Crazy Chocolate Cake With Nutty Chocolate Icing

I don't have a picture of this cake, but I do have a picture of where it came from. For the cake - just picture a gorgeous, smooth, mouth watering chocolate cake and there you have it! I guess I technically owe 2 posts this month, since I didn't post a recipe for April, but with vacation, appointments, and all the upcoming birthdays, weddings, and picture taking I haven't had time. I apologize, mostly to myself, and will try to post another before the month's end.

That being said, I don't take recipe posts lightly. Just because something tastes good doesn't mean it deserves a post. There are way too many yummy treats that could be posted.  The dish has to "wow" me. It has be different and taste better than any of those like it. My mom has an old Peanuts Lunch Bag Cookbook, that my Uncle bought her for Christmas when she was little, that she still has in her kitchen. Ever since I was little girl she has made the most delicious bread, cookies, and cakes from it. Recently, she brought it out again and made a chocolate cake that was THE best cake I ever had! It was so dense and fudgy and the frosting equally fudgy and sweet! I wanted to share the recipe because it's different than what I expected it to be and it will definitely be my go to chocolate cake recipe!

The best recipes come from the days where things were made slow from scratch and this recipe is no exception. I have always appreciated quality cooking and baking and can really taste a difference. I urge you to try this recipe next time you want chocolate cake. You won't regret it :)

Crazy Chocolate Cake
1 1/2 c flour
3 T unsweetened cocoa
1 t baking soda
1 c sugar
1/2 t salt
6  T vegetable oil
1 T vinegar
1 t vanilla
1 c cold water 

Sift dry ingredients in 8-inch ungreased cake pan.  Mix with a fork. Form 3 wells in the flour. Into one pour the oil, into another the vinegar, and into the last the vanilla. Pour cold water over all and stir with a fork until well mixed. Bake at 350 for 30 min. Cover with chocolate icing.

Nutty Chocolate Icing (Don't worry if you don't have nuts, it's just as good without)

1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c water
2 T butter
dash of salt
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
2 c powdered sugar
1 t vanilla
1/2 c chopped nuts (if desired)

Boil brown sugar, water, and butter for 2 minutes. Lower heat and add chocolate. When chocolate is melted remove from stove. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth. Mix in nuts.

Enjoy.



March of Dimes 2011 - Go Babies!

Last weekend I walked in the March of Dimes Walk for Babies. Who wouldn't want to support this cause? My team was team Trent 'N Paige. We had so much fun walking in our matching team shirts and rewarding ourselves with hot dogs and chili afterwards. My cousin and her family were the March of Dimes Ambassadors this year and had the opportunity to share their story at a Banquet in February, that I was lucky enough to volunteer at, as well as other engagements throughout the state. My cousin's little boy, Trenton, was born premature in 2007 and this got us all involved. This cause became even more important to us as my cousin lost her baby Paige last August. I can't imagine what she feels, but I know we all feel as if a precious baby girl is missing in our lives. I know we will see her in Heaven one day and God will restore my cousin's family together again. To all the mom's who have been through this, my heart and prayers are with you! Please watch the video below, as it is a better representation of my cousin's experience than I can give, and if you feel like getting involved next year let me know! You can join our team :)

Vacation!!!

Jeremiah and I recently returned home from a trip to sunny SoCal! We had a blast, despite my being sick, and are even more excited for the warm Tri-Cities weather to come! Here is a look into our crazy trip to SoCal:

Day 1 - I developed  bad cold a few days before we left, and despite my best attempts to get better overnight , I was pretty congested the day we left. We flew into LAX and upon landing I was feeling so much pain in my sinus cavities I thought they would burst! I even took a decongestant before we left. Yikes! Never fly with a bad cold if you can help it. Once we were on the ground I was doing much better thank God! We then grabbed some lunch and drove the PCH down to sunny San Diego! The drive flew by and it was so lovely seeing all the beaches from Laguna Beach to Mission Beach. After we checked into our hotel we went down to the historic Gaslamp Quarter for dinner. We ate at Croce's Restaurant, named for Jim Croce (singer of the hit Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown), whose wife opened the restaurant after his death in 1973. The food was delicious and I recommend eating there if you're ever in San Diego. We then walked around the bustling night scene and old gaslamp streetlights for a bit before heading back to the hotel to rest up for a fun filled day at Sea World!

