Peach Raspberry Crumble

It's summer time and that means it's peach season!

I love peaches. Plain, with sugar, in a simple syrup over biscuits or pancakes, in pies.....You get the idea.

When our family got together to celebrate the 4th of July a couple of weeks ago I knew exactly what to bring: Peach Raspberry Crumble.

This is such a good summer dessert. And it's pretty easy! While it says you have to have a food processor, you don't. I've made it before without one. Just chop up the butter into itty bitty pieces and mix it that way. The original recipe calls for plums, but I don't like plums so I swapped them out. I highly recommend it.

The topping is nice and crispy, which compliments the fruit perfectly. Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream for the perfect summer dessert.

Original Recipe courtesy of Food Network

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 40 min
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients
2 pounds peaches, cut in 1/2, pitted, and cut in 1-inch wedges
2/3 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 pint fresh raspberries
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds, plus extra for sprinkling
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the sliced peaches, 1/3 cup of the granulated sugar, 1/4 cup of the flour, and the orange juice and toss well. Add the raspberries and toss lightly. Pour into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch baking dish.

For the topping, place the remaining 1 cup of flour, the remaining 1/3 cup of granulated sugar, the brown sugar, and the salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is the size of peas. Pour the mixture into a bowl, add the oats, and work it with your hands until it's in large crumbles. Add 1/2 cup of the almonds and mix well.

Spread the topping evenly over the peaches, making sure the fruit is covered. Sprinkle with some extra almonds. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the fruit is tender and bubbly and the topping is golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Work Fun

Today at work we had some entertaining patient quotes. Thought you'd enjoy.

First patient, a 6 year old girl, frequently makes me laugh because she wants to sing and dance her way through therapy. Hey, whatever gets her to participate.

Today we walked in to our therapy room (which requires walking through the PT gym) behind a guy who had his arm amputated just below the shoulder. This girl has a medical history and has spent some time in the hospital so she has seen all sorts of things, but she was staring this guy down as we walked in (he was walking in front of us). When we got to our room she mentioned that he only had one arm. I brushed it off and responded that he probably had an accident. Left it at that and we moved on. She mentioned it in passing a couple more times, but we didn't discuss it in detail. Until she brought it up again toward the end of her session.

Her: "That man didn't have an arm like he is supposed to."
Me: "You're right, he didn't."
Her: "Do you think he just went to get a drink of water one day and it fell off?"
Me: (trying not to laugh) "No....I think he probably had some kind of accident. Don't worry, your arm can't just fall off. He didn't lose it getting a drink of water."

Lesson? Watch out when you're getting water-you might lose an arm.

Next was a story from one of the nurses working our ortho unit. Someone brought a patient a big yellow smiley face balloon that was sitting in the hall. She walked past a room and the door was open so the patient yelled that she needed help (a lot of our patients don't use their call bells) so she went in the room and the patient said,

"What kind of place are you people running around here? I've been laying here yelling for help, but that man is just standing out there smiling at me instead of helping!"

I just love my job :)

Asheville Night Out

Last night Jon and I went out to dinner with our friend, Davis, in Asheville. We went to a delicious local restaurant called Salsa's. I. Love. Salsa's. It's a Caribbean-Mexican restaurant that uses lots of fresh ingredients and some seriously spicy peppers to make a lot of really fantastic food. Their drinks aren't so bad either.

We started the night with some drinks: Peach margarita for me, beer for Jon, Asheville Lemonade for Davis. The Asheville Lemonade was very Asheville: moonshine and lemonade.

Next came a trio of salsas. We chose Guacamole, Strawberry Jalapeno Salsa, and Pineapple Habenero Salsa. Have you ever cooked with habaneros? I have. Just a heads up, in case you haven't, don't accidentally rub your eyes after you cut them. Ask me how I know.....

