Month: December 2014

Daily Thoughts

Happy New Years!!!!

Chocolate Castles2 Comments

2014 is almost gone. So many memories, some good some not so good. I don’t like to use the word “bad” because some of the “bad” memories, in the end, allow new and exciting experiences that happen in our lives. This past year brought many changes in our household. Randy retired, we moved from California back to Texas, we have a new granddaughter, Payton, and I completed my first book.

Randy’s retirement, in itself, allowed us to travel from the West coast to the East coast. We visited our kids along the way and ended up marking one thing off my bucket list….going to eat at Paula Deen’s Restaurant, Lady & Son’s. We learned that we can be together 24-7 (or is it 365 days, 518, 400 minutes as it seemed when we were traveling in the car some days).

After 2 months of traveling, we both knew when it was time to put away the suitcase and find someplace to nest. And nest we have. We are so grateful for the time spent on the road and grateful for the new memories that we collected. As we look back over the last 12 months, we are grateful that we were able to live in California for almost 4 years and experience living where we could watch the Rose Parade set up. We learned that there are precious people who touch our hearts, no matter where you live. We learned to love Lebanese food, In & Out Burgers, the mountains, walking along the seashore (and yes, all the while I would be looking to see if anyone famous was walking past). God provided a dear precious friend who told me that she would do the behind the scenes work on the book, if I would complete it…I did and Kathy did as she said…she turned it into book form. I remember kicking and crying as we drove across the desert, back in 2010, when moving to California; never dreaming that it would be while living there that this goal would be accomplished. But God did and He used it to fulfill what He had ask of me.

We are now nested in our new place. We look back with such fondness for the people and experiences that were ours last year…but are looking ahead with excitement for what God has planned for us. We don’t know yet what that is, but we know that we can always trust His heart and whatever that plan is, may we grow in our faith and trust to fulfill what He wants us to accomplish. Living back in Texas has given us an opportunity to get to know the kids who live near us as adults. Looking back over the past year, we had no idea that last year would be the last year we would be living in Pasadena and how God orchestrated Cam, Mandy, Jodi and Eric to come out for the Rose Parade is one of those, “this is such a God story” times.
So here is to 2015…a new year, new memories and new adventures. May Randy & I both look expectantly ahead and allow God to use us as He sees best.
Thanks to each of you who have taken the time to read cbocolatecastles! That blesses my heart that it might be bringing a smile to your heart! Happy New Year to each of you…….
Continue reading “Happy New Years!!!!” →

Daily Thoughts

Christmas Whimps

Chocolate Castles1 Comment

2014-12-30 11.33.25Yesterday we found out that putting Christmas décor away is kinda like Thanksgiving dinner. It took days to get it out and put the décor in just the right places, but it only took one day to pack it up. Now mind you, we didn’t intend to do it in one day. I just woke up and thought it would be nice to start boxing up a few things upstairs that decorated the bedrooms. But as the morning went on, I got in “the mood”. You know the one. The mood that will not let you stop until everything is done. So for the next 8 or 9 hours, we hauled boxes in from the garage and hauled them back out. We broke a few things as the day progressed, which in Frosty’s eyes, wasn’t a bad thing as it will be a few less things he has to unpack next Christmas. By 8 p.m. (and a trip to the grocery store, (which was another blunder as I dropped a whole Coke on their floor because I was so thirsty I couldn’t wait until I got in the car) because by now, we were feeling very proud of ourselves. We had worked all day without stopping, even having a healthy Juice Plus shake for lunch, so we thought how swell to finish off the day with just a veggie dinner. We are starting this new year off great and we didn’t even wait until Jan 1st…I’m even thinking of writing to Dr Oz and telling him about how good we are doing.

Well…by 9 p.m. we were done. Once we sat down, we couldn’t get up. Our backs were so sore that we began to play rock, paper,scissors to see who would get up to get refills on tea. I began to wonder how long it would take if I ordered those new cute little Depends from Amazon so I wouldn’t have to get up to go to the bathroom, but Randy knocked me back into reality when he changed my password on Amazon and wouldn’t tell me what it was.  We looked around the house and realized that we had really put it all away, all 5 trees, plus all the “stuff” that my son says, makes our house look like a craft store. But when the Advil began to work and I went in to clean up the kitchen….there on the counter was the kitchen tree that we had overlooked. We just looked at each other and finally Randy says to me, “I can’t do it, I cannot undecorated anything else tonight”. As we climbed upstairs to go to bed, promising ourselves that we will NEVER EVER live anywhere again that you have to climb stairs to go to bed, I remembered the box of Valentine decorations out in the garage.

