Here's a quick and easy way to create a showstopper dessert. Bake a chocolate cake--and I'm including my favorite recipe from Debby over at Debby's Gracious Home plus instructions for a fabulous ganache to glaze.

The first thing you do is visit your local grocery store and buy some white roses. Cut the stems very short and insert into a tiny bottle or juice glass. I wrapped it with parchment and secured with a rubber band. (This part will be hidden.)


Pour the glaze over the cake. It's going to drip down onto the platter. Don't worry about that...all the more chocolate that's "finger-lickin' good"!


Then place the roses--or flowers of your choice--into the center of the cake.


Then sit back and soak up the "oohs and aahs"!

CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CAKE

1 package any variety chocolate cake mix
1 package chocolate flavored instant pudding (4 ounces)
1-1/2 cup minature semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water

Beat all ingredients except the chocolate chips until well mixed. Then stir in the chips. Spoon into a prepared bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pan. Glaze with ganache or dust with powdered sugar.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

This easy glaze only requires two ingredients: heavy cream and chocolate chips.
Bring your cream to a boil and remove from the heat. Pour over a bowl of chocolate chips. Let rest for a few minutes and then whisk until smooth. You can add vanilla or any flavoring you like, but mix the cream and chocolate first, then add whatever you'd like to experiment with. Just be careful and add it in tiny increments.

Enjoy!

Summertime and The Living is Easy...

Okay, if you've been looking for posts, you haven't found any. I've been busy doing everything but that. It's hot in South Texas and oh so dry. So I've taken every excuse I could find to leave town and pursue fun elsewhere.

We did take a few trips to the beach while my friend Cathie was here for Memorial Day, and while my cousin Sandy was here for 4th of July. Both were fun visits with late night talks and lots of catching up.


During the last week of July, we took a roadtrip to Breckenridge, Colorado to cool off. Highs of 80 and lows of mid-40s. My kinda place to be in July! We rode a train to the top of Pike's Peak, shopped, ate, giggled, and shopped and ate some more. We took my son and daughter-in-law, which is always fun.


A really fun thing that came up unexpectedly was a mini-reunion of my classmates from high school. We've reconnected via Facebook and someone suggested meeting for lunch in historic Waxahachie, which is just down the highway from my hometown Lancaster. I got an email telling me about it and saying they wished I could join them, but with 375 miles between us, they understood. Haha...they don't know me very well. I booked a room at the Hampton Inn and made plans to be there. I just hate missing out on a good time!

It was so much fun...just the girls. Most of us hadn't seen each other but for brief periods at reunions since we graduated 43 years ago...but the funny thing is, we were able to pick up right where we left off. There were fourteen of us. We had a great group in high school. We were good friends, some of us since the first grade. It was WONDERFUL seeing everybody and being together. We'll do it again, soon. Yea Facebook!

I'll try to get back in the groove soon and post more frequently. Just don't try to hold me to it!