Making Chocolate Pudding Cake

Hello and happy Monday. It really was a true Monday. I left the house this morning and several miles down the road I realized I had forgotten my purse. I did not go back. I had my phone and my lunch. I can use Apple Pay on my phone if I need to. So I did without it today. It did feel a little strange though. Oh well I guess it just proves I don’t really need a purse. I think I will get me one of those cute little wristlets and hook it to my keys.

It was a great weekend. The weather was so nice. I went outside Saturday morning to check out the tulip bulbs, and there are now fourteen coming up. I am hoping for even more because some of them are just barely breaking through. Of course I had a little helper. Allie.

I spent some time out on the deck reading. I am still reading Ina Garten’s Memoir. The sunshine and warm temperatures were just great. I baked bread and took most of it to work with me today.

When I was growing up my mama made a very yummy chocolate dessert that she called Chocolate Pudding Cake. Think lava cake or something like that and you will have an idea of what it is similar to. For many years we have tried to perfect the cake and make it like hers. I think my nephew and I just about have it down. After we came up with our recipe, other than a few tweaks here and there, my niece casually mentioned that she made it all the time. We are thinking we need to have a bake-off and let the family decide which one tastes the most like my mama’s.

Here is the recipe:
First melt one stick of butter in a 9×5 baking pan or casserole dish.
In a separate dish mix these dry ingredients:
1&1/2 cups of self rising flour
1&1/4 cups of granulated sugar
1&3/4 TBS. of cocoa
after you have stirred these together add:
3/4 cup of whole mild
2 tsp. of vanilla extract
pour into your pan evenly (DON”T STIR) after you pour it into the pan.

In a separate bowl mix:
1&1/2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup of cocoa
Stir all of this together until all of the lumps are out of the cocoa
Sprinkle this mixture over the top of the first mixture (DON’T STIR) after you put it on top of the first mixture.

Boil 2&1/2 cups of water (this is where I am tweaking mine next time and only adding 1&1/2 cups of boiling water.) But I used 2&1/2 cups yesterday and it was still delicious just a little runny while it was still warm. Pour the boiling water over your mixture very slowly. Let it soak in for a few minutes and then put it in your oven at 350 degrees and bake for thirty minutes.

*The recipe we found online, from the sweetest woman from Alabama, Diane Leary, called for 2&1/4 cups of boiling water. Next try, I am only going to use 1&1/2 cups. Diane calls hers chocolate cobbler.* ***Chocolate and cobbler, how could you go wrong?***

***It was delicious. Next time I may even add some ice cream. This is definitely a once every now and then treat. Just a spoonful or two is more than enough. It is very rich.***

That pretty much sums up my weekend. Weekends go by so quickly. I have a full and busy week coming up. How about you? Have a wonderful week

Always remember

Love your day your way!!!!

Hello Monday – Kitties and Tulips

Happy Monday. I had a great and very relaxing weekend. The weather here has been so nice. We were laughing about the weather because it has been cold in the mornings, very warm in the afternoon and then cold again in the evening. Welcome to East Tennessee. You never know what you are going to get.

My husband and I met some family for an early dinner on Saturday. It was a little retirement celebration for him. He didn’t want a big to-do so we agreed on a small dinner at our local Mexican Restaurant. I made a cake. There was just a few of us. We had a great time.

We also spent some time walking around outside. The weather on Saturday was warm but windy. I guess you could say March came in like a lion for us.

Back in the fall hubs and I planted about fifty tulip bulbs. We realized a little too late that something had gotten into them and dug them up and ate and chewed on them. I am thinking it was probably a raccoon. I thought they had all been destroyed. But maybe not all of them. While we were out walking I noticed about ten little buds coming up. I was so excited. I’m hoping a few more might have survived.

***Look at this little bud. I am thinking I will need to cover these up if another cold snap happens.***

The outside kitties love it when we are outside with them. They run and jump and show out. I got a few pictures of Izzy. I think she is very photogenic.

We also found more Daffodils blooming. You know spring is coming when you see Daffodils.

I spent the rest of the weekend reading and knitting a hat for my sister. She loved the slouchy hat I posted a couple of weeks ago so I started one for her. I have the four inches of the knit two purl two brim finished, and it is straight knitting from here on. My favorite kind of knitting. I should have it finished very soon.

My niece shared this little Bucket List of ideas for March. I am going to try several of them. What do you think?

It’s hard to believe that spring is just around the corner. We change back to Daylight Savings Time this coming weekend. I am probably one of the few people not crazy about it. It’s not that I don’t like the longer daylight hours but I say we just stick with one time and it will all work out.

Have a wonderful week.

Always remember

Love your day your way!!!!!

