O.M.GEE Chocolate Cake

Yay.. it is everyones favorite day of the week; Friday!!! One of the best days of the week. Payday for some, weekend for most and, if you're like most, you'll reward yourself with a nice extra large cocktail after a long week at the office or school. This week was one of our friends birthdays! I love it when my friends or family have birthday's. I just love spoiling the people I love on their day. Plus, I know how I feel when it's my birthday. Let's just put it this way; everyone on my block knows that it is my birthday and that it is my birthday for the entire week.. no less. no more. an entire week. I don't particularly care about getting gifts, I just want a cake and for everyone to know it is my day and to enjoy it with me. I took compete advantage that it was our friend Patrick's birthday, called my friend Mallory over and her and I made him a mouth-watering, gluten-free chocolate cake. Patrick doesn't usually eat gluten-free, unless he's having dinner at our house, he knows its gluten-free. But both Mallory and Patrick loved the cake & said they couldn't even tell it was gluten-free! (winning!)- It is also nice when you have Celiac Disease to offer to make something because then you know its gluten-free, and hasn't been cross contaminated on accident.
This chocolate cake recipe I actually got from my cookbook called "In the Kitchen with Gluten Free Mama". (She makes the most AMAZING flour. I actually use her flour for everything I bake.) It's her rich chocolate cake, except I threw in a couple of my own mixes to it. Here is the recipe:

2 Cups- Mama' Almond or Coconut Blend Flour
1/2 Cup- cocoa (Hershey's is gluten-free & tasty)
1/2 tsp- Salt
2 tsp- baking powder (make sure it's gluten-free)
1tsp.- xanthan gum

3/4 Cup- butter (I use unsalted)*
2 Cups- sugar
4 eggs
2tsp- vanilla
1 1/4 cups- milk*
1 cup- semi sweet chocolate chips
*-You can also use dairy free margarin and diary free milk.

Baking Directions:
Preheat over to 350. Grease 2 9in cake pans.
Mix together flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and xanthan gum
Cream butter and sugar together in a separate bowl. Add eggs one at a time until mixed in. Mix in vanilla. Scrape down sides of bowl. Then alternate adding flour and milk until all the flour is combined, then mix for 30 seconds longer.
Pour evenly into each pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes.
Before you put your 2 cake pans in the oven, take one cake pan at a time and knock the bottom of the cake pan on the countertop a few times. This helps to remove any air bubbles that may have formed. (Thanks, Mallory for the tip)
After 30 minutes take a tooth pick and stick it in the center of the cake. If the toothpick is clean when you remove it, the cake is done.
Let both cakes cool for about 30 minutes. I like to let them cool long enough for the center to still be warm. Frost one of the cakes after you have removed it from the pan. Before you put the other piece of the cake on top, take 1/2 of your semi sweet chocolate chips and sprinkle them on top of the frosting. Then, you can place the other piece of the cake on top, frost and garnish it when the other half of your chocolate chips.

The best time to eat this cake is when it is still warm, the cake melts the chocolate chips and chocolate just oozes out! I started calling this my O.M.Geee Cake because, well everyone says "Oh My Goshhh", with cake still in their mouth ;] Enjoy everyone! And I hope everyone has a great, safe, happy, healthy, gluten-free weekend!!

Hello Blog World!!

I am so excited about starting this blog!! I have been wanting to start a blog for some time now, and finally getting the courage to do so feels great. My goal is to share my journey on the Gluten-free path with those who may be just becoming gluten-free, or people who have been gluten-free for awhile. Having Celiac Disease is a challenge, but just being diagnosed with Celiac Disease, and facing a whole new world is one of the hardest things someone may have to deal with.
My boyfriend Nick- (who is my whole inspiration for this blog, and who I dedicate this blog to) was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in December of 2010, he was one of the very lucky ones who was diagnosed early. Some people go years and years undergoing tests, and being put under anesthesia more than a few times. (anesthesia or "going under" is not my favorite thing, it is a fear of mine that I will be put under for a surgery and wake-up randomly in the middle of the surgery and freak out. So I feel others don't enjoy it too much either.) Anyways, Nick did go through a tough time & multiple tests before he was actually diagnosed, but it was a matter of 2 months.... 2 very long long months. BUT, the process of becoming Gluten-free is an ongoing process of educating yourself, fending for yourself, having to beat your cravings, and knowing what you're putting into your body. After Nick was diagnosed I decided it would be easier for our household if I became gluten-free as well, then shortly there after, my doctor told me I had an intolerance to wheat. How ironic, right? So here we both are, Nick with his Celiac and me, with my wheat intolerance at the age of 23, when we should be filling our bodies with fried fair food, beer and burgers. We can both say we feel healthier and happier... that is the goal in life :]
I hope those of you who read/ follow this blog find it educational, helpful, tasty and witty. I have a deep passion for making the people I love feel good, and if that means with food, so be it... I'll be in the kitchen if you need me!