Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake

Want a dessert for a special occasion?

If you have a springform pan and some 

extra time you should give this a try.

You'll also need up to 16 people

to help eat this and they seriously need

to love decadent dark Belgium chocolate,

because this isn't  too sweet.

I made this for potluck last night.

It's seriously good, 

and you might need coffee to help savor 

each and every bite.

Plus you should probably serve it on something

besides paper plates... smile.

It does take a few ingredients 

you may not have in your pantry,

like instant espresso powder,

heavy cream, plain gelatin, unsalted butter,

Belgian chocolate, and white chocolate chips.

Other than that, it also takes a bit of time 

putting it together because there's some

cooling time, and refrigerator time

in between steps.

For the actual recipe

and a better quality photo of the 

finished cake.  Click HERE  

The recipe is from 

America's Test Kitchen

Break time's over.

Back to wrapping a couple of gifts.

Take care and have a wonderful week.

Uh Oh Grandma...

We had been toying with the idea

of not getting our holiday decorations out.

I skipped Halloween,

and then Thanksgiving too.

We were busy with painting,

  sewing and getting ready for 

Thanksgiving guests 

and now all too soon,

  it's almost Christmas.

How can that be?

  Conner was here to visit on Sunday,  

and he was surprised to see 

that was no tree for Christmas,

and how could that be? 

Oh no, oh my, 

I  really messed up, but...

he's coming back Friday

to spend the weekend with us.

  ~~~

 So all of this week, 

I've been busy as an elf.

The holiday totes have exploded 

 all over the house. 

I wrapped up the presents

that had been tucked away,

and then we went shopping

for just a little bit more. 

I decorated our small 'temporary'

champagne colored tree.

It will just have to do...

Next year I've decided 

a new green one will do.

It's gotta be big.

You hear that Santa Rick.

Our stockings have been hung by the

chimney wood stove with care. 

I hope the scotch tape holds up very well.

The guest bed was made up for Conner

with a couple of holiday stuffed animals

for company...

But Liberty had  some

  ideas of her own.

I found Christmas bear and the 

  moose with red antlers

downstairs near the tree.

They were both wet with slobber

thanks to Miss Liberty. 

 Take care over the weekend,

 and I should probably say now ...  

 Merry Christmas from us,

and Liberty too.

Two More Totes

I finished two more totes Monday.

These are gifts for family members 

on different sides of the family.

I figured it wouldn't hurt to make 

them using the same fabric

since the recipients won't be seeing 

each other. 

The coupons from Joann's Fabric store

really helped  with expenses,

as the fabrics I chose weren't on sale. 

Yesterday I played around with a bit of 

the left over fabric and made a 

quilted mug rug.

This photo is truer to the actual 

color than the first two tote photos.

~~~

A mug rug is just an over-sized

coaster.  There's enough room 

for a mug of something warm,

and a cookie ~~~ or two.

This one measures 

about 6 1/4 X 7 1/2 inches.

Today Joyce and I worked at

getting gift baskets started

for the Seniors Christmas party

later this month.  

I can't believe Christmas is coming

on us so fast.

I guess I'd better drag out the 

Christmas totes and make it 

look a bit like Christmas around here.

Ho Ho Ho...

Snow, Snow, Snow

See the star?

Yesterday morning,

before it was even light,

I was out to get photos

of the snow

before it started melting away.

Rick left footprints on his way

to the truck that was parked down 

on the driveway to to the pole barn.

He went to work yesterday and needed

the four wheel drive option to get

down the canyon road safely.

Sorry for the blurry photos in today's

posts.  I held the camera as still as I could

while waiting for the 

shutter to click in the dark conditions.

Yes I know I need a tripod,

 but only once in awhile,

so it's pretty far down on the wish list.

It was so quiet out there.

Well, except for happy Liberty.

Sorry but I like that photo.

~~~

Later after the sun was up

we went back out for more photos.

Our lone redwood tree.

It has really grown tall since we moved here.

Liberty on the run.

She was thrilled with the snow.

  

It's still Fall.

Love the contrast of the white snow 

against the dark trees.  

 Our house in the woods.

 Snow crystals on the redwood tree.

~~~ 

I made good progress yesterday

 on the totes I'm sewing.

That was in between times of 

 playing with Libs,

 and watching the snow fall from the trees.

Some times the snow would come down 

as a crystal shower, and other times

fall in puffy marshmallow clumps.

When I got up this morning,

it was 24 degrees.

Brrr, but now Rick has the fire going.

It's time to go enjoy coffee with him.

Happy Sunday!

 

Sing it Willie  

Blue skies smiling at me...

Japanese Pin Cushion and a ?

My friend Cathy and I

have known each other since

we were both stationed in Misawa, Japan.

We were Red Cross volunteers together

working at the base post office.

We loved our work

 especially around Christmas

when we were extra busy handing out 

holiday packages and sorting Christmas cards

into the post boxes.

Anyway, she asked about this pin cushion

and if I had purchased it in Japan.

The answer is I'm not exactly sure

 where this one came from.

  I might have purchased it in Japan... 

but let me show you something special.

This hand crafted pin cushion was

one of my going away gift from the 

Patrol Wing One's wives group

in July 1984.

Elderly Japanese ladies in a rest 

home hand sewed these for pin money.

It measures three inches tall,

and 7 1/2 inches wide.

Aren't those pig tails darling?

The kimonos ... oh goodness!

I've never used it as a pin cushion.

Unfortunately,

it does have a couple of stains from

being handled over the years.

The nurses who took care of the 

elderly residents hand painted

the faces for the seamstresses.

Cute huh?

Now for the question.

Cathy sent me an email 

asking about a recipe she's lost.

