Inspiration from Atlas Shrugged

On another completely different note I really believe that every right thinking person in the world should read "Atlas Shrugged." In light of what is occurring in our economy and with politics I have been mulling over what I read and learned in that book and believe Ayn Rand's philosophies about the free market and capitalism are right in every way! Read it; it is an accurate reflection of the events of our day and what we are headed for.

Posting Chocolate Cake and other goodies!

Last night I spent entirely too much time on the internet reading other people's blogs. I have decided that there are too many people out there that do not have enough to do.

I did decide to post some recipes and pictures of things that I have made (we will see hoe long this lasts!!) since this is what I do most of the time.

To begin I will include a picture of my new favorite cake: Dark chocolate cake with chocolate ganache. My entire family loves it and it only gets better as it sits over a few days. The original ganache recipe calls for liquor which would probably make it out of this world, but I have omitted it as the alcohol will not cook out. Another note on the ganache: After it cooled this time I put in my kitchenaid and whipped it until it was a lighter brown. Last week when I made it (yes, we also ate it last week!) I simply cooled the ganache and drizzled it on. Then I filled the middle and top with sliced strawberries. Yum!

Dark Chocolate Cake

2 cups boiling water
1 cup cocoa powder (I have not used anything fancy, good old Hershey's works great!)
1 cup softened butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla (I have been using my Mexican vanilla courtesy of Rob and Haley)
2 3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease bundt pan. In medium bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa, and whisk until smooth. Let mixture cool. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at time, then stir in vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture. Spread batter into pan.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 40-50 minutes. Allow to cool.

Chocolate Ganache

1 cup heavy whipping cream
9 oz dark chocolate chips (or whatever chocolate suits your fancy)

1. Place the chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, watching very carefully because if it boils for a few seconds, it will boil out of the pot. When the cream has come to a boil, pour over the chocolate, and whisk until smooth.
2. Allow the ganache to cool slightly before pouring over a cake. Start at the center of the cake and work outward. For a fluffy frosting or chocolate filling, allow it to cool until thick, then whip with a whisk until light and fluffy.

Enjoy! I have no made this cake several times and have only made very slight tweaks to it. It has turned out perfectly every time!

My personal thanks on Memorial Day

I tend to write here when I am feeling some emotion rather strongly. Right now it is of deep gratitude for those who have served and still do serve in our miitary. This Memorial Day weekend means a little more than usual as I prepare to send my husband off to war yet again. This makes his 6th tour in the desert since arriving here four years ago. I also think of my brother John who spends more than half of each year away from his wife and baby to serve his country. How can I not also think and thank my father for his years of service. I am thankful that I had the unique opportunity of growing up in the military and inheriting the traditions that go along with that experience. Then my mind turns to my grandfathers who served in World War II to protect our precious freedoms. My heart is full up to the spilling out of tears from my eyes, something not common for me. I hope that my love and support and passing these feelings on to my own children will be enough.

Entertaining Website

For any of you who read my blog, you may find the following website pretty funny: http://thepioneerwoman.com/

I am quite amused by it and am determined to try some of the recipes. I have been mulling over in my mind all week the need for me to eat a healthier, better balanced diet. I don't necessarily eat horribly, although I tell most people that I do, but there is always room for more veggies! I don't think that I could ever give up breads and sweets because I find way too much enjoyment in them! It's ironic that my two of my very favorite things in the world are so incredibly mismatched: baking good things to eat and running. I would probably be a faster runner if I could eliminate sweets, but I would be a big fat oinker if I gave up running!

Mixed Feelings

I haven't written anything for a while, but today I have a moment to write as Marc is gone with the kids to their games and I am at home with a very sick baby. That's not what I want to write about though. Instead I will tell you about my race this morning. I ran another 5K and did not meet my goal of running in under 30 minutes. That was disappoionting and I could blame it on a number of things....but the fact is that I just didn't do as well as I hoped to. If that were not enough, one of my friends finished first overall for the women. While I am happy for her, I would like to accomplish that one day. Will I? I have no idea. Will I keep trying? Yes! Do I love running? I do and this has become a "life" goal for me. My dad really inspires me as he runs all of the time in spite of injuries and not much free time. He has run as long as I can remember. When I consider that a year ago I wasn't even able to run around our neighborhood at all I realize that I have come a long way. I guess that now my goal is to continue forward! As John told me, "Mom, slow and steady wins the race." Wise words from a 7-year-old!