Chocolate Creamcheese Cake

I found this recipe online and thought I'd give it a try.  It's really easy!
Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperture (plus more for the pans)
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (plus more for the pans)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teas. baking powder
1 teas. baking soda
1 teas. salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teas. vanilla
3 eggs at room temperture
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups coffee icing (I used just plain vanilla icing)
2 cups crushed oreos

Directions

Heat oven at 350 degrees.  Butter two 9-inch round cake pans, line bottoms with parchment, butter again, and dust with cocoa.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. 

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy, 2-3 min.  Beat in the vanilla, then the eggs one at a time. 

Add flour mixture in 3 additions and the milk in 2 additions, beginning and ending witht he flour mixture.  Mix just until combined (do not overmix).

Transfer batter to the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 min.  Cool cakes in the pans for 15 min. then turn out onto racks to cool completely. 

Transfer one of the cooled cakes to a plate and spread with 1/2ish cup of the frosting.  Top with the remaining cake and spread the top and sides with the remaining frosting.  Using the palm of your hand, gently press the cookies into the sides of the cake.  Enjoy!

~Caroline

Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

This recipe was found on Pinterest. Where else?  :D

For the Crust

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
1 cup chocolate chips

For the Cheesecake Filling

10 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line an 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil allowing a little overhang and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Mix the melted butter and graham cracker crumbs until thoroughly combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 6 minutes. Remove pan to a cooling rack. Do not turn your oven off.
3. While the crust is cooling, prepare the chocolate chip cookie dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt and vanilla until smooth and thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Mix in the flour on low speed, and mix until just incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla on low speed just until incorporated. Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust. Using your hand to form clumps. Flatten the clumps of dough in your palms to flatten them out a bit. Distribute the cookie dough onto the top of the cheesecake batter. Be sure to use all of the dough. You will cover most of the cheesecake batter.
5. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the top feels dry and firm (the cookie dough) and the entire pan looks set if given a gentle shake. Move bars to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
6. Lift the bars out by the overhang; slice into desired size and store in the refrigerator. Serve cold or at room temperature.

It makes 12 delicious bars.  

~Caroline

A jean skirt cut into an apron!

Yesterday I was digging threw my "clothes to fix" pile and I decided to cut this jean skirt into an apron.

The skirt was a four piece skirt so I cut out one of the pieces, and left the rest to be the apron.

Then I just cut off the waistband from the skirt, and sewed it onto the 

apron leaving the button hole and button.

The finished front

And the finished back! 

~Caroline

Tagged

I was tagged... a while ago by Gabby.

7 random things... Hmmmm.

1. I hate shrimp

2. I'm really slow at reading

3. I've been stretched about 2 inches in two weeks

4. I've sewn a skirt into my brother's seat cover on his truck

5. I've painted a chicken's nails pink

6. I've had my teeth blackened. :P

7. I listen to Rascal Flatts more than any other artists.

Thanks, Gabby!

And I'm going to tag the following:

Sierra, Olivia, Laura, and Delaney!

~Caroline

Trip to Florida!

A few weeks ago we went on a trip to Florida for two weeks. So, here are a few pictures!

Chilling on the front porch.

you can come up with a caption for this one...

and this one :)

~Caroline

Hmmmmmm

What would you call this? 

Daniel's Birthday

November 1st we celebrated Daniel's 18th birthday!  Here are a few pictures of the evening.

He had two cakes.

And a new addition for our family!  Dad's new buddy.

~Caroline

Another Dress!

Yes, I made another dress :)  It's for a wedding in a few weeks.

It's really long in this picture, but I'm in the process of shortening it about 12 inches. 

~Caroline

A way to chop chocolate

I was making some ice cream the other night, and I asked my brother to

chop the chocolate for me.  This is how he did it...

If you need Chef Danchociellate Stouchopper in your kitchen chopping chocolate, leave a comment :)

Too Cute

 

I quickly grabbed the camera after seeing this and took it through the glass door. 

Ideas anyone?

I bought some more fabric, but I'm not sure what to make with it.  I have two yards.

Any ideas?

Sewing and making jewlery

I'm working on a dress again!

I'll post pictures of it finished later.

I've also been making earrings!

This is my favorite pair so far. 

This pair too.

I've been trying to come up with a way to hang them, and this is what I came up with.

~Caroline

A cat and dog

Our cat and dog love each other...

~Caroline

These past few weeks we've been really busy!  I was able to sew this dress about a week ago, and Camille finally transferred the pictures onto the computer! 

 I still have not hemmed it, which I'm not looking forward to doing.

 

 Yeah, the bottom is ugly. I still have to work on that. 

~Caroline

A few days ago I made this.

I'm not sure what to call it. A tunic?  That's what some of my friends call it.  I pinched the side seams and there is a zipper in the back.  I cut it just like a bodice piece only longer and wider.  Easiest thing I've ever done!

~Caroline

What we did today!

We had a surprise party for Emma today and here are some pictures.  We have a lot of tiger lily's in our front yard so I picked a lot!

I had fun playing around with the place cards! 

That's just a some of our tiger lily's.  

We had a fun time.

~Caroline

My latest project

Today I had a little polka dot fabric left so I made this!

It's still not finished.  I plan to add black ribbon all 

along the hem and the sleeves have not been hemmed yet.

Hopefully pictures later when it's finished.

~Caroline

Another summer skirt

I went with a friend to a fabric store that we discovered close by and I found 

some adorable fabric.  So, I made a summer skirt with a ruffle on the bottom.  

I only had a few inches of fabric left! 

My friend also made a beautiful skirt. 

~Caroline

Latest project

I had some free time with a friend and decided to try a ruffle on the bottom of a skirt.  It was not as hard as I thought it would be.                                                                                   

                                 

 

                                                                     

~Caroline

A pretty pink polka dot skirt!

I have finally found a use for the polka dot fabric!  The comments really helped.

I had plenty of fabric, so I made two!  One for me, and one for a friend.

I traced it out of another skirt I had.

I did a little lining for the waist.  And I put in my first zipper ever!!

I'm so thankful for a new skirt! 

~Caroline

Sewing

I've been doing a lot of sewing lately.  A lot.  I have made two skirts, fixed/re-made a bathing suit, finished an apron, and started on a dress in the last few days.  I've been playing around with some scraps too.   I'm sooooooo thankful for sewing machines!  I was thinking the other day that it would be so hard to sew a lot without a sewing machine. 

I did make a dress for the recital with help from Kaliste.

I candled flowers and put them all around the hem of the dress.  Yeah, it took a while.  It was really fun though!

~Caroline

The Recital

Here are some pictures of the recital we had last Friday.

Their was eight piano students, and one voice student.

 

















She has an amazing voice!

Best friends! 

Daniel passed out roses:)

We had a great recital, and I'm looking forward to our next one!

~Caroline