Things I love about California

Going to a party and coming home with a metric ton of mangos and avocados. How great is that?

How did I get so lucky?

I had to run a few errands after work yesterday so I stopped by Pelly's Fish Market in Carlsbad for something different. I love Pelly's but it's not on my usual route so I don't make it there very often. The scallops were huge so I bought them as a special treat for Thomas. I brought them home and proceeded to sit on the stool at the counter while Thomas cooked away. How did I get lucky enough to find someone to make me porchini crusted scallops with a roasted red pepper sauce and a side of sweet potatoes on a monday night? Yeah, baby! Score one for Heather.

Meet Tomo {puppy photography}

Our neighbors rescued a new puppy and welcomed him into their home a few weeks ago. He had been a stray and the story goes that he was found by some children just before a coyote caught him. And that's a likely scenario here in California! This little guy got lucky that day and got even luckier the day our neighbors brought him home from the humane society. They named him Tomo, Japanese for "little friend."

He has all the perfect, curious puppy tendencies. Investigating everything from his big sister, LT the pit bull, to the geraniums in the flower pot next to him.

Tomo is so cute and so soft and so lovable.

This little guy hit pay dirt the day he came to this block. I think he knows it too...

Decadent, rich and delightful with a side of crazy

Let's just start by saying. HOLY SHIT, I HAVE NEVER MADE SOMETHING SO AMAZING. I'm not even going to put an exclamation point because I'm sure you get the idea. Things have been pretty hectic around here recently so I haven't taken the time to blog, and I miss it. I think this cake is worth coming out of blogging hibernation. It's beyond worth it. You need to see this cake. You need to love this cake. It's my new go-to recipe and Thomas has already put it on the holiday baking list. And I have to agree. If I could legally marry this cake I totally would. It's a triple chocolate mousse cake. Wow. Let's just think about that for a second. One. Two. Three layers of chocolate. The bottom layer is a decadent flourless chocolate cake that's deep, dark and full of drama. It grips the back of your tongue and holds on for dear life. Then the second layer is a fluffy, rich chocolate mousse that's light and very creamy. Then you top it off with a cool, mild white chocolate mousse that turns the entire experience into edible velvet. We found the recipe on America's Test Kitchen, a cooking show on PBS. We've tried tons of their recipes and each time they've turned out perfectly just like on the TV show. This cake was no exception. I wish I had some more right now.