We Have Been....

 Right when school got out we packed up the minivan and headed out.  And now we are back and I'm feeling as if summer is already over.  Agghh.  I think it's just the amount of unpacking I still have to do.

Our first stop: Chattanooga.  We stop there every year and check out something different each time.  This year we went to the Tennessee Aquarium.  They have a building that is a river journey and a different one that is the ocean journey.  Both have lots to see.  Here the girls are at the sting ray tank waiting for one to breeze by.  Fun stuff.

Next we stopped in Indianapolis for a visit with their cousins. At some point on every visit they end up dressing up, acting crazy, and modeling for us.

Wisconsin wins the award for the most large animal statues.  This one, a particularly
 angry chicken,  was in the parking lot of a diner.  You can see the large cow in the distance.  Honestly, there are several animals on the road from Milwaukee to St. Paul.  Apparently, it's their thing.  And yes, there is also a giant cheese.

I attended my 20th reunion while I was home.  It was a lot of fun to see old friends.  We had a graduating class of a little less than 200 and almost all of us had lived in South St. Paul all our lives.  The kids you went to kindergarten with were the kids you graduated with.  Just say we all know each other pretty well.  My good friends and I had to go out the night before so we could spend time with other people the next night.  There's just too much to talk about!

The following day we had to get all of our kids together.  They had a blast.  The girls way outnumbered the boys.  Hopefully they will grow up knowing each other, even if they see each other once a year.  It's great to have out-of-state friends.

That gets us through the first week.  Part 2 to come...

What's Been Up

 Singing the National Anthem at another softball game.

Attending an 80's party.

Emma as "Chip" in Beauty and the Beast

A first birthday cake I made for a special boy!

Chocolate Beet Cake Update

I'm sure you are on the edge of your seat, waiting on an update on the Dark Chocolate Beet Cake.  I hope I didn't cause any sleepless night from you wondering what had become of it.

I made this cake last Saturday.  It is now Friday and there is one piece remaining (it normally wouldn't make it this long but it was Teacher Appreciation Week this week and I got a lot of tasty treats).  It has been in the refrigerator under a cake dome all week and it's STILL moist and delicious.  Just thought you should know.

Excuse me, while I go take care of this....

Dark Chocolate Beet Cake

I am headed into 6 weeks of craziness.  There is not going to be any time for baking, blogging, reading, or cleaning (I wish).  I am using this weekend to get ahead on anything that I can.  I made meal plans for the next few weeks and the beets in my refrigerator didn't quite fit in (nobody is a fan but me).  I couldn't let them go to waste and because I won't be baking any time soon, I thought I'd make a cake I pinned a while back.  Chocolate Beet Cake by VeggieBelly. 

I'll let you go look at the recipe over at her place but here are a few of my pictures with some notes you might find helpful.  While cooking the beets the recipe said that the liquid should be gone after cooking but I had plenty of liquid left over. I drained it off and will add it to my morning smoothie.  It's the most beautiful red (sweet tasting, too). 

I love recipes where all the ingredients can be weighed.  It just easier that way and everything is ready to go. 

Isn't the beat puree awesome??  The recipe said that it took about 3-4 large beets to get 300 grams.  I had 3 beets and it was more than double what the recipe called for.  I saved the extra puree to add to Scarlett's apple sauce.  I think she'll dig the red if I don't add too much to change the taste.  If she won't go for it I can add that to my smoothies too.

The recipe called for a 10 inch cake pan but I used a 9 inch.  The baking time was a little longer and I probably could have left it in another minute or two.  I would much rather have a moist cake than a dry one and I find there is a fine line there.  I think my cooking time was 38 minutes.


 

I love a good ganache.  I didn't have heavy cream and not even enough half and half.  I ended up using half and half and 2% milk and only making about half the amount of ganache in the original recipe.  There was still tons left over which I will most likely eat by the spoonful right out of the jar.

If I waited to top it until the cake was completely cool I would have used more but I couldn't do it.  I had it on the cooling rack about 5 minutes before frosting it.   The recipe also says to let the ganache set before serving.  If letting the ganache set for 22 seconds counts (the time it took me to lick off the spatula), then I nailed that step.

The cake is incredibly moist and so very chocolaty, like a mud cake  I could taste a little beet because I obviously knew it was there.  My daughter just read this post over my shoulder and cannot believe I fed her beet cake.  She had no idea.  I haven't told anyone else and I made her promise she couldn't either.  It might kill her. She has this nervous laugh when she is holding something back and I'm thinking that the secret will be out as soon as anyone attempts to take a slice.  

**UPDATE**

This cake is so much better cooled the day after (I put it in the refrigerator because of the ganache). Absolutely no trace of beet.  Just one rich and chocolaty cake that is even good cold. 

This might be my go-to chocolate cake!

 

I love telling my peeps AFTER they eat something what they just ate.  I have been known to try some strange recipes and if they know beets are involved I know there will be no takers.   I really cannot afford to eat this entire cake by myself, although I can't help but think that it's a health food with all that beet (and all that sugar??)!  Maybe it will freeze well...I can ration it out over the next six weeks.

Go ahead and try this one!  You will be pleased!

And just to make you laugh....a picture of my youngest. 
This completely captures her true essence.

Gardening!

The one hobby that I have gotten rid of because of the the added work days this year is gardening.  I love to garden but there just isn't enough time in the day.  There was a huge sale on plants and soil so I finally gave in.  I spend a good deal of my weekend preparing the bed and then connecting a drip irrigation system that I purchased a few years ago but had never installed.   

Here is my blueberry bush that the girls have named Blue Baby.  I also planted watermelon (worth a shot), orange peppers and several varieties of tomatoes.   I have three larger beds on the other side of the house but I know I won't have time for that much.  I'm keeping it simple.

You can kind of see the irrigation system.  It works so well!  While I was at it I dug around, laid weed fabric, and mulched my three citrus trees.  They are finally producing fruit (because I finally fertilized and watered them).  Let's hope it doesn't get too hot too soon and fry all my plants!  I also hope that the squirrels stay away long enough for us to get some of the harvest.  They are my main garden pest.

Any garden aspirations this year?