Happy Birthday Nate!

 Nate turns 33 today. His Jesus year. (Maria that comes from you)

I might have had to use the calculator to figure out his age. I can't remember how old we are anymore. 

 Six Layer Malted Chocolate Roasted Marshmallow Cake

 adapted from: All Sorts of Pretty I saw her pin on pinterest.

It seems like the original recipe comes from Sweetapolita.

Print Recipe

Um... it was good. Most honorable mention goes to the Marshmallow Frosting layer. It has bits of roasted marshmallows in it.

My Very Favorite Chocolate Cake Recipe

1 teaspoon Baking Powder
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
2 cups Flour
1 pinch Salt
2 cups Sugar
¾ cups Dark Cocoa Powder (sifted)
2 whole Eggs
½ cup Vegetable Oil
1 cup Hot Coffee
1 cup Milk
2 teaspoons Vanilla

Mix dry ingredients and then add eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Add hot coffee and stir until lumps are gone. Pour into 3 8 or 9 inch greased pans lined with wax paper and greased again.  
Bake at 350 for 25 min or until cake springs back from touch in center. Do not over bake. 

Cool. I stuck mine in the freezer to make them easier to slice in half. Have fun with that step. 

Malted Chocolate Frosting:
1 1/2 cups butter  at room temperature
4 cups  confectioners sugar
3/4 cup Ovaltine Classic
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
8 oz  quality  chocolate, chopped, melted and cooled
1/2 cup  whipping cream

Melt chocolate, remove from heat and allow to cool while starting on the next steps.
Beat butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
Add confectioners sugar and beat until well combined, about 1 minute.
Add malt powder, vanilla and salt, and beat on low until well combined. Add the melted chocolate and beat on medium speed until smooth (about 2 minutes).
Add whipping cream and beat on medium-high speed for another minute.
Move to another bowl so you can make the marshmallow frosting.

For the Roasted Marshmallow Frosting:
25 large white marshmallows
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 jar (213g) marshmallow cream

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly spray with cooking spray (so the marshmallows don’t stick).  Place marshmallows on baking sheet and broil marshmallows until nice and brown on top. Turn the marshmallows over, and broil until they are golden.  When they’re ready, set them aside to cool down (you don’t want them  hot when you add them to the rest of the ingredients or they’ll melt the butter)

In your stand mixer with whisk attachment, beat butter and confectioners sugar on medium-low until blended.
Add vanilla and mix on medium-high for about 3 minutes.
Add marshmallow cream and mix for another minute.
Add toasted marshmallows and mix until just combined.  You want bits of marshmallow, so no smoothness going on this time.

Put it all together:

1. Cut the three cake layers each once horizontally with a long, serrated knife, so you have a total of 6 layers.  If layers still feel a little flimsy, use two long serrated knives to help lift the layers after cutting.
2. Place the first layer on your cake plate and cover with an even layer of marshmallow frosting (starting w/ marshmallow is important so you are left with chocolate on top).  Make frosting layer smooth and press out the very outer edge.
3. Carefully add the next layer and cover with thick layer of chocolate frosting, being sure to push the frosting all the way to the outside edge.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the final layer which will be placed face down and coated with a thick layer of chocolate frosting.

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 Shoes all over the place! 

 Ellie got glasses last week. 

 Saturday morning Stuart, Mia, and I baked Nate's birthday cake.

 How we love our Olive. 

Stuart went to Sunday school yesterday! Although he had gone to Sunday school for 2 years in a row... something about the new baby put him in a funk and he refused to go for a few months before and after Olive's arrival.

Aunt Sheri as a baby. I can see Olive a little.

Yay for kids art. 

Stuart does adore her. Mia making a dash to get on the picture. Did she hear about photo bombing?

 Dear Nate,
You are stubborn you know, the way you circle a parking lot looking for the best spot. A bit aloof sometimes like when you lose you credit cards. Intense as you run your hands through your hair when you are playing a game, the way you play games! Long suffering the way you look at me when I don't get your joke and then you explain it to me hours later.

You are compassionate, slow to speak, patient, forgiving, loyal and loving.

You're a funny guy and I'm so happy to celebrate you today.

More Miscellaneous

 Throwback

 Without talking about it both Nate and I had seperately checked Hershey Chocolate Worlds hours Saturday morning. So we ended up there. I didn't realize Stuart would be so smitten. He was. 

 Oh Stuart

For my birthday I wanted new smoke detectors. Reliable ones. Nate mocks me because if we hear of someones house nearly burning down while no one was home... without fail Jo will gasp and say, "Did they have smoke detectors?" as if it would keep the house from burning down. So my wish was granted and we have "up to code" smoke detectors and thus I had to clean my oven. I love my oven and I'm scared to run the self clean because they say that every time you run it, it takes a year off of the oven's life. Hey, that's why appliance people tell you not to clean your oven the week of Thanksgiving. So, I'm sorry if I just ruined that for you.

Funny post by Sheila Petre a guest blogger on Home Joy's.

 A story like this can just make my day.

Also wanted to mention "Sold Out"

a DVD that you can pre-order right now. 4 Great messages by Rick Rhodes.

Nate and I attended this event live with our  youth group and it was so so good. 

Please buy the DVD and use it when you go to the cabin with your friends or for your small group or something.

This & That

Interesting Blog Humans of New York.  I love this stuff.

 

Nate's cousins. The ladies are his cousins. Anyhow... make sure you listen to the singing at like 2:10. That and the first clip are my favorite parts. Neat. 

 Olive and I stuck in the house while the rest of the family is ice skating. 

 I got my turn in. It's good we skated, it rained the next day.

 Olive and the midwife. 

Oh, this is the day she rolled for the first time. I was right there to see it. Fun. 10 weeks. 

 Where we hang out during Mia's piano lessons. 

 There was a warmish day. Took a walk to the mailbox. 

 Olive got some shoes in the mail. Stuart was so into them and said, 

"Now she can go to Dutch-Way and get groceries with her shoes on!"

 New Years Eve Party with the youth group. 

Out for coffee with my dear sister in laws. 

 I sewed a crib sheet this week. Finally a crib sheet that I am happy with. Fun easy sewing project. Check out these easy instructions.

Melissa

 A brave soul sets out to have her pictures taken on a cold January day.