Frosting for the Cause...

Frosting?! Yes please! I'm in.
Sharing something sweet with others? You know I'm in.
Help bring awareness to cancer impacting women? I'm sooooo in.

I'm so blessed to able to be a guest today at Frosting For The cause. And am so touched by my introduction by Paula...a heartfelt thank you Paula for all you do in baking for a difference.

She started a site where each day  in 2011 bakers/decorators and bloggers from across Canada and the United States are taking turns guest posting. Once a day, every day for a year...wow!   Guest bloggers bake and share their recipe, donate to an organization that  is working toward a cure for women's cancers, and share their frosted goodies with a woman's hospice, hospital or supporting organization. .By the end of the year  over nine thousand dollars would have been raised for research into these diseases. So glad to have been a part of this sweetness....

The "ingredients" for Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcakes with Raspberry Frosting  are at frostingforthecause.com

Peanut Butter Pie

On my self enabled break after work last night, that break after work and before the many things I should be tackling at home, I was perusing food blogs -- one of the things I sometimes do to destress and declutter my mind from the fullness of an especially busy workday. Last night's experience was different though, something stopped me in my tracks and everywhere I looked there were photos of peanut butter pies...and with them an outpouring of love that left a huge lump in my throat.

There are many things in life that make us pause and think about the people in our lives who we love so dearly. And how important it is to cherish every moment.  Our family experienced that recently.  I don't know Jennie, but my heart is breaking for her -- her husband Mikey passed away suddenly and I am so incredibly touched by her love for her husband and the warmth and support being offered to her...the show of love in something as simple as a Peanut Butter Pie in hundreds of blogs around the world.

in her blog, she said
"... I kept telling myself I would make it for him tomorrow. Time has suddenly stood still, though, and I'm waiting to wake up and learn to live a new kind of normal. For those asking what they can do to help my healing process, make a peanut butter pie this Friday and share it with someone you love. Then hug them like there's no tomorrow because today is the only guarantee we can count on."

Whiteonricecouple.com says it so well, and they shared a video that is incredibly touching ...you can watch their video here.

I pray that the many tributes being shared, along with the love help to bring healing to Jennie...and that it reminds us to hug those we love like there is no tomorrow.

Cake experimentation

So when my sister asked me to help make a birthday cake for my adorable nephew and his wife, I went right into research mode. Those of you who know me aren't too surprised about that now are you? :) It was to be a carrot cake, no nuts thank you. So off to the web and fellow blogger sites I went....and to my sweet chef of course.  I think I found "the recipe" to try, with wonderful additions such as pureed pineapple, what a fun experiment in the works. But  the request soon changed. "Can you make a Tres Leches cake instead?" Yes! (well I'll try).  I've been wanting to make one for a very long time.  

 

First of all, here is that adorable nephew of mine and his equally adorable wife when presented with their cake. Sweet huh!

I decided to try Pioneer Woman's recipe. If you haven't been to her blog you're really missing out. Check out her Tres Leche's Cake recipe here and hang out a bit on her site, you'll see why. That was one of the first food blogger sites I ventured into...her wit, humor and well the fantastic recipes kept me going back. 

The birthday boy and girl said the cake was great. But it didn't quite have that wow I was expecting.  

Yes it was fun to make.... 

...and very tasty. 

But not quite the fantastic moist milky goodness I expected. Hey there were TRES milks in that cake, well CUATRO if you count the regular milk baked into the cake, so milky goodness isn't too much to ask for right. :) The recipe calls for pouring all but one cup of the milk blend over a baked cake...but I think it really could have used that extra cup afterall.  So a good cake yes, and definitely a recipe I would try again with some modification (more milk, a slightly smaller pan, double layer maybe)...we'll see. So glad they liked it,  but a little more experimenting sounds just about right, and right up my alley.