Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Day Twenty-Seven

Chocolate...Need I say more!

I love to bake more than I love to cook.  Don't get me wrong cooking is also something I enjoy when I have the time to think it out and plan for new or fun recipes.  However the other side of me HATES to cook because you rush to get it all done because everyone is hungry (yourself included) and then everyone gobbles it up and you rarely get a Thanks, or that was good.  What you do get it dirty dishes and a mess.  I love to try out new recipes but hate to cook things I have cooked over and over.  Once I have tried the recipe the excitement is gone.

Baking is another story because baking is just about always planned ahead and most times baking is done for special occasions.  Baking to me is like a chance to get to mix up a little love for the special people in your life.  Which is probably the main reason I will never bring a baked dish to a mass function.  To those types of things I would bring potato salad, cole slaw, or some other side dish.  Baking is reserved in my world for holidays, birthdays, or when you think someone just needs a little boost.

Today I got to bake a chocolate sheet cake for Aaron's birthday.  It was a recipe from none other than the pioneer woman of course.  I, or I should say we, have enjoyed every one of her recipes so far (that we have tried...the list is growing).  Tomorrow night I am trying out her meatloaf which is Aaron's favorite.  Well it's right up there with spaghetti but I don't mess with my spaghetti recipe because Aaron says it is better than any he has ever had in a restaurant.  I think I make a pretty mean meatloaf as well because even my sister who hates meatloaf will eat my meatloaf.  That being said as you remember from earlier in my post, I LOVE trying new recipes.  That's a weird little thing about me.  I LOVE trial and error and troubleshooting so new recipes are great for that.  Especially if you are like me and are almost ALWAYS missing at least one ingredient needed.  I have even had to use ground flax seed in place of eggs...who knew that would be possible.

So back to today and the wonderfullness (I know not a real word) that is CHOCOLATE.  You know the saying that diamonds are a girls best friend well, we lied.  We just didn't want to admit that we are really head over heals about chocolate.  That we would eat chocolate and nothing but chocolate if given the chance and of course if it didn't mean we would gain an ungodly amount of weight.  Ugh, chocolate truly is sinful to tempt us with gluttony.

Now so that you can feel my pain as I willed myself to NOT lick the bowl I give you this.


and this...




...painful isn't it


now the finished product...this I got to eat.  Yum Yum



Now I know that one of the absolute best parts of childhood is licking the spoon (or in this case spatula).  My little Skinny Minny can lick all the spoons she wants.


and yes I let my child fill herself will chocolaty goodness because one, she had already ate her lunch so no meals to be spoiled here.  Two, there were no raw eggs because this spatula was used to make the icing and Three, because what good Mother doesn't let their child lick the spoon.  I think as a child that was the one and only reason I LOVED to help bake.

Now after looking at all of this chocolate I could really go for a large cup of coffee.  Hmmm...probably not the best idea considering it's after 11pm.  Guess I will have to hold that craving off until the morning when I will need it to give myself an extra boost to get my camera out before heading to school.