Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe. Oh. My.

 This recipe was originally from Eating Well Magazine  , January/February 2020, by Lynda Balslev, page 87.

I changed some of the amounts that she used and left out some of her ingredients. This is an old recipe though-I saw one like it in a 1930's women's magazine. Balslev's ingredients called for chipotle chile powder/ I didn't use that and I altered the sugar amount and oil (which I think could be left out completely).

Here is my recipe, with a huge bow to Lynda Balslev:

12 ounces dark chocolate

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup canola oil

1&1/2 teasp. vanilla

1 teasp. cinnamon

1/2 teasp. almond extract

1/2 teasp. salt

6 large eggs

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Use 3 of these 4 ounce boxes. If you use the already sweetened ones, use 1/2 cup sugar. If unsweetened-use almost 1 cup sugar.

Preheat oven to 350 degress F. Spray springform pan with oil. 

Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler. I used a pan inside a pan-the bottom pan had about an inch of water, on medium heat. Stir a lot. Remove from heat and stir in the seasonings and oil (if using). Beat the eggs about 3 or 4 minutes with an electric mixer. Fold in the melted chocolate mixture and stir this (use a big bowl to beat the eggs, so there's room for the added chocolate mixture). 

Bake for 35 minutes-I used Jumbo eggs so I had to add 15 minutes to the bake time. The top will look like it is 'set.'

Take the cake out of the oven, and let it cool. I take the side off the pan after about 45 minutes. Let the cake cool completely before putting in fridge.

This is SOOOO good. The texture is something like a brownie, but even better.

And it smells amazing while it's baking!

Please note: I did NOT get permission to re-do this recipe, but I'm giving Lynda Balslev the credit she is due for it. I have just changed some of her ingredients and amounts.

Some good add-ins would be nuts, chocolate chips, cocoanut, peanut butter.

Happy baking!

:)

New acrylic painting

 "Looking"

acrylic on canvas

Debra Smith

I like working in acrylics for lots of reasons. 

Painting even a little while each day has helped get me going again. I have so much to learn that it's daunting, but I'll never learn it if I just think about painting. I do that! 

This painting had been put aside with only the abstract background done. I knew I wanted to add something-just didn't know what. It took me a couple of months to figure out it had to be birds hiding in the abstract shapes and colors. I know I'll do more like this.

 I pray, a lot,while I'm working.

I think some of my months of not painting have been because I just can't really see a purpose for what I'm doing. The pandemic doesn't help, but I felt that way before. 

When you do art, you're alone. I just had to tell my sweet husband to scat-I was still working on the painting. We talked lovingly about it, but it still felt wrong. What am I doing? Where is this art thing going anyway?

I don't know.

But like I said above, I pray about this thing I'm doing and I can't get around it-I gotta paint.

 I'm still gonna paint and someday I'll know why.

***

Finished fox painting

 Oil on paper, 2020 Debra Smith

Fox and Goose

Quick oil sketch for the next painting. WIP

 And this is me holding my goose, Sam. She's sleeping. My husband took the photo with a cell phone. I took a photo of the phone! 

Oil painting in progress

 I'm not giving up on oil painting.

This still needs work and I have lots to learn but if I keep painting every day I will get the hang of it.

It's raining here, but not too cold. We have many yellow and orange leaved trees that are so beautiful right now. After the rain most will be on the ground.

I want to keep an online journal of what I paint.

I have another recipe to share soon-flourless chocolate cake-it is amazingly good.

Take care...

God bless you.

The reluctant painter

There is a beautiful light this time of the year, early in the morning. I wish I could capture it with my camera.

Before the sun is showing above the horizon, the glow makes all yellow leaves still on the trees light up as if they had an inner light.

I love the bare trees too. When it gets a little colder, there will be a mist amongst the branches and in the goldenrod, and over the corn fields.

I am completely discouraged with my try at oil painting. I thought I had used this type of paint 20 years ago-but it's been 40 years. I was in my 20's and somehow I did manage a few okay oil paintings. But this time I can't seem to get past awful messes. I am trained by the acrylics to have a short drying time. And now I must worry about spontaneous combustion from oil soaked paper towels! So I will burn them after I paint. The brand I'm using is M. Graham oils and they are amazing. The pigments are rich, the texture creamy and not oily out of the tube. 

I don't even know what this mess, above, is. The palette is more interesting!

I have managed 2 days of trying this, so I will keep trying for a while.

Discouraged....

 If you want to learn a lot about color and light, this is the book. James Gurney is a marvelous artist and good teacher. 

My brother is better, and my mom is safe. This time that we're in is very trying to say the least!

Take care, and thank you for visiting.

Happy October, Hello November

Things are stable as far as family and covid. I know I have gone through a major mental thing-and that's just from my perspective-which is quite selfish, considering I was not the one who was sick!!!

This is all just hard to get your head around. But thank you for your prayers and thoughts-you have no idea how much it all means. A LOT!

We had two Evening Grosbeaks under our feeders.

The trees have been so beautiful this year. I can feel the color go into my brain-it is like breathing in the beauty.

Sam is my little feathery girl. She loves our times of napping on my lap!

 I am going to get back to oil painting, which I haven't done for 20 years. Hoping I can write a little about it soon. God bless you all, and please stay safe.