  It's not familiar to me,

but maybe you'll know.

She's looking for a Southwest Chicken 

casserole recipe that includes

chicken (of course)

cheese soup, chili powder and other

ingredients (?).

It also was topped with cornbread twists.

Let me know if you have a similar

recipe.  I know Cathy would be happy

to have the recipe once again.

We are getting snow today !

It's sticking !!

Woo hoo !!!

Brr, It's Getting Cold.

Sunday's sunrise brought some pink

to the sky and a golden hue to the rest

of the leaves left on the deciduous trees.

They had better fall fast because

they're predicting snow down to the 

valley floor Friday...un huh, we'll see.

 Seems like if they say it will snow

 it usually doesn't.

This new weather front from 

Alaska is providing cold temps

and you sure can tell it today.

 I'm having to keep the fire going

 and I'm warming my hands around 

a steaming cup of 'candy cane' green tea. 

Liberty is curled up and snoozing

away on the couch downstairs.

Earlier she was checking out the

 first bit of Christmas decor.

 It's the only decorations so far,

 because the jar wasn't packed

away with the rest of the holiday stuff.

 I used Epson salt for the snow, 

with my bleached, glittered and pearled

 bottle brush trees inside.  

There's also a couple of 

glittery deer from the dollar store tucked

inside.  I may change them out later

and add the truck you see in the header

 to the jar this year.

The truck is still packed away. 

 I used a photo from Christmas 2009

to make this year's Christmas month header.

Here's my finished (for now) chair project.

It's not perfect at all, but it may

have to stay the way it is...

I really goofed up and put the

zipper panel on the wrong side of 

the chair's bottom cushion.

It's a reminder for me to take even

more photos when it comes time

to take the couch cushions apart.

I struggled with how to get the

pieces sewn back together.  

It looked easier than it turned out to be.

I know the couch cushions are going to

be much harder to figure out, 

especially the side pillows which curve

around the frame.

My latest crocheted scarf.

I've given four of these scarves

away already before taking photos of them.

 I'm really loving the way the variegated

colors are turning out using Lyon brand's yarn

"Amazing". On the other hand I 

like that bamboo/silk yarn as well.

It's much easier to crochet with. 

Now for this fabric... ahem.

I waited two hours in the cutting table

queue before it was my turn yesterday to

get my fabric cut at Joann's.
When I pulled my number 37,

they were just calling number 10.

Two people ended up asking me for help

with their sewing questions while I was waiting.

Too funny.  People also ask me where stuff

is in the grocery stores quite often.

Do I somehow look like I know these answers?

Like someone named Aunt Bea?

Don't answer that!

When the young gal cut my fabric I checked the 

next number to be pulled from the machine.

It was 68 ~~~ oh my.

Afterwards there was another twenty minute

wait in the check out line. 

As soon as I finish this post,

I'm going downstairs

 to get started cutting the pieces

 of that fabric  for two more totes 

that I plan to give

as Christmas presents.

The kitchen counter is a better height 

for cutting out fabrics than my work table

upstairs. It's easier on the back, that's for sure.

Here's a note to Anita who asked

 in the comments on the last blog post

if there wasn't anything I couldn't do.

You have got to be kidding!

 Here's another recent failure...(laughing)

  I overcooked the Thanksgiving turkey.

I mean it was really overcooked.

I was relying on my thermometer

to make sure it was done as I knew

it wouldn't  brown enough in the roaster oven.

Turns out that 90 degrees Celsius is a whole lot 

more cooked than 90 degrees Fahrenheit is.

Why yes, I did have my glasses on.

Take care,

Let it snow!

Making Progress? Ha...

I think we may have underestimated

the time it would take to complete

our front room projects.

The paint job isn't complete.

We still have door jams in the front room 

and the hallways to paint.

There's also a front door that needs painting.  

   I'd like to get the rest of the paint job done 

before putting away the painting supplies.

I've started recovering the cushions

on my wicker chair and ottoman.

It's taking longer than I expected,

 and I though I was going to be able

to get the couch done before Thanksgiving

as well.... sheesh! Was I ever wrong.

I did remember to take photos 

of the way the chair cushions were constructed

so that I can hopefully recreate them 

into something that will look semi decent

when I've finished.

There was no turning back once 

I took the cushions apart to use the 

old fabric for a pattern.

We have company coming Monday

 to stay the week with us. 

Tuesday is my volunteer day for Brown Bag.

Wednesday is a prep day for 

for Thanksgiving dinner.

We'll have a house full of family from

Brookings, Mt. Shasta, and Los Angeles.

Happy Day!

  If I don't get back to blogging

before Thursday... (fat chance)

I just want to say, have a wonderful

day with family and friends.

We'll be in a warm

and cozy home where no one  but me

 really cares that the couch is still a bit ratty.

(smile) Redoing the cushions has

been on the to do list for several years.

What's another week or two...

Take care, and

Happy Thanksgiving!

Queen Anne's Lace Scarves

I was in a hurry to get photos

of these two scarves, 

before giving them to a birthday gal.

She's a Red Hatter, so these colors 

will work perfectly for her this winter.

 I hung the scarves on the rail,

and draped them over the solar lights.

I held them up in front of the 

bright orange cosmos.

But it turns out,

They looked best

draped over the tomato plant.

I hope she didn't notice

the smell of tomatoes

when she opened her gift.

The pattern is here:

http://mrsmicawber.blogspot.com/2011/03/queen-annes-lace-crochet-scarf-tutorial.html

I used Lion Brand's  "Amazing" yarn

wool/acrylic for the variegated red scarf. 

The purple scarf was crocheted 

with Patons Silk Bamboo yarn.