Sunday Afternoon Coffee Share

Happy Sunday!!! Come in and let’s share a nice cup of hot coffee or tea or maybe some hot chocolate, whatever you would like. But most importantly we will have a chance to catch up.

Last Saturday I awoke to a strange noise. It only took me a minute to realize it was coming from me!!! My breathing sounded terrible and there was a definite croaky rattle to it. Whenever I have had this in the past it has always meant trouble. Yes, I had been exposed to the flu a couple of days earlier. A girl at work came in feeling terrible but didn’t tell anyone until she had been there several hours. When she left later in the day she told us her mother had the flu and she was pretty sure she was getting it as well. I washed my hands like I was going into surgery. But I had held her phone, not too smart on my part, while she was showing me some pictures of recent crochet things she had made. This was before she came clean about the flu symptoms.

Later in the day when my fever started climbing I took myself down to our local walk in clinic to get officially diagnosed, and get a prescription for Tamiflu. This is a treatment for flu if you have had symptoms less than two days. It can shorten the duration of flu symptoms. I will admit I was going to try and tough it out until the voice of reason, also known as my sister, called and said “go to the clinic or I will come and take you myself.”

I had a really couple of bad days and then just mainly a weak and shaky feeling. I was out of work for three days and went back on Thursday. I felt so bad I didn’t even feel like knitting or crocheting. My husband takes immunosuppressants for his transplanted kidney so he is very susceptible to everything. I stayed upstairs and he brought me food and left it at the door. Luckily he has escaped getting this nasty bug. I didn’t even see him for four days. The kitties kept me company.

On Friday night my sister, and a friend and I went to a local production of Fat’s Waller’s, Ain’t Misbehavin’. My friend Dann was the director and one of the performers. It was so good! It is unbelievable how much talent we have in our own back door. We also went to eat Thai food at a restaurant close to the Arts Center. It was great!!!!! As you can see it didn’t take me long to get my appetite back.

I am saving the best for last. Another really big thing happened on Friday. My husband retired!!!! What?? I can’t believe it. He has been counting the days and Friday was his last official day of work. He has worked in his field for more than thirty years. He has been at his last position for over ten years. It was a bit emotional for him. There will be a formal retirement celebration for him in March. He is ecstatic and has a lot of projects he can’t wait to get started on.

Whew!!! What a week.

That is what I have been up to this past week. How was your week?

Always remember

Love your day your way!!!!!

Happy Valentine’s Day

I hope you are having a wonderful Valentine’s Day. My husband sent me roses at work. I love roses and I especially like all of these different colors. I think I will try to dry them after they fade a bit.

My mama died on Valentine’s Day many years ago and my husband always tries to make it bearable by sending flowers or strawberries or something. I told him he didn’t have to worry about doing it but he always does something to try and brighten my day.

I didn’t do a lot of Valentine decorating this year. I made the small hearts last week and strung them into a garland. I think I will add to them for Valentine’s next year.

It’s been another scary week around here. My brother in law, who I think of as a brother, I mean after all he has been in my family since I was eight years old, had a stroke in his left eye. What seemed like some blurred vision turned into a three day stay in the hospital while numerous tests were done to rule out a stroke in his other eye or somewhere else. As of now he has completely lost the vision in his left eye. His lively hood is using his hands and eyes for close repair work. It is a terrible thing for him. We know it could have been so much worse such as a full stroke that could have affected his entire body. I feel lucky that we still have him here with us. This just proves how fast your life can change. Don’t take it for granted. He is adjusting very well and I am so proud of him for this.

The winter days have really brought out my lazy mode. It seems like I want to hurry home and get warm and cozy. During these cold winter evenings I’ve knitted and crocheted and read. To be honest with you I just haven’t been in the mood to do much. I am hoping with some warm weather I will feel a burst of energy. Yep that’s the plan.

I finally finished the slouchy hat I was knitting and I love it so much I immediately started another one.

I have also been cleaning out closets and getting things ready to take to Goodwill or a similar place near us. I cleaned out some drawers last week and Kitty Kitty was obsessed. While I was downstairs getting my small vacuum she jumped in the drawer and tried to make a bed. Her and Gus were fascinated with everything I was dragging out. I was a little fascinated myself. I couldn’t believe all of the “things” I have that I don’t even need or use.

***Please pardon the mess, oh and what a mess there was. I had everything out of the drawers and I guess it was just too tempting for Kitty Kitty.***

Work has been fairly slow and I am thankful for that. The temps have been all over the place which is really not uncommon for East Tennessee. We have had a lot of rain this week and colder temperatures return to us next week. Maybe even a snow flurry or two.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and you are able to spend some time with your Valentine ❤️❤️❤️

Always remember

Love your day your way!!!!!