making mudpies (and birthday cakes)

using baking with julia (one of my favorite cookbooks) i made the mocha brownie cake this week as a trial run for joseph's birthday cake. i don't mind making something i've not tried before and then serving it. this recipe, however, looked so good i wanted to try it immediately. last year i made a carrot cake, one that i tweeked before ever tasting...and it was amazing. so, i wanted to try something new. with all of my energy from the womankind retreat, i channeled it into chocolate. if only if only johnny depp was here in character from chocolate to play guitar as i stirred and layered the ganache...

food is very comforting to me. the preparation of food means as much, if not more, to eating foods that bring comfort and pleasure. i take great joy in trying new recipes or recreating dishes that i've had. time doesn't allow for that as often as i'd like, but i certainly relish the opportunity when it comes.

as we have enjoyed this cake throughout the week and shared it with others, we celebrated joseph's presence in our lives. we talk over this yummy dessert with its fabulous icing, looking closely at one another, and really listen to each other speaking from the heart. while i never do much for valentines day, i certainly enjoy doting on the everyday with something special, especially while my fresh roses are still around. here's a great cake. mocha brownie cake. mmm. the vote is that this cake is a little too sophisticate for joseph's 2nd birthday, but will show up again in a variety of forms in the future. i know i'll make this ganache again soon, and it may show up at jo's bday party!

the star topper is my way of combining the concentric circle fabric theme to the bday treats i'll give to folks. these will top the special treat for the adults. (more on that after the bday!) thank you, thesmallobject, for this very special topper idea.

peace.