little house in lawrence

3 Months

2011-07-16T14:26:00.001-07:00

I can't believe that it is already July 16th. Seriously, where has the time gone? So far the summer has been full of weddings and baby Olive. Plus some trips to the pool and days spent getting my classroom ready. Speaking of classroom, school starts in about 4 weeks! Yikes! But until then, Phil and me are enjoying our time with baby Olive. She had her 3 month birthday on July 9th and we took some photos to document the day. Sometimes the photos don't really show how much she has changed, but boy howdy has she. In addition to the super long eyelashes she has sprouted, she also has quite a head of hair. Also, pictures aren't able to show how active she is. She loves kicking and blowing bubbles. Just today, she started sticking her tongue out at an alarming rate (not really alarming, really cute). I would say the one down side to this summer is the hotness. It is freaking hot. Yesterday Phil and me had cabin fever, so we just had to get out. We went downtown for a bit and tried to stay in the shade when walking was necessary, but I was still sweaty and uncomfortable, especially holding a little heatbox (that would be Olive). She however, didn't seem to mind, she quickly fell asleep in my arms.

Anybody have any ideas on what to do to keep the cabin fever away during these hot hot months?

Father's Day Festivities

2011-06-26T05:56:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we celebrated Father's Day at the Mitchell household and let me tell you, he is one proud papa.

Phil thought he should go golfing, because isn't that what dads do? That afternoon we went downtown for lunch, Phil's pick. I'm wondering if the men out there can guess where he picked. If you guessed that local brewery with delicious food and beverages, then you are correct. Freestate. Artichoke dip, lemonade for moi, beer for him, sandwiches, fries, and a lot of love. Before we went out to lunch I also gave my sweetie a couple little presents. The man is sort of obsessed with tank-tops in the summer, so I gave him three new ones from American Apparel. One was especially special, let me explain.

Before I got my new job (Wahoo!), Phil was the sole bread-winner. It's not as if he threw this in my face in an aggravating, alpha-male sort of way, but rather it was just the truth. He thought it would be really funny to have a shirt that said "bread-winner." However, he never got the chance to make one before I got my job. Well, I decided that I would make his dream a reality AND I would put it on a tank-top. Double dream land.

In addition to the tank-tops I also got him a new cd, Willie Wright. Some good old soul music. Loves.

Hope all the fathers out there had a loverly day. We sure did.

P.S. Isn't our Olive just the cutest?!?

10 weeks and big news!

2011-06-18T18:21:00.001-07:00

Olive is 10 weeks old now (how did that happen?!?) and today we are feeling like very confidant parents. I say today, because this is subject to change at any moment. For instance, I was feeling like I really had her cries down. I knew what her hungry cry was, her tired one, and so on. But recently, she has decided to make her tired and hungry sound the same. To those of you who are sans baby, this may sound incredibly lame and silly, but this has thrown me for quite a loop this past week. However, today I am feeling confidant and Olive has been a champ in other areas. She slept for 7 hours straight in her crib! Amazing! Although the hospital and childbirth classes pound it into your head, Alone, on their Back, and in their Crib, the fam was practicing co-sleeping for the first month and a half. Olive decided that she just didn't like that bassinet or crib and would prefer to sleep with/on her mom. It wasn't so bad at first, but now that we know that I have a job (more on that later!) we figured she needed to get used to sleeping alone. Gosh, saying "alone" sounds so harsh. Well anyways, she is sleeping great and so are we. Makes for a happy household.

Now, on the job...I will no longer be unemployed starting August 1st. I will be teaching Kindergarten in Lawrence at a lovely little elementary school. I am excited and scared to death about what the future holds for me, but overall I am incredibly grateful. Everyone told me that it would be hard to find a job and I agreed, but behold I have proven them wrong! So, I have been busy organizing the room and making plans for decorations and such. My mom (also Gran CC) is going to help me make some pillows for the reading corner and some curtains to cover up some shelves. I plan on having one amazing room!

Somebody has really been watching out for me and my loved ones this year. A healthy pregnancy, a healthy and beautiful baby, and now my dream job. Life is good (pardon the cheeze).

Olive at 10 weeks on a quilt that her Gran CC made her. Absolutely perfect, the quilt and baby.

Firsts and Seconds

2011-05-30T17:43:00.000-07:00

Olive has been having a whole bunch of firsts lately. She went to her first bridal shower, went on her first road trip, and went to her first wedding. The bridal shower was for my dear friend Lauren who is getting married in July! Wahoo! That will be Olive's third wedding. In total, Phil and me will be attending 7 weddings this summer/fall season. Wowza.

Our road trip was to Hays, KS. We got out of the house around 10 am, which I think was pretty darn good. It took us about 4 hours and some change to get there and that included an hour stop. What I think was really impressive, was that I didn't forget a single thing! Olive had enough clothes to last her a week, but I thought, better safe then sorry. Once there, we were quickly thrown into a BBQ filled evening of friends and family. Olive met her great-grandparents (Phil's mom's folks), great Aunts and Uncles, second cousins, and her Uncle Dave and Aunt Amy all the way in from Chi-town. It was quite a night for the little bean and I'm not sure who was more tired, Olive or mommy. Suffice to say, it was a lovely night and a great little trip. We left the following afternoon and the trip home was just as uneventful as the trip there, thank goodness.

As for the first wedding, I must say going to weddings is a lot different with a child in tow. Not that I look at Olive as being a "tow," but I definitely did not get down like I used to. Pre-Olive you could find me on the dance floor, white wine in hand, and miming to the song (think "I wear my sunglasses at night.") Now, I've got the little bean in my arms and she is all I can really think about. It was a lovely wedding though and it was nice to get all fancy and out of the house. We are so happy for our friends and were grateful that they invited us in the first place, because we are boring parents now. I predict though, that in the future I will be on the dance floor once again cutting a rug with husband and the little bean with sippy cup in hand.

Finally, Phil and me celebrated our second anniversary this weekend. 2 years ago on May 30th we were married and it was a wonderful night. I am so lucky to have married such a wonderful man. He has been a great husband over the past 2 years and now I get to watch him be the great father that I know he will be.