Day 2 - Sea World here we come! We woke up to beautiful 80 degree weather and it was only a quick jaunt to Sea World. San Diego really isn't hard to navigate and traffic was never bad at all. Everywhere we went was easily accessible and we were there in minutes. Once at Sea World we saw amazing shows of animals trained to do things that showcased just how smart they are combined with acrobatics, dolphins, and whales. The "Blue Horizons" dolphin show even rivaled scenes from Cirque Du Soleil! Every show has a "soak zone" where you can sit if you want to be splashed by the performing sea life. On a day like this, everyone wanted to sit there. We took our chances in the "soak zone" at "Believe" the Shamu show and ended up not too wet at all. We did end up with a bit of a sun burn though. Ouch! Sea World also offers a couple of water rides that add to the fun, as well as a gondola ride over the bay and a sky tower ride for free with admission. Go to Sea World! Take your kids, take your wives, and take your husband, cause they have fun for er'body out there!

After Sea World we drove to Mission Beach and quickly realized we were over dressed and out of our element with the college crowd of tattooed boys and girls strutting the streets in only their swim wear. We kept driving and I begged Jeremiah drive as far south as we could until we could see Mexico! We intentionally left our passports at home so we wouldn't be tempted to cross the border. We made it all the way to a parked border patrol car where I snapped a few pics and we then turned around. I have never been out of the country and like to push my luck sometimes so this was fun to me. Now that I have a passport, I plan to change that very soon! We continued on to Coronado Island - a beautiful quiet neighborhood of shops and gorgeous homes that just beg you to retire there! Finally, we headed over to the classic In-N-Out for dinner. That night we were craving chocolate and decided to grab something from the mini-bar. We picked a Toblerone. Jeremiah took the first bite and then I took a few bites and noticed the chocolate was waxy and not very flavorful. I looked at the expiration date and it said May '09! Ugh! We took it to the front desk and made sure they knew it was time to check the mini-bars. Which they decided to do the the next day while I was showering. Hey, at least they cared.

Day 3- 107 acres of San Diego Zoo + 85 degree weather. We took the zoo tour bus and walked around a couple hours and realized we had seen most of these animals before and decided to go shopping instead. It would be a great place for a child who is seeing animals of this sort for the first time, but as an adult it's hard to find it worth walking around. Plus, it is hard to see some of the animals here. We weren't super impressed.  So shopping and back to the hotel for room service topped off our evening :)

Day 4- San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Much better and easier to see the animals at this wide open safari/wildlife reserve. Here they breed and care for over 400 species, including endangered species, on over 1,800 acres of natural habitat.It was another warm sunny day and we took the tram safari around the park and got some better pictures than at the Zoo. Afterwards, we headed on to Newport Beach - our next destination. Jeremiah even let me drive this time, as he was either delirious from the heat or feeling brave ;) That night we drove down the road to Huntington Beach and walked down to the pier to eat at Ruby's. Delicioso!

Day 5- Let's drive to Santa Monica and LA! We slept in way too late, ate breakfast at Joe's Crabshack at noon, and went on our drive. Halfway there, in what is ALWAYS traffic, my stomach took a bad turn. We stopped at Trader Joe's, used the bathroom, got some healthy snacks, and kept going. Shortly after, just when I decided I needed to go back to the hotel, the traffic got so bad we couldn't go anywhere. So, we pulled off into a Taco Bell and decided to stay put, load me full of Rolaids, and chill in Santa Monica. I felt better after a bit so we did some more shopping in Santa Monica and then headed back to the hotel. And this is why I will NEVER want to live in SoCal. Stuck in traffic + needing to use a bathroom = panic setting in!

Day 6- Feeling better... but to be safe I ask if we can do our Magic Mountain portion of the trip the next day. My patient husband says yes, of course. So we take it easy, shop at Fashion Island, get Pink Berry, and have Pizza for dinner. Bad idea! After starting the trip with a cold and now having my stomach turn on me, I should have known better.

Day 7- Wake up with a stomach ache from the pizza, but decide to tough it out at Magic Mountain. Too bad I am not so tough. We made it through 2 rides and with me being able to eat nothing, and feeling so anxious from the nausea, I end up in tears and we decide to head back to Newport Beach. Bummer! My hubby then decided he needs to take better care of me and not let me eat crab at noon for breakfast and pizza at midnight. So, he orders me a healthy room service chicken sandwich and water for dinner. We then headed for ice cream later once we were sure my stomach could handle it (of course ice cream is always welcome in my tummy) and hung out at Bloomingdale's to comfort ourselves for a rough day had.

