Adventures in Chop Sticks

We had Chinese food for dinner tonight and it came with chop sticks. We decided to let the kids try the chop sticks. It was interesting.....and a little funny...and very cute. But then, they are my kids so I am always amused when they learn something new. After a while, Jacob gave up and just started stabbing his food with one stick. While Jessica, used her hands to but the food on the stick and slurp it off.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Pineapple upside down cake...never made it before, or eaten it for that matter. I'm not a big fan of fruit on my cake. My husband, however, loves this kind of cake. Matter of fact, it's his favorite. So, I decided to give it a try. Came out pretty good, and tasty too. Not to mention, this was a very easy cake to make. I don't know why I thought it was going to be hard. You can't tell from the picture, but I made it in a heart pan, just for Valentines day.

Fresh salsa, without jalapeno hands

I love fresh salsa! I don't know many people who don't. It is so much better then the canned stuff. The only problem with making fresh salsa is cutting the jalapenos. Those oils stay on your hands forever. God forbid you touch your eyes anytime that week. Or any where else for that matter.

Anyway, I have found a solution to my fresh salsa problem. Tastefully Simple! They have this wonderful Simply Salsa mix. All you need is a can of diced tomatoes and a 1/4 cup of this mix. Throw both items in a bowl and set in the fridge for at least an hour. Voila! Fresh salsa, and you didn't even have to peel an onion.

Wanna get some? go here-http://www.facebook.com/l/fba60;www.tastefullysimple.com/web/jhabra

Triple Chocolate Cake

Triple Chocolate Cake...Heaven on a plate...no really, it is.

Chocolate cake recipe from Better Homes, creamy dreamy chocolate mousse from Tastefully Simple, and chocolate ganache, also, from Better Homes cookbook. I wasn't able to get the beautiful smooth texture from the ganache, but it didn't matter. It was so good. Very rich and creamy. I made this for a bridal shower and it was a huge hit.

Cappuccino Cupcakes

Cappuccino Cupcakes cooling. The recipe said to use ramekins. Next time I will make them into a layer cake or use regular cupcake tins. These are a little sticky to not have a paper liner. Not to mention, they bubbled all over the ramekins and onto the sheet pan. This wasn't to big a problem, as I just ate up all the yummy cupcake bits.

The coffee creme. So yummy!

The finished product. Oh my, these are awesome!! If you like coffee flavor, these will knock your socks off! I found the recipe in my Kitchenaid Best Loved Recipes cookbook. I can't wait to make these again. I will, however, change up a few things. You'll just have to wait and see.

Who doesn't like to lick the bowl?

Who doesn't like to lick the bowl or the beaters? Anyone? Yeah, I didn't think so.

My kids love when I bake because they get the bowls and beaters. As you can see, they really get every last chocolaty goodness. Of course, sometimes they have to fight mommy for the bowl. ;-)

Chocolate Cake

This is my very first totally homemade cake. I have always used a box mix, but I really wanted to see if I could make a yummy cake from scratch. Turns out... I can! This chocolaty delight, was better then any box cake. I also made chocolate cream cheese frosting to go on top. This cake was for my husband, Jason's, birthday. He really liked it, I don't think he will ever let me buy a cake again. LOL