So now it is officially summer, bring on the firsts!

ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

2011-05-17T13:08:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that little Olive has been out in the open air for over 5 weeks now! We are adjusting to life with our little bean and she is adjusting to us as well. From what I can tell I think she likes us and will be sticking it out while we try get a hold of this parenting thing.

Phil went back to work three weeks ago and I have been left to fend for myself. It was a somewhat rough first week. I had to figure out how to get in a shower and dressed in a very short time period. You might be thinking, "is a shower really necessary?" My response is, yes. As new mommies (correct me if I'm wrong here new mommy world), but you are covered in breast milk and spit up. A shower must take place. But as the weeks have been flying by, and they really have been, my confidence has increased. Breast feeding has gotten easier and Olive has gotten on a semi-schedule too. We also have been going on walks in attempt to lose some of my baby weight. The key is to avoid downtown or places where shopping can take place. Really things are great and we love her with all our hearts. Rough patches and lack asleep aside, our daughter is a true gift.

Olive May Mitchell has arrived

2011-04-15T08:55:00.000-07:00

Our little bean has entered the world!

I woke up Saturday morning at 3 am and I knew something was different, let's just say that the "levee had broken." However, I had no contractions and felt nothing. I woke Phil up and told him that I was pretty sure that my water had broken. We immediately went into "well, what do we do now" mode. I couldn't really go back to sleep, but I also didn't want to go to the hospital quite yet. I thought maybe contractions would start soon. Eventually I fell back asleep and woke up around 5:30 feeling like we should do something. I called the doctor's office knowing that I would not get to speak to my doctor, but at least I would get an answer from a someone! The doctor on call told me to walk around some and see if I felt a "trickle." At this point being in the house was just making me nervous, so I took the dog on a walk around the block. During the walk I for sure felt a trickle. When Louise and me got back to the house I decided that I would take a shower and get ready to go to the hospital, but still wait it out a bit. Phil woke up and he got ready also. Here's where we just sort of got silly. I had the bright idea to go to the farmer's market. I mean, what the heck right, I had no contractions. So, we went downtown and strolled around bumping into some of our friends. It was pretty funny, because people kept asking us our due date again and we would reply, "funny you should ask, because her/my water broke this morning." After the farmer's market we walked by 715 and we ran into our nurse from the doctor's office. This was perfect, because we still hadn't really figured out if it was time to go to the hospital yet. Our nurse, who is the nicest lady ever, looked at us like we were two of the biggest idiots ever! She told us we needed to get to the doctor's and make sure that yes indeed my water had broken and then get our butts to the hospital. We did just that.

The doctor sent us over to the hospital after the visit and we arrived there at around 11:30 AM. I was hooked up to fluids and it was decided that I would be getting Pitocin to start the contractions. We brought Season 2 of Arrested Development and watched some of that while we waited for things to kick in. Meanwhile, I'm thinking, "holy crap, I'm going to have this baby today."

A couple of episodes later and "Anchor Man," on the T.V. things started to get hairy. I would say that around 4:30 PM I really started to "feel" like I was in labor. The contractions were starting to get serious. The nurses were great and although I had to be hooked up, they were still great about letting me get up and use the birthing ball and other techniques that we learned about in childbirth class.

At around 6 PM I remember looking at the clock and thinking that time was moving very slow. However, before I knew it 8 PM was here and I was 9 cm dialated. Our doctor showed up around then and at that point it was almost go time. It took a while to get past that 9 cm and the doctor had to help me push past it. Finally I was at 10 cm and in less than thirty minutes I would be meeting our baby.

Phil was on my left and he was so encouraging. He kept telling me that I could do it, even when I felt like I just couldn't. One of the craziest things about labor is the noise. I never thought that I would make the noises that I did, but boy howdy did I. I have no idea how you couldn't make noise. Well, out of the noise and the pain, our baby girl was born at 8:55. After 9 months of being inside of me, out she came perfectly perfect in every way. Olive May Mitchell has arrived!

38 weeks

2011-04-15T08:30:00.000-07:00

Here we are, the homestretch (Note: this is sort of weird to be writing this, because we already have our baby girl!) These pictures were taken Wednesday, April 6th. I told Phil that we had to document me at my biggest and it definitely was. At this point I had decided that the bean was just going to take their time. And then...what do you know, 3 days later she was here!

The lady at Macy's has spoken

2011-03-17T15:53:00.000-07:00

It was St. Patrick's Day today and I ventured out to watch the parade. Oh the outfits and merriment. Seriously though, the outfits were incredible. People watching at its best. After the parade I headed down to the "Replay" with my friend Katie and her buddy. Then it was water and sitting on a stool for me. It was quite fun, regardless of the fact that I was incredibly sober. But hey, I got my new tank top on, skinny jeans, big belly, good friends, and gorgeous weather. That is enough for me.

Regarding the lady at Macy's, well yesterday my mom and me went to the mall. The lady that checked us out, who also happened to be Asian and old, made a prediction about the baby. She said boy. All I know is that you always trust the old Asian lady, especially if she works at Macy's. Well, that last part I'm not sure about, but why would Macy's hire a liar.

Louise and me checking out the world.

Nursery in progress

2011-03-06T16:27:00.001-08:00

Here we are with only 6 weeks left! Yowza. Today after the special event, Grandma CC came over (that is my mom and that is what we have decided she will be called) came over to work her magic on the nursery. I should have taken a before photo, because the room was seriously lacking the baby mojo that nurseries need. Now the room has got it going on! It was so fun to fill the little bean's room with all the goodies that friends and family have graced us with. Really, this baby has no idea the kind of love that people are just bursting to share, not just by Phil and me, but by a whole world of people that can't wait to meet him or her.

Phil and me worked on this dresser over fall and finally feel like it has it's place in the room.

Garlands, quilts, animals, and robots, that's what little babies rooms are made of.

