Need A Chocolate Fix?

So my mother kept telling me about this flourless chocolate cake recipe that she read in the book,

A Homemade Life, by Molly Wizenberg

She decided to make the cake for a girlfriend's birthday and received nothing but glowing remarks. Her husband even vowed to marry my mother after his wife passed just for the cake! ha!

I decided to whip up this little treasure for my father-in-laws birthday and man did it surpass my expectations! I ended up making one for our small group as well.

If you are a chocolate fanatic (and I am not), try it! It's not a pretty cake by any means...looks more like a over sized brownie with a cracked top, but you can't be the rich, moist yumminess!

Flourless Chocolate Cake



Ingredients:

7oz. 60% Cocoa Chocolate Chips (I used Ghiredelli)
1 3/4 sticks of butter melted
1 C + 1Tbs Granulated Sugar
5 Eggs
1 Tbs. Flour





What you will need:

Parchment Paper
Spring form Pan or 9 inch cake pan
A good whisk (this recipe is a workout!)





Directions:


1. Melt Chocolate with butter in microwave (1 min. 30 seconds worked for me)


2. Whisk in Sugar and let mixture cool for 5 minutes


3. Whisk in 5 Eggs ONE AT A TIME. Mixture will become glossy to appearance.


4. Whisk in 1 tbs. of flour


5. Pour batter into cake pan
Tip: Trace size of pan onto parchment paper, cut out, place in pan ink side down, and butter everything liberally. This will prevent sticking!


6. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.
The book calls for 25 minutes baking time, but mom and I both found that 30 min. was our target.
Check cake around 20 minutes...just make sure the cake has a cracked top and minimal jiggling.


7. Let cake cool for 15 minutes


8. Remove from pan:
- Place a sheet of saran wrap over top of cake
- Place a sheet of aluminum foil on top of saran wrap
- Hold plate tight over top of cake and flip
- place saran wrap and foil over bottom of cake
- Place another place over bottom of cake holding fingers in between both cakes to prevent smooshing and flip to right side up
- Roll up edges of foil to make air tight


9. Freeze cake overnight...VERY IMPORTANT!


10. Unwrap cake and let thaw completely before serving...remember this is not supposed to be a pretty cake.


11. If you are like me and want to gussy this little gem up, place doily over top of cake, sprinkle powdered sugar over entire top, lift doily away to reveal a sweet design! (your guest will be impressed, and doilies are cheep, so just do it!)


12. Serve with lightly sweetened fresh whip cream! Yummy :)
I was surprised to find out that many people don't know how to make fresh whipped cream. Just by a small carton of whipping cream, whip on high in mixer with some sugar until thick.



Charlie's 1st Whipped Cream

Enjoy!!!!!




Love to you all!

JP

My Little Golfer

It is undeniable that my little Charlie LOVES Golf! He loves the word, he loves golf clubs, he loves golf balls, and he will even sit and watch tournaments with Daddy!

Over the weekend we found a kids set of golf clubs and Charlie was so thrilled! Take a look at "practice" with Daddy in the back yard!

Oh yeah!!!

Couldn't he have picked a cheaper sport?

Love to you all!

JP

A Thorn In Our Side

So in our not so large back yard we had these wild rose bushes; seven rose bushes to be exact! These seven rose bushes were planted by the original owner of our home and somewhere along the line were forgotten about. The bushes grew into one large mammoth rose bush, evil enough to eat a small child or man trying to mow his lawn.

Strange picture of CR and Charlie but you get the idea!

2 weekends ago CR got the itch to rip out the mass of thorny bushes and somehow talked me into helping. In a matter of 6 hours we had filled 12 yard bags! What a task! Forget aerobics, if you need a good sweat go rip bushes out of your back yard!

Thorn Free!

CR's arms after the battle....ouchy!


Now what to do??? CR had the bright idea of turning this open space into a sitting area. We found a great deal on some Adirondack chairs and started planning.


