double decker love...

Happy Sweet Father's Day...hope you're enjoying it...we certainly are here.  Daddy is asleep in his favorite chair....we are in our comfies now that we're home from church....our bellies are full...presents opened...and  Sierra and I just finished frosting a Double Decker Chocolate Chocolate Cake for our boy :)  I'll share the recipe with you at the end....from scratch....so yummy...my mom made one for me and for my brothers with every birthday...homemade with lots of love I tell you.

I created this Homespun Love mini album for Creative Therapy....I was asked to be their Guest Artist this week and oh, what a treat.  I truly have loved Karen's twist on the whole creative process.  Thanks so much for inviting me to join you for a bit Karen!  For my catalyst I chose to create something based on my favorite part of being a woman...and I could never choose just one thing...I have so much to love and be thankful for...so I created a mini album to fill to the brim with different aspects of my life that I love....motherhood, sewing, quilting, baking, decorating....a work in progress, but so rewarding and fun.  I adore this chipboard mini album from Maya Road...it comes with chipboard dividers followed by a pocket where you can keep anything from photos to recipes, to journaling, to fabric bits....This pocket will hold a special note to my baby girl expressing my love to her and the wonderful privilege it is to be her mama and a woman....favorite snapshots, etc.  A place to hold my favorite quilt scraps....sweet, gentle bits that remind me of days gone by...each with their own story.

I am working on this little by little....it's a pleasure for me to sit down and create for myself, so I am loving this sweet project.  I used lots of Melissa Frances, some Prima, Crafty Secrets, Tattered Angels, and some favorite finds.

Now for my mom's yummy recipe...which is actually my Grandma Boley's recipe...how I loved everything her loving hands made....and our sleep-overs at her house...and her buttery homemade popcorn...and her icy cold Coca Colas....

Chocolate Cake

1 stick margarine                    1 tsp. salt

1 cup water                                      1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 cup caking cocoa                  1 tsp.  vanilla

2 cups sugar                                    2  eggs

2 cups flour                                      3/4 cup buttermilk

Frosting:

3 cups powdered sugar                 1  tsp. vanilla

1/4 cup baking cocoa                    1/4 cup water

1/2 square margarine

        Place margarine, baking cocoa, and water in saucepan.  Heat until margarine is melted and baking cocoa is dissolved.   Place flour, sugar, salt, and soda in a mixing bowl.  Add mixture from saucepan and blend well.  Stir in eggs and vanilla.  Add buttermilk and mix thoroughly with a spoon.  Pour into greased and floured 9 x 13 inch baking pan or 2 round cake pans.  bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool.  Mix ingredients in frosting at high speed until creamy and frost cake.  Enjoy.

 Have a wonderful Sunday!

Melis

Comments

[Bonnie]

The mini album is absolutely adorable! What a precious keepsake for Sierra! The cake sounds yummy - a must make! Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

[dee]

Beautiful!! Love the whole feel of it. YUMMY cake recipe, my MIL made chocolate dump cake for my hubby and we are still recovering, lol. Thanks for sharing!!

[Danielle]

Gorgeous!!

[Perri]

Love the mini album, a wonderful memory album and a great way for include all that you love.
Happy stitching, P

[Gina]

This album is stunning!!! And the cake sounds yummO!!!

[Lisa Hjulberg]

Wow, Melissa, what a beautiful book! A real treasure, especially for your daughter someday.

Thanks for sharing the recipe. I love chocolate cake! One question, though: by one square of margarine do you mean one stick?

Thanks!
Lisa

[Lisa Hjulberg]

P.S. I especially loved that you used that card of hooks in your sewing page... an awesome touch.

[chrisitne]

Your book is beautiful. You and your daughter will treasure it for years to come!

blessings,
Christine

[Alison Behan]

What a gorgeous book Melissa! Love the shabby look, so gentle and easy on the eye.

Just wanted to ask you what weight is a square of Margarine? I can cope with the rest of the ingredients but that one has me stumped (being in Ireland and all that ;-))

[Mandy Ni B]

breathtaking, what a wonderful keepsake! so inspiring!
thanks so much for sharing your chocolate cake recipe, I am going to give it a go later today with my little one, she is home ill from school today, will cheer wonderfully, nothing better than a chocolate smeared face!!

[annemk]

Hi... love this album, it is beautiful. whose letters did you use on the cover?
also I'm glad to see that someone else needed to know the same thing as me on the recipe - how much is a square of margarine?
Thanks!

[Amy Smith]

Love the mini album...so sweet! And the chocolate cake sounds delicious....but what is one square of margarine? Love your site!

[Kay Sibley]

This is truly a masterpiece that your daughter will cherish forever!

Thank you for the chocolate cake recipe! Yes, chocolate cake is my favorite!! I'm so glad you had a special Father's Day! ♥♥ Kay

[Winnie]

Thanks for sharing your art and recipe..I have a question...What is a square of margine? Is it a pat or one oz maybe..I never heard of any measurement like that...I can't wait to try this!
Thanks!

[Char]

Absolutely beautiful!!!! So sweet!!!! I'm glad that you had a wonderful Father's day!! My Mom used to make me a cake from scratch called Aunt Minnie's Chocolate cake and it's my favorite!! Thanks for sharing!!!

[Kendra - SCS: apigonfire]

You are one amazing artist! Love all of your creations!
~Kendra

[Mary Anne]

awesome!
I too am left wondering what a Square of chocolate is...my first thought was a tablespoon of butter, which is square..but that can't be right..did a pound or half pound of butter used to come in squares?

[Lena]

Very much I love your blog and your works. They gentle and very beautiful. Thanks you for inspiration

[Michelle]

Beautiful! I love all the lacy frills and such!

[Lisa]

Delightful little book!