This morning, the last Christmas tree was turned into a Valentine Tree that allows me to keep a few of the lights that just make me feel peppy and upbeat. At least when Feb is over, we will only have a couple of boxes of items to put away. Maybe  only 1 Advil will do the trick, instead of half a bottle like last night.

We were hoping that when we got on the scales this morning, all of the exercise we got yesterday would pay off. It didn’t. We just rewarded ourselves for working so hard with our own pints of Blue Bell…

Chocolate · Cookies · Desserts

Nutella Crinkle Cookies

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I got a little obsessed this Christmas with cookies. I’m usually more of a candy and pie person, but for some reason, I kept finding these different recipes that just yelled out for me to make them. When we were in Italy, I came to love Nutella anything. I would have eaten liver or seaweed if it was dipped in Nutella. This was the first recipe that I had seen for Nutella cookies, so here it is; my new favorite cookie.

1 jar (13 oz) Nutella

1/4 cup shortening

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teas vanilla

3 cups flour

2 teas baking powder

1/2 teas salt

1/3 cup milk

2 1/2 cups hazelnuts, toasted, divided

1/2 cup powdered sugar

In a large bowl, cream the Nutella, shortening and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. About 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, mixing well after each addition. Fold in 1/2 cup hazelnuts. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 min or until firm.

Finely chop remaining hazelnuts. Place hazelnuts and powdered sugar in a bowl and stir to combine. Roll dough into 1″ balls and roll ion powdered sugar-nut mixture. Place 1″ apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 for 10-12 min or until set and surface is cracked. Cool for 1 min before removing from pan.

Yield: 6-7 dozen

Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Fruit · Holiday Fare

Skillet Apple Pie

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All I can say is this….it was the best apple pie we had ever had and our friends who share it said the same thing. The brown sugar-butter sauce in the bottom of the skillet under the crust just oozes the best buttery flavor and you just stand there and scrape all that sauce out with a spoon. My sister-in-law had us over for Christmas Eve breakfast, and as we were just standing there talking, she began to make this pie for their dinner, so I helped peel apples and began to read over the recipe. After taking a picture of it to bring home, I decided that afternoon that I was going to make it Christmas day for our dinner. I am so glad I did.

Ingredients:

1 large iron skillet

2 pounds of Granny Smith apples

2 pounds of Braeburn apples

1 tables flour

2 teas cinnamon

3/4 cup granulated sugar (I used all light brown)

1/2 cup butter

1 cup firmly brown sugar

1 (14 oz) package refrigerated pie crusts (I used Betty Crocker box pie crust mix that you add water and roll out, I love the flakiness of this brand instead of the refrigerated ones)

2 tables granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Peel apples and cut into 1/2″ slices. Toss apples with cinnamon, flour and the 3/4 cup sugar (be it granulated or brown sugar, your choice, but use the brown, it is so good). Set aside.

Melt butter in a 10″ cast iron over medium heat; add the 1 cup of brown sugar and cook, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and place 1 piecrust in skillet over brown sugar mixture. Spoon apples onto crust and top with remaining crust. Sprinkle the 2 tables granulated sugar over the piecrust and cut 4 to 5 slits in top pie crust to allow steam to escape.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour to 1 hr and 10 min or until golden brown and bubbly.* (sometimes it might be necessary to place strips of aluminum foil around edges of pie crust to prevent over browning) I placed the skillet on a sheet of aluminum foil before placing in oven to avoid spills going over bottom of oven. Cool on a wire rack for about 30 min before serving with ice cream.

Daily Thoughts

Christmas Crazies

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Sorry Eric, but I have to blog about you. In my son-in-law’s quest to cook for Christmas dinner, he called to ask me about several recipes that he wanted to make. When he informed me that he couldn’t find my recipe for chocolate cream pie that he loved, on the blog, I promised I would post it and I did, immediately. In my haste to post it, apparently, I didn’t use the word, “cook” in it. I just simply gave instructions to use a medium saucepan, and whisk until mixture thickens and bubbles.

I get a frantic phone call yesterday from him. Before answering it, just glancing to see who was calling, I began to think, “hum…this is so cool that my son-in-law (SIL) misses me so much that he is calling again today. This is just the best Christmas ever. Not only do the kids call, but here I’m getting calls from SIL. But the voice at the other end of the line didn’t sound very loving. All I heard when I answered “merry Christmas Eric” was “MIL (mother-in-law), what texture should the liquid be in before pouring it into the pie shell?” When I told him it should be thick and pudding like consistency, he yells, “just a minute” throws down the phone and I sit there wondering what is going on. In a minute he comes back on the line to tell me that he had run to pour the mixture back in the saucepan from the pie shell. Since he didn’t read the word “cook”, he assumed that he just mixed the ingredients in a saucepan and whisked them until all lumps disappeared then poured it in the pie shell. But when it was still just thin like water, he panicked. I told him to cook it this time before pouring it into the pie shell. He did and they had a wonderful chocolate cream pie for dessert.