Despite the names, the salsas aren't torture. They are deliciously blended with plenty of fruit flavor with just a bit of a kick. We ate it so fast I couldn't take a picture. We liked it.

All that was left by the time my phone made an appearance.

We all got quesadillas for our main course. Jon's had lamb and goat cheese and peppers. Mine was pulled pork, cheese, avocados, and a pineapple chutney. YUM.

It was every bit as good as it looks. x1000

We weren't content to let the night end there. It has rained ever day in July. Asheville got the same amount of rain they average in 1 year within about a week and a half. Yesterday the sun was shining and it was beautiful so we wandered around the corner to Marble Slab and got some ice cream. After that we went to a park in the middle of town and people watched.

We are excited about some ice cream.

If you've never been to Asheville, the people watching is prime. Hippies, businessmen, children, dogs. Sometimes there's even a man in a nun outfit (with a mini skirt) who rides a tall bike through town (we think he's part of a comedy bus tour. Maybe.).

Those are basketball "grapes." "Why?" you ask. Why not? It's Asheville.

The Hipster and The Hippie. A fine example of Asheville folk.

The night was so fun we decided to make it a weekly tradition. Asheville has tons of really good local restaurants. I can't wait to try more of them! Come visit us and we'll take you to one!

Recipe Index Weeks 3 & 4

Not So Boring Chicken Stir Fry

I think between this post and my Weeks 1 & 2 index (there's a link at the bottom so you don't have to go hunting for it), this is most of the Whole30 recipes we used. Hope you try some and enjoy them!

Breakfast:

• Eggs, eggs, and more eggs. With a piece of fruit.

Lunch:

• Leftovers or salads 

Dinners:

• Not So Boring Chicken Stir Fry We really enjoyed this dish-will definitely make it again
• Mediterranean Meatballs (see my blog post for recipe and details)
• Balsamic Mustard Chicken  Really delicious and simple-perfect weeknight meal
• Paleo Pancit  A yummy twist on a traditional pasta dish. 
• Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Chicken 
• Spaghetti squash with homemade meat sauce
• Herb Crusted Pork Loin Not my favorite-I think I definitely picked up the wrong cut of pork. It has potential, though, so I think I'll give it another shot in the future

Here's the Week 1 & 2 Recipe Index for ideas on side dishes and more meals, if you need it . Happy cooking!

Lamb Meatballs

Remember the extra special dish I was going to make to celebrate Jon finishing the first 2 weeks of his South Beach diet? Well, it was a Moroccan lamb dish that we LOVE. Sadly, our local grocery didn't have the right cut of lamb so that was a bust. Then I found a recipe for Greek Meatballs that used lamb so I thought I would make those, but I missed a couple of ingredients when I made my grocery list. Bust #2.

So what do you do when you have some ingredients for one recipe and some for another? Toss some stuff together and hope it works out! Good news-it did. So yummy! Here's the recipe:

Mediterranean Meatballs

Ingredients:
1 lb ground lamb
1/2 lb ground beef
1/4 c chopped parsley
3 cloves minced garlic
8-10 dried dates, chopped
8 (or so) kalamata olives, chopped
1/2 Tbs Montreal Steak Seasoning (McCormick, or any grill seasoning will do)
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp (pinch) ground cloves

Combine all ingredients. Make sure the spices are mixed evenly throughout the meat. Form into meatballs (mine were 1-2 inches across). Place a cooling rack on a baking dish. Arrange the meatballs on the cooling rack so they can bake all around. Bake at 450 for about 15 minutes.

I served them with salad and mashed cauliflower, but I think they would have been even better with a sweet potato dish as a side.

Patrick's Big Weekend

Last weekend Patrick was filled with folly and so he did the following:

First he was a total ham at breakfast...

Gimme that, Mama!

I'm king of the baby world!

Chins

He saw another baby in a high chair across the room and locked on. He is baby intense.

Then he told a bunch of stories...

Then he learned to do this...

And this...

