My baby turned 2!

Saturday, amidst listening to news about the earthquake in Chile, we celebrated Nico's 2nd birthday.

Actually, the celebrations began the evening before with the licking of the cake-batter beaters. Can you tell we went with the chocolate cake? (funny story on that decision later)







Can you tell there was whisky in the batter?

Just kidding, there wasn't, but it looks like it.


This is what we had for dinner (pot roast) courtesy of P-dub. It was very good, but my hubs says the one I made a few months ago from America's Test Kitchen was better. We should have a duel, so we know for sure.

Have I ever mentioned how much I love my Le Creuset dutch oven?


I made the chocolate cake (which I should mention was more brownie like in consistency than I was expecting/wanting... I mean, it was very good, very rich, very chocolaty, but it was dense and heavy and had that kind of crust you get on brownies that I had to cut off. I will also add that I learned a very valuable lesson: when a recipe says that it makes 2 10-inch cake rounds, DO NOT fill two 9-inch cake pans--it does not bode well for the oven.)

I made the raspberry filling, which went very well with the intense chocolate of the cake. But I decided that the chocolate ganache frosting was probably an overkill on the chocolate-ness (gasp--but true) and decided instead to go with a simple cream cheese frosting.

Naturally, I did not have any cream cheese. I called my friend down the street who was coming over later for cake and asked if she had any (don't you love neighbors like that?) She didn't have cream cheese, but said she had cream cheese frosting. I said: "Like a can of already-made frosting?" Yes. "Hmm, I'll let you know if I need it."

If I make a box cake (which I rarely do) I can do canned frosting (is it called a can? it doesn't sound right.) If I am making a cake from scratch, it has to be ALL home-made. That is just the way it goes. (This is the friend who thinks I am a cake-snob. I am not, but I do take cake very seriously if I am making it.)

So I sent hubs to the store (isn't he sweet to do my bidding even though we are at each other's throats lately?--THAT is love folks!)

The cream cheese frosting was a good choice and mixed well with the other ingredients. I sparsely decorated it with a few fresh raspberries... I would have put more on there, but half of my berries disappeared mysteriously as they dried innocently on the counter.

This is what the cake looked like.


Here is my birthday boy!