Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake

Recipe.

I have this thing where I convince myself that any recipe with oatmeal is healthy. Apple Crumble...healthy. No Bake Cookies...healthy. Oatmeal Raisin Cookies...definitely healthy. The fact that butter, sugar, and all sorts of naughty ingredients are also involved means nothing to me.

So I am VERY happy to share my newest "healthy" recipe test - Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake...and as an added bonus, it contains booze! I got the base recipe from Bake or Break (an awesome recipe resource) and made a few tweaks based on what I had available in my pantry, and I loved it. It's the perfect comfort food cake for these ever frigid days. Enjoy!



Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake

1 1/3 cup chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon liquor, such as bourbon or whiskey (I used Canadian Club)
1 & 1/2 cups + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, at room temperature
2 room temperature eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 & 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 & 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375°. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9″x13″ baking pan.

Toss chocolate chips with liquor in a small bowl. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour over the chips and toss until coated. Set aside.

Heat 1 & 1/4 cups water to boiling. Place the oats and butter in a large bowl. Pour boiling water over oat mixture. Wait 30 seconds, then stir to moisten oats and melt the butter. Seat aside for 25-30 minutes.

Whisk eggs, sugars, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Fold in oatmeal, stirring until well combined. Fold in remaining flour, and then stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake 40-45 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 30 minutes.

** When using a convection oven **
I reduced the temp to 350 and only baked for 30 - 32 minutes.

Gluten-Free Dessert: Meringues Chantilly

Recipe.

I recently had a dinner party where one of my guests follows a gluten-free diet. Making a gluten-free dinner wasn't a difficult task, but I wanted my friend to be able to enjoy a delicious dessert too. I know there are a million mixes and recipes out there that substitute items to make them Celiac-friendly...but I didn't have time to recipe test to make sure the quality was just right. So I went with something that is inherently gluten-free - Meringues.



Meringues are egg whites, sugar, vanilla, and a tiny bit of cream of tartar, whipped to hard peaks. You then pipe them to the desired shape and size and dehydrate them in an oven over many hours.

The result is a deliciously flaky cookie that is a base for many other desserts...my favorite being Meringues Chantilly. All you need to add to your meringues is a little raspberry sauce, whipped cream, and fresh berries.



Voila! A gorgeous, fancy, delicious, and gluten-free dessert that is sure to please.

String Chandeliers

DIY Decor.

When I saw this project listed on Ruffled blog I was immediately transported back to grade school. I think I made these string chandeliers at least once every year in art class from grades 1 thru 6. Who knew they were going to be hip in 2011?



I am usually 100% okay with living a clutter-free life. However, today I wish I could wind my way through an old basement or attic filled will childhood projects and memories. But as I look around my 1200 sq of space, it is very clear, that in order to dine al fresco with lovely objets d’art. I must get busy on this tutorial.

The Art of the Pen

Home Decor.

If you took a close look at the picture below, you'd notice that it's much more than just an ordinary print. It's actually the entire written text of Pride and Prejudice...formed to create a print that fits the books subject.



With many classic literary options to choose from, Spineless Classics has a genius concept on their hands. And I don't even need Sherlock Holmes (picture below) to deduce that...

It's a Wrap

DIY.

Check out what happens when acrylic paint meets kraft paper.



The effect is modern, dramatic and takes the cool factor of receiving flowers up at least 10 notches. Thanks to Tokketok for this fabulous idea.

Link Love

Tuesday Inspiration.

Home Shopping Spy
This safari wall decal is adorable with a capital A.





Emma’s Design Blog
Clean lines and this copper pendant lamp make for a gorgeous bedroom.



Shorthanded
United Plates…prints of states represented by food. So cute!



Oh Happy Day
A simple DIY takes ordinary streamers and makes them fabulously fringed.

Mushroom and Marsala Pappardelle

Recipe.

I decided at the first of the year to give Meatless Monday a whirl. I knew this would be a hard sell to my husband who would easily eat steak 5 days a week. So, I planned my first couple of meals very carefully to make sure to ease into the process and not start the plan off with something he would consider life altering like curried lentils.

I fortunately got very lucky with Rachel Ray’s mushroom and marsala pappardelle. Somehow the taste was between a stroganoff and an alfredo AND I even replaced the 1 cup of heavy cream with Land O Lakes fat free half and half. I used a combination of dried and fresh mushrooms and Trader Joe’s Egg Pappardelle Pasta.




In my household whenever we try a new recipe we give it the star rating but if it is off the star chart then it is deemed “restaurant quality” which is what this dish quickly became. I am happy to report that Meatless Monday is still thriving and for this I must take my hat off to the pappardelle that started it all.

Packaging Inspiration.

Packaging.

I peruse Dieline on a regular basis just to see what the graphic genius’ of the world have been up to. Packaging is a huge source of inspiration in so many ways, typography, color pallettes, shapes and sizes. I was very excited when I ran across the new branding for an ice cream shop called Honey and Mackie’s. The branding is hip, fun and modern all wrapped into one. Oh how the wheels are turning now! Check out the whole layout here.

Decorative Tray

DIY.

Another brilliant project from the Martha Stewart crew. This beautiful tray is actually a fabric wrapped aluminum baking sheet. The result is gorgeous!

Here are the details.

Tempaper

Home Decor.

Am I behind the trend on this? I had no idea there was temporary wallpaper on the market.



A group of NYC decorators launched a line of wallpapers that is easy to apply and easy to remove. I’ve never been particularly drawn to wallpaper but that probably has something to do with remembering the painstaking process of getting the measurements exact , mixing up that awful paste, getting the wallpaper on the wall just right at the speed of light before the paste dries.

This opens up endless possibilities. You could freshen up your home décor by the season, based on a whim or even for a party. What a great idea for nurseries, easy to change through the years. I know most of us growing up got one room makeover and whatever age it happened that was it for the duration. I remember visiting several high school friends home’s to find walls still adorned with race cars, bunnies, you name it.

This wallpaper does not only have modern graphics and warm tones but it could also solve embarrassing adolescent moments.