And at some point in all that activity he's gotten a third tooth. He has been one busy boy, and he is very proud of himself!

SYTYCD

Happy Tuesday! Tuesdays have a new level of excitement in our house this summer. Why? Well, I'll tell you.

So You Think You Can Dance.

I love this show. I have the dancing ability of a slug (Don't ask me why a slug-it was the first word that popped into my head. Just keeping it real, people) so I love watching people who are really good at it. And some of the dances tell such stories! I had no idea, until I started watching. Here are two of my favorites from past seasons:

But this season it's even better!! My friend, Tucker is a dancer!! 

It is a totally new experience watching. I can't watch the group dances any more because I'm trying to pick him out and watch what he does. I can't watch it on DVR any more because I don't want to miss his live performance while it's actually live. I vote. 

If you've been looking for a new show to watch, go check it out! If you haven't, go check it out! And vote for Tucker!!!

Whole 28

Yes, you read that correctly. I made it 28 days, not 30. It was a premeditated decision. My parents were in town and we wanted to take them to a delicious pancake place for breakfast. I could either 1-stop Whole30 or 2-not eat. I opted for choice 1. I get grouchy when I don't eat.

But I was surprised when we got to the restaurant the next morning (Johnny's Pancake House). I didn't want pancakes! I was all about pancakes when I was pregnant. Who doesn't love bread and honey? (I'm not a syrup person-go ahead, judge.) But they just didn't spark my interest. What was going on? I got an omelette filled with sausage and veggies. And, yes, there was a side of grits and toast, but for the most part it was (relatively) healthy.

So here's what I liked about the Whole30 experience:

• I feel GREAT! Definitely more energy, sleeping like a champ (not that that's ever really been an issue for me)
• I lost the last bit of baby weight. Jon and I want lots of kids. Gaining 6ish pounds? No big deal. Gaining 6ish pounds per kid? Well, that's a different story.
• I'm now more aware of what's in the foods I'm eating. After this experience I can tell it makes a big difference.
• I eat more fruit. Meat and veggies have always been easy for me. Not so much with fruit, but now I eat some after almost every meal.

Here were some things I wasn't super crazy about:

• The cravings. At least when you have pregnancy cravings you can eat what your craving. These were pregnancy cravings without the satisfaction.
• Going out to eat was a bummer. So many delicious menu items saying, "Eat me. Oh wait, you can't." A girl can only eat so many grilled chicken salads with oil and vinegar dressing...
• Not a big breakfast variety. By the end of the month I felt like I was going to turn into a chicken. I ate scrambled eggs every day for breakfast for the month. That's a lot of eggs. 

Was it a good overall experience? Yes! I would absolutely do it again. Now I'm free to eat what I want, but I am finding I want different things than before. I haven't even thought about pasta in weeks. That's a big deal. I'm not going to eliminate dairy, sweets, and grains from my diet. I'm a big believer in "Life is too short to eat boring food." I think it's ok to enjoy things like that from time to time. I would much rather have a healthy attitude and appreciation to those foods than an unhealthy obsession about totally avoiding them (not that everyone who avoids them has an unhealthy obsession). Whole30/paleo food really isn't boring, but there are foods that exist that I want to enjoy in their full glory, foods that are good for the soul. Cajun food. Cinnamon rolls. Vanilla lattes :)

Jon and I decided July is cardio month. There are lots of recipes still to share, and Patrick is just beginning to have true adventures. Stay tuned...

Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Chicken

My friend Kat shared a recipe on her blog for a paleo and vegan spinach artichoke dip. It sounded delicious!  It uses cashew cream instead of cheese or sour cream. Fascinating idea so I really wanted to give it a try. I'm not a huge fan of using veggies with dips like this. I just prefer the texture of a cracker or chip, but that's obviously off limits. Rather than try it as a side, I decided it needed to be in stuffed chicken. Here's what I did:

Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Chicken

Paleo Spinach Artichoke Dip

6-8 chicken breasts

Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the spinach artichoke dip. I made mine using less water so it was really think. I didn't want the filling to be too runny.