Day 8 - Beat the traffic, that is due to Obama's arrival into LAX, and get home. Mission Accomplished!

This was definitely the most eventful travel experience we have had together and I sure feel blessed to have a husband who puts his frustrations aside and helps me feel better! It sucked I was sick for this trip, but we definitely had a good time in the heat before we were ready to come home and relax from the traffic and illness plaguing me. I already look back on the trip with fond memories and laugh! We always get the .50 cent pennies with the pictures on them you make by cranking the wheel at various places and love getting room service :) We started our penny tradition on our honeymoon because we saw a cool Hawaiian penny and it looked like something funny to do. Might seem dorky, but it's something special we do together and I hope we continue it on with our babies one day. Who knows... maybe a few trips from now we will be toting one around ;)

"Ooh Daddy Like" Part 2

When I get excited about things I love I like to share them! There are so many options of items to buy or use out there, it can be a headache deciding. Online reviews can be helpful, but sometimes it's hard to know if you can trust them. That's why I like giving my own reviews and hope you'll trust me, since I am not affiliated with any brand/company. Here are some things you should try if you're in the market:

 In shower body lotion! Olay is the best! I have tried Gillette Satin Care as well, but prefer the smell and moisturizing abilities of Olay better. During the work week, I rarely wake up early enough to lotion my body after showering and hate putting on cold lotion that I then have to let dry. This stuff saves me so much time and lets me get warm in my clothes sooner. I am also able to slather it on in the shower and wash my hands off right there. No greasy lotion hands to re-wash after getting out or cold lotion to apply. Every girl should have some of this in her shower.

Staying in the world of moisturizers and grease free hands... I tend to have dry skin and my hands can get pretty bad in winter. However, I do not like the greasy feeling most hand lotions leave behind or how long they take to dry. I used to love the anti-bacterial hand lotion sold at Bath and Body Works because the alcohol in it allowed it to dry quickly, it had light moisturizing abilities, and killed germs. Then it disappeared. When I asked an employee a couple years ago why, she said the alcohol is too drying and blah blah blah. She tried to get me to buy that thick shea butter lotion everyone is obsessed with, but no thank you. I do not like that feeling on my hands and it never dries. Then if I touch my face or rest my chin in my hands I get greasy lotion on my face. Well this Christmas, while perusing B&B, lo and behold I see the anti-bacterial hand lotion is back! Why I don't know, but I was so excited! While, I know it's not for everyone, I love all the benefits it offers - light weight, quick drying, germ killing, and in your favorite scent. This is probably my favorite scent - Coconut Lime Verbena. Sends my thoughts to warmer sunnier places :)

Laugh if you will, but you won't be laughing after you try this! Jack Daniel's Pulled Chicken. There are also pork varieties available. However, make sure you buy it from Costco. It's the best deal! Safeway sells it for nearly the same price, but you only get 1 package and at Costco you get 2. This is such an easy and quick meal to make. Each package makes quite a few servings, as well. You can microwave or cook it in the oven and both turn out equally tasty!






"Priceline Negotiator!" I remember the first time Jeremiah and I used Priceline to get a hotel room for a weekend trip to Seattle. It was exciting waiting to see what the Shat had negotiated and we were pleasantly surprised. A 4-star hotel for less than $100! Now we use it all the time for smaller trips. We just used it for a hotel in SoCal and are very happy with the hotel and location. If you have never Pricelined before, it's very simple. You pick your location, price, enter you payment information, and voila! A message saying something to likes of , "Congratulations your price was accepted. Your hotel is______." appears. Your price won't always be accepted, but I have been surprised by the low amounts I enter assuming to be rejected, only to be congratulated with my offer. While you don't know the hotel you're getting until after you are charged, the excitement and feeling of getting a good deal can't beat with any other method of booking travel :)

Bad Review-

Usually you only hear about things people enjoy, but sometimes wonder about other options you've seen and are not sure what reviews you can trust. It's nice to read reviews of things people don't like so you can then you can decide if you want to take the chance of purchasing it. Therefore, I have included one review that reflects a product I was disappointed with:

I bought Cargo Texas Lash from Sephora not long ago because well... everything is bigger in Texas! I was hoping it would give me super sized Texas lashes full of volume and drama. While it wasn't the worst mascara I have ever used, I won't be buying it again. It was very clumpy and hard to get off, despite not being waterproof. First off, I don't have time to endlessly comb through my lashes every morning to remove all the clumps and while I enjoy a mascara that stays put, I was worried it was damaging and causing my lashes to fall out just trying to get it off. It may work for you, but didn't for me. Just a heads up if you want to try this mascara.

