bleh - I'm kind of nice.

A friend of a friend is having a birthday...




She just asked that I make something pretty and not too big and she would pay for it - yeah right - it's not that serious yet. Lol when gas is 5 bucks I may just charge for materials, depends if i like you or not - so she said her friend likes strawberries and she likes chocolate so ta da - i pulled out a cast iron bundt pan - modified a yellow cake recipe with chocolate and made a simple ganache - well and i filled the cake with the ganache too.

Just in case anyone didn't know ganache is basically truffle filling.

Here is the recipe

Filling/Topping
Chocolate Ganache

1 pint heavy cream
1/2 stick butter
1 handful of sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 bags chocolate chips (about 18 oz)

put chocolate, vanilla, butter in a stainless steel bowl on a dry towel. set aside
scald milk - so that it's steaming - if you get thick heavy cream you can boil it.

Pour the milk onto the chocolate bowl and stir with a wood spoon or heat proof spatula.
Stir until smooth - it will look broken just work it. If it is too loose just add handfuls of chocolate chips at a time until it is the consistency of melted ice cream.

Cake:

7 eggs
1 3/4 cup sugar
1/2 c cocoa powder (unsweetened)
1 1/2 c flour
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
4 Tbsp butter melted.

Grease 1 8 inch round pan or 1 bundt pan - i also flour mine for this recipe.

Mix eggs and sugar on medium with a whisk until they are tall and fluffy. While those are mixing sift the cocoa powder and flour together - set aside. Melt butter. When eggs and sugar have about doubled and look semi solid turn off mixer. Fold in butter and vanilla. GENTLY Fold in flour and cocoa powder. Pour into pans - Bake @ 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes ut crumbly...






That's it - that's all I have to say - school is crazy right now - I'm falling behind on my laundry and dehydrating - but I've got A's and I made this cake. I've also had this nagging nausea for like 5 days - i dunno! I try to keep it balanced - I do something nice and i do something MEAN - haha! Of course one is more fun than the other

Have a great weekend everybody.

10 Jul 2008: Just Can't Wait...

Just can't wait until Julian and I get a house in the spring.

Coz this is the first thing we are getting...

Chocolate Baby Doberman - WHAT!

14 April 2008: Ain't Nothin But a Cake Thang Baby...

Ain’t Nothin’ But a Cake Thang Baby...
Category: Blogging

I am so lucky to be extraordinarily busy...

Right after the NYC trip we jumped into work and Julian switched to a new job (yay!)...More recently. His Mama met my Mama.

My Mom and GodMommy are here from Manila doing their thing. Fortunately Julian's Mama came in for a week visit to see us, catch the sights and spend some time with more family.

Julian's Mama is City Mama...she wakes up and as soon as her little feet hit the ground she is ready to go. City Mama has a plan and an itinerary and a car rental and places to go and things to do. She has a youthful spirit and an excitement in everything she does.

My Mom is Country Mama...because she now lives a life of leisure in her retirement. She just kicks back and rolls with the punches and likes to be a passenger in the adventure.

My GodMama is a combination of them both.

Needless to say all the Mama's got along and it was all good and all blessings. We weren't worried in the least...but as strong as our mothers were there would be a possiblity that they might not get along. I figured out from an email sent out that City Mama loves raspberry cheesecake so I made her a special no bake one: White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake with a Chocolate Pecan Oatmeal Crust. TWO THUMBS UP she said!!!

About midway through the week before we fell asleep Julian said," Thank You Bebe...for all that you do and for takin' City Mama around and all that stuff. I smiled and responded,"I am thankful that we are the good children of good mothers because not everyone is as lucky as us!" Amen right!

Julian took City Mama to the movies while I rolled up a few hundred lumpia. The next day we were supposed to take Mama out on the town but after a fun visit to tombstone she suggested she stay in since she had a trip to San Diego in the morning. Everyone ended up stopping by and Mama made everyone some mean yummy pina colada's...Did I mention Wendy loves the Mama's!!!

Julian laughed and told me one night when they were out running an errand his Mama told him,"Ju...I didn't think I'd like any of your girlfriends but Lisa...but I really like Sauce!" Julian laughed and said,"Mama - I dated that girl 10 or 11 years ago!" Bwaa hahahahahha. no wait. Bwaa hahahhahha.

I told him looks like you almost made some bad decisions Bebe. haha.

Then the two Country Mama's took off to Mexico for a 5 day cruise and then the Grand Canyon and then City Mama returned to Chicago and reality resumed. We really are blessed to be surrounded by harmony and love and sense of an even bigger family!

Amidst all this fun and love and madness (and even bomblettes for Gya)...the cakes still get made!

Samoa Vanilla

Raspberry Chocolate

Almond Snickers and Chocolate...With my cooking protege Ben in the midst of it! Little freak - we love you!

And who said you couldn't eat Plaid!!!