Slice the chicken breasts so they are nearly cut in half/have a pocket for stuffing (or buy butterflied chicken breasts) and open them

Add as much dip into the chicken as you'd like, then close them

Secure with toothpicks

Season with salt and pepper

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes, depending on how thick your chicken breasts are

Serve with whatever veggies you prefer.

We really enjoyed this dish-hope you do too!

No Buns? No Problem!

After two days of eating eggs for breakfast and salads for lunch and dinner, I needed a change. No lettuce (ok, maybe a little), no chicken, and something with substance.

Time to tackle Paleo Burgers.

I should give a quick disclaimer. These burgers have pineapple on them. I think a really hardcore Whole30er would avoid pineapple because it's a pretty sugary fruit. I decided after being super good and sitting through 3 restaurants with no menu options but a basic salad for me in the past 3 days, I didn't care. I was going for it.

So worth it! The recipe is coming up next, but first let me just warn you: these things are spicy! As in, Jon and I were breathing fire and had totally clear sinuses about half way in. They were delicious, but they were HOT. Next time I will be cutting the chipolte seasoning in half. I also couldn't find any avocados that were anywhere close to ripe so I found some guacamole that was approved and it was a great short cut.

Recipe from PaleOMG:

Prep time:  20 mins

Cook time:  15 mins

Total time:  35 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1lb Grass Fed Ground Beef
• 1 pineapple, cored and sliced (see my fantastic pics below)
• 1 yellow onion, sliced thin
• 1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

For the cream

• 2 avocados
• juice of 1 lime
• juice of ½ lemon
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce (your favorite will do)
• 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Light your grill! I love grilling season.
2. Now you should first slice your pineapple. I have no idea how to cut a pineapple very well but I try, so you can look at my pictures if that actually helps.
3. Use a big knife to cut off both ends of the pineapple, then stand the pineapple up and slice the sides off. Then cut the pineapple in hamburger slices (remember hamburger vs hotdog in elementary school? good). And finish the pineapple slices off by using a smaller knife to cut out the middle and press it out. Like a donut hole. Cute.
4. Then slice your onions.
5. Place meat in a bowl, add seasonings and mix thoroughly. Like hard core. Get in there.
6. Make 4 burger patties and flatten them out a bit.
7. Place onions, burgers, and pineapple on the grill at the same time. Try not to place pineapple over direct flame because it can burn pretty easily, being sugar and all.
8. Flip when grill marks become present, after about 5 minutes and cook about the same amount of time on the other side of until burgers are cooked to preference and pineapple is a bit charred and soft.

While the ingredients are on the grill, make your avocado cream!

1. Cut avocados in half, remove the seed, then scoop out the insides and place in your food processor.
2. Turn food processor on and let the avocado begin to break down. After about a minute, while your food processor is still running, add the rest of the ingredients for the avocado cream and keep pureeing until smooth: about 1-2 minutes.
3. Place a burger down, top it with pineapple, then a grilled onion, and then a dollop of avocado cream on top!

Yum! Yum! and Yum! This recipe made a strong argument for never using a bun again. Serve it with sweet potato chips or some grilled veggies. 

Cravings

If you read some of my previous posts, you remember that there's a timeline to this Whole30 experience. So far I haven't really experienced much of it. I had a little bit of a headache, I don't think I was too grouchy, and I've been feeling great. More than half way done-now is the downhill slide and everything is smooth sailing, right?

Wrong.

This week the cravings hit. 

I didn't really have serious cravings during my pregnancy (not going to lie-I felt a little cheated), but Whole30 is making up for it. I had to go back and look at the timeline to see if this was normal or if I was the Whole30 flunk out who couldn't hang with the healthy stuff and was going to immediately binge on all things junk food at 12:01 of day 31. Good news-I'm not. Apparently you do have cravings and for some people they rival those of pregnancy in terms of severity and weirdness. 