We Cut Into The Land

Leveled Out The Land

Put A Toddler To Work (and didn't pay him)

Built A Retaining Wall

Spread Some Mulch (nice booty CR)

And Set Our New Chairs In Place

On Sunday we hit up Garden Ridge for Tikki Torches and a Fire Pit...

Here is a close up... we are so thrilled with our final project!

It was worth all of the sweat, sore muscles, dirt under the nails, scrapes and blisters! CR and I make a good team! Charlie is a pretty cute side kick too! We hope your weekend was as productive as ours:)

Love to you all!

JP

MRI Update

On December, 30th 2010 I went in for surgery to remove an ectopic pregnancy. I have been healing both physically and mentally over the past couple of months.

On Monday morning I went in for an MRI as ordered by my buddy Dr. McD. The purpose of the MRI was to take a look at my uterus; we want to be sure that my uterus has healed correctly and is still able to hold a child post surgery.

This morning I received a call from Dr. McD (mind you he called yesterday...guess who's phone was on silent) and received great news. From what he can tell from the MRI report, everything looks normal! Good news is hard to come by around here lately so I was so glad to hear this. As of now things look promising but we still have a few more hurdles to jump.

My next step will be to meet with Dr. K, a high risk specialst, to have a pre conceptual consult. This appointment will entail an ultrasound, blood work, etc... At this time we will discuss if pregnancy is indeed an option. I am anxiously awaiting a call from the nurse with my appointment date. Hopefully next week!?!

A big thank you goes out to all of you that have kept us in your thoughts and prayers over the past couple of months! I could not ask for a better support system! Please continue to pray for a positive outcome and the acceptance of Gods will no matter what it may be.

The other night I sat around the kitchen table with my small group girls. We hashed out some tough feelings and shared a few tears. My friend Jessica asked me to listen to a song by Laura Story. What a beautiful message about the trials we endure! I am so lucky to fellowship with you ladies!!!

Listen and Enjoy - Blessings ~ Laura Story

Love to you all!

JP

Atlanta Brave in the Making

Watch out Chipper Jones...you are only one injury away from being replaced by this guy!

Calling the Shot

Mid Swing...notice his speed :)

Don't Mess With This Slugger!

Love to you all!

JP

18 Month Update & Playground Photo Shoot

A Charlie update is definitely due, so here we go:

Charlie is weighing in at 29 lbs. and is now 32' long. He is right around the 5oth percentile on all stats except for the size of his head which is in the 95 percentile...lets just hope that means big brain :)

To say that Charlie is a busy body is an understatement. These days he is into everything. Sometimes I think he has forgotten how to walk... he only runs now! ha

He has recently discovered the water dispenser on the refrigerator and thinks it is hilarious to smack the button repeatedly and soak himself. He also likes to pour the cats water dish over his head. HELP!

Charlie is mommy's little helper. He now puts the wet clothes into the dryer, mixes pretend ingredients while mommy cooks, helps me sweep with his toddler sized broom, and follows me with the "pop pop" toy when I vacuum. Yesterday he discovered that a warm pile of laundry is really fun to dive into!

Charlie can now say around 40 words and is slowly starting to put two words together. Some of his favorite words are:

Bubble - "bath"

Pip- "chip"

Baybaw - "baseball"

Ice - says this one very clear...loves to eat ice just like daddy

No - go figure

Pop - Dan

Mommy - on repeat :)

Datty - Daddy

Golf - also very clear...even likes to watch it on T.V.

Charlie is a very coordinated little guy. He has learned how to swing his baseball bat, throw a ball overhand, and dribble his little soccer ball. He really would like to swing a golf club, but we don't have one that is the right size. His baseball bat serves dual purposes for now :)

His favorite movies are E.T. and Mary Poppins. I know what you are thinking...he should be afraid of E.T., but he's not. He asks for E.T. or "Poppy" at least once a day. I guess he is going to be a movie buff like his Dad.

Charlie loves school and never cries when we leave him. He is always all smiles when we pick him up, and blows his teachers kisses when we leave. He has also started to really enjoy Wumba Land (the nursery) at church. His teachers all love him, and beg me to send him more than one day a weekl. In August he will start real pre-school and will be in the 2 yr. old class 2 days a week.

