mmm...oozing chocolate

My birthday was last week. I've started a couple of posts, but couldn't quite finish them. The sun was shining daily and was, well, hot- like in the south hot. 

Most people take New Year's Day to reflect & make goals, but for me, my birthday is that time of looking back, forward, onward. I had a great birthday week. Lots of calls, drinks, dinners, lunches, packages, emails arriving and going on at various times. It was really nice!

Last weekend, I just got the urge to cook... on a hot, hot day! Made some homemade mac & cheese from The Silver Palate Cookbook and these popular (with my family) melting chocolate cakes. Once baked and cutting into them, the chocolate just oozes out. YUM! I can't remember if this came from Real Simple or Epicurious.com - there are lots of variations out there, but it's easy and just delicious! 

Just a lil' something to sweeten the Wednesday Hump Day!

Melting Chocolate Cakes- makes 8 cakes

10 oz of semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped or use chips

4 Tbsp. butter

5 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. salt

Coffee Ice Cream

Preheat oven to 325.

Melt chocolate & butter together over very low heat stirring constantly (or use a double boiler). Remove from heat.

In another large bowl, beat sugar & eggs at a medium high speed until light & fluffy.

Add flour, baking powder, salt & stir in melted chocolate. Mix with a spoon until well blended. 

Lightly coat muffin tip with veggie spray oil. Divide chocolate evenly, but don't quite fill to the top.

Bake about 15 minutes. The cakes will still look moist on the top. Remove & let cool for a few minutes. Serve warm with ice cream.

Blue

In continuing my obsession with buildings, details and colors, I snapped these downtown recently. The first picture shows just beautiful details in
brilliant blue and crisp white.

and my favorite modern building downtown with its' dashes, dots -
symmetrical, but still off kilter.

Blue Gray Days

The weather has, I believe, made a turn. Today was a bit gray, but also had some blue skies. It's been warmer so I've been trying to be outdoors more. Found these blue gray houses on a walk. I love the intensity of these blues and of course the pink bushes and blooms around them just highlight the color more.

A favorite sign in pdx

This neon sign greets you on the Burnside Bridge as you cross the river into downtown and old town Portland. I had a hard time finding complete information on this sign as it's been changed several times- additions & deletions made over the years.
The Made in Oregon sign was built in 1927 advertising White Satin Sugar (with the lettering "White Satin").
In 1959, it became the White Stag sign in 1959 with a change in lettering and the addition of a leaping deer and the word "sportswear". Then in 1989, the White Stag company moved to California. Huh, my mother had some White Stag sportswear. I remember it being sporty, stylish.
The sign, being one of Portland's best-loved landmarks, was in jeopardy after White Stag left Portland until Old Town philanthropist Bill Naito stepped up to pay the sign's electric bills.
Then with another lettering change in the 1970s for the Made in Oregon company, the sign was re-made again to say "Made in Oregon". The sign uses neon and incandescent light and is 48' tall by 46' wide. The stag's nose has been lit red (like Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer) for the Christmas holidays since 1957.