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Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Yummy (and oh so easy) Chocolate Mousse

I made this chocolate mousse last night, it is so rich and so healthy. Well I am lying about the healthy part, but be careful, it's rich!! We had it with whipped cream on top. It would be great with shaved white chocolate or vanilla ice cream too.

I got the recipe from a fellow blogger, Anne.

http://annesfood.blogspot.com/2006/02/chocolate-mousse.html


Chocolate Mousse

250 g dark chocolate
300 ml double cream
3 eggs
3 1/2 Tbsp sugar (50 ml)
1-2 Tbsp flavoring - you can use your favorite liquor (this works well with whiskey or rum, or Kahlua, Amaretto or Frangelico) or coffee. Or nothing. I used Macallan single malt whiskey. (I added vanilla)

Melt the chocolate in a bowl on top of boiling water or in the microwave. Let it cool down a little bit so you can taste it without burning your tongue. Beat the eggs with the sugar until you have a very pale yellow fluff. Beat the cream until it holds soft peaks. Add the chocolate and the flavoring to the eggs, stir well to combine. Gently fold in the cream. Spoon into glasses or little bowls and place in the fridge for at least four hours.

Monday, June 9, 2008

Read Worthy: Nefertiti


I have friends that I absolutely adore, but when it comes to certain things, like movies, books or music, some friends have complete opposite tastes. I have issues with one of my friend's (I am not naming any names) choice of reading material. We always seem on the opposite spectrum of literary enjoyment, that is until now.

We finally found commonality in 'Nefertiti' by Michelle Moran. Although it is (very) loosely based on fact, it paints a grandiose picture of machinations, scheming and plotting, in Egypt in the time of the Pharaoh's. One always likes a bit of adventure and beauty and this story, written in the voice of Nefertiti's sister, brings one back in time. It would be a great movie and I am suprised it hasn't been turned into one yet. When I am not reading it, I am thinking about it. I even walked home last night blocking out the city around me to continue the story. I would recommend it to those heading to the beach or going on holiday because you won't want to put it down!

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Grandmother


It has been two years since my grandmother took a trip across the country to visit her daughter's home in California with her first born twin daughters. It has been two years since her presence has been missed by our family, two years since she passed away, days after arriving back to Ohio from her great train adventure.

Grandmothers are sometimes overlooked, loved greatly, but not truly known by their grandchildren, a craving mystery by their children. My grandmother stoically survived raising 11 educated and productive children in rural Ohio. In the years I was blessed to have her (when she was 65-85 years old), she enjoyed the wealth of her labor; her family, secure in her lovely big house. I thought she had little to say, unless of course she was telling someone what to do, as mother's always