Here's a preview:

Did I lie?


Isn't he the snuggliest? 


He's part Basset Hound and part Cocker Spaniel.
He is the calmest puppy I have ever seen. So sweet...and so sleeeeeeeepy!


When he got tired the other day, he crawled right up on Sugar's lap and fell asleep. How cute is that?


This guy has no name.


Any ideas?

Food Photography

I know, those of you who follow me because of my crafts or my baking are probably wondering if I left that side of myself back in 2010. I did not. But, I'll have to prove that later because I have one more photography post to share first.

I have been over at The Pioneer Woman's photography site all week. I get so excited when she runs a contest! The theme this time was food. My favorite! So I have been glued to PW's Flickr site like an addict of some sort.

I am pretty sure I am not allowed to share my favorite entries here (?), but you should go click up there and check them out. You will be AMAZED at the talent! Well, I certainly was.

It is no surprise I did not place in the contest since my skill level is pretty basic, especially as compared to some of these super talented photographers. But I am getting better and entering the contests forces me to look more critically at my own work.

One of the things that compels me to keep pushing myself to improve my skills is that I enjoy sharing my work here. And frankly, I am a bit competitive when it comes to artistic endeavors. I will always want to be the best; to keep reaching.


So here are my entries the good, the pretty good and the "uh-oh".


This is the one I thought might catch her attention because I was really happy with how the color and texture turned out. This picture came from the same photo shoot as the title picture above, which I also entered. If you click these pictures, you can go see the original in my Flickr, if you want to see more detail.


(I am still trying to figure out Flickr. It is cool, but I don't know all the ropes yet.)







Here is my "uh-oh" I wanted a damask texture on this and some dramatic lighting. I like the bright lighting part, but I think the cupcake paper is too dark at the bottom...and more yellow than I had intended. THEN, because I struggled with the layering, I somehow didn't line up the masks properly, so there is a bit of a "halo" over there on the left. It's hard to get a mask right when there are no sharp lines. If you are a photoshopper you are nodding right now. If you are my mom, you are saying "I can't even tell the difference!". Trust me, PW can see the difference! Once I realized what I had done, I was pretty embarrassed and wanted to pull it out of the line-up because, of course, it didn't have a chance of winning and I don't want this to represent my work, but I am making myself keep it up till the contest is over...for the sake of humility...and now for you. 
Then, I may have to pull it down, re-do or something. Yuck!






Some of you may remember this photo from last June. I like this one. I love the pink overlay and the all pink subjects. I also kind of like the fact that it is off-kilter and I hope that comes across the way I want it to. What I don't like is that the one cupcake that is in focus does not also feature a beautiful swirl of frosting. I think would have helped...*sigh*






Lastly, I entered this apple shot. In retrospect, it may not have been the best in the apple series I did, but it is still pretty good. I am on the fence about the cropping/ composition. What do you think?





Here's one I probably should have entered. I love the light and the composition. Oh well.




I am open to constructive suggestions. One of these days, I am going to place in one of her photo contests. (I placed in her editing contest last time! woo hoo!)

Winter Photography

Since we have had so much snow in Illinois, I went outside to capture some of it. I hope you like them.

This is my backyard in sepia. 

My one colorful shot!

Those are thorns up in the tree. Long, sharp, nasty thorns.

I love this tree bark.

I love these two. It took me a while to find any berries and these are so tiny. 

I hope the sun comes out tomorrow so I can find more.

***edited to add***
As I was tromping around out there snapping away (oh yes! There are so many more!), I really wanted to push myself to see details instead of the big picture(landscape). You may be able to see some evidence of that in the shots I have posted. What you can't see is me trying to make my way around a tree stump that is positioned on a fairly steep cliff hill, me slipping down the hill and landing with a thud on my backside. Thank the Lord for padding! ;) And while the padding in and on my rear kept me from injury, there was no such safety net around to protect my lens cap from flying up out of its strap pocket and jumping right down into the snow with me! As the temperatures dropped, I searched the entire area...three times...and then decided I would place an order for a new one the next day. But I forgot. The next afternoon, my boys got rowdy (surprise!) so I sent them on a treasure hunt to find my lens cap. In the time is took me to zip my jacket to follow behind them, my oldest was back at the door with my lens cap in his hand. He said I must not have looked very hard because "it was just sitting there on top of the snow". Figures it would be in the last place I'd look!