Almost 34 weeks

2011-03-06T16:16:00.000-08:00

It was a special kind of day, one spent with good friends, good food, and cute baby things. I thought I looked pretty darn nice this morning and I even busted out the high-heels for the occasion. Once home however, they were immediately replaced my slippers. Not too long after the slippers were on, so were my pajamas. Hey, my look lasted for a good 3 and 1/2 hours.

coming up on 30 weeks

2011-02-06T20:16:00.001-08:00

It was Super Bowl Sunday today and that means lots of chips and dips. My fave. I think the baby is digging on the goodies as well. It was quite a weekend, besides eating lots of dip. Phil and I actually ventured out of the house. We attended the Love Garden's 21st Birthday party at...gasp...a bar. I sat on a stool, had my water and let the baby talk commence. It wasn't as if I was looking to gab about baby, but it just sort of happened that way. Anyways, it was fun and much needed after the afternoon we had. Saturday following my pre-natal water aerobics class (which is awesome and a hoot, 10 pregnant ladies "jogging" in water), we went to KC to hunt for a changing table. I'm looking for a dresser or something like that, which can be used as a table. 4 stores later and several wrong turns, we ended up.....empty handed. Bummertown. I'm sure we will find something, but I just wanted it right then and there!

I am practicing my mad football posing skills. I'd say I have a future.

28 weeks

2011-01-27T15:50:00.000-08:00

28 weeks! Wowza. I can't believe that I am in the third trimester. It really seems like it was just yesterday that I saw that little plus sign. I remember thinking back in September that it "just doesn't feel real." Well, the realness is here and I am reminded daily by little kicks and squirms inside. Now that is crazy. And here are some pictures to prove that I am growing a little shrimp, although I am far from shrimpy. After two tries outside, we got it right. I realized that as I get bigger it is imperative to get the whole body shot. Cutting off my legs makes me look, well, "wide." I mean, I know that's what is happening, but whoa we had a few that were just not so good. These are much better.

Perhaps I should I also write a blurb about what I am wearing, because well, I like this outfit.
- Striped tee from the GAP. I bought it as an XL and decided it would make a perfect tunic. It was on sale for 12.99, but GAP had a ridiculous sale, take 50% off of sale items. Holy cow!
- Tank Top by Kate Boggiano
- Leggings from Old Navy. Maternity ones at that.
- Boots by Bandolino.

What's it gonna be?

2011-01-24T14:06:00.000-08:00

As the pregnancy journey keeps rolling on, I've been told by a few friends some of the wives tales that they've heard about determining the sex of the baby. Phil and me decided, and he has enforced (I'm a weakling), that we will have a surprise baby. Here I've compiled a list of some of favorite baby gender finder outers.

Chinese Chart: Enter conception date (sort of guessed at this one), and then birth date and voila....according to them (whoever "them" is) I am having a girl.

Sweet or Sour:They say that if you want icecream and chocolate all the time, then it is a girl. But if you want salty or sour things, then you got yourself a boy. This one is tricky for me. I really really like candy, but I've always liked candy. Plus, a couple of weeks ago I wanted salt and vinegar chips bad. However, I was contemplating skipping dinner last night and going straight to the dessert. Girl or boy?

Acne: Now I feel like this is totally unfair. Apparently, if you are breaking out then you blame it on the girl. I haven't had an old zitto in a long time, so I guess this one points to boy.

Morning Sickness: Again, why does the bad stuff have to be associated with girls. This one says that if you were really sick during your first trimester or still are then you are having a girl. If not, then you've got a little man in there. Boy again.

Heartbeat: I guess if the babies heartbeat is 140+ then that means you are having a girl. If the heartbeat is below 140, then it is all boy. I've forgotten how fast our little ones heart was going, but we go next Monday, so I'll remember this time!

Even and odd: Mayans did this one. First you look at mom's age at the time of conception (26) then you look at the year of conception (2010). If both are even or odd, then girl, if you've got one of each, then boy. Hmmm...girl again.

Snow Days and 26 weeks

2011-01-11T15:16:00.000-08:00

We have had two snow days this week and chances are we will have another one. Honestly, we are running out of things to do. I've cleaned the house, done all the laundry, made cookies, "cleaned" out the desk in the nursery, and taken week 26 photo. Which, by the way, it was freaking freezing outside when we took this picture. I mean CCCOOOLLLLDDDD. I felt like I could hear Tyra Banks telling me that this is just what models have to do, "suck it up girl." Anything for a good picture.

23 Weeks and fun pics

2011-01-04T15:24:00.000-08:00

I asked our friend Shawn, who is married to Ashley (featured in week 22), if he would take some photos of us. You see, he is a super duper photographer and a rising star. Check out some of his photos here, he is Shawn B. So, yeah, we have him take these photos and they are pretty cute. Thanks Shawn, you are the best!

22 weeks

2011-01-01T13:27:00.000-08:00

Well, somehow I got a week ahead, so really this post is 22 weeks and the last post was 21 weeks. Oops. Here we have two pictures showcasing the ever growing bump. First a somewhat silly photo of myself and my bestie Ashley. Followed by a holiday party get-up (notice the high heels), just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I don't want to look fabulous.

21 Weeks

2010-12-12T15:21:00.000-08:00

Here I am at 21 weeks pregnant and finally I am beginning to show! Seriously, you have barely been able to tell. I put on this dress and then WHAM, BAM, it is tight! Say what?!? Baby bump is in full force.

Baby on Board

2010-12-06T16:16:00.000-08:00

Although I am fully aware that no one really reads this blog, I thought it would be fun to start documenting my pregnancy. Yes, Phil and me are going to be having a baby! My little tummy is slowly expanding to make room for the tiny shrimp inside. The shrimpy is almost 21 weeks old and weighs about half a pound. Everyone keeps asking us if we are going to find out what the shrimp is, but we have decided to wait till the big day. I know, I know, how silly of us, but what can we say, we like surprises. No intuitions yet, but I am ready for a sign.

Robots

2010-06-24T08:26:00.000-07:00

Traditionally, you are supposed to get your spouse some sort of paper gift for your 1st anniversary. Now, I did not know this, but somehow I got Phil a paper gift! Go me. I had my friend Ben Rumback (check out his blog here) do a painting of robots in love. Aren't they cute and robot-y and in love??!!??

wowza

2010-05-27T09:16:00.000-07:00

so, i am officially a college graduate! rock chalk jayhawk my friends. in honor of my accomplishments, my parents threw me a little brunch party and invited the fam. as i am now an adult (wink) i decided i must contribute to the party. i decided cupcakes were in order.

