isn't it pretty?

Now I just wish I had some more counter space in the kitchen to keep this new, pretty toy out all the time. But alas, in that area this little house of ours is quite limited.

When we got our tax return, a big chunk went into savings, but we decided to spend some too. I hadn't even thought of what to get until Lukas said, "You could get a kitchen aid." Yeah, something I'd dreamed of owning, but I thought it would come around the time when we had loads of money, our perfect house, etc. I wasn't thinking as near in the future as RIGHT NOW.

And then... permission given, I jumped all over reading reviews and picking one out. And then I ordered it and it came... smack dab in the middle of Passover. Yes, the Jewish holiday were leavened, flour baked goodies are totally off limits. What was I thinking?

Smitten Kitchen to the rescue! Just a few days before I had ordered my mixer she had posted a recipe for a heavenly chocolate cake that was completely Passover friendly. So this was how I broken in the new, pretty mixer - whipping eggs and mixing in melted chocolate. Sure a stand mixer wasn't necessary, but it made the job quick and fun. And now that Passover is over, I can't wait to try out some breads and tasty baked goodies.

My heavenly chocolate cake didn't turn out quite as pretty as Smitten Kitchen's. It stuck in places to the towel I used to roll it. The frosting squished out as I tried to reroll it. But in the end all that mattered was that it was super duper tasty. Lukas dubbed this "The Giant Ho Ho".

P.S. I clearly lack the proper kind of plate for rolled cakes.