Happy Halloween everyone! I am going to a little party tonight and I can’t wait to show you pics of my costume (and Mitch’s). Everyone who knows about it has gotten a laugh out of it so far, and that’s all I’m going to say!
Yesterday at work was a going-away party for a coworker who is moving to Germany (her husband is in the Navy and he got transferred over there). We’re going to miss Clare, but word on the street is that she’s going to start a blog about her travels and adventures in Europe, yay (because really, I don’t spend enough time reading blogs).
As I’ve mentioned before, I usually try to make something on the healthier side to take to potluck-type events. Did I mention this was a 3 PM “dessert” party? I knew I would need something to keep me away from the cookies. So I brought the Cooking Light Pumpkin Dip that I’ve seen on Caitlin’s and Leah’s blogs. I brought some lovely apples and gingersnaps for dipping.
I used 8 oz of low-fat cream cheese and more pumpkin than the recipe called for, but the same amount of sugar, so it was more pumpkin-y and less sweet but still really good. A few people asked for the recipe, which is always a nice compliment.
I was planning on sticking to a few apple slices and the dip and bypassing the store-bought cookies or whatever else people brought in. That was, my friends, until I got there and saw THIS:
One of my coworkers is a trained chef and he made these delicious poached pears with nutmeg and pistachios and…wait, what is that white thing with the flowers?
Now, while it might be easy to turn down your average grocery store cake (well, easy for you maybe), when someone brings in a cake from Extraordinary Desserts, um, it’s much much harder to say no. Extraordinary Desserts is a well-known bakery and dessert shop in San Diego where they use the highest-quality ingredients to make decadent, incredible sweets.
This was the Ivorie Royal, which the website calls “an exquisite torte made of fine layers of vanilla-bean soaked pound cakes and creamy white-chocolate mousse. Bursting with fresh raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries, this delicate mousse torte is hidden by white chocolate shaving dusted with powdered sugar.”
You had me at white-chocolate mousse. I had a tiny sliver, but come on. I’m sure that sliver was 500 calories. And it was totally worth it, and worth the tummyache and sugar headache that followed. Extraordinary Desserts cakes are not cheap but man oh man are they good. (There might be another Extraordinary Desserts adventure in my near future…but I promise, dear friends, I’ll be back on the healthy train…soon).
I also brought the POM kiwi and nectarine juices that I was graciously sent by the POM folks. I tasted a sip of each flavor yesterday morning before my workout, and I’ll be totally honest…I wasn’t a fan. To me, they had that “fake” fruit flavor that was a little off-putting (even though I imagine they are 100% juice). I’m not a big juice-drinker though. Everyone at the party who tried it told me it was really good. So clearly, what do I know?
You can see my reflection in the juice bottles!
I’m going to relax for a little bit before getting ready for tonight’s festivities. Oh! Before I go, let me tell you what I did this morning. I ran 5.5 miles!! I can’t believe my 10k is next week. I’ve been getting this weird thing where my foot goes numb while running, and I can’t figure out why that’s happening. I know my shoes aren’t tied too tight…any ideas? I’m just hoping it magically goes away before next Saturday!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE…be safe tonight and have fun, whatever you do!
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
the cake looks AMAZING! happy halloween, hallie!
[Reply]
I would have tried that cake too. How can you not?
Maybe your shoes are too small? My running shoes are a full size bigger than my normal size. They might actually be 1.5 sizes bigger.
[Reply]
I love your thoughts on food. Firs off, thanks for your comment on my blog. The cilantro cubes are a PERFECT example of something that sounds good at first, but when you really look deeply you find out that it’s not what you think.
Good for you for eating a slice of that cake, and enjoying it. You knew it was a treat, but you still had it, and you are OK with it. PLus, you didn’t gorge on a ton of other foods, like most people. Instead, you had your indulgence and moved on. Kudos to you my friend! And good thinking eating something before hand and not going to the party STARVING! That equals bad news.
Have a great evening!
[Reply]
yay for 5.5 miles
thats awesome gilrie!
oh my gosh..white chocolate cake, for real!? ahh sounds amazing.
[Reply]
That cake totally falls within my “have to splurge” category when at gatherings. That looks amazing!! I hope you enjoyed every bite
Yay for the 5.5 miles!! Your runs are getting so long now! As for the foot numbness, I suggest lacing your shoes differently. There are at least a couple different ways you can lace up running shoes (including using that holes way towards the top). You can probably find instructions on Google somewhere. Also, it’s quite common for one foot to be larger than the other. Have you been fitted for shoes at a running store? They can usually notice something like that…
[Reply]
That cake looks amazing…I have a hard time resisting cake. And birthday cakes from grocery stores…forget it….I can’t get enough.
[Reply]
ooooo…. those foods look so good!
Congrats on the distance for running! With the shoes, were they properly fitted for you? It can be anything from the laces to where the toebox hits your feet, thicker socks, etc.
[Reply]
Really nice cake, I love chocolate fragments on cakes! Its the new style that we never saw around 10 years ago, I just love how cake decorating is evolving and becoming more radical.
[Reply]
That cakes looks so good! Amazing. Congrats on the run!
[Reply]
[...] « Good Intentions, Better Cake [...]
That cake is gorgeous! Gosh don’t you wish you had skills like that sometimes? haha I know I do
[Reply]
The cake is beautiful. I like how they decorated with real flowers.
[Reply]
[...] (Note from Hallie: I used to work with Clare before she left for Germany. Now I’m living vicariously through all her amazing European adventures. Her photography is amazing. We miss you Clare…there is not nearly enough discussion of celebrity gossip without you around!! Come back and we’ll have another dessert party!) [...]