MELAMINE!

2010-03-24T09:20:00.000-07:00

in the town of hays, kansas there is this amazing store called C.S. Post & Co. at this store you will find fiesta-ware, cool little knick-knacks, and melamine. oh, melamine. whatever you are i want some of your plates. especially these.

showers in spring (sort of)

2010-03-21T10:28:00.000-07:00

yesterday, with slushy snow on the ground and high winds, 13 ladies ventured over to our house for a bridal shower in celebration of our dear friend Mal! yes, it was snowing, but that did not dampen our spirits. the table was set with bright colors and beautiful flowers, you never would have guessed that it was 30 degrees outside. mimosas filled our glasses and smiles donned our faces. it was a fantastic day!

old to new chairs

2010-03-21T10:17:00.000-07:00

my mother purchased these several years ago at a garage sale in our neighborhood for only $5 a piece. wow! these spring break in preparation for the shower we went on cleaning/project overhaul. the hubster sanded these babies down and then put a coat of paint on them. moms then covered them with some fabric samples that she had just lying around. it's pretty sweet to be related to an interior designer.

who knew that old Wendy's chairs could look so good!

A Year of Dates

2010-03-21T10:08:00.000-07:00

In order to provide my good friend with a bunch of fun date ideas for her first year of marriage I made a little booklet called "A Year of Dates!" This Saturday I, along with two other lovely ladies, hosted a bridal shower for this said friend of mine. I got this cute little idea from Martha Stewart and sort of created my own spin on it. The book has thirteen pages, one for each month plus one, and then the guests all gave her ideas of fun things to do those months. I thought it was cute!

sunday lime bars

2010-03-07T09:18:00.000-08:00

with spring on its way (knock on wood) i thought i should make a delightful spring treat. how about some "Lime Squares with Pistachio Graham-Cracker Crust!" yessirree.

i like this

2010-03-05T06:35:00.000-08:00

i need to get me some stairs.

what we do

2010-02-23T19:38:00.001-08:00

so, while i am busy making little pop up books about our 16th president, my husband builds stuff.

valentines day...another excuse for cookies

2010-02-11T06:43:00.001-08:00

i think i have perfected the art of the sugar cookie. no joke, i have made about 10 batches of these things in the past 2 months. some for x-mas and now some for v-day. yep, they are that good. of course, i didn't eat all of them myself, that's what husbands are for.

diy invites

2010-02-11T06:37:00.000-08:00

i'm having a shower for my good friend mallory at our house in march. i am very excited. last week i sent out the invitations that i hand-made. they aren't screen printed or anything, but they do have glitter on them! i was inspired by these postcards at au marche in downtown lawrence. they had little pastries on them and some of them were outlined in glitter. so, i did the same thing, but with birds.

love

2010-02-10T11:40:00.001-08:00

this week i bought charlotte gainsbourg's new album, "irm." it is wonderful.

valentines day...another excuse to stuff yourself with chocolate

2010-02-09T06:39:00.000-08:00

good god.
{martha stewart}

i want spring

2010-02-01T11:41:00.000-08:00

there is a weird snow/hail mix going on outside and it is making me yearn for more colorful times. i've been wearing a lot of black. black leggings, black boots, black cardigans, grey dress. yes, a lot. j.crew sent me their spring picks for 2010 and i want them.

yikes

2010-01-28T06:55:00.000-08:00

ow! The school year has hit me hard. Not only are we being loaded down with projects and readings, I am also in the process of applying to student teach and Graduate school. Yikes. I could go for some yoga right about now, or maybe just some new kicks.

Moschino Cheap & Chic Henry Oxford

cookie bar-hopping

2010-01-17T08:29:00.000-08:00

this evening we are venturing over to a friends house who happen to be blessed with two darling girls. the oldest is almost 5 and the youngest is 3. our friends are making the dinner and i am in charge of the appetizer and dessert. i went to martha for advice and i came up with this. chocolate chip cookie bars. these remind me of cookie cakes that would be topped with that icing that stains your teeth. no icing on these bars and the cookies are better! i am hoping they will be a smash hit with the two young ladies.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BARS
from Martha Stewart 2003

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more baking sheet
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in center. Generously butter a 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla; mix until well combined. Add flour mixture; beat on low speed until just combined. Beat in chocolate chips.
Spread dough on prepared baking sheet. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until edges are brown and top is golden, 40 to 45 minutes (it only took mine about 25 minutes to brown, so be watching). Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely on baking sheet. Use a serrated knife to cut into 1 1/2-by-4-inch bars.

burritos for your soul

2010-01-17T08:09:00.000-08:00

phil and i came upon this wonderful recipe at the merc one evening when we were struggling on what to make for dinner. it was this past fall so there was an abundance of squashes at the store aching to be eaten. this recipe makes six well-sized butternut squash and black bean burritos. yum. it is a great one to have in your repertoire because you will be well fed for two to three days.

SAVORY BUTTERNUT & BLACK BEAN BURRITOS
from the ROLLING PRAIRIE COOKBOOK by Nancy O'Connor 1998

INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp. canola oil
1/2 medium-sized onion, chopped (phil uses the whole thing)
3 cups peeled butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups cooked black beans, drained & rinsed
8 flour tortillas (white ones work the best because they are more pliable)
1-1/2 cups grated reduced-fat Monterey Jack Cheddar cheese
light sour cream, fresh cilantro, and salsa for garnish

DIRECTIONS
preheat oven to 350 degrees. heat oil in heavy skillet over medium heat.
add onions and saute for 5 minutes. add squash cubes and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring often until squash is semi-tender. if mixture begins to stick, add a little water to help steam the squash. when squash is semi-tender, add cumin, cinnamon, ans salt. stir carefully to distribute spices. add beans and heat through. you're now ready to assemble the burritos. in a large oblong baking dish (not oiled) lay out one tortilla. place 1/8 of the bean mixture down the center, top with 3 tbsp.'s of cheese and roll up tightly. continue to do this with the remain ingredients, lining up burritos in the pan as you go. bake uncovered for approximately 15 to 20 minutes until burritos are heated through. serve burritos topped with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of chopped fresh cilantro, with salsa on the side. makes about 6-8 burritos.

