Sunday Visitors

While there are plenty of roosters around our house,
there is no need for them.
Our four geese honk by every morning about 7:00.
Darling husband has been up long before then,
but this is just right for me!

Our Morning Visitor

John Wesley - "The Rules"

"Do all the Good you Can,
By all the Means you Can,
In all the Ways you Can,
In all the Places you Can,
At all the Times you Can,
To all the People you Can,
As long as Ever ......
...You Can!"

Winter is Still Here

The Bradford Pears are in heavy bud - a few are in full bloom. The wild cherries are in bloom, too. This didn't stop the temperatures from dropping to the freezing level several nights. We even rosted hot dogs and marshmalls over the fire in the drawing room today. What fun!

Have you seen the huge marshmallows that are in the store now? They're almost two inches across! You roast and eat the outside, then roast them again. Sort of inconvenient, but just think of the gooey yumminess on a sweet potato casserole!

God is Just - Thomas Jefferson

“I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice
cannot sleep forever.”

Thomas Jefferson

Molten Chocolate Cakes

This is the signature dessert of Carnival Cruise Lines.

MINI MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKES - Makes 8 individual cakes

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
Cocoa powder, sifted
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
4 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange or hazelnut liqueur
(such as Grand Marnier or Frangelico)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Powdered sugar for decoration
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for serving

1. Heat oven to 400° F. Using cooled melted butter and a pastry brush, grease the miniature Bundt pans and coat with sifted cocoa powder, knocking them out lightly over the sink to remove any powder that has not adhered to the molds. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and place one Bundt pan on each.
2. Melt the remaining butter and chocolate together in a medium-sized heatproof bowl set over a pan of water that has not yet come to a simmer. Make sure the bottom of the bowl is at least several inches above the surface of the water. Stir the mixture gently until smooth and remove bowl from heat. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. Beat eggs, yolk, vanilla, liqueur, salt, and sugar on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or with handheld electric beaters, until the volume of the eggs has almost tripled and the mixture is pale yellow and drops from the lifted beaters in thick ribbons. Pour melted chocolate over the egg mixture and using a large rubber spatula, fold in chocolate with as few strokes as possible to avoid deflating the eggs. Sprinkle flour over chocolate mixture and rapidly fold in with a light hand.
4. Using a small ladle or an ice-cream scoop, fill the 8 prepared molds. (At this stage they can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for several hours. Let sit out on the counter for a half hour or so before baking.)
5. Bake cakes, one sheet at a time, in the center of the oven until they have risen about a half-inch above the tops of the molds; they will have a top crust, though their centers will still appear a bit glossy and will jiggle slightly when the pan is slid back and forth, about 12-14 minutes. (Baking times will vary depending on the molds and oven used. Underbaking is preferable to overbaking.)
6. Run a paring knife around the inside edges of the molds and invert them onto a large piece of parchment paper sitting on the counter. Allow to cool for a minute, then lift off Bundt pan. Transfer the cakes to individual serving plates and dust with powered sugar. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Living with Style - Southern Style

"Style cannot be bought. It is not what your wear, but who you are. Style is the way you decorate your house. It is your taste in books, music, poetry, and art. It is the way you arrange your flowers. Style is the personal touch you give to everything and everyone in your life. Style has nothing to do with money, but it is the way you live your life."

~Alda Ellis