An Adventure for the Not-So-Faint-of-Heart

St. Vincent Island Wildlife Refuge is exciting daytrip for outdoors enthusiasts. I have been several times with my father, and it is an incredible adventure. Before the island became a wildlife refuge, a previous owner imported exotic animals from all over the world to live in this isolated, tropical habitat. Zebras and Sambar deer, just to name a few. The zebras are gone, but the Sambar deer remain and can occassionally be seen in the marsh areas. Accessible only by boat, St. Vincent's is a 12,490 acre coastal barrier island located across the lagoon from Indian Pass, approximately 22 miles southwest of Apalachicola, FL. Other residents are the American Alligator, Bald Eagles, Red Wolves, and feral pigs.
St. Vincent Wildlife Refuge offers wonderful opportunities for photographers. The Island has sand dunes, fresh water lakes, and is perfect for bird watching. Pottery shards can be found on the beaches and indicate a past of ancient Indian inhabitation. Everytime I go I hope to find coins or remnants from a Spanish shipwreck. It looks to be just the place for Black Beard's Ghost.

Heirloom Jewelry

My favourite piece of jewelry was given to me by my grandmother a few years ago. She was given this charm bracelet by my grandfather in the 60's and received charms as gifts on special occasions. One charm says "Just to Say Hello" and has a telephone and five semi-precious stones. It is engraved on the back with "Love Margie 12-25-61" and was given to my grandmother from her sister, Margie, for Christmas. There is also a "Happy Anniversary" charm engraved with "8-25-71." The charm I love the most is the heart with the tiny blue pearls in the center.

La Bête Noire

I made this delicious cake for the first time. It turned out beautifully. It is incredibly rich, so I served it it very small pieces. Someone stuck their spoon right in the middle to try a bite, so instead of my cake, I have a picture of the other little Bête Noire at my house.

La Bête Noire
or
The Black Beast
16 Servings

Cake

1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
9 tablespoons unsalted butter
18 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
6 large eggs

Ganache

1 cup heavy whipping cream
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
lightly sweetened whipped cream

For Cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 10-inch diameter springform pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment round; butter parchment. Wrap 3 layers of heavy-duty foil around the outside of pan, bringing foil to top of rim. Combine 1 cup water and sugar in small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Whisk sugar syrup into chocolate; cool slightly. Add eggs to chocolate mixture and whisk until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Place cake pan in large roasting pan. Add enough hot water to roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cake pan.
Bake cake until center no longer moves when pan is gently shaken, about 50 minutes. Remove from water bath; transfer to rack. Cool completely in pan.

For Ganache:
Bring whipping cream to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Pour over top of cake in pan. Gently shake pan to distribute ganache evenly over top of cake. Refregerate cake in pan until ganache is set, about 2 hours.

To Serve:
Run knife around sides of pan to loosen cake; release sides. Cut cake into wedges and serve with whipped cream.

Victorian Terrariums

Victorian terrariums are a beautiful addition to any home. They are magical mini worlds that thrive when self-contained. Nothing is more perfect for the Urbanite gardener. Or the aesthetic artist. The New York Times has an excellent article by Emily Weinstein on the increasing popularity of terrariums(http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/03/garden/03terrarium.html). I have a large terrarium on a stand that I have filled with potted plants. I have a tiny triangular terrarium that will probably be filled with moss and a single miniature succulent. I also have mad a terrarium from an apothecary jar. It contains a sellaginella. I would love to have a conservatory. Until then, the terrariums are a satisfying substitute.

A Sunday Afternoon in Seaside

Seaside, FL is a wonderful place to spend a Sunday afternoon. Today was incredibly hot, but there was a nice breeze on the beach. Queen Bee Cupcakes is the perfect place to have a cupcake and cold chilled lemonade in the shade. My favourite is the vanilla pink, a vanilla bean cake with pink vanilla frosting. The vanilla frosting could be substituted for three cups of espresso in the morning, and can be bought in additional "shots", probably for this very purpose. Queen Bee also bakes a key lime cupcake with tart key lime frosting and a chocolate dream cupcake with fudge frosting. One or two specialty cupcakes are offered on a daily basis, such as carrot, coca-cola, salted caramel, and orange cream pop.

Bathroom Organization

I live in a tiny cottage near the coast with no storage. We have one small bathroom with single sink and four cabinet doors. So I have found some practical storage solutions for the things that must sit out in view. I found a beautiful little cup covered in shimmery fabric with beading at a small boutique in Apalachicola, Fl called Riverlily. It is perfect for holding all my make-up brushes up-right so they maintain their shape. I also have an antique floral bowl that holds all the odds and ends, such as nail polish, bobby pins, etc. These sit on a hammered tray that has an embossed peony. My other storage addition is a tiny wire shelf acquired from a junk shop. The shelf hold magazines, my Anthropologie hand towels and wash clothes, a blue and white flower pot with bath soap, and extra razors in a bamboo box. One of my favorite finds is the opal soaprock. It is a beautiful turquoise and cobalt soap bar with metallic gold swirls. The soaprocks are sold by different retailers and come in various shapes and sizes.

Lovely New Additions in My Kitchen

I have recently inherited a beautiful set of Noritake China from a family member. I have a place setting for eight with the exception of a few missing bread plates. I wasn't sure how I felt about the pattern, but my everyday dishes needed to be replaced. I ended up loving the pattern, especially with other pieces of blue white mixed in. The antique Johnson Brothers platter is from my grandmother. It's all very chinoiserie, I think. Now, time to plan a dinner party!