Mine weren't too strange in terms of foods, but they were oddly specific. All of Thursday morning (which was the worst day) I craved, specifically, 1 glazed Dunkin Donut, 1 cinnamon roll, and a vanilla latte. No more, no less. Weird.

The Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls. Make them-you won't regret it.

Other things I have craved this week: chocolate, corn dogs (no idea where that one came from), cheeseburgers, hush puppies and pancakes. Not all at the same time, thankfully. I think (hope) I'm moving past this phase, which means next really is the feel good success phase!

This was also the week we went out to dinner several times. So I was having major cravings, and was stuck eating grilled chicken salads every night for dinner. I would recommend not eating out while on Whole30 unless you are seriously dedicated. It can be very frustrating to look at a whole menu of delicious sounding and smelling and looking foods that you can't eat.

I tell you these things so you don't decide to do Whole30 and think it's a walk in the park. It's lots of fun to learn a new way of cooking and discover new recipes. It leaves you feeling great. Just know that if you hit some bumps in the road, that's normal! Radically changing the way you eat is not an easy thing, but it can be something you enjoy if you approach it the right way.

It's Pretty Here

Father's Day

Our grocery foiled my plan for the super delicious meal I mentioned in my last post. It's a lamb dish, but our grocery store didn't have the right cut. Stay tuned-I promise I'll make it before the 30 days is up!

For Father's Day we went hiking with some friends. We adventured way up in the mountains and made it over 6,000 feet in elevation.

Hitting the trail

Stunning views:

Taking it all in.

Not too shabby...

Patrick's first time in the grass:

"Um. Mama? What is this stuff?"

Oh wait, it's not so bad!

 Playing on some rocks:

Just chillin. Contemplating life. (yes, Jon was holding him out of view)

Recreating Lion King:

(Not a real cliff)

Sleeping:

Baby life is hard.

I even made it out from behind the camera. And he was happy for the occasion:

It was a fun family day! Jon mentioned that we set the bar really high for future Father's Days. That means that we will either hike every year or I am going to have to get seriously creative...

The fam

Recipe Index, Weeks 1 & 2

Easy Roast Chicken

In case anyone was wondering or needs some ideas, here are the recipes I've made so far.

Breakfast:

• scrambled eggs followed by a piece of fruit (usually an apple or a banana)
• Easy Paleo Frittata Make the night before using whatever veggies you like and just pop it in the microwave in the morning. So easy and quick.

Lunch:

• Salad with grilled chicken and veggies. Grill a bunch of chicken over the weekend and dice some raw veggies and just grab as much or as little of each as you want every day.
• Avocado chicken salad on lettuce wraps
• Leftovers

Dinner:

• Marinated Flank Steak (minus the Worcestershire sauce)
• Easy and Amazing Roast Chicken The title describes it perfectly. 
• Turkey Tenderloin. Mix Dijon mustard, garlic, dried rosemary and thyme, salt, pepper, and olive oil (just eyeball the amounts) and rub the turkey, then bake until done
• Prosciutto Wrapped Scallops  I used this recipe as a base. I didn't like how the scallops looked baked-they didn't have the good color you get when you saute or grill them-so I ended up putting them on the stove to brown for a minute.
• Spaghetti squash with meat sauce (homemade)
• Paleo Stuffed Peppers This recipe was yummy! You can find tomato sauce that's ok for Whole30 (I think) in the grocery. Just make sure you check the ingredients list. I used an arrabiata sauce (tomato sauce with crushed red peppers) to give it some extra flavor. Go that route-it ads some extra flavor and spice. It might have been a little bland otherwise.
• Pulled Pork with Mango Salsa For a paleo BBQ sauce recipe, check out my post about going to the lake.
• Spiced Mexican Tuna Steak Yum, yum, and yum!
• Herb Crusted Pork Loin Easy recipe with good flavor

