Amazing Flourless Chocolate Cake

I was celebrating my friend Jess's birthday on Saturday night and her Mom was kind enough to make a beautiful cake to serve for dessert at the restaurant. Now, I was already excited about this because she made a birthday cake for Jess's party last year, and that cake was delicious.

Well, this year's cake was even better! It's called Chocolate Idiot Cake (yes, really, thats what it's called). It is a simple flourless chocolate cake that has an incredibly strong chocolate flavor without being too sweet, which is perfect for chocolate lovers. With only 4 ingredients, it is also very simple to make, hence the "idiot" part.

The recipe (and these photos!) is from Food.com

One of the things that I like about this cake is how nice and flat it is. It's perfect for decorating if you wanted to dress up the top a bit. Jess's Mom decorated her cake with walnuts and a raspberry coulis that she drizzled on top of the cake. You could also do a light whipped cream or white icing from a tube if you needed to write someone's name on it.

Here are a couple of recipes for sauces that would compliment the richness of the chocolate.

Raspberry Sauce from Ina Garten

Whipped Cream from Alton Brown

Creme Anglaise Ice Cream from Ina Garten

The recipe says that you can store the cake in the refrigerator for 3-5 days, which is great because you can easily make this a day ahead for a dinner party. Another bonus: It's gluten free! Perfect for our friends who normally miss out on cake.

A Hint of Spring

We still have a few more days of February and March in Boston can be very hit or miss, but, at my Mom's house this weekend I started to see signs of spring.

Daffodils have always been a favorite of my Mom's, and in the last couple of years, they have become a favorite of mine as well. They are super simple to arrange and they look beautiful once they bloom. The great things about them is the fact that they are one of the first spring flowers that become available. When you see the daffodils come out, you know spring is coming.

These daffodils are from Dublin and my Mom trimmed the stems and place them in one of her favorite "vases", a ceramic set of yellow rain boots.

Isn't it adorable? It goes so well with a casual spring flower like daffodils. She has had this vase for several years. I believe that she bought it from the garden shop at Wilson Farm in Lexington, Massachusetts. I have seen similar vases since then, but none of them have been as good in quality as the one my Mom has. I'm actually thinking about going back to the same shop and seeing if I can get one for myself.

So daffodils mean spring to me. What reminds you that spring is on its way?

Oscar Fashion Top Picks

I love movies as much as the next person, but the best part of the Oscars isn't the awards, it's the red carpet. Most people tune in to watch the show from 8 till 11 p.m. while I am hovered over my computer from 6-8 p.m. trying to get constant red carpet fashion updates. 

These are my top picks for the evening:

Jennifer Lawrence in Dior

I generally do not like the big pouffy dress on the red carpet, but this Dior won me over. The fabric is amazing and the fit is just right. 

Naomi Watts in Armani Prive

I normally am not a fan of the two different shoulder styles look, but I really like this one, maybe because the fit is perfect on top. The sparkle is lovely as well.

Reese Witherspoon in Louis Vuitton

I love the black and blue here and I think the fit is great. I am in love with the hair as well.

Making Bread and Rolls

Growing up, my grandmother always made all her dinner rolls from scratch with a recipe that she has been using for more than 50 years. My Mom has five kids so she in an effort to save time, she would buy her dinner rolls from Lyndell's Bakery, a local bakery that has been around since 1887, and then reheat them in the oven.

I love my grandmother's rolls and there is something about freshly baked bread that feels comforting. I have never tried to make an actual loaf of bread, but I do enjoy making rolls and biscuits.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Popovers from Barefoot Contessa

Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits

Easy Floral Arrangements

I have always loved flowers, but until recently, I never took the time to learn how to arrange them. It is so much less expensive to create your own arrangements for everyday and events like a dinner party or cocktail gathering.

I am actually thinking about taking a class here in Boston. They offer 1-day workshop classes at Twig and at the Rittners School of Floral Design. Many towns that offer adult education classes will feature a class on floral arrangements as well. If you are interested, it would be worth looking into.

I have been finding a lot of step-by-step floral arrangement pictures and articles on Pinterest as well. Here are some of the ones that I thought looked good.

Tulip Bowl Arrangement

Going Beyond Traditional Lasagna

Lately, I have been coming across all kinds of lasagna recipes that go beyond red sauce and mozzarella cheese and I have been saving them all because they look amazing.

I have always been a fan of traditional lasagna, but I think it's great to update a classic, especially with such cold winter weather. Lasagna is great for a cozy, home-cooked dinner.

Creamy White Chicken and Artichoke Lasagna

 Celery Root and Mushroom Lasagna

Top Picks from New York Fashion Week

I have always been a big fashion week follower, so naturally I spent the majority of last week on Style.com keeping up with the shows.

These are a few of my favorite looks from the New York shows.

Monique Lhuillier

 Ralph Lauren

Marc Jacobs

Happy President's Day!

I hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend.

I apologize for the break in posts this past week. I had an accident and spent most of the week in bed.

Tune in tomorrow for post on my favorite looks from New York Fashion Week.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day Peeps!

Attached or not, a glass of good champagne and chocolates are in order.

You can find the Moet at your nearest liquor store...

...And these lovely hand made chocolates are from EH Chocolatier

Bottoms Up!

Valentine's Day for the Single Girl

Valentine's Day is one of those holidays that can be pretty depressing for those of us who are single, and it's easy to see why.

 If you are one of those people, you have three options:

Ignore the whole day and act like there is no holiday to celebrate

Spend your whole day pissed off and upset

Treat yourself and someone you love (it can be anyone) to a small gift, nice dinner, or a sweet treat

When I have been single on February 14th, I like to choose the third option. My Mom is pretty laid back about celebrating Valentine's Day with my Dad. They both call it a "Hallmark Holiday." That doesn't seem to stop her from celebrating the day with all her daughters and grandchildren. She always sends out cards and usually gives us a little something like some nice chocolates or a cute pair of underwear. 

I take comfort in knowing that I always have a special Valentine in my Mom. It makes the holiday special, whether I am attached to someone or not.

Does anyone else do this?