the shirt-dress

2010-01-16T15:31:00.000-08:00

a lovely yellow shirt-dress from anthropologie. they say it is a dress for all seasons.

the cutest

2010-01-15T17:36:00.000-08:00

grape earrings. they remind me of sour grapes from strawberry shortcake

these little love penguins are so cute and adorable and i want them.

find the earrings and penguins, along with so much more at joo joo land on etsy.

a feather in your cap

2010-01-15T17:32:00.000-08:00

for christmas my husband gave to me these delicious little hair clips. i heart them. find them on etsy.

cookie cutters

2010-01-14T14:19:00.001-08:00

cookie cutters from cupcake social. i found this site from the blog "two brunettes." another etsy shop to dump tons of money into.

melting snow

2010-01-14T13:41:00.000-08:00

photos taken in our backyard. it was such a relief to be able to step outside and actually breathe in the air and appreciate it. until yesterday the weather was my foe.

mason jars and spices

2010-01-13T10:03:00.000-08:00

today i decided it was time to clean out our tiny cabinet that acts as a pantry. it is full of tiny bags of spices from the bulk section at the merc. we just don't have enough spice jars to contain all of the lovely spices. but now, unfortunately, our cabinet smells rather interesting. a combination of red curry powder, garlic powder, tarragon, and a collection of others. well, i need some ideas on how to store these little bags....

i also decided that we need some more mason jars. especially one to house pasta. i found this one on ebay. i can't decide if it is too big. plus it is quite expensive. i have 25 days to decide and if it doesn't work out there are a million others. really, a million.

little things

2010-01-12T13:35:00.000-08:00

a little fact about myself...i have a mug collection. mostly i will just buy a mug from a certain place i am visiting. i have one from italy, london, new york, etc. i even have a set of lord of the rings mugs (i guess i'm obsessed with lotr right now). anyways, check out how great these typography mugs from h&fj. i especially like the "h" mug. could be a great wedding present, throw in some local coffee or tea and you are set.

this great site on etsy, cosas mi nimas, has wonderful little prints that are just plain sweet. cosas minimas means tiny things in spanish.

a small pretty pouch around your neck will help you keep track of the little things. early jewelry based out of lawrence, ks designs wonderful pieces that look great on everyone.

what i want to wear now

2010-01-11T11:27:00.000-08:00

it is january, there is tons of snow piled up on the streets, and all i can think about is the day when i don't have to wear socks. i am dreaming of these darling little flats. how cute will they be with a simple dress and cardigan. perfectly precious. anthropologie is to blame.

dreaming of a dream house

2010-01-10T11:18:00.000-08:00

my husband and i like to dream about adding onto our little house. don't get me wrong, it is beautiful and just perfect for the two of us. but when we add another being into the realm of things, it could get a little crowded. but even before that, we have been talking about putting in a back splash. our house was built in the late 1940s and most of our furniture has a mid-century modern feeling. i found this site, Modwalls, which uses recycled glass and comes in all sorts of great patterns and colors. perfect for the person with an eclectic style. you can even design your own patterns. but caution, you will spend at least an hour exploring and designing different patterns.

while we are on the subject of designing, this would be a great time to brag about my husband and his handy-man skills. this fall he built a custom shelf for our dining room and we love it. the shelf is the first in a long list of pieces he intends to create.

i should also mention that santa was very kind to me this year. i received the kitchen aid artisan mixer. hell yes! it is red and beautiful and amazing. i am very fond of this machine.

planning for the spring

2010-01-10T10:21:00.000-08:00

many things to plan for this spring.
2 weddings
2 wedding showers
gardening
GRADUATING!

first on the list is a wedding shower in march, that will be on the spring equinox. looking around the internet i have stumbled onto a world of blogs and websites that was unbeknownst to me. i was looking for inspiration for the invitations and i am left with not only that, but much more!
http://www.darlingdexter.com/ ---> cute blog with great ideas and photos. what my blog desires to be
http://www.twobrunettesshop.com/ ---> the love birds had me.

how cute are these? i would love to make invitations similar to these! i found them on Oh So Beautiful Paper. then I clicked on the DIY section which led me to these invitations. ellie out of north carolina, runs her own little stationary shop and produces all things cute and beautiful. It makes me want to have my own shop in town, very risky, but it is something this town is lacking.

Asian Cabbage Rollsssss

2010-01-07T16:18:00.000-08:00

i think I have finally gotten a handle on how to shop for groceries. it's all about planning. pick out some meals that you will make over the week, especially ones that will allow for leftovers, and then buy the ingredients. perhaps I am years behind in realizing how this is the best and only way to shop, but regardless, i have figured it out.

this week i bought supplies for a yummy black bean and chickpea chili and asian cabbage rolls. the chili was made on tuesday night and then we had it for lunch on wednesday. the cabbage rolls were made on thursday and did were devoured. they were rather small. we ate them whilst watching the lord of the rings. phil has never seen them all the way through. you'd have thought this would have been a pre-requisite for me in order to marry the man. the cabbage rolls were found on whole living, along with the chili. there is a whole host of yummy food that is relatively low in calories. because it is so cold outside, i feel as though i should be eating loads of carbs and consuming calories to stay warm. this site offers some of these comforts, but without the drawback of a double chin.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-02T07:59:00.000-08:00

this new years eve my husband and i thought we would fill our glasses with some white wine and our plates with pancakes, apple pancakes to be exact. it is my feeling that new years eve can be built up so much that when the time comes to celebrate one is ultimately disappointed. we rented "The Last Picture Show," starring a young cybil shepard and jeff bridges. perhaps a new tradition has begun.

It's Scone time

2009-11-15T14:12:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I like to watch the food network and the other day I sat down on the couch with my lunch and watched a lovely episode of "Barefoot Contessa." Boy, does that woman live the life. On this particular episode she make scones, but she vamped them up a bit from her usual recipe. Not only did she add strawberries, but she added walnuts and orange zest. Taking a cue from her, I decided to make scones with dried cranberries and orange zest. I made them this morning while it rained and Phil raked up some leaves. It was the perfect Sunday morning treat, especially for one of those last of autumn days.

