Congrats to a Blog Friend- Angela of Tea With Friends

I just wanted to spend this blog congratulating my friend Angela on being published this month in the magazine Cloth, Paper, Scissors. Angela is a very talented lady (in more ways than one). Please visit her blog site today to see her beautiful craft display and many other wonderful past posts. Visit at: ncmagteawithfriends.blogspot.com
CONGRATULATIONS ANGELA!!

"There Really Is a Santa Claus!!!"

A few blogs back I told you I would share a special family story about Christmas. It's a bit long but worth it. For many years my husband & I have hosted Christmas at our home for my entire family (5 siblings, our spouses, parents and grandchildren & now great grandchildren). When our children were all small we use to buy gifts for each of them, usually something small, but always something. One year my husband & I decided we would really surprise the kids & adults alike. So during the Christmas party my husband Ken snuck outside to the back yard and I snuck into our bedroom where we had all of the presents hidden in a LARGE red table cloth tied like Santa's bag. I opened our bedroom window and stuffed the "bag" through the window to Ken waiting down below. He then very quietly snuck up the steps on the outside deck and placed the bag there and quickly raced back inside. NO ONE missed us!!! Ken then went into the kitchen and when no one was around jumped up and slammed down hard on the floor. The entire house went quiet! Everyone started asking "What in the world was THAT?!!!" Ken then came out of the kitchen and said the same thing. I said It sounded like something on the deck. So Ken slid open the curtains and looked out. All the kids came running to see what it was. Ken slid open the sliding doors and looked up in the sky and started yelling and waving saying "Thank you Santa". By this time the parents had gotten up to see as well. The kids were all screaming and yelling look look!! So we brought in the package and everyone was in shock- "Where did that come from?" was all the adults could say. But the best part of the night was not the package at all. It was what my 4 year old nephew Klay said. He had just been told by his mom & my brother, a Baptist Minister, that Santa wasn't really real and that Jesus was the meaning of Christmas. Well after this, Klay ran right up to his mother, he put his hands on her knees and got right in her face and yelled "See Mom there really IS a Santa Claus!"
Klay is now about 6ft 220Lb. & a S.W.A.T Police officer. But we still love to tell the story about that special Christmas- he thinks it's great too.

Absent In Body Not In Mind

Thanks to everyone who has e-mailed me regarding my mom. She just left the hospital this afternoon and was transported to a rehabilitation center close to her home (the hospital where she was staying was 60 miles from my parents home). She will be in recovery for at least a month. It has been a real heartbreak to all of the family (5 children & dad) as we have shared in hospital "duty" 24 hours a day since Thanksgiving. Although her vitals have been really great her mind has not. She is suffering from what the Dr.s call ICU dementia. It is suppose to be reversible once she is in a familiar environment, but none the less it is very sad & scary since she was had such a vibrant mind. Anyway, I thank you all for your prayers and comments.
MERRY CHRISTMAS or HAPPY HANUKKAH TO EVERYONE! GOD'S BLESSINGS!!!!

Chocolate Mousse Cake

Today's cake is very rich & decadent! It requires patience and is best cooked when you have no one else around to distract you. But the time and effort are WELL worth it! It is sooo good.

Chocolate Mousse Cake

12 oz. of good quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped well

1/2 cup of granulated sugar

1/3 cup of water

2 sticks of unsalted BUTTER- do not use margarine

4 eggs

2 tbsp of chocolate liqueur

Topping:

1 cup of heavy cream

2 tbsp of sugar

chocolate shavings

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease a 8" cake pan and line bottom with a parchment paper round(do not flour pan).

Combine the water and sugar in a sauce pan and cook over medium-low heat stirring until all sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat, add butter and chocolate and stir until all is melted. Cover and let stand for 5-6 minutes. Remove lid and beat until smooth. In a large separate bowl, whip the eggs by hand, add the chocolate liqueur and stir well. Slowly pour the chocolate mixture into the eggs blending well as you add. Do not over mix.

Pour into prepared pan. Place the cake pan in a shallow baking pan with 2 inch sides. Add about an inch of water to the pan (be careful not to get in cake pan). Bake about 40- 45 minutes. You can tell if it is set when the top looks slightly dry. Remove the cake pan and let cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes, keep in pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place cake in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or more. To remove cake from pan, run a wet knife around the edge and carefully place the bottom of pan in hot water to loosen, then invert on platter. Whip the heavy cream and pipe around the edge of cake and center. Then cover with chocolate shavings.

Pictures of Holiday Carrot- Pineapple Cake

These are pictures of my Carrot Pineapple Cake. It is soooo delicious! Recipe was a few blogs back

Delay

Due to the continued illness of my mom, I will be posting my cake recipes later this week. Please keep her in your prayers.