So - summer came and I got distracted, sorry.
But let me tell you - I am loving every minute of it!
Playing sports, grilling, going to the beach, summer is the time for fun, sun and friends!

That said, I do realized that I am fully neglecting you. But that is going to change today!
See, my boss gave me the day off today, which is wonderful! Only problem is, no one else's boss gave them the day off. So I have lot of free time and no excuse not to cook up something delicious!

I am thinking a few hours at the beach should be enough time to think up something...

Ok - so I wrote this wonderful long post about a giant snow storm we had here in Chicago, and the fabulous loaf of bread that I made with it - but that was months ago now, and officially posted it. So, if you see something about a storm and bread in a few weeks - it is brand new material! I promise! (insert "fingers crossed" emotocon here... do they even have one of those?)

So for a long while now I had been looking for an excuse to try out a Chocolate Guinness Cake recipe I found on Nigella.com. I found it - St. Patrick's day!

I wanted to give you a few pointers... the first one is to be sure to use a big enough pot to mix this all in... once you add the flour and baking soda, the whole thing triples in size. Secondly, make sure to mix the baking soda in with your flour before you mix it into the Chocolate gooyness. I tried to cut corners and it almost blew up in my face... literally. Mind you this wouldn't have been a problem if I had had a bigger pan.

So, one last thing, I forgot to take a photo. Yes, I know. I was so excited to bite in that I didn't realize the fact the last minute when I had already started packing the 'leftovers' to bring to the office. Sorry, you should check out Nigella's photo - it's a beautiful cake! (Link at the bottom or the page.)

Enough talking, here is the recipe:

FOR THE CAKE

• 250ml Guinness
• 250g unsalted butter
• 75g cocoa
• 400g caster sugar
• 1 x 142ml pot sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon real vanilla extract
• 275g plain flour
• 2 1/2teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

FOR THE TOPPING:

• 300g Philadelphia cream cheese
• 150g icing sugar
• 125ml double or whipping cream

Method

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180°C, and butter and line a 23cm springform tin.
2. Pour the Guinness into a large wide saucepan, add the butter - in spoons or slices - and heat until the butter's melted, at which time you should whisk in the cocoa and sugar. Beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla and then pour into the brown, buttery, beery pan and finally whisk in the flour and bicarb.
3. Pour the cake batter into the greased and lined tin and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Leave to cool completely in the tin on a cooling rack, as it is quite a damp cake.
4. When the cake's cold, sit it on a flat platter or cake stand and get on with the icing. Lightly whip the cream cheese until smooth, sieve over the icing sugar and then beat them both together. Or do this in a processor, putting the unsieved icing sugar in first and blitz to remove lumps before adding the cheese.
5. Add the cream and beat again until it makes a spreadable consistency. Ice the top of the black cake so that it resembles the frothy top of the famous pint.

Serves: Makes about 12 slices

Recipe posted by Nigella: http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/chocolate-guinness-cake-3086

Sunday morning; it's cloudy, dark and cold outside.
Or at least it looks cold.
The trembling trees outside make you shiver just looking at them!
You sleep in until your stomach growls.
It growls so much you no longer can hear your dreams.
OK: time for food.
Now if you are anything like me,
There is never anything 'yummy' left in the house by Sunday morning.
Yes, you STILL need to go grocery shopping.
But first: Breakfast!

Thanks to Joy the Baker, I actually have a scone recipe that makes wonderful light and fluffy scones - EVERY TIME! And it only take a half hour to make (probably less time if you are fully awake but who is fully awake on a Sunday morning before they have had coffee anyway? Besides my over takes that long to heat up anyway.) For me the best thing about this recipe is that is is small, and can be modified to use whatever is in your cupboard. I personally substitute the yogurt (with a teaspoon of white vinegar in it) for the buttermilk, and since I don't keep unsalted butter in my house, I use salted and just don't add the 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
Pair this with a nice coffee, latte or cup of blood orange black tea (yummy) and you have a perfect start to a lazy Sunday morning!

Orange and Dark Chocolate Buttermilk Scones
(makes six-eight scones)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons orange zest
2 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (only if using unsalted butter)
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold buttermilk (or plain yogurt or milk with a dash of vinegar)
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (or anything else you may have in your cupboard including nuts, cranberries, etc.)

Place rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, orange zest, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. I use my fingers to rub the butter and dry ingredients together. In another bowl, combine egg yolk and buttermilk and beat lightly with a fork.  Add to flour mixture all at once, stirring enough to make a soft dough. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Turn out onto a floured board and knead about 15 times. Roll or pat out into a 1-inch thickness. Cut into 4 large or 6 small squares. Place on prepared baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees F for 12-15 minutes. These are best when serve immediately but last a few days in sealed tupperware once fully cooled.

(Thanks to Joy the Baker for this delightful recipe!)

Boredom.
I need something else to do.
I am not talking about something to do on my Friday nights,
that would be laundry.
What?! It is the only time our laundry room is empty!

I am talking about something to inspire me.

Yeah, I know that I technically told my friends I am starting this to inspire others but let's face it;
we all have our secret, aka selfish, reason for doing things also.
And let me tell you, I find nothing wrong with that!
It means you are that much more motivated and enthused to do it!

So here I am.
Starting something new with the new year.
(It's still January I can say that!)

This is my place to share inspirations, creations, failures, fun finds, recipes, stories and so much more.
This is my place to rant, rave and my favorite: ramble...

Enjoy!