Chocolate Cream Cheese Tunnel Cake

For Father's Day, I made this "death by chocolate" dessert.  Everyone LOVED it!

I shared this on my recipe blog, but wanted to share it here too just in case you didn't know I had a recipe blog. (You can check it out here.)

1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 Tb milk
1 (18.25-ounce) pkg chocolate cake mix
3/4 cup cold coffee
1/4 cup oil
3 large eggs
2/3 cup nuts (optional)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 350°, grease and flour pan.

Melt 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips in double boiler over simmering water.

With electric mixer, combine cream cheese, sugar, milk, and melted chocolate. Beat until smooth. Set aside.

Combine cake mix, coffee, oil, and eggs, and beat with electric mixer for 4 minutes.

Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts (optional)

Mound cream cheese mixture onto of cake mixture around tube, but do not spread to touch sides of pan.

Bake until top springs back when pressed lightly in center.  Cool upright in pan one hour before inverting.

Baking Time ~ 55 to 65 Min.


To make glaze:

Heat 1/2 cup cream in small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to boil. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips until melted and smooth.

Drizzle warm glaze over cooled cake.

Store, covered, in refrigerator.

Makes 12 servings.


Recipe Courtesy of Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

Pool Bums

This is the life............

We have turned into Pool Bums that is for sure. We have gone swimming  7 out of the last 8 days! But hey, that is what summer is all about, right?

Splash

We went to a friend's birthday party in a nearby city. She took us to a pool on the army base and I will say it was fantastic!

It had a kiddie area....

and a very large pool with 2 slides and even a rock climbing wall!

All FOUR of my kids enjoyed the slides...yes, even my three year old, M!!!

Picnic with a Friend

A little rain can't stop a picnic....

M and her friend E had an inside picnic after we had to come in from the pool because of the rain. They loved it! I overheard them say this is the best picnic ever!

Aren't 3 year old little girls the sweetest things :)

E's Birthday "Cake"

E does not like to have traditional cakes for her birthday, so this year I made Turtle Chewy.

It is so easy and extremely good!

1 pkg. German Chocolate cake mix
1 -1/2 c. chocolate chips (1 bag)
1 bag caramels (melt in top of double boiler)
1 c. chopped nuts (choose either pecans, peanuts or walnuts)
1/3 c. evaporated milk
3/4 c. melted butter
1/3 c. evaporated milk

Combine caramels and 1/3 c. evaporated milk in saucepan and melt. Set aside.

Mix by hand:
Cake mix, butter, 1/3 c. evaporated mil, and walnuts. Batter will be very thick.

Bake 350 for 6 minutes.
Sprinkle chocolate chips over crust, drizzle caramel over mixture. Spread remaining batter over it (use hands if necessary).


Return to oven for 18-20 min. Cool and refrigerate 30 min. to set caramel then cut.

Happy 11th Birthday E!

Today my sweet E is turning 11! Wow, 11....

E, you are growing into such a beautiful young lady both inside and out! You are thoughtful, kind, helpful and sensitive to the feelings of others. You are a wonderful daughter, sister and friend!

You love to be in the kitchen helping to cook and bake. You have learned to cook family meals all by yourself - and you do such a great job too! You also like to have fun and laugh! You love to play games, swim and read. I am so proud of you and the young lady you are becoming!

Happy Birthday E! We love you very much!

Learning to Dive

M is learning not only to swim , but to dive under and get toys off the bottom steps!

She is so proud of herself for being so brave and doing this....look at those eyes shining as she is smiling about her accomplishments :)