John is a terrific cook, although seldom makes desserts (which is good for both of us since otherwise they are just too tempting, lol). The holidays do deserve special treats, though. So he always looks for an opportunity to make this Triple Chocolate Rummy Cake to take to holiday parties where we can share the calories and yumminess. John shares his decadent recipe here —
Ingredients
1 box devils food cake mix
1 – 3.9 oz box instant chocolate pudding mix
4 large or xl eggs
1 tsp instant coffee
1 C sour cream
1 stick of unsalted butter (melted)
2 Tbsp Hershey chocolate syrup
12 oz pack of semisweet chocolate chips
1 tsp real vanilla extract
1/4 tsp real almond extract
1/2 C (or a touch more – it’s the holidays after all!) Myers dark rum
Process
Mix all ingredients except cake mix, pudding mix and chips in a bowl until well blended.
Mix pudding and cake mixes in a larger separate bowl and stir to combine.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry and mix until just combined.
Fold in chips.
Put the batter in a well greased (I use basic cooking spray) baking dish or other container for cooking.
Heat oven to 275 degrees and cook for 80-90 minutes but check it with a tooth pick after about an hour. When pick comes out clean it is done.
Once it cools for 15-20 minutes remove carefully to a cooling rack.
Did you hear about the December giveaway over at KnitHeartStrings? The prize is a special one-time kit to make a beaded version of Lace Doily Beret.
Although the pattern does not specifically include instructions for beading, there are ideas and help for placing your beads to make your own 2-color bead embellished creation over at KnitHeartStrings in the article Beading the Lace Doily Beret. You can see an example in the photo above of how pretty the beads look when embellishing the outlines of the swirl petals of the beret.
What the prize kit includes
150 yards Tilli Tomas Artisan Sock 90% superwash Merino/10% nylon in the color Huron (extra yarn has been included in you want to upsize the beret to a slouchy hat)
Miyuki size 6/0 glass seed beads 10g each of 2 colors: #1827 Amethyst-lined Aqua AB; #274 Amethyst-lined Crystal AB
Printed autographed pattern
There are more than enough of each of the 2 bead colors to play around as much as you want in making your own version of a Beaded Lace Doily Beret.
How to win
Want to win? Get on over to the KnitHeartStrings site to read more and enter. The winner will be drawn at the end of December 2013, so don’t wait too long and miss out.
As a Redux of the How Small Can You Go? at about this same time 2 years ago, it was fun to hear answers from many of you about “What is the smallest item you have ever knit?
The earrings compared to size of a U.S. quarter
To go along with the question, I offered a Bitty Beady Christmas Tree Kit for the most recent Weekend Giveaway. I am pleased to announce that Laura G of VA is the winner of the random drawing.
Inspiration for Knitting Small
Thanks to everyone for playing and sharing your experience of the smallest item you have ever knit. There were a variety of answers, many of which will undoubtedly give you and others inspiration as they have to me.
Yvette aka QTWIQ on Ravelry wrote: A mini beaded amulet purse
Susan E wrote: Smallest thing I have knit- I did a bunch of tiny snowmen as ornaments to gift last year, and those scarves and hats for them were TINY. I even made the one set look like a piano pattern for the music teacher in my kids’ program!
Carmen wrote: For knit, it was a snowflake ornament. I’ve made a couple of items in crochet in thread that were a bit smaller – like a little doll and a tiny crab the size of a quarter.
Andrea L wrote: luv to knit itty bitty trees and ornaments
Dee wrote: Tiny sock earrings
Michelle McC wrote: Earrings, beaded, no less, on lace weight yarn.
Joy wrote: Thank you for this opportunity Jackie!
I am absolutely stunned at how much of a challenge thinking back and working out what the smallest item I ever knit was. I don’t think the cast on/cast off chain I make as a button loop counts, so I’m going to say a miniature version of a blue bird pattern I found online is my tinyest project. I made it using Aunt Lydia’s size ten crochet thread on size 2.25 mm needles. the Body and head were knit one piece in the round, then two wings and a tail that were sewn on. And those wings and tail were TINY! The whole bird probably measures less than an inch from beak tip to tail end. It would make an adoreable pin for anyone who wants a blue bird on their shoulder.
Ellen C wrote: I knit a beaded leaf bookmark on #1 needles. It was so pretty I wish I had taken a picture of it before wrapping it up. The tiniest needles used so far in my knitting adventures are size 0?s for the beaded American flag BOBBOL. Didn’t realize I should have used size 0000 for this project so I’ve got my next flag cast on but have not gotten back to it but it is not forgotten! Love the BOBBOL series.
Linda aka lmecoll on Ravelry wrote: I’ve knit a tiny sock for a Christmas tree ornament.
Beth R wrote: I knit a Tiny Viking, from a tiny mochimochi pattern by Anna Hrachovec, to cheer my son up when he was sick. Knit on U.S. size 1 needles, it was 1 inch tall (or about 1.5 inches if you count the horns on his hat, but not his long blond braids).
Nancy N wrote: Smallest thing I ever knit was the hands for a pirate doll I knit for my daughter. It took 10 tries to get them right — I finally used hands #9 and #10!
Carolyn M wrote: The smallest thing I’ve knit (so far) is a tiny shawl, on 00 needles with cobweb lace, for my daughter’s miniature dollhouse. The finished shawl measures about 4? x 2-1/2? – and no, I didn’t do lace -that’ll be the next one. I’ve also crocheted a little 1-1/2? wide basket, which I filled with balls of yarn, and a 2? x 2? knit swatch on long straight pins for knitting needles.
Meghan wrote: The smallest thing I ever knit was a lace wedding garter. Talk about teeny!
girliefriend wrote: a teeny, tiny preemie hat
Rebecca N wrote: Last year I knit tiny spherical Christmas ornaments for my roommates and embroidered their initials on them
Karen wrote: I made a miniature sock monkey.
Marcia U wrote: I knit tiny stockings for the small tree my daughter has in her bedroom at Christmas.
jessicac wrote: The smallest thing I have knit so far.. a tiny cupcake from MochiMochi!
Rose S wrote: The smallest things I have knit were finger puppets for my nieces’ and nephews’ itty bitty fingers. They loves playing with them.
Linda wrote: I knit little buttons to go with charitable baby sweaters, they match and they are free.
knittingdancer on Ravelry wrote: The smallest item I have knitted is a Christmas tree ornament.
Christy wrote: I’ve knit a few pairs of earrings with wire and beads. They came out very cute.
Janeen wrote: The smallest was a pair of beaded earrings that looked like a purse knit on 0000 needles.
Laura wrote: Probably the 1″ crocheted cat I made 🙂
Marilyn G wrote: I love these [Bitty Beady Christmas Tree] … I bought the pattern last year, I think, and I’ve made several of them as gift tag add-ons! I haven’t done any yet this year, but I will be!
Judy wrote: knitted stocking earrings
Chris wrote: A lace bedspread for a doll house.
What is your favorite?
My fav idea (if I had to pick only one, but fortunately I do not, lol) is the tiny “piano” scarf on the snowman ornament for the music teacher. But I am swayed in fav’ing that because of my piano background (in case you might not know that connection). What is your favorite?
Stay tuned for the next Weekend Giveaway
Thanks to everyone for entering the Weekend Giveaway for Bitty Beady Christmas Tree Kit. Check back soon for announcement of this holiday season’s next Weekend Giveaway at HeartStrings FiberArts.
Related Images:
Behind the scenes with Jackie E-S and life at the HeartStrings FiberArts studio.