INGREDIENTS

4 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar, plus additional for sprinkling
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 pound (about 24 tbsp) cold unsalted butter, diced
4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cold heavy cream
3/4 cup small-diced dried strawberries
1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water or milk, for egg wash

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine 4 cups of flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend in the cold butter at the lowest speed and mix until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Combine the eggs and heavy cream and quickly add them to the flour and butter mixture. Combine until just blended. Toss the strawberries with 1 tablespoon of flour, add them to the dough, and mix quickly.*Here's where I improvised and did 1 cup dried cranberries and 2 tbsp of orange zest. The dough may be a bit sticky.

Dump the dough out onto a well-floured surface and be sure it is well combined. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 3/4-inch thick. You should see lumps of butter in the dough. Cut into squares with a 4-inch plain or fluted cutter, and then cut them in half diagonally to make triangles. *I don't have one of these fancy cutters, so I just used a knife. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Brush the tops with egg wash.*I've never used egg wash before, it's just an egg yolk or egg white with a little bit of milk or water. Sprinkle with sugar and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the outsides are crisp and the insides are fully baked.

Halloween!

2009-10-29T11:27:00.001-07:00

To celebrate the Halloween season I decided to venture into the world of cakes, a Halloween Graveyard Cake! The first part was making the tombstone cookies. I haven't made cut-out cookies yet, only my mom's oatmeal-chocolate-chip cookies. But, I conquered the cookies darnit.
And aren't they cute? This was also my first time using a piping bag. Me thinks I like it.Then it was on to making the pumpkin spice cake with a chocolate glaze. This cake was actually pretty easy to complete. It just had a million steps. I made the dough for the cookies on Tuesday and on Wednesday I baked them. Thursday I made the cake. This was good though, I wasn't stressed out about it (and why would I be, it was just for fun). Anyways, I feel that I successfully made a somewhat complicated dessert!

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Chocolate Glaze

From Martha Stewart.com

It is official, I love cooking fall inspired food!

2009-10-18T19:58:00.000-07:00

Baby Louise with a beautiful leaf on her head.

Fall is here! Fall is here! I absolutely love Fall. The leaves changing, the fresh smell of the earth, the crunching noises when you step on a crumpled leaf. It is the best.

And with all of that goodness, so comes squashes and pumpkins! About two weeks ago I checked in on my favorite food blog, smittenkitchen.com, and the lovely lady had made an entire page dedicated to fall food. Pumpkin brownies, muffins, waffles, soup, and squash soup, wedges, pizza, and a whole host of other delights. Well, after viewing this page I decided that I must make some of these, if not all. My first one was the "Roasted Acorn Squash with Chili-Lime Vinaigrette." Yum, yum, yum. Perfectly fall and perfectly tasty.Next on the list were those "Pumpkin Swirl Brownies." Those did not turn out as wonderful as I hoped, I accidentally let the batter sit too long and it set. I will be making them again though!

And then last night I ventured into the world of soup. Now, this was a big deal, I am not the soup maker of the house. Despite my anxiety it turns out that I am a pretty darn good soup maker. Perhaps this is because it's not to difficult, salt here, pepper there, cut up onions, blah blah. Anyways, this soup is so good and it makes your belly feel all warm. I highly recommend the "Black Bean Pumpkin Soup."

Gran's Recipe Tin

2009-10-06T20:07:00.000-07:00

For my mom's birthday this year I decided to do something Martha Stewart-y. I bought the fabulous book, "Martha Stewart's Encylopedia of Crafts," and found many fun activities to do. One that really stood out to me, was this recipe tin. You take old recipe cards from your family, photocopy them or write them onto new paper. You then mount them on nice paper and decorate the tin. It looked relatively easy to make, and some of the stuff in the book is fairly complex, and I could use all of Gran's recipes. My Grandmother, who we called Gran, passed away a year ago and boy could she make one mean dessert. From the famous family recipe of vienartarta to lemon tarts. With the help of my dad I stole the recipes for a day and made photocopies of the old recipe cards Gran had written on. I bought some pretty paper, a tin, and some other crap that I just had to have (there's always something). Then I began the process of cutting and pasting, whew it took a long time. I had to use ribbons to tie some of the longer recipe cards together. Gran had some pretty complicated desserts.

*BTW the painfully cute girl and happy lady on the cover of the tin is me and my Gran. Best picture ever, Grandpa says so.

The letter of the day is 'C'

2009-10-02T17:24:00.000-07:00

Tonight I made, for the second time, a Cranberry Vanilla Coffee Cake. Whoa, that's a lot of "c"s. For some reason when I got home from class I felt this rush to get it done. I was moving so fast, slicing the vanilla bean, making vanilla sugar, and then I messed up. It was inevitable. The momentum that I had was much to strong, I was destined to fail. As I am messing up, Phil is packing for a weekend trip to Hays, KS for a wedding. All he hears is "shit, shit, shit," and quite loud. So, I started over and now the cake is baking in the oven. It's not perfect, but it should do. The lesson I've learned today is don't immediately start baking after Physics Lab.

One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes

2009-09-29T08:24:00.000-07:00

Although I'm loving baking cakes, sometimes a good cupcake day is needed. I haven't found my favorite recipe yet, but I am on the hunt. Martha Stewart gave me this recipe, yes we swap recipes frequently, and I tried it. The cupcakes turned out beautifully and they were extremely easy to make. Just like the name says, only one-bowl to make them. How fantastic! Such easy cleanup, which is always a plus in our tiny kitchen.

Lemon Mint Cake = Perfection

2009-09-24T17:59:00.000-07:00

It is a known fact that I am obsessed with mint. Mint chocolate chip ice-cream, peppermints, peppermint pie (a Claudia Mozur-Arnold specialty), "Andes mints," oh...the list goes on and on. Well, the other day I was watching the Food Network, a new favorite thing of mine to do, and Giadia-at-home was making a "Lemon Mint Cake." Wait! Wait! Lemon and mint in cake form, I have to try this. However, there was a slight hesitation, the last time I tried to put mint in a cake turned horrible and I ended up throwing out 30 cupcakes. I will never use peppermint extract, I swear the recipe called for it!
So tonight, after a semi-long week of school and work, I made the lemon mint cake. It is sitting in the kitchen this moment teasing me with it's delicious scent. Phil is out....can I resist?....

