Ella Blue

It was the hubby's birthday this past week and I think I was pushing it a bit for a masculine card. I just fell in love with the name of this designer paper by GCD Studios called Ella Blue. I found it at hobby lobby and it has the most beautiful papers. Some are flocked, glittered and foiled. There were 12 designs and 4 of each in a 8x8 pad. This was the least feminine design of them all.

I have had the Medallion Chain punch from EK Success for quite some time and I had forgotten about it. I was stamping with a friend and she was using this punch. I loved the look so when I got home I pulled mine off the shelf. I thought a medallion was a masculine shape so this would be a perfect chance to use it, and it matched the swirls in the paper. I know I can very easily make this punch look really really girly but I gave it the masculine test first. Come to think of it, all but one of the punches I used on his card are from EK Success. The white label is from Stampin' Up.

Onto the best part of his day. I tried a new recipe for his birthday cake. A co-worker had brought this cake into work and I asked her for the recipe. She is from Poland and said this was a favorite of her family. I know why.

You have got to try this cake. It is called Babka Kahlua (Black Russian cake in Polish). You guessed it, it has vodka and Kahlua in it and it is absolutely heavenly with a cup of coffee. Here is the recipe.

BLACK RUSSIAN CAKE

1 yellow cake mix (without pudding)

6oz. chocolate instant pudding

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1/4 cup vodka

4 Tbs. Kahlua

3/4 cup water

glaze: 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/3 cup Kahlua

Mix the first three dry ingredients together, add the oil and eggs and mix well. Add vodka, Kahlua and water and mix again. Mix may be on the thinner side but the pudding will start to thicken it up. Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan and bake at 350 for 55 minutes. Do not over bake. Let cool 5- 10 minutes and loosed from the pan out onto a plate. Let cool another 10 minutes. Poke holes in the top of the cake staggering every 1/2 inch and pour the glaze down into the holes. I used a larger skewer to poke the holes and spooned the glaze over the top trying to get most of it into the holes but allowing it to soak into the rest of the top of the cake as well. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

It has been really cold here and we missed a good amount of lake effect snow they were predicting yesterday. I guess my in-laws and father got it all in the U.P. and that is just fine with me. My good friend left for Florida this week and she is now sitting in 70 degree weather. I know she is feeling really sorry for me being stuck back here in the cold- HaHaHa.

Now is the time of winter when I start to work on stamping projects other than cards. I have one that I made yesterday that I will be sharing with you later in the week.

~Have fun and enjoy!