Hello, December!

I can't believe it's December and 2015 is right around the corner!

Wishing you all a blessed month!

The Magnificent Peacock!

Gorgeous Treasury, featuring my Peacock Druzy Beads~ I've always loved these colors, and am honored to be included in such a fine collection.

The Magnificent Peacock! Treasury~

https://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTYzNDY3Nzh8MjcyNjgwMDk5MA/the-magnificent-peacock

Belle West Peacock Druzy Beads~

https://www.etsy.com/listing/128245552/peacock-titanium-druzy-pyrite-nugget?ref=shop_home_active_3

Thanks for dropping by!

Have a blessed week.

❤

Belle West Clearance Sales Event

Belle West and Belle West Gems is having a Gems, Beads, Jewelry, Gifts, Vintage, Scrapbooking, Art Supplies and Tools SALE over on Facebook. This Event is Open to the Public, so Come on Down, and Invite your Friends!! I'll be listing some more things tomorrow night~ Here's a sneak peek of what's coming up… 

Sterling Silver Pill Boxes

Sterling Silver Dragonfly Hair Barrettes

Sterling Silver San Marco Bracelets

Sterling Silver Engravable Earrings

Sterling Silver Black Onyx Pendant

❤

Click Here for the Event~

https://www.facebook.com/events/1558063814421956/

Visit Belle West on Facebook~

https://www.facebook.com/BelleWestLLC

Visit Belle West Gems on Facebook~

https://www.facebook.com/BelleWestGems

Visit Belle West Gems on Etsy~

https://www.etsy.com/shop/bellewestgems

Thanks for stopping by!

Hope you'll come see us for the Sales Event!

Have a great week!

❤

Hershey Chocolate Bar Cheesecake

I just saw this recipe on Facebook and HAD to pin it, but when I pinned from the {original} website, Pinterest blocks the page link saying they've been reported as spam. It's just a RECIPE, people. Chill out! So, here it is with a link to the original site. I promise my blog is safe. I am not spam. Although I did eat a lot of it as a child. :P

HERSHEY CHOCOLATE BAR CHEESECAKE
The Cheesecake Factory Copycat Recipe

Makes 1 (10 inch) Cheesecake

Cheesecake Layer:
2 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 oz. chopped Hershey chocolate bar, melted

Chocolate Cake:
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Chocolate Frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2/3 cup cocoa powder
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups milk chocolate chips

To prepare the cheesecake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 10-inch round baking pan with aluminum foil. Let the edges of foil extend over sides of pan and then spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray. In large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy and smooth. Whisk eggs in a bowl; add to cream cheese mixture. Blend just until eggs are incorporated. Stir in sour cream and melted chocolate. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top just starts to turn golden. Let the cheesecake cool completely in its pan on a wire rack then cover and chill for 4 hours.

To prepare the chocolate cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 10-inch round baking pans. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

To prepare the chocolate frosting: Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla.

To assemble: Spread a layer of frosting on top of one chocolate cake. Using edges of foil as handles, remove cheesecake from pan and peel away foil. Carefully layer the cheesecake on top of the frosted cake. If the cheesecake becomes hard to work with, you can place in the freezer for 20-30 minutes. Spread some chocolate frosting on top of the cheesecake layer. Place second chocolate cake on top and ice with frosting on top and on all sides. Decorate the sides of the cake with Hershey’s chocolate chips.

Here's a link to the original recipe which I could not find anywhere else on the internet. I hope they will appreciate me sharing so that people can pin… since they are blocking your site… 

http://www.bestyummyrecipes.com/hershey-chocolate-bar-cheesecake/

Image credit Chef Ron

Have a beautiful weekend, Pin More Recipes! Eat More Chocolate!!! :)

Happy Mother's Day… Yesterday...

Since I decided to spend less time on Facebook and the internet in general, I sometimes miss the opportunity to post on our beloved holidays. But after someone commented on this old pic I shared last year on Pinterest, I couldn't help myself and had to post it here.

Hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day!

Until next time… ;)

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting!!

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cakes have been around forever. It was one of the first recipes I gleaned as a teenager from my mother's recipe box. In all the years I've had this recipe, I've never made it. I am ashamed of myself. When I saw the photo of this one with peanut butter frosting, I melted in my chair. I suddenly have the need to make this. But I might be making mine with Ghirardelli Cocoa. If I do, I'll report back and let you know how it was. :)

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting~

CAKE:
• 2 cups all-purpose Flour 
• 2/3 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
   ~I prefer Ghirardelli Cocoa, it tastes heavenly...
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 eggs
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 1 cup Hellmann's Mayonnaise
• 1 1/3 cups water

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and lightly flour two 9" round cake pans. Set aside. 

2. In medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.

3. In large bowl, with electric mixer at high speed, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in *real mayonnaise at low speed until blended. Alternately, beat in flour mixture with water, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Pour into prepared pans.

4. Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick in center comes out clean. Cool on wire racks 10 minutes, remove from pans and cool completely. Frost, if desired, or sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.

*Can also be baked in a 9x13" pan for 40 minutes.

FROSTING:
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup milk

Mix powdered sugar and peanut butter in medium bowl with spoon or electric mixer on low speed. Stir in vanilla and 1/4 cup milk. Beat until smooth and spreadable. If necessary, stir in additional milk, 1/2 teaspoon at a time. Spread over cool cake and enjoy!

Note:
The original Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake Recipe is from Hellmann's and is exactly the same as the one above. The Peanut Butter Frosting is from Julie Seguin Talbot, who doesn't appear to be on Facebook anymore.

For nostalgia sake, here's a photo of the original recipe from a 1950s magazine...

And for those who care about things like calories... ;)

Have a blessed day and enjoy the beautiful gift of chocolate. :)

What Are You Having…?

When I opened this new jar of Talenti Sea Salt Caramel Gelato and saw that perfectly untouched landscape of creamy goodness with the little specks of ice scattered about, I couldn't help myself. I had to take a picture. I'm just crazy like that. Cell phones... ;)