I thought I was going to make it through the whole Christmas season without a blog story of one of my “oopsies” but on Christmas Eve, when the grocery stores are jammed, I happened to run into Kroger to buy a few things. After I couldn’t find the French Fried Onion Rings, and finally found a young man to help me find them (and yes I made sure he worked there before asking his help), I followed him to aisle 6 where he pointed them out to me. The look he gave me as he was walking off told me that he had lost his Christmas cheer a while ago. As he walked off probably groaning to himself that old people are just so blind and can’t find anything, there was a loud crash. I looked down to realize that it came from my basket. For some unknown reason, instead of putting the blackberry perserves  in the basket where they belong, I had put them in the seat part of the basket and they rolled out and crashed onto the floor of aisle 6. Blackberry preserves and glass were now splattered all over the floor. Let’s just say that the other last minute shoppers didn’t give me a look of Christmas cheer either. They were too busy picking up their baskets to get the wheels out of the glass and stickiness and guess who was sent back to clean up? Yep, the precious young stock boy who led me to that aisle a few minutes before. I just kept apologizing and led my basket away as fast as possible. From  there you could tract my steps from the glass and preserves that the wheels were leaving. I really thought that when we moved back from California, I would get a fresh start and not be banned from as many places, but it looks like my clumsiness followed me and I’m well on my way to having just a handful of places that I will be welcome. Apparently, after the chocolate pie fiasco, my son-in-law’s house is now on the “not welcome here” list, as well as Kroger.

Daily Thoughts

Merry Christmas

Chocolate Castles1 Comment

Christmas means so many things to everyone. Whether it conjures up feelings of warmth or loneliness, remember that there is someone who loves you more than you can ever understand.

This is the season we celebrate the Savior’s birth. He came to earth as a tiny baby. He died on the cross for our sins out of the greatest love even known to man. He did it for you and for me. So as we gather around the Christmas tree this morning, take time to remember all that God has done for us. As we  sit around the tree, opening presents, may we remember the tree on which He gave His life to save us from our sin. May today be a day not only for giving and receiving presents to family and friends, but a day that we give our best to Him…our hearts, our surrender and our service to the Christ of Christmas

Merry Christmas from my heart to yours! Trudy

Chocolate · Desserts

Chocolate Creme Pie

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Ok, Eric, here it is….my mother’s chocolate pie we have been making for over 50 years. My son-in-law just called for my chocolate pie recipe and I discovered I had never posted the recipe. This is an old fashioned chocolate cream pie that is always a crowd pleaser, topped with whipping cream, you cannot find a better dessert to serve to family or friends. Very simple, very traditional and very very good.

2 1/2 cups milk

1 cup sugar

5 tables unsweetened cocoa

3 egg yolks

1/4 cup flour

1/2 teas salt

2 table butter

1 teas vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan.  Using a whisk, whisk all ingredients until egg yolks are broken up and turn heat under pan. Continue to whisk continually while cooking until the flour, cocoa and eggs are totally blended and all lumps are gone. Continue to stir until mixture begins to bubble and thicken. When it is thick, remove from heat and add 1 teas vanilla and 2 tables butter. Stir until butter is melted and combined. Pour into cooled baked pie shell.  Before serving, top with whipped cream.

Chocolate · Desserts · Holiday Fare

Christmas Crack Candy

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Oh Great, something else for me to get addicted to. As of 2 days ago, I am not additcted to the Red Velvet Cookies and now this. A friend just called me and said, “RUN do not walk to the store and buy everything you need for this candy.” So as soon as I post this, Frosty is driving our sleigh to Kroger so I can get the necessary ingredients. Will let you know if I am checking myself into Candy Treatment Center’s of America tomorrow.
1 16 oz jar salted peanuts
1 16 oz jar unsalted peanuts
1 – 12 oz bag(s)
semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 – 12 oz bag(s)
milk chocolate chips
2 – 10 oz bag(s)
peanut butter chips
2 – 1 lb pkg
white almond bark or vanilla candy coating

Directions Step-By-Step

1

Spray your crockpot with Pam then layer all ingredients in a large crockpot (starting with peanuts). Turn the pot on low, cover with lid, and leave sitting for 2 hours. Then, remove lid and stir to combine. Replace lid and leave sitting for another 30 minutes. Stir again and then spoon mixture on to wax paper or non-stick aluminum foil. Allow to harden for at least 1 hour. Then break off into chunks.  Enjoy!

Daily Thoughts

Merry Christmas From an Old Princess Who Now Shops From Her Lazy Girl Chair

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Because most of us are not the Martha Stewarts that have finished shopping, cooking and have everything already wrapped and am sitting by the fire eating bon bons with our feet propped up, I thought this might bring a smile to your face.

My new motto: If Amazon doesn’t have it, give a gift card. My Christmas Spirit is not waning, it is just refocusing. Am spending more time this year baking and sampling…thus: the poem. Thank you Bonnie for passing this on to me…it is great!

Merry Christmas To My Female Friends
>>
>> If I were ol’ Santa, you know what I’d do
>> I’d dump silly gifts that are given to you
>> And deliver some things just inside your front door
>> Things you have lost, but treasured before.
>>
>> I’d give you back all your maidenly vigor,
>> And to go along with it, a neat tiny figure.
>> Then restore the old color that once graced your hair
>> Before rinses and bleaches took residence there.
>>
>> I’d bring back the shape with which you were gifted
>> So things now suspended need not be uplifted.
>> I’d draw in your tummy and smooth down your back
>> Till you’d be a dream in those tight fitting slacks.
>>
>> I’d remove all your wrinkles and leave only one chin
>> So you wouldn’t spend hours rubbing grease on your skin.
>> You’d never have flashes or queer dizzy spells,
>> And you wouldn’t hear noises like ringing of bells.
>>
>> No sore aching feet and no corns on your toes,
>> No searching for spectacles when they’re right on your nose.
>> Not a shot would you take in your arm, hip or fanny,
>> From a doctor who thinks you’re a nervous old granny.
>>
>> You’d never have a headache, so no pills would you take.
>> And no heating pad needed since your muscles won’t ache.
>> Yes, if I were Santa, you’d never look stupid,
>> You’d be a cute little chick with the romance of a cupid.
>>
>> I’d give a lift to your heart when those wolves start to whistle,
>> And the joys of your heart would be light as a thistle.
>> But alas! I’m not Santa. I’m simply just me,
>> The “matronest” of matrons you ever did see.
>>
>> I wish I could tell you all the symptoms I’ve got,
>> But I’m due at my doctor’s for an estrogen shot.
>> Even though we’ve grown older, this wish is sincere,
>> Merry Christmas to you and a Happy New Year.

>> Save the Earth; it is the only planet with chocolate
>> Life is a gift . . . unwrap it!

Chocolate · Cookies · Desserts · Holiday Fare

Red Velvet Cookies (Thank you Duncan Hines)

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This is an infomercial! I thought since most of us are in a time crunch, but are still desiring to bake Christmas cookies, this would come in handy. I have heard of the cookies made from cake mixes, but until two nights ago, I had never really liked the ones that I had tasted. A friend came by with snickerdoodles which were awesome. When I told Peggy how good they were, she said, “glad you liked them, I made them from a cake mix”. I was shocked. So today, I stopped and bought a Duncan Hines Red Velvet cake mix and am making the cookie recipe on the side of their box. Am making one little change. I am making them into thumbprint cookies and filling the indention with my cream cheese frosting. Am so excited that I can whip up a batch of cookies that taste like homemade, in less than 5 min…I thought it would be fun to color the cream cheese frosting green so, wa-la, Christmas cookies that taste like red velvet and it was really so easy. The picture below is a plate of the original directions on Duncan Hines, each ball dipped in Powdered sugar, the ones on the outside are the ones I ended up just baking as balls and then added colored cream cheese frosting and sprinkles. Merry Christmas from my heart to yours…tkbakesalot2014-12-21 14.04.58

If you happen to have a box of red velvet cake mix that doesn’t have the recipe on the side, here it is:

1 box red velvet cake mix

6 tables softened butter

2 eggs

Mix until well blended with mixer on low to medium speed. Drop 1″ balls into powdered sugar and onto lightly greased cookie sheet if you are not using Parchment paper or coated cookie sheets. Bake at 375 for about 9-10 min. If you use the cream cheese frosting, do not roll the balls in the powdered sugar. Just drop the balls onto the cookie sheet and using a Thumbie or your thumb, make an indention in the center of each cookie. The indention will almost disappear when cookies are baked, but don’t worry about that. Fill in with frosting of your choice.