Manicures and Hot Tea

Although it is true that I have been more busy than normal and unable to post like I normally would/ did, I would like to note that I have written approximately 3 posts which I deleted because they got stale before I could finish them. I tried to follow through, really, but I just couldn't. I just wanted you to know, in case I get some sort of credit for trying.
;)

I figure you deserve a nod, at the least, so I sat down at my computer with a Blizzard (so that I will not want to get up again). French Silk Pie, since you asked. Yum! And yes, I am eating a Blizzard in a Blizzard. Ok, it's not really a Blizzard (outside), but we did take an unofficial snow day due to the fact that there was a ton of snow on my driveway and no practical way for me to leave safely. It was OK, we survived and the boys even sledded for a few hours, which is always fun (pictures coming..really!)

The Princess has been out of school with a fever anyway, so it really wasn't much different to her. We did nails.

I wanted to mention the nail stickers on her fingernails. We (she) got them from Santa. Holy Cow! These are the cutest things ever! I want to be 6 again! please.

The lady at the local heath food store gave me some dried herbs to make the Princess her very own special blend of tea, which has a purple hue to it. She has been drinking it to ease her sore throat...and because how cool is it to have your own special blend??? Awesome!

I did some experiments with textures in these pics because I am always enthralled by these big names who use (and sell) textures and I want to buy them every time even though I have a ton already.

I am one of those who thinks any grain is a bad thing (amateur?) so I keep going back and forth on whether this I love this look or if it looks like I took it with a disposable camera. Could it be both? LOL

I was hoping to convey the "I did this on purpose" look.

I'll be back soon with pictures of the snow!

:)

Will She or Won't She?

I guess that's the big question. Will she EVER get back on the horse?

Yes, of course.

Hey, that rhymes. :)

It's just that 2011 has reared her head to let me know that she is going to shake things up a bit.

OK. Alot.

So, suffice it to say, my attention has been diverted. But not for too long, because I need to continue growing my photography skills and of course, my editing (!) and that will never happen if I don't have someone to share my pictures with. I'm lazy like that. :)

I will be honest in telling you I am not sure what will happen to my linky party. If I can handle it, I will host it because I really do love seeing all your amazing creations.

Last year, my blog began to pick up pace around January. I am so curious to know where my mind will wander this year. You know, it's not like I plan what to write. (I know some of you do.) Mostly, I fly by the seat of my artistic pants and hope it's well-received, which means this year is as much a mystery to me as it is to you. I can tell you I have been invited to guest post at a few fun blogs, but so far, I have declined the invitations in one way or another because let's face it, I'm not getting paid, so I don't want to be a slave to my blog. Now, if you want to PAY me, that's another story and please email me asap.
Where was I?
Oh yes...


There was one guest post offer that I could not refuse, though. I will keep it a surprise for now, but I am pretty excited about it. And I guess, I'd better start thinking about what I want to say for once....



So, thanks for reading and thanks so much for coming back and back again even though I may be a bit unpredictable. I do want to get some better organization down...we shall see how that works out. :)

For now, I have gotten through very FEW of my Christmas photos, but I will be sharing more of them with you when I do.

Here's one we all loved:

Here's one of the nights we had "tea" and snacks in the living room:

Here's the Christmas Rum Cake I made from PW's recipe. Let me tell you, this is not for the weak. It was actually SO strong that I had to shtop after 2-3 *hiccup* piethes and send it home with *hiccup* someone elth.

get it?

Someone in my house is in love with all things "pig" and received these little piggies from the big guy in the red suit. Oink Oink!

Lastly, here's one of my favorite Christmas gifts. This was taken on Christmas day. :)

I added a little magic bokeh texture.



Have a great day and I will be back soon...I think. ;)