Unexpected Spectacular Delight

Look what my daughter-in-law Nataliya found FREE on FB Marketplace Sunday afternoon. Yes, she was browsing through marketplace while she’s in Mexico thousands of miles away from Pittsburgh. Actually (2,893 miles)

Nataliya texted me and alerted me to this fabulous FREE cake being offered and I drove less than a mile to pick it up!

What a lovely pastry chef Marla Mae and her husband Logan who carried it out in a large white box with a window to peer in. Oh my!!!

They brought it out to my car.

Wait.

Let’s get it out of the car and take some pictures!!!

Marla’s husband snapped this photo of the presentation.

@madebymarlamae is on Instagram

An impromptu party was about to take place.

Drove over to the neighborhood and pulled up to the curb just as my friend Barb was about get into her friend Sonia’s car. I yelled across the street-Baaaarb!!.

Barb and Sonia then changed their plans from going to the movies to see The Sheep Detectives and instead we all went inside Barb’s house.

Barb and Sonia got on their phones and invited a few friends and neighbors to come for a surprise cake tasting. One by one, everyone ooohed and ahhed when they arrived and saw what a fabulous cake awaited tasting!

Here’s a YouTube video of everyone’s responses to the gorgeous cake.

It was so generous that everyone got to take a piece home, too. There were raspberries and fresh strawberries and real pink roses and “The cakesicles are basically just cake pops with a chocolate shell” and raspberry macarons. Chocolate dipped strawberries decorated the numerals. Chocolate cake with raspberry preserves, buttercream. Delicious!

Here’s Marla Maes website.

If you live in Pittsburgh area and need a special cake……

We ate the 2.
Details

Wordless Wednesday

What the Golden Ticket got Charlie

Yes that’s a 5 pound chocolate candy bar!

Charlie earned a one pound chocolate bar for his school fundraising efforts.

And then somehow he got a golden ticket!

He said it was random. A golden ticket was in one of the one pound bars!

Which got him this five pound chocolate bar! (Notice one row is missing)

Roy is ready for his dad to cut up another row for us to share.

Throwback Thursday at the Thrift Shop

A fondue pot.

I was thinking throwback and they were definitely popular in the seventies but….

turns out Fondue pots are still sold in kitchen stores and online and there are even electric models.

You might have one on a dusty shelf or in the basement. Or in current use.

There’s a fondue restaurant Melting Pot in Pitttsburgh.

Here’s a cheese fondue recipe

Here’s a chocolate fondue recipe

No double dipping! there are Rules of Fondue

Do you “fondue”? Did you ever?
Does this make you want to fondue?

Grateful to celebrate another year!

Montclair NJ with my brother David
photo taken by our sister Mary

My friend Vincie took me to a delicious birthday dinner at Off the Hook on my birthday eve tonight. Here’s the fancy dessert.

Creme Brûlée with an edible chocolate birthday wish.
Vincie got me little wrapped presents! Chocolate. I washed this forgotten candy dish in my China cabinet.

Happy birthday to me😂

Chocolate Cloud Cake

A flourless chocolate cake.

Here is the recipe

Chocolate Cloud Cake

Cloud Cake Recipe -a flourless chocolate cake

It calls for five eggs separated. 3 of the eggs had double yolks so it was extra rich

Good chocolate is key to depth of flavor
I even added a few squares of Icelandic Dark with SeaSalt.
I used the vegetable steamer and a Pyrex bowl as a double boiler to melt the chocolate and butter
Once it’s smooth , let it cool a bit before you fold in the egg whites

Parchment paper in the bottom of the ancient springform pan

Here’s a 30 second video (click link to watch )beating egg whites with my 38 year old Kitchen Aid

Folding the beaten whites into the chocolate mixture
Don’t over bake so it isn’t dry
The top did not crack this time we added freshly whipped heavy cream with a bit of vanilla. It’s simply delicious

Just 3 Months Past Date

No Problem. Today I found this tin of chocolates in a box when I cleaned up my “craft room” . I’m pretty sure they were an intended gift. Couldn’t possibly give it now. So I ate one of the bars.

No noticeable diminished pleasure!

Have you eaten anything past date lately?

I took the Best By date a suggestion
Google Translate App comes through

A Sweet Gift

From a sweet friend who always buys local-she’s practically neighbors with Betsy Ann Chocolates. Lucky me. Such a lovely assortment of flavors and textures. A real treat. Thank you

I ate one before taking the photo. Sweet

New-to-Me Candy Bars at the Market

After I added some lunch items to my cart I headed to the checkout line. These unfamiliar candy bars caught my eye.

Just window shopping, I realized I had no idea what tastes these bars offered.

What a variety of chocolate bars at Weiland’s Market, here in Clintonville Ohio. I left with the food for lunch but without a chocolate bar. A few quick photos.

I did a little research and each link gives the individual history of the different bars.

Big Hunk has been around since the 1950s

Another midwestern favorite Sifers Valomilk made in Kansas

Twin Bing hails from Sioux City Iowa. Founded in 1923!

Idaho Spud since 1918 is the best selling candy bar in Idaho “

“The popular Idaho Spud Bar is a wonderful combination of a light cocoa flavored, soft marshmallow center drenched with a dark chocolate coating and then sprinkled with coconut (Sorry, no potato!). It was originally marketed as a “Healthful” candy bar since it is made with agar agar instead of gelatin.

“The potato shape and unique blend of ingredients appeals to both young and old, making the “Idaho Spud” one of the top selling candy bars in the Northwest, and is Idaho Candy Company’s bestselling bar. The Idaho Spud Bar has been a favorite since it was first manufactured in 1918.”