Foodie Love: Addicted To Baking!

Since we've moved, I've been baking up a storm. I've made a goal to cook and bake more now that I have more than enough counter space! Another goal was to stop using boxed cake mix and start learning to make baked goods from scratch. Nothing against cake mix, but I want to do it like grandma did, you know? So today I made 2 mini chocolate cakes and used the rest of the batter for cupcakes. I also made the icing from scratch too and it was so easy! The cakes came out moist, yummy, and uber doober chocolately (I finally got to use my organic cocoa powder and it's sooooooooo good!)

How do they look??

You can never have too much icing, right?? ;)

p.s. If you're having a NYE party and you like artichoke hearts, I have an awesome dip for you!

1 pkg of softened cream cheese

1/2-1/3 cup sour cream (I eyeball it)

3/4 to a whole can of roughly chopped artichoke hearts (once again eyeball it, you want just enough but not too much)

1/4 cup lemon juice

a few generous shakes of dried parsley (about a tbsp or so)

salt and pepper to taste

Mix sour cream, cream cheese, and lemon juice. Then add your other ingredients and mix thoroughly. (If using a food processor, don't over mix if you like your dips chunky.  Add more lemon juice if you need to smooth the dip out a bit.) I added a little lemon pepper seasoning on top because I love that stuff! I also add a little grated parmesan/asiago/romano cheese mix in this dip too. It's GREAT with cracked pepper & olive oil Triscuits!!! I could eat a whole bowl by myself lol. You could add cooked (and well drained) spinach to this dip too. MMMmmmm!