recipe: chocolate mayonaise cake

I wanted to start off this week in the sweetest way possible so take a look at this pretty little birthday cake. It tastes just as good as it {hopefully} looks and was a great surprise for my brother's birthday the other week. The recipe is from the April 2010 issue of Bon Appétit and can be found here.
Special note: I adjusted the recipe a little bit to make two small 3-layer cakes.

{cutting the domes off for even layering}

{trying to ice like a pro..it's surprisingly hard!}
I know it may sound weird to put mayonnaise in a cake but it replaces the oil and gives the cake an incredibly moist texture. It's seriously a great birthday cake and the frosting is amazing..full of lots of yummy butter. If you make it you're just going to have to overlook the health factor ;)

Sigh now my mouth is watering!

Happy Monday!!



P.S. I'm drawing the two winners tonight at 11:59 {and 52 seconds} so this is your last chance to enter the giveaway! {Although if you enter at 11:59:54 I miiight let it slide!}

an EGGcellent easter

I hope everyone who celebrated had a lovely Easter weekend! These past four days were fun, but so busy with non-stop cooking, cleaning, and washing & drying dishes. My brother came down for his birthday on Thursday so we had a little party with the family that night and then Saturday Matthew's parents came up from San Diego for dinner and to go to Easter Vigil mass {first time they met my parents and it went well!!}. We were running out of time to dye eggs so late Saturday night we got to it! We had to have them ready for a little party on Sunday afternoon.

hm maybe brown eggs weren't the best idea! They definitely didn't dye as well but I still thought some of the colors turned out nicely. While we are not the most professional Easter egg dyers {I still have dye on my hands although I tried to use gloves} we did manage to pull off some happy faces, hearts, and suns!

Any tips for next year?
xox


P.S. Come back tomorrow for something exciting!!

happy 21st little brother!

Anthony is my favorite brother! He's also my only one and I wouldn't have it any other way. Looking through all my old pictures of him got me a little nostalgic for the good ol' days of us being little kids and goofing off. I sure miss this guy now that he's up in Santa Cruz but lucky for us he's flying down this evening to celebrate!

Halloween '93 with Dad..Vampire Jasmine and Pirate?

With our "Uncle" Jon in '93

Birthday '96

Getting coffee before seeing a band in '05

'07

Lake Tahoe '04

'05

I love you brother! You've really been the best. I couldn't have asked for a better brother, best friend, or partner in crime. Thanks for introducing me to new bands, letting me watch all my favorite shows, always being the first to compromise, sharing all our inside jokes, making me laugh, teaching me more about photography, being on my side about the whole we-need-a-dog-asap plan, and just being you. I wouldn't change a thing {except I do think you need a haircut right now!} juuust kidding love you!

xox
your sister!


P.S. Thank you everyone for all your kind words yesterday. They gave me some much needed encouragement and comfort. You're all so amazing!

visiting anthony.

Driving back down after Presidents' Day Weekend Matthew and I stopped to see my brother Anthony. He's a Junior at UC Santa Cruz and we are really close. I miss him so much now that I'm home and he's away. We got some pizza at Pizza My Heart {lovingly referred to as PMH}.


Brother captured Matthew checking my teeth for food..thanks



Isn't my brother just the cutest? I can't believe he's turning 21 in a little over a month! I still think of him as this little guy! And this one! Sigh I want to be a kid again!

the kids' table

Over the weekend I replaced my dome-shaped iMac {circa 2000} with a new iMac {21 inch screen of beauty!}. I came across these old pictures of me and my brother Anthony. While the quality isn't that great I love seeing my same house..just with more toys! It's weird to be home without my little brother. Isn't his bowl-cut haircut just the cutest?

gutter balls

While my brother Anthony and I may look like bowling champs..sadly we're not. {Ok maybe I'm just the bad one}. Anthony came to my work's holiday party on Tuesday night and we bowled a couple rounds {sets, games? idk}. Maybe I just need to practice more regularly..and that doesn't mean by watching The Big Lebowski.

{I got a gutter ball..can you tell?}

Today we're having a little Secret Santa party at work and I'm pretty excited! I love surprises!

Happy Friday {and one week until Christmas}!!

walnut grove, pt. 2 and san francisco

Here are the final pictures from my Thanksgiving weekend. Isn't my Aunt and Uncle's house beautiful? It is even more gorgeous on the inside. I can't wait to decorate my own house one day! And if I have a Victorian home? Even better!

{Thanksgiving picture with my brother Anthony}

{Emma's brother Max playing with my iPhone}

Friday we went to SF and met up with my godmother Susie. We went to the Richard Avedon exhibit at the MOMA, ate lunch in South Park, shopped at Jeremy's {my fav}, and ate the most delicious cupcakes I've ever had in my life..and trust me I've had a lot!! Plus we went to some amazing restaurants, like Boulevard!

 

phew long post! Just looking at these pictures make me miss the beautiful Bay Area..and crave another chocolate ganache cupcake with caramel and sea salt {uh..YUM!}

I'm so excited about this weekend. I'm going Christmas shopping..trying not to procrastinate like I do every year! And tomorrow night I'm going to Matthew's work's holiday party! It's at the Petersen Automotive Museum and includes hors d'oeuvres, rolling dim sum cart, 3 food stations themed to the car galleries and desserts, photo booths, DJ, and an open bar. Woo hoo! Plus I'm wearing this gorgeous Elizabeth + James dress that I got last weekend on sale at Jeremy's! So ridiculously excited!!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

xox

walnut grove, ca

Here are the pictures Anthony and I took over Thanksgiving in Walnut Grove.

{Anthony and I wearing our Aunt and Uncle's "walking" shoes}

 

 

{apple trees}

It is always so nice to spend time in this beautiful place where my Dad grew up. Imagine running around in these fields as a child! How fun!