The Recipe
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients for greasing:

Butter, for greasing
Flour, for dusting

Cake:

3 eggs, separated, at room temperature
1 cup sugar, divided
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
8 mint sprigs, leaves chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 cup all-purpose flour

Syrup (recipe below):

Giada makes this syrup once a week. She makes a whole batch and uses it for cocktails, drizzled over chicken, and this cake. I would suggest making this first and then refrigerating it.

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest

Directions

Fresh mint sprigs, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan.

For the cake: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Add 1/2 cup sugar and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks.

In a separate large bowl, beat the vegetable oil, the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and salt. Add the egg yolks 1 at a time. Add the chopped mint, lemon juice and lemon zest. Add the flour and mix until just combined. Set aside.

Slowly add 1/2 of the egg white mixture into the oil mixture. Using a rubber spatula, carefully fold in the remaining egg white mixture. Spread the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a cutting board and allow to cool before slicing.

For the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, water, lemon juice, and lemon zest over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, Remove the pan from the heat and allow the syrup to cool, about 20 minutes.

To serve, spoon some of the syrup onto each small plate or shallow bowl and lay a slice of cake on top. Drizzle the cake with additional syrup and garnish with a small sprig of mint. It cannot disappoint!

P.S. I finished "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies," I am now contemplating whether to be Elizabeth "Zombie Killer" Bennett for Halloween....

Vacations in the Fall

2009-09-08T11:30:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Labor day weekend, to be specific, I was jet-setting with my in laws.We whisked away to Tampa Bay, Florida. You may be asking yourself, Tampa? Really? And my response, "yes, Tampa, really."

Besides having a private beach right behind us, Tampa Bay is also full of delicious food, pretty people, and an overall feeling that can be summed up in this quote, "Don't worry bout a thing." Yes, it was a lovely weekend.Now, it's back to Kansas, where I intend to keep posting the creations I've made over the last several weeks as well as the creations to come.

Huevos Rancheros and Salsa Fresca

2009-08-21T15:43:00.000-07:00

Q: Is this for breakfast, lunch or dinner???

Alright, so this is my second time making this dish. What I like about this particular one is that it's really really simple and fast to make. There's no roasting, or stirring, just crack egg on the tortilla and voila. Okay, it's not that simple. First off what I would like to recommend to my friends and family is that homemade salsa is not hard to make and it tastes sooooo good. Two tomatoes, a lime, some onion, and a jalapeno, that's all. If you happen to have a chopper (that is what I call them) it's even easier.Now doesn't that salsa look like it is just begging for a blue corn chip to dive in and ravish it?

The answer is yes! So, go ahead and chop those toms for pete's sake.
*Don't eat all of the salsa fresca btw. You need it for the huevos, I know it's hard, but you can do it.

To make the huevos, first have a fair amount of cheese grated and ready to apply to the tortilla. Oil or grease a pan as well. Place the tortilla in the pan. When the side directly on the pan begins to brown, flip it over. Next sprinkle cheese on top of the tortilla. Grab an egg, or two depending on the size of the tortilla. Crack it directly on top of the tortilla. As soon as the egg begins to whiten at the egdges, flip that sucker over. WARNING...it will be messy, it won't look pretty, but it will taste delicious. Usually it takes about a minute to two minutes for the egg to cook. And that's about it. Heat up some black beans, or just use some Salsa Fresca to dress it up.

Salsa Fresca:
taken from smittenkitchen.com

2 toms chopped
1 jalapeno minced
1/2 large white onion chopped
1 tbsp lime juice
salt and pepper
*1 garlic clove minced is also in the repice, but I didn't have any when I made mine.

Huevos Rancheros:
taken from smittenkitchen.com

eggs
tortillas
cheese
black beans (canned is perfectly acceptable)

A: This is totally for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Duh!

Dinner will be late darling.

2009-08-19T07:48:00.000-07:00

Q: What is a torte?

I bought a glorious summer squash at the Downtown Lawrence Farmer's Market and have been trying to figure out what to do with it. After looking online for some yummy recipes, I settled on one from SmittenKitchen.com (the best!), The Herbed Summer Squash and Potato Torte.

Let me tell you this was absolutely delicious. Besides taking quite a bit of time baking in the oven, it was super easy. This is a recipe that could be made for get-togethers ahead of time. If I was better prepared I would have had all of the ingredients at home and ready to go. But alas, I was not, so dinner was a tad late, but it was worth it. The Herbed Summer Squash and Potato Torte
taken from SmittenKitchen.com and adapted from Bon Appetit

You need two 8'' circular pans, however I only had 9" ones. Still yummy, still satisfying. I'm thinking the smaller you get the thicker the torte!

1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds (purchase a little bit over 2 lbs. if you have a 9" pan)
12 ounces yellow crookneck squash or regular yellow summer squash, cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds
6 teaspoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter two 8-inch-diameter cake pans. Set aside 1/4 cup sliced green onions. Toss remaining green onions, cheese, flour, thyme, salt and pepper in medium bowl to blend.

Layer 1/6 of potatoes in concentric circles in bottom of 1 prepared pan, overlapping slightly. Layer 1/4 of squash in concentric circles atop potatoes. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon oil. Sprinkle with 1/6 of cheese mixture. Repeat with 1/6 of potatoes, then 1/4 of squash and 1 teaspoon oil. Sprinkle with 1/6 of cheese mixture. Top with 1/6 of potatoes. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon oil. Sprinkle with 1/6 of cheese mixture and press gently to flatten. Repeat procedure with second cake pan and remaining potatoes, squash, oil, and cheese mixture. For a total of 3 layers, 2 with potato and squash and one with just potato.

Cover pans with foil. Bake until potatoes are almost tender, about 40 minutes. Remove foil; bake uncovered until tortes begin to brown and potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes longer. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cool. Cover with foil and chill. Rewarm, covered with foil, in 350°F oven until heated through, about 30 minutes.)