We love our little guy and are so proud of the independent, sweet, and funny little man that he is.

And now for your photo enjoyment, a day at the park:

What a big boy :)

Driving the ship

Stair Master

Swinging with Uncle Z

Weeeeee!

Static Slide Hair :)

Love this picture, nice job Dad!

Still has that toddler pudge :)

Here I Come :)

Peek a Boo

Charlie loves his Uncle Z!

The Prisioners

Love to you all!

JP

Carry On...Move Forward, And Hold Your Head High

So I'm finally back. I tried to start this post a week or so ago, and found myself drowning in tears. I feel that I am finally able to come to grips with reality, and have established my New Years Resolution...better yet, I would like to call it our 2011 family motto:

Carry on...move forward, and hold your head high.

As I sit here, I am watching my husband scrape the snow and ice from our driveway. In a way I feel that this little storm that rolled through the South is indicative to the past few months for my little family. The snow came down hard and fast, and just when we thought it was over the sleet came and sealed down the snow with a frozen layer. We are at a halt, waiting for the frozen mess to melt away. But what a beautiful mess it is.

After CR2's seizures, CR and I looked forward to putting the past behind us and enjoying a joyous holiday season with family and friends. Throughout that following month, hope began to feel non-existent. CR continued to deal with panic and anxiety, and we worked and prayed every day for relief to come. Medications were altered, he began journaling, and we started a daily devotional. Just as we began to make strides, the bottom fell out!

In the midst of CR2's scare with the seizures, I found out I was pregnant. CR and I held onto this information like a prize. We had been trying for a few months and were so excited to finally have some positive news. We shared this joy with our immediate family over Thanksgiving, and were elated that CR2 would be a big brother in a matter of months. The kids would have been 2 years apart exactly...perfect planning on my part. What I now realize, is that I am in no way in charge of planning my life.

On Sunday, December 12th CR2 woke up with a nasty stomach flu. We nursed him throughout the day with pedialite, but nothing seemed to stay down. We finally packed up the car and headed to the after hours pediatrician. CR2 was given Zofran and we headed home. We were finally able to get our little one to bed around 9:00pm and headed to bed ourselves. I awoke around midnight to check on my little man. I headed to the bathroom after tucking him in and my worst nightmare had come true. I was spotting, and it was red. I woke up CR... as I cried he tried to calm me down, and assure me that we would be OK no matter the outcome. I had verification of pregnancy scheduled the very next day, and already knew that I would be going to that appointment alone. CR would need to tend to our little patient. Needless to say I didn't get much sleep.

The next morning I drove myself to Dr. McDaniel's office as I wept on the phone to my mother. She to tried to reassure me that everything was OK.

Do you know that feeling you get in your gut when you know things arnt right? Well I had felt that feeling throughout the past few weeks of the pregnancy. I even had a conversation with Mamadele, my grandmother, about miscarriages for no apparent reason.

As I entered the exam room I spoke with Sean, my favorite nurse, about the bleeding from the night before...she seemed worried. Sure enough when Dr. McDaniel started the ultrasound, he didn't like what he saw. He let me know that my "uterus was acting volatile"...not the best words to hear. The uterine walls were thickening, but this did not look like a normal, healthy pregnancy. He prescribed hormones to give the baby every chance to thrive, and sent me on my way, with an order to come back for ultrasound the following week.

On Tuesday I got a call from Dr. McDaniel...mind you I was at the doctor with my sick child getting more Zofran while my husband was at home resting from his puke fest from the night before. Dr. McDaniel let me know that my blood work had come back, and that my hormones were extremely low. bad sign!

I continued to spot throughout the week, and on Thursday it happened. Full blown miscarriage! I was a complete wreck! I spent most of the day on the phone with my mom, curled up on the couch, balling my eyes out. CR2 proved to be my little hero throughout the weekend. He provided me with laughter when I needed it most! What a blessing my little man is!

