Touring San Diego

My dad was doing an academic conference in San Diego this week so we got to stay in a nice hotel. We stayed in a Hilton right on Mission Bay. It was fun to kind of be tourists around San Diego. I figure the best way to do this post is mostly in pictures. So here goes.

We went to look at the San Diego Temple. They are re-stuccoing it so it is covered in scaffolding.

The hotel room.

Our pod chairs.

The pool.

The view from the pool.

We did some shopping and the girls went and got pedicures.

We went to Little Italy for dinner.

Then we went to the most amazing dessert place, Extraordinary Desserts. These pictures do not do it justice, they are beautiful. To make it ever better they taste amazing!

Dad's

Mom's

Taryn's

Mine

Karleigh's

The we did some hot tub time.

In n Out.

More beach time.

Boogie boarding.

Cute toes at the beach.

Then family came and we had dinner and hung out around the fire pit at the pool.

We celebrated Father's Day a few days early.

Our cute matching San Diego tourist dresses.

Addicted

I have an addiction to cooking and baking. I am always thinking about what I am going to make next. I look through cookbooks and cooking blogs to find my next "fix." I don't know what it is but I love to do it. The other day I was looking at the cakes on Food Network's Web site and I found one I am dying to make. It is a ice cream cookie cake. It is cookies and cream ice cream sandwiched between two layers of chocolate cake and topped off with ganache. Does that sound amazing or what? I wanted to go home and make it right away. However, I realized that I had no reason to make it and to make it for just me and Jonny seem kind of silly. So my solution to not making that cake? Make this one instead!

I made a chocolate cake mix and then added coconut. I made the cake at about 10:30 pm so I let the cake cool overnight (I like to stick it in the freezer, I think it makes it easier to frost) and then decorated it the next day. I think it turned out kind of pretty. I just used chocolate frosting then topped it off with coconut. After I made it, I realized I still had a cake for just me and Jonny. However, this one didn't seem quite as crazy because it didn't have the layer of ice cream. But it's still an entire cake! So if you are in the Provo area and want cake come see me. haha

I told you I'm addicted. I figure there are worse things to be addicted to. I guess I should be happy I enjoy cooking and baking since it is an important part of having a family. If you have any recipes send them my way! Recipes for anything, not just cake.

Happy "Birthday" Dave!

My cousin David's birthday was a few weeks ago and I wanted to make him dinner and cake but he was in California for his birthday so we celebrated on Sunday. We had a BBQ at a park. We had burgers, potato salad and cupcakes. Luckily the weather was nice, cloudy but still warm. It was lots of fun. I was lame and forgot to take pictures of all of us. I did, however, take pictures of the cupcakes. I have been wanting to make these for a few months now and Dave's birthday gave me the perfect excuse. They are Bakerella's s'mores cupcakes (recipe here). You put graham cracker cake on the bottom, then you put in half a marshmallow, then put chocolate cake on top of that. You top it off with a graham cracker and brown sugar crumble and bake. Once it is cooled you put on chocolate ganache, a marshmallow and more of the graham cracker topping. I think they turned out well. Very yummy and I just thought it was a fun idea! So here are are some pictures.

Before the ganache and marshmallows.

Most of the marshmallow melts away but some of it comes to the top. You can see it in the picture below.

And the final product. Yummy!

Cupcakes!

I saw this place on my friend's blog and decided I wanted to try it. The Cocoa Bean Cupcake Cafe. It just opened in Provo, I think it has been open in Rexburg for awhile. Jonny and I went for a Friday night date.

I got the Chocolate Cream Cheese Marble Cupcake.

I'm not sure what Jonny's was called. It was kind of like a Snickers made into a cupcake.

They were both very good. I couldn't finish mine (I'll finish it later) it so rich. I definitely want to go back and try more kinds. Those of you in Provo I would recommend stopping by. It is a fun little place!