Sides:

• Grilled zucchini and squash
• Sauteed kale
• Sauteed spinach
• Mashed cauliflower 
• Rosemary sweet potatoes (diced sweet potatoes, olive oil, rosemary, salt, pepper-toss, bake until soft/done)
• Baked sweet potato chips (I used coconut oil)
• Roasted asparagus

Easy Tuna Steak, and a Half Way Report

Tuna steak has always seemed intimidating to me. I was so wrong! I found a recipe for a Spiced Mexican Tuna Steak. This might be my favorite recipe we've tried so far. The flavors combined perfectly, and it's a really beautiful presentation. Perfect for entertaining-I can't wait to try it on some friends!

My avocado topping wasn't quite the same as their recipe. I just diced some avocado, added lime juice, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Kind of a simple guacamole. You could easily top it was store bought guacamole if you'd prefer. It was very exciting to know that tuna isn't as scary as I thought.

It's day 15 of the Whole30 challenge and I am really enjoying it. I am sleeping well, waking up refreshed, don't feel like crawling into bed at the end of the work day, and can tell I've lost a little weight. I definitely still have cravings-we'll see if that continues for the whole month or if they go away. They aren't terrible, but I would love a vanilla latte and a cookie. Surprisingly, I don't miss bread and pasta all the time! I am loving finding new recipes and figuring out ways to modify the recipes I know so they're approved. At this point, I think I'll continue to eat with paleo/Whole30 as a basis for meals once the challenge is over, but will have some dairy and grains tossed in from time to time.

It's not always easy (especially when I'm really hungry), but it's also not impossible. I didn't plan ahead very well last week and it was much harder. Today is another planning, cooking, and next week prep day. It just makes it so much simpler and there's less to deal with after work when it's already dinner time and you don't want to spend time thinking about what to cook.

The Mean Abs Challenge is, well, mean. No six pack abs yet, but I can do a few sit ups (not anywhere close to the required number per day-they get progressively worse after I start). It's my least favorite part of the month.

Tomorrow is Jon's first Father's Day and we're going on a hike so tonight I'm making a delicious dinner to celebrate. I can't wait to share the recipe-it's one of our favorites!

The Cake

Allow me to properly introduce you to The Cake. Salted Caramel Six Layer Chocolate Cake, to be exact. Is your mouth watering yet? It should be!

This recipe is fabulous! It is labor intensive, but worth every bit. The cake is moist and springy and delicious, the caramel is rich and ads a fantastic balance of sweet to the dark chocolate of the cake, and the icing tops it all perfectly. You get a blend of sweet and salty (especially toward the top where the salt garnish is). It is glorious.

I found the recipe from another blog, The Bitten Word. It's originally a Martha Stewart creation. The Bitten Word has some good tips about the process so be sure to check it out.

Recipe:

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
Yield: Makes one 9-inch cake
Serves 12

Ingredients

• For The Cake
  • Unsalted butter, room temperature, for pans
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
  • 3 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 1 tablepoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • Coarse salt
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons safflower oil
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• For The Caramel
  • 4 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup light corn syrup
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • Coarse salt
  • 2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
• For The Frosting
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
  • Coarse salt
  • 1 pound semisweet chocolate, chopped, melted, and cooled
  • Garnish: flaked sea salt, such as Maldon

