Hi friends!
My arm hurts.
No, it's not because of all the push ups I've been doing. No, it's not the pull ups either (ha - ya right - me? Pull ups? I would be lucky to be able to do one).
Nope. My arm hurts because when you dip a cake ball into melted chocolate, you have to shake off the excess chocolate before setting it down to dry. Normally, a few chocolate cake balls would not cause this kind of trauma. But I found out when I woke up yesterday morning that
400 cake balls would
indeed cause this kind of trauma!
Yes, that's right, friends. My right bicep feels like it lifted weights because I had to shake off excess chocolate on 400 cake balls on Friday!! hahahahahahahahahaha....come on! That's funny!
Ok - maybe it's just funny to me.
Anyway, one of the most amazing women I have ever encountered, Liza Utter-Pernice, asked me if I would be interested in donating some of my vegan, gluten free baked goods to a charity event called The Pink Party. Presented and created by Elyse Walker, this year would mark the 7th annual fundraiser for The Pink Party, benefiting the Cedars-Sinai women's cancer program at the Samuel Oschin comprehensive cancer institute. It would be held at Drais at The W Hotel in Hollywood on Saturday September 10, 2011. It would be hosted by Jennifer Garner, with a live auction hosted by Jamie Lee Curtis.
Was I interested? But of course! Honestly - to be able to give back in any way possible is an honor!
Cut to Thursday. Shopping complete, apron on, kitchen clean and ready for action. I began baking vegan, gluten free chocolate cake for the 400 cake balls I had committed to making for the event.
I went to 2 Whole Foods and cleared out their vegan chocolate chip inventory! Sorry inventory manager!!
The great thing about making cake balls is that it doesn't matter if some of the cake gets stuck to the pan! All the crumbs end up in a bowl anyway!! Love making these things!!
Crumbs and icing mixed together in the Kitchen-aid mixer. And the rolling begins.
And keeps going, and going, and going....
Ok, now time to melt the chocolate and stick each cake pop with a lollipop stick!
Ok, into the fridge to set and then it's time to get them covered. Now...where the heck am I going to put all these things?? I opened a bottle of red wine to help me think :)
6 hours and 2 glass of wine later, and they were covered. I wouldn't know about the pain in my arm until Sunday morning :)
Oh, hello messy kitchen? Is everything that was once in the fridge now on the counter and in both sinks? I'm going to have to say yes! Dear Santa. Please bring me a bigger kitchen or an extra fridge for Christmas. Thank you. Your friend and constant believer, Lauren Ashley Lobley. xoxo P.S. If that is not possible, perhaps just some more wine.
I had to figure out how to put my business cards on each cake pop. A single whole punch did the trick, but left quite the mark on my hand!
Once they were boxed and ready, I drove them over to Drais. Back home, I cleaned the kitchen, and then had to decide what to wear!
I chose the first dress, and off I went with my good friend, Courtney, to the event. A fashion show by Valentino and Barbara Bui, to name a few, wonderful food, great people, and best of all, a great cause. It was an honor to be there, and to have been able to give something in support of this very important research.
Thank you, Liza, for allowing me the opportunity to be apart of this night. I will remember it forever!
To anyone who has ever known someone or who has been directly touched by any kind of cancer, I dedicate this post to you. Please let me know what else I can do to help, and if it is within my power and capabilities, I will do it :)
Have a beautiful day, everyone!
Love always and always,
Lauren
xxx
