Update

Sorry, I guess I could post the recipe. Duh. It's nice to have good friends to point out when you're an idiot.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 2 ounces semisweet chocolate (or 1/3 cup chocolate chips)
• 1 cup sugar (2/3 cup & 1/3 cup, added separately)
• 3 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 11/2 cups hot water
• Whipped cream or ice cream

Instructions

1. Coat the inside of a 2 1/2- to 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. (Note: the cake's cooking time and final appearance will vary depending on your crock's size.)

2. Whisk together the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave or over a pan of simmering water and mix well.

3. Whisk in the 2/3 cup of sugar, 3 tablespoons of cocoa, vanilla extract, salt, milk, and egg yolk. Add the flour mixture and stir until thoroughly mixed.

4. Pour the batter into the slow cooker and spread it evenly. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining sugar, cocoa, and hot water until the sugar is dissolved.

5. Pour the mixture over the batter in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 1 to 2 hours, depending on the size of the crock pot.

6. Even when done, the cake will be very moist and floating on a layer of molten chocolate, but you'll know it's ready when nearly all of the cake is set and the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pot. (As you check, try not to let the condensed steam from the lid drip onto the cake.)

7. When it's done, turn off the power and remove the lid. Let it cool for 25 minutes, then serve it in bowls topped with whipped cream or ice cream. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

   
   

   
   

   
   

   I think it would be great with raspberries and whipped cream :)

   HERE'S THE MYSTERY. It isn't very clear on when to add the brown sugar, so I added mine when it says "remaining sugar" and dissolved it in the water with the granulated sugar. If you feel the need to add it to the cake batter instead, please let me know how it works out for you. I'm curious. I also used a 6 quart crock pot and it needed at least 1.5 hours, maybe two to be sure. It needs to look very done on the top. Enjoy!

I promise I'm trying to average more than one post per month. Yesterday, I made a chocolate cake from scratch. In a CROCK POT. Has anyone tried this? It's a little piece of decadence. It's similar to those lava cakes, only you don't have to make them separately. I found the recipe online and mine turned out to be pretty close to the picture they showed, so I was proud. Keeping in mind I just have a crappy little camera and I'm not a professional photographer, compare the following:

Not bad, right? Well, it was yummy and only took about 1.5-2 hours to cook. The prep time was simple as well. I usually hate chocolate desserts from scratch because to me they taste like cocoa and aren't sweet enough. But, this one I'm adding to my collection.

Twenty Ten

I seriously can't wait to see what this year has in store for us. We haven't had a dull year yet, why should our fifth year together be any different? Bring it on, I say.

December was so full of fun times, and it was also a very big month for Grayden. New teeth, waving hi, scooting and crawling, learning new sign language and consonant sounds, (a favorite trick of his was to make the "f" sound every time we showed him the fish tank. He got great reactions for that one), pulling himself up and walking along furniture, and enjoying his first sledding experience. I have so many pictures from that month it deserves about five different posts. But, as my blogging history suggests, that's not my style. I would much rather post one giant conglomeration of pics with as few words as possible. You know you only want to see pictures anyway.

First thing in December, we decorated the tree. Grayden helped a little, but mostly wondered why I kept taking pictures and stared at the Christmas lights. This first picture is my favorite, I think he looks like he belongs in Who-ville.

This picture is Nate's favorite because he says Grayden's square jaw makes him look like one of those Lego action figures.

He loved playing tug of war with Daddy and the lights. Daddy won.

Next on the agenda was Disneyland. I was finally able to go with Nate to Carlsbad for the week and we stopped by D-land for the evening.

Twinners!

On Dumbo he went right for the controls. It was a bumpy ride.

Loved the Carousel. I think he looks a lot like his cousin Trent in this picture.

We loved the Carousel so much we petted the horses for a little bit.

Ok, here goes. Please don't report me to Child Protective Services, okay? I realized the error of my ways after it was too late. We thought this would be such a cute picture. Little King Grayden pulling on Arthur's sword, probably the most well-known photo op in Disneyland. One of us hid behind him to hold him up there safely and the other took the picture:

Cute, right? Well, what we didn't consider was the fact that babies of this age always seem to do the same thing with stuff put into their hands.......oh yes, make no mistake. The following is my son's mouth on the dirtiest, most touched surface in the state, probably in the country. I shudder.

The people who were watching thought it was a riot, I think I saw a couple get out their own cameras. Anyway, that was Disneyland. Gray hasn't come down with any rare and horrible disease yet. We'll keep you posted.

Finally, we spent Christmas in Chicago with Nate's family. Other than the sleepless nights of teething babies, we all had a great time.

The Boys.

The Girls. (Yep, that was the best pic we got.)

My boys. Grayden sported that funky smile all night, I think he could sense the excitement.

Grayden learned he could stand up with his back propped up against the couch and not hold on. He was so thrilled he stayed like that for a long time. I took about 30 pictures. I won't bore you with all of them. Here he's waving hi.

Looking around.

Wondering why he's getting such a big reaction from the room.

Our little Phoenix boy getting ready for the snow. At first he was okay...

Then he wasn't okay.

As soon as we got outside, however, he recovered immediately and loved every minute of it. Can you tell we tied off the feet of his snowsuit with rubber bands? He looks like an amputee.

We didn't send him sledding by himself, this was just for the pictures.

This was after Nate took him down the "hill", which is the two flights of stairs leading down from the deck to the backyard that the boys tried to pack with snow.

They are so handsome! That picture is my favorite, I think it belongs on a magazine cover.

Happy New Year to everyone :)