The weekend, briefly

I feel like I spent most of this weekend in the kitchen and it shows. (Although I did go to LACMA on Friday evening for a second viewing of the James Turrell exhibit. I can't get enough. I'm scheduled for the perceptual cell in October. Eeek!)

{grid}

{saturday pancakes}

{prepping}

{layers, successfully removed}

{soft balling it}

{fudge frosting}

{a warm place in the sun}

{evening pizza}

{the cake}

We had D's brother over for the weekend and teenage boys mean CARBS (and mild attempts at art enlightenment, hence the LACMA expedition). Pancakes in the morning, pizza the entire rest of the day, everyday. I think I've finally mastered Nancy Silverton's pizza dough recipe and we're all benefiting. Except maybe my pants. Luckily they can't talk.

I was running low on yeast and desperate not to go to the store, so I coaxed the dough into rising by finding the sunniest spot I could, hence the mixing bowl precariously perched in the herb garden. It worked!

THE CAKE was surprisingly docile this year. Layers popped out effortlessly, the infamous fudge frosting came together with nary a complaint. I shouldn't have been surprised when everything else went pear shaped on Sunday and we were hit with a few family crises. Universe, you are a cruel mistress. But at least we had impeccable fudge frosting. That does help cushion the blows a bit.