How To Be Beautiful

As a girl, I know what it's like to feel insecure at times. I love being reminded that looks aren't the only thing that demonstrate beauty. That's why I love all of these quotes below. Wouldn't it be great if we could all feel accepted for who we are and how we look? Who decides what we need to look like anyway? I know the media is the main culprit... but why do we let it be? God made each of us with his loving hand and it is really sad to think that the world judges people for how they look.

I am in the midst of trying to get braces... why? Because I feel I will look better with straight teeth, have a more beautiful smile, and ultimately be more respected. But sometimes I wonder what it would be like if no one cared about my teeth (before you say you don't care - don't tell me you haven't noticed them or they aren't that bad). If you didn't care about teeth and pretty smiles, would you have gotten braces? Just a thought...

How we ourselves look portrays to others how we might judge them. Ever think about that? It's what gets our minds playing the comparison game. While I don't think as humans we will ever stop playing it, it is nice be remindeed of what is truly important and to understand that we may do things to ourselves to fit in and look better, but please don't ever get too blinded to what's real and what's important. And NEVER get so shallow you miss out on seeing the beauty in everyone and everything :)

Enjoy the below quotes. Some silly, but all true in their own ways - in my opinion:

Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful; for beauty is God's handwriting - a wayside sacrament. Welcome it in every fair face, in every fair sky, in every fair flower, and thank God for it as a cup of blessing. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Remember that the most beautiful things in the world are the most useless; peacocks and lilies for instance. ~John Ruskin, The Stones of Venice, 1851

 You can take no credit for beauty at sixteen. But if you are beautiful at sixty, it will be your soul's own doing. ~Marie Stopes

 I'm tired of all this nonsense about beauty being only skin-deep. That's deep enough. What do you want - an adorable pancreas? ~Jean Kerr, The Snake Has All the Lines

 Beauty is indeed a good gift of God; but that the good may not think it a great good, God dispenses it even to the wicked. ~Saint Augustine

 Adoration of fools is bad for the soul. No, give me a ruined complexion and a lost figure and sixteen chins on a farmyard of Crow's feet and an obvious wig. Then you shall see me coming out strong. ~George Bernard Shaw, to Mrs. Patrick Campbell

 Beauty isn't worth thinking about; what's important is your mind. You don't want a fifty-dollar haircut on a fifty-cent head. ~Garrison Keillor

 “Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes clean to the bone” ~Dorothy Parker

 “People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.” ~Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

March Recipe Of The Month

I made these cookies for Fat Tuesday (what better reason?) and they were super yummy, as suspected ;) I totally recommend you make them too! Please note, this is not my recipe and is from pickypalate.com. One of my favorite food bloggers! Check out her sight! She comes up with the most unique and mouth watering treats!

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks softened butter
3/4 Cup packed light brown sugar
1 Cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla
3 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
10 oz bag chocolate chips
1 bag Oreo Cookies, I used the double stuff

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.   In a stand or electric mixer cream butter and sugars until well combined.  Add in eggs and vanilla until well combined.
2.  In a separate bowl mix the flour, salt and baking soda.  Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips until just combined.  Using a cookie scoop take one scoop of cookie dough and place on top of an Oreo Cookie.  Take another scoop of dough and place on bottom of Oreo Cookie.  Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand until Oreo Cookie is enclosed with dough.  Place onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and bake cookies 9-13 minutes or until cookies are baked to your liking.  Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.  Serve with a tall glass of milk, enjoy!

Makes about 2 dozen VERY LARGE Cookies

Oh Yeah, I Have A Blog

To the one person who may read my blog:

I am so bad at finding time to blog. Blogging has not been one of my priorities lately. I have pictures to post and recipes to blog, but just can't find time; nor do I want to spend hours blogging. I don't think anyone really reads this, so I have not been concerned about keeping up my blog. If you do like to read my blog, feedback is alway great. It keeps me motivated! Let me know what you like seeing or don't and I will do better at blogging! Well, just wanted to keep in touch. For now, I will say good-bye. I have some Monster Quest to watch and a book to read.

<3