Flying By

Well after a week hiatus, I am back to the blog. I have titled this entry "Flying By" because that's what my time did this past week, alotting little space in my days to get a blog entry up for you all to read. It was a bit surprising given the fact that I'm not really employed and was even a bit lazy on same days. Nevertheless, life is all about surprises, and getting a daily blog up is a lot of work (and I admire and adore those that can do it with eloquence and grace). This past week was also a bit diverse, including a 21st birthday for Hanna (more on that in a second), a day trip to the East Bay to taste cheeses all day at Cheeseworks, and a couple shifts at Zucchini & Vine in Chico, with all the learning and experimenting that goes in with filling in at an unknown work environment.

Molly's sister Hanna turned 21 last week. It was an occasion worth celebrating, even if Molly and I were not to be included in the evening and late night festivities because of our age. Life sometimes surprises you, especially when you become too old and uncool to participate in a "21 Run" at the ripe old age of 26. Thanks Hanna! Nevertheless, we were able to see Hanna several times during her big day and even participate in birthday fairying her house. Streamers, balloons, and embarrassment never go out of style. I was also happy to be witness to extreme embarrassment, when Nancy (the mother of said sisters) hired and decorated a pedicab to follow the girls around Chico on their big night, complete with more streamers, a sign, and the loudest music on a non-motorized vehicle I've ever witnessed. They loved it!

Sunday was the big birthday dinner, a chance for the Lindahl's and special guests to come together over food, drinks, and presents. My present to Hanna (who received a sweet Kitchenaid mixer from her folks) was a double-layer dark chocolate torte with raspberry filling and chocolate ganache. It was so rich that it necessitated fresh fruit and creamy vanilla ice cream just to balance out each bite. Now that's my kind of cake. I warned Hanna to be careful what she asks for, because chocolate was the requested dessert and boy did she get chocolate. 10 eggs, 1.5 pounds of bittersweet and 2 pounds of semisweet chocolate, 3.5 sticks of butter, and 2 cups of heavy whipping cream later, we were treated with the richest chocolate cake I've ever eaten (and made). I've included a photo of it below. Follow the link to see it in color.

Cake in Full Color