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the cake: Butter three 9-inch round cake pans, and dust with flour, tapping out excess. Sift flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and 1 1/2 teaspoons course salt into the bowl of a mixer. Beat on low speed until just combined. Raise speed to medium, and add eggs, buttermilk, 1 1/2 cups warm water, oil, and vanilla. Beat until smooth, about 3 minutes.
• Divide batter among pans. Bake until cakes are set and a toothpick inserted into the center of each comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let cool in pans set on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks, and let cool completely.
• Make the caramel: Combine granulated sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan over high heat. Cook, without stirring, until mixture is dark amber, about 14 minutes. Remove from heat, and carefully pour in cream (mixture will spatter); stir until smooth. Return to heat, and cook until a candy thermometer reaches 238 degrees, about 2 minutes. Pour caramel into a medium bowl, stir in 1 teaspoon coarse salt, and let cool slightly, about 15 minutes. Stir in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting: Whisk together cocoa and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water in a bowl until cocoa dissolves. Beat butter, confectioners' sugar, and a generous pinch of coarse salt in a clean bowl with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in melted chocolate and then cocoa mixture until combined. Let stand for 30 minutes before using.
• Trim tops of cakes using a serrated knife to create a level surface. Cut each in half horizontally to form 2 layers. Transfer 1 layer to a serving platter, and spread 3/4 cup caramel over top. Top with another cake layer, and repeat with remaining caramel and cake layers, leaving top uncovered. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.
• Frost top and sides of cake in a swirling motion. Sprinkle with sea salt.

Some of my thoughts/tips:

1. Any of this cake could be made from things in the store. You could easily recreate it with a jar of caramel, a box mix of cake, and your favorite icing. I would strongly encourage you to try it from scratch at least once. It is so worth it!
2. When you make the caramel, it splatters, but it also bubbles as you stir it in. Mine nearly doubled in size (temporarily) so make sure your medium sauce pan leaves room. 
3. If it's hot in your house like it was in mine, pop the icing in the fridge for a few minutes for it to set. Just give it a stir before you spread it. If your house is a normal temperature you should be fine with leaving it out. Just give it a stir and use your judgement.
4. I used Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa powder and chocolate chips for the cake and the icing because I couldn't find Dutch process cocoa powder. It was the perfect balance of sweet and dark chocolate taste.
5. I sprayed the cake pans with nonstick spray instead of using the butter/flour method this time around. Use the butter/flour method-it works better.
6. The first time I made this cake I only used about 1/2 the caramel. I froze the extra and used it in the second cake. If you follow the directions and use 3/4 c/layer (which I did this time around) you won't have nearly as much leftover. 
7. I haven't been able to get distinct layers of caramel between cake layers. The cake absorbs it and it becomes one giant, yummy, caramel infused cake. And it's perfect.

Right Now...

Right now this is happening in my kitchen:

Dry ingredients, ready to go.

Last night, this happened:

That, my friends, is what caramel looks like in its early stages. Sugar, water, corn syrup. Delicious!

It can only mean one thing. The Cake is coming...

Bets as to how long my black shirt stays black in this baking process? I'm guessing not long.

Patrick's First Lake Day

Sunday we spent the day at a lake with some friends of ours. They're considering buying a lot so they rented a boat and we cruised around scoping it out. It was great! After a minute of being very unsure of the whole idea of swimming, Patrick decided he loves it. He giggled and splashed and had a blast!

I made pulled pork from my friend, Kat's, blog. It was so delicious! Her recipe calls for a red pepper mango salsa, which I was all set to make until I realized I had to get mangoes. Jon was a good sport and went and got some for me Saturday night, but they weren't ripe so I shelved that idea and discovered a really good paleo/Whole30 BBQ sauce. Yum! My sauce had a little more kick because I used spicy mustard instead of yellow. I would highly recommend that change. We made sweet potato chips as a side and were very happy with our diet friendly picnic.

Here are some highlights from the trip:

All dressed up and ready to go!

He took first shift as driver.

Just kidding. He napped. Hard. You have to be tired to fall asleep with a life vest on.

This is how he felt about STILL wearing the life vest after he woke up.

The views were beautiful!

I've decided mountain lakes are the best.

Swim gear, minus the life vest. He rocked it. Clearly.

Still not too sure about this water stuff.

This is fun! (That's a laughing face, I promise)

It was such a fun day!! I can't wait to get Patrick swimming again soon.