Cut each torte into wedges. Sprinkle wedges with 1/4 cup green onions; serve.

A: a torte is a rich cake usually covered with cream and fruit or nuts; originated in Austria.

Mr. Darcy and Zombies?

2009-08-18T13:12:00.000-07:00

Finally it is in! I requested Pride and Prejudice and Zombies about two months ago from the public library and today I checked that baby out. Will I be dreaming of zombies and Mr. Darcy? More on that to come...

Blueberry Crumb Bars and Obsessions

2009-08-16T13:30:00.000-07:00

I haven't been very good at this whole blogging thing. Not that anyone but me really knows that. Lately you can find my husband and I on the computer playing "Word Whomp," obsessed. I keep trying to get better at crosswords, but darnit, they are hard. "Word Whomp" on the other hand is wonderful, you don't feel stupid and you feel incredibly smart when you find all of the words. But, anyhow...I have been making an assortment of baked goods and delicious meals. However, since today is today, I will post what I made this afternoon, "Blueberry Crumb-diddly-umcious Bars." This could be the easiest dessert to make! It really only took me a trip to the store for some berries and about 45 minutes at home.Here is the pan with the blueberry mixture on top of the dough. I will then put the rest of the dough on top. It will be a crumblicious concoction. Concoction: any foodstuff made by combining different ingredients. I have now used that word twice today.Witness me sprinkling the remaining dough on top of the blueberries. Photo courtesy of one Phillip Mitchell. After sprinkling takes place it is now time to put the bars into the oven. What comes out no one really knows for sure....There is nothing like removing the baked good/s from the oven and having it look beautiful. What's even better is when they taste good too.

Blueberry Crumb Bars
Found on SmittenKitchen.com which was adapted from AllRecipes.com

A small note about the ingredients that I use. A couple of years ago I took an Cultural Anthropology class and basically it scared the shit out of me concerning the food we put in our bodies. Several videos shown in class about farmers being run out of town by corporations brought me to tears. So, although we cannot afford it, my husband and I try to only shop at the Local Co-op, The Lawrence Community Mercantile, or the Merc. So, in regards to the ingredients some of mine are different. I use Natural Cane sugar and wheat all-purpose flour. I totally suggest using these ingredients opposed to the refined, processed ones. It tastes the same, if not a little better, and you know that you aren't putting weird chemicals in your body.

1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cold unsalted butter (2 sticks or 8 ounces)
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest and juice of one lemon
4 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9×13 inch pan.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, and baking powder. Mix in salt and lemon zest. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the butter and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.

3. In another bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently mix in the blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

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Next thing on the agenda...

Two things I'm obsessed with.

1. KitchenAid Mixers

It will be mine, oh yes, it will be mine.

2. Anthropologie

The most beautiful clothes, why do they have to be so expensive???

Blogging just tastes so good

2009-08-02T14:25:00.000-07:00

Here it is my first ever cake and watch out it's a layer cake. It isn't my fault either that I decided to do this. I should really blame Mallory! She's the one that showed me the wonderful ww w.smittenkitchen.com and how could I resist making "the best birthday cake." Could you? So I dared myself and well, it turned out pretty damn good.
Above is my attempt of taking a picture that makes your mouth water. Stay tuned, hopefully I get better. On the bright side some of the kitchen is showing, which is where I have been spending a great deal of time. Notice the "two peas in a pod" salt and pepper shaker, so cute! And what's a kitchen without cool mason jars to hold your flour, sugar and other such things? Back to the cake....the recipe is fairly simple and it yields a fabulous result! However, when I make this cake next time, I will follow the directions closer (keep reading for explanation.)Ahhhh...practically perfect....No! What happened? And then I discovered my mistake, I didn't put parchment paper inside. Novice mistake I'm sure. So, when the recipe calls for parchment paper, do it. For this recipe cut circles big enough to cover the inside of the pan. The paper does not have to go up the edges, just on the bottom. And one more tip, it helps to have some killer tunes whilst baking. Neil Diamond is an excellent choice, even in dire times (parchment paper), you just can't stop yourself from singing along and smiling. Ahhh, the cheeze.

Best Birthday Cake: taken from www.smittenkitchen.com

Yield: Two 9-inch round, 2-inch tall cake layers, and, in theory, 22 to 24 cupcakes, two 8-inch squares or a 9×13 single-layer cake.

4 cups plus 2 tablespoons cake flour (not self-rising)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups buttermilk, well-shaken

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans and line with circles of parchment paper, then butter parchment. (That's what I skipped.) She says you can use a cooking spray, butter, or butter and flour, but I think that you have to go parchment.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl after each addition. At low speed, beat in buttermilk until just combined (mixture will look curdled). Add flour mixture in three batches, mixing until each addition is just Incorporated.

Spread batter evenly in cake pan, then rap pan on counter several times to eliminate air bubbles. (This part is fun) Bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then run a knife around edge of pan. Invert onto rack and discard parchment, then cool completely, about 1 hour.

Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting
Taken from www.smittenkitchen.com and adapted from The Dessert Bible

Makes 5 cups of frosting, or enough to frost and fill a two layer 9-inch cake

15 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 teaspoons instant espresso (optional, but can be used to pick up the flavor of average chocolate)
2 1/4 cups sour cream, at room temperature!!!!!
1/4 to 1/2 cup light corn syrup
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the chocolate and espresso powder, if using, in the top of a double-boiler or in a heatproof bowl over simmering water. Stir until the chocolate is melted. (A microwave can be used, but there is something so fabulous about watching the chocolate melt. It is the best color ever.) Remove from heat and let chocolate cool until tepid.

Whisk together the sour cream, 1/4 cup of the corn syrup and vanilla extract until combined. Add the tepid chocolate slowly and stir quickly until the mixture is uniform. Taste for sweetness, and if needed, add additional corn syrup in one tablespoon increments until desired level of sweetness is achieved.

Let cool in the refrigerator until the frosting is a spreadable consistency. This should not take more than 30 minutes. Should the frosting become too thick or stiff, just leave it out until it softens again.