The ultrasound day came. We hoped and prayed that the miscarriage had passed naturally, and that we would be able to travel home for Christmas, and start the healing process. Not the case. While in the ultrasound room, the tech noticed a mass.

In 2004 I had my left ovary and fallopian tube removed, due to an 8cm. cyst. The cyst was found to be benign.

The mass was on the left side, and looked as it was my left ovary. This concerned my doctor, and he began to believe that I was having an ectopic pregnancy. This happens when the egg implants outside of the uterus. We decided to try a treatment called Methotrexate. This treatment is a shot, a form of chemo commonly used with Ectopic pregnancies in the hopes of shrinking the mass, and lowering hormone levels.

I took the shot, we drove to Waynesville, and had a wonderful white Christmas with my family. CR and I once again were trying to move on with our life, and start fresh!

When we returned to Atlanta after Christmas the depression set in. I tried to go back to work, and was bombarded with questions and concerns when I did. Everything was back on the table, and I retold the story numerous times.

I had blood work done on Tuesday, December 28th, and a scheduled ultrasound the next day. When CR and I went in for the ultrasound, we didn't like the look of things. My doctor was traveling back into town, and we had to see another OB. He recommended another round of the Methotrexate and it was administered that day.

On the car ride home I broke down! When was this going to end??? I again would have to sit around for another week, and continue with more blood work and ultrasounds. When I returned home I began to frantically clean the kitchen with tears pouring down my face. My phone rang. It was Dr. McDaniel's head nurse. She called to let me know that she had spoken with Dr. McDaniel, he was willing to perform laproscopic surgery the very next day if I wished it so. I asked the nurse what she would do in my situation. She hesitated to answer, but finally said "Get it out!"

It was settled! Mom was in the car on her way to Atlanta, and surgery was set for 5:00pm on Thursday, December 30th. How is that for cramming all medical billing in to 2010?

On the day of my surgery CR experienced a wave of anxiety...our battle to find normalcy was hardly over. The surgery went well, and Dr. McDaniel reported to CR that the mass was attached to my uterus and bowel. There was a lot of scraping done to my uterus, and he had to do some patching during the procedure. We have been ordered to have an MRI before trying to conceive again. Please pray for the healing of my uterus!

While in recovery, the nurses told CR and my mom that I should be out and ready to head home with in the first half hour. I had a lot of trouble with the anesthesia, and began to vomit as I woke up. Needles to say, I was admitted and had to stay through the night.

CR and I headed home the next day around lunch time, and I started my healing process. For me, this was the hard part...and I am still dealing with this whole process.

My mom stayed through the weekend, and then packed us up and we headed to Waynesville on Sunday. This would give CR the chance to work, while mom tended to CR2, myself, and my siblings. It was during this time that I first tried to write this post. I found the emotions impossible to deal with, and cried for the majority of the afternoon. I ignored phone calls from concerned family and friends, and sat still struggling with my feelings. In a word, I felt strangled.

It is now a week later. We are home, and it is just the three of us. The pain is now managable and I am slowly getting my energy back. It is time to move forward, to share my sorrow with those who care, and to heal along side my little family. I keep replaying a conversation that I had with Mamadele before heading home. She was sharing with me emotions of her battle with cancer. She said "when you come to the point where you have no answers, and you don't know what to do, give it to God. Have faith that everything will turn out as it should be."

I guess this life is not for us to always understand. I find comfort in knowing that God has a plan for me. I will make it over this speed bump and I will be a stronger individual because of it.

I am so grateful for the family and friends that the lord has placed in my life. Even through the toughest times, it seemed as though there was always someone in place to help pick up the pieces. A big thank you goes out to all of you who have supported us in one way or another. We are truly blessed.

My mom wrote this verse in a devotional prayer book for CR... little did she know the power those words would hold for all of us:

Isaiah 41:10 -

So do no fear for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will up hold you with my righteous right hand.

How powerful and blessed is our Lord!

Happy New Year to you all!

JP