Friday, November 6, 2009

Introducing...

Ducky aka The Rubber Duck (blog). He's mine. Jonathan said that he created his own blog so that he could comment on mine.

He called me today about using the "O" word in my last post. LOL

I just read his latest post. I had a good laugh! He did post a photo of himself in his kilt and leine aka shirt. I made the shirt for him before an international festival in Houston last year...Ireland was the featured country. (He was disappointed in the festival...but got to wear his kilt and leine.)

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Chocolate Anyone?

I woke this morning before the heater cut on (see below post about thermostat war). The inside temp was 70 degrees. Not cold at all...but still 2 degrees shy of the heater kicking in. So. I had a mug of hot chocolate. If I hadn't been dressed in my summer pajamas without a robe, I would've gone outside where it was a crisp 54 degrees and sat in the screen room to enjoy it. Alas. The heater kicked in...Note to self...set out robe for tomorrow morning.

To continue in the chocolate mood, I decided to bake a Chocolate Pudding Cake.

This is such a good cake. Without eggs in the batter, I even licked the whisk, bowl, and spatula. ;o) This looks weird with water floating on the top.

During the baking, that water sinks taking with it the brown and white sugars and cocoa sprinkled on top...

...making a pudding layer on the bottom.

After it cools, scoop out a slice and flip it upside down on the dessert plate with the pudding on top. A bit of a drizzle of chocolate syrup (since I was watching Julia and Jacques on PBS).

About as good as an orgasm. OH! Where'd he come from? Gotta turn the ceiling fan on again!! (I admit it. I did not take this photo.)

How to make your own...

Chocolate Pudding Cake (If Sean ever comes to visit...I am NOT sharing him!!)

1 1/4 cup sugar, divided (3/4 cup and 1/2 cup)
1 cup flour
7 tablespoons cocoa, divided (3 tablespoons and 4 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/4 cup hot water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine 3/4 cup sugar, flour, 3 tablespoons cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Blend in milk, butter, and vanilla; beat until smooth with a wire whisk...it doesn't take long. Pour into an ungreased 8- or 9-inch square baking dish. Stir together remaining 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar, and remaining 4 tablespoons cocoa; sprinkled mixture evenly over batter. Pour hot water over top; do not stir.

Bake at 35 to 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Let stand 15 minutes. Spoon into dessert dishes, spooning sauce from bottom over top.

Garnish with whipped cream or sprinkle with powdered sugar...then do the Julia thing with the chocolate syrup if so desired. ;o)

Makes 8 to 10 servings. hahahahaha Unless one is a chocoholic. Me!

Go To Your Corner...

Thermostat War has begun already!

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Fooled Me

Sigh. I was doing the 'man' thing tonight and flipping channels with the remote. Nova aired a program about Rift Valley in Kenya. The first 10 minutes talked about the lake that was there millions of years ago...and that most of Africa was once a tropical rain forest. Many areas are now desert. (Guess man started global warming much further back than we originally thought.)

So...I called Sam into the living room. BM...that is Before Me...he, the then wife, and their two kids went to Zaire as missionaries for the Methodist church. Just before leaving Belgium where the two kids pretty well learned how to speak French and the now X did fair...Sam...wellll....we won't go there because it has no bearing on my story any way. Okay...just before leaving Belgium, they find out that the school in Lubumbashi, Zaire (now the Democratic -haha - Republic of Congo) does not have enough grades for their oldest, Brook. She was homeschooled the first year, then the parents decided she was missing too much. Arrangements were made to send her to RVA, Rift Valley Academy, in Kenya. Their son decided that if Brook was going...so was he.

There's the intro to all of this.

Sam joins me in the living room for a few more minutes of the 'lay of the land' in Kenya and Rift Valley. THEN the story moves into evolution. Okaaaaay...some of you may believe that your uncle was a monkey. Perhaps he acted like one. I have a couple of brothers that do...you remember the Brat don't you?... but...

If you present a theory as a theory...that's one thing. But please do not present a theory as fact.

As I headed to the shower...Sam started flipping channels.

One Foot Warm and Cozy

The other is freezing! Well. Maybe not freezing...since I do own several full pairs of socks. ;o)
I cast on for the second sock last night while watching Dancing With the Stars. I even knitted all but four rows of the ribbing.