We did not post anything about a wonderful blog milestone or an exciting event that has happened in our lives. So although both are a little delayed, we’re glad to be sharing it!
First the milestone: the blog has been up and running for over a year and we didn’t even realize it. It all started on October 20, 2010 with this blog post! So we’re almost going into Month 13, unbelievable!
Having this blog has been a great experience. It’s definitely pushed us to try different recipes and tastes. Although we have always tried new recipes, having this blog ensured that we keep looking for something we hadn’t made before. It did not allow us to be stuck in a dinner rut. Over the last year we’ve realized more of what we like, what we’re good at making, and have higher goals of learning even more. Sam has always been a little more adventurous in the kitchen, rarely following recipes. It’s been a bit of a learning curve for me, but I’m getting much better at adjusting recipes to our tastes, or taking ideas rather than following exact directions.
Our goal is to continue this project (a hobby I guess). We hope that all of you are learning and trying out some of these recipes. Definitely let us know of any feedback- that’s the only way to improve! And keep up with new posts through our Facebook page!
And now for another exciting announcement! I know some of you already know this, but for those that don’t…we’re engaged! It’s been a couple of months since the engagement, but I never felt like there was a right time! Since we’re celebrating a 1 year anniversary of the blog, I thought it’d be perfect to also celebrate an engagement.
For this joyous occasion, I decided to make a chocolate cake! The taste had a wonderful depth, and it’d be a great dessert for a girls dinner night, paired with some red wine!
Red Wine & Vanilla Yogurt Chocolate Cake
Adapted from: 17 and Baking
1/2 cup of butter, softened
1 1/2 cups of brown sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup of wine (I used Merlot)
1/4 cup of Greek vanilla yogurt
seeds of 1 vanilla bean (substitute: 1 tsp vanilla extract)
1 1/2 cups of flour
3/4 cup of cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 scoop of vanilla ice cream (optional)
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9″x5″ loaf pan with cooking spray.
Beat the soft butter on medium speed with your mixer, until the texture become smooth. Slowly add the sugar and egg, continuously mixing the batter. Once everything is beaten, add the wine, yogurt and vanilla. Continue mixing the batter and slowly add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir well until everything is incorporated.
Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour, but make sure the batter is cooked through (the toothpick method). Depending on your oven, you might need an extra 5-10 minutes. Cool the cake for 10-15 minutes before serving. A great addition is a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
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