Making Colorful Chocolate Bark...

Could anything be better then painting and chocolate? I mean, I know there are far better things but during this very moment that answer is no. :-)

I melted a bag of white chocolate,pulled out the paint brushes and gel food dye...then went to town. It's like spring has sprung on each little broken piece!

I have to say that getting artsy is something I always try to make time for, even if the times are getting farther and fewer. It's an outlet for me, and something fun I can do with my girls. I don't want to neglect that simply because I "dont' have time"...so here is to doing more things that make you happy and also eating more chocolate along the way! lol

Angel Food Cake Meets Chocolate Pudding...

This cake is a pretty nostalgic slice of heaven for a very special person...who happens to be my very own father dear. He said that his mom (so I guess my grandma ha) always made this when he was growing up and it's one of his favorites.

We went over to my brother and sister in laws for dinner and I was in charge of dessert. I was sick of baking heavy stuff...you know brownies, cookies, butter bars...basically anything that comes to mind when you think of "dessert". 

I wanted light, fluffy, fruity and fresh and nothing defines these things like Angel Food Cake! So obviously, my good old Grandma C's recipe came to mind. So here's how it goes y'all...

What you need:

--angel food cake mix

--one pint heavy whipping cream

--chocolate pudding

--fruit

Directions: Bake the cake as directed. While it's baking make the pudding and let it set in the fridge. Than whisk the pint of whipping cream...I add a little powdered sugar just for kicks and giggles. Once the pudding has hardened mix it up with the whipping cream and put back in the fridge. When your cake is cooled, cut in half and lather it up with the chocolate whipping cream. Than cover your cake with the remaining whipping cream and surround it with your fruit.

Yum Tum Diddle. 

Our favorite place to grab a Cookie...

There are a lot of perks about living in Southern California...we have lived here for almost five years now and we are continuously finding little hidden gems that we fall in love with. From hole in the wall places, to little boutiques and mom and pop shops...it's pretty endless.

One of our favorite mom and pop cookie shops is called Uncle Biffs in hillcrest, San Diego. My husband found it a while back, and we have been huge fans ever since. You can even order the dough if you want to bake them fresh...unfortunately the recipe doesn't come a long with it. *still workin on that

My personal favorite is the good ole' chocolate chip, however the almond toffee, or the coconut macadamia...oh or the chocolate chunk are pretty amazing too.

If you're looking for other hidden gems in your area check out this home town hidden gem board to find the best of the best near you!

this post was inspired by our Hometown Hidden Gems campaign. Turo is the hidden gem of car rentals and a great way for families that have multiple cars that go unused to make some extra money and an even better resource for someone needing a car to get one at 40% less on average than our corporate counterparts

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sprinkles on top...

It was a bit chilly yesterday (it's 200 degrees one day and 55 the next...this weather is so bipolar!) and so since my little Sage no longer takes afternoon naps we decided to make cookies. While we were mixing and baking she said "let's add sprinkles"....oh, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree does it?! :-)

So we added a few colorful balls of sugar, and they turned out perfect with just the right amount of sprinkles. Plus, I have always felt like chocolate chip cookies needed a little color boost...this did just the trick.

I used my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe (except I use only one egg...and I use 1 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup white...instead of  3/4 cup for each).

 ^^^the two secret ingredients: colorful sprinkles and sea salt for the top