failures and successes

Unfortunately, I ruined a lovely flourless chocolate cake the other night. This recipe looked so scrumptous and simple that I wanted it...BAD. We were having a little dinner party with some friends, and I knew I wouldn't have time to make a dessert the night of, and the recipe said it would be better the second night. So, I made it and as you can tell it started wonderfully!

(I do apologize that the picture is wrong sided)

But, something went terribly wrong. The apartment started filling with smoke and the smell was all wrong. I went over and over what I did wrong, why was butter EVERYWHERE?



Finally, thanks to my logical husband, we've decided it was because I used a cake pan that's bottom pops out. I've never made a flourless cake so it didn't occur to me that butter would ooze its way out. I was, needless to say, very disappointed. I mean the chocolate and butter alone were quite expensive, I hate to waste food, and it should have been really, really yummy. If nothing else, what would my dessert be? Well, I refused to bake anything, thus...

Strawberries and Creme with mint garnish

The strawberries were so good (I'm reading Snow Falling on Cedars, and they talk about strawberry picking so much I was craving them anyway). The creme is very simple:

1 pint whipping creme

2/3 cup sugar

couple drops of vanilla

pinch o salt

mint to garnish

Happily, the mint was from my handsome husband's porch garden, and I dipped a few strawberries in chocolate for extra fun.

Also, our lovely new friends brought us a beautiful magnolia flower which looks lovely in a crystal bowl we were given that I've never used. I often think the simpliest center pieces are the best. Interestingly, if I'd planned the wedding I wanted this would have been my center piece. Can you imagine the devine fragrance of the room!! So, good.

On a final note and picture for the day, my puppy is turning into a big dog. He graduated from trainging classes and has almost all is adult teeth, they grow up so fast. hehe