I don't have time to write you a witty post today, but I wanted to show some of the things that have kept me from blogging.




And here is a little preview of the next recipe I will be giving out.... Homemade Butterscotch Sauce with a little extra somethin',somethin'...

I Want S'more, Please!

I just love tarts! Something about them makes me feel all fancy when I eat them. I guess a s'more tart is more red neck/country-camper fancy, but fancy none the less, eh? I made these tarts for my older sister, Tori's, birthday last weekend. She originally wanted some kind of s'more cake, but I wasn't up to making homemade marshmallows, so I made her these instead. After I tell you what is in these you are going to want one so bad, and I only have one left.... and I'm not sharing!

These tarts start out with a toasted hazelnut and graham cracker crust. The chocolate custard is hit with a few tablespoons of hazelnut syrup (or liqueur...whichever you prefer), and are finished off with a yummy and oh-so-sweet toasted marshmallow meringue! In the words of Rachael Zoe..."I die!" These were sooooooo good!! Betcha want one now, dontcha??

Seriously??

I am making a baby shower cake later this week, and am in need of some serious inspiration. Naturally, I pull out my laptop to consult the creative muse within google's image gallery. I have never ceased to be amazed and thoroughly entertained by what I find when searching for cake ideas, but some cakes are just too much.



Seriously, who would want to eat this? "Sure, pass me a slice of mom's butterfly tattoo." or "Save me the belly button!" or "Oh, no thank you, just half a breast for me." (was that too far?)

I find things like this all the time! What are some absurd cakes you have seen?? Please share! I love this kind of stuff; it's what really gets me through the week, ya know ;)

**Monday Muffin Stops**

So, I'm sure you've picked up that I love baking and I love wedding blogs, but let me tell you something else I love.... decorating/interior design blogs, magazines, books, shows, etc. I love it all! My apartment is a hodge podge of miscellaneous crap that has somehow come together quite nicely. I'm not sure what you would call it.... Garage Sale Chic? Flea Market Fabulous? Whatever it is, that's my style. Every time I have moved it's always entertaining to observe people's puzzled faces as I move things in and out of my apartment....large vase of peacock feathers, glass head, old suitcases, jar of old spoons, vintage green and gold chandelier, large iron moose head.....

photo courtesy of decor8's flickr photosteam

Anyhow, Decor8 is one of my favorite design blogs to visit. It is full of inspiration, unique finds, and beautiful photos. I can't spend too much time there or else I begin to become dissatisfied with my own space and start scheming to redecorate immediately. Aahh... but this blog is blissful, and I can't help but admire all of the collected creativity.

Here's The Proof...

I promised you that I was still baking, and here is my proof! I made these cakes last week for a lady hosting a dinner party at her home. She loves chocolate and her husband is a lemon cake fan.

Let me break these cakes down for you because they...are...good!

I adapted my delicious almond cake recipe to accommodate his lemon preferences. Before filling it with a tart raspberry and balsamic vinegar filling, I soaked the layers in a Kirsch infused simple syrup, and sealed it all in with a lemon cream cheese frosting and toasted almonds. YUM!

This chocolate cake deserves an entire post, but I'll just give you the brief rundown. Let me preface this story by saying that this is an amazing cake. It is my great-grandmother's recipe, and I have made it so many times I can't even count, but you would never have known that if you had been watching me make it last week. Now, remember, I have just started a teaching job and I am about 2 discipline slips away from losing my mind. This cake comes together very easily, so I was moving pretty quickly to get them into the oven and get back to writing lesson plans. When I went to check the cakes they were still not finished even after being in the oven 15 minutes past the normal bake time. Finally, I just took the cakes out and deemed them unsuccessful. They had developed an almost burnt crust on the outside, but were still unbaked in the middle. What the heck??!! So, I try again. Same result. By this time it is around 11:30PM, I am tired, and feeling utterly defeated. Now, I'll be the first to admit that I am a bit of a drama queen. I don't just burn cakes, throw them away, and move on. No, no. I burn cakes, throw them violently into the trash can, all the while crying and laying on the kitchen floor while calling my mother to gain her sympathy and consolation. Needless to say, I went to bed with puffy eyes, determined to conquer this cake in the morning. The next morning as I set my ingredients out I noticed an ingredient in the recipe that I hadn't noticed last night.... 1/2 c water. WATER!! Are you kidding me?!! A total of 4 cakes in the trash because of WATER?! Yup. Once I realized the error of my ways I finished the cakes easy peasy, and downed a handful of chocolate chips to take my headache away. (some use Tylenol, I use chocolate) Learn from my mistakes.... read the directions carefully. The cake turned out moist and delicious, and I used the Magnolia Bakery's recipe for a creamy milk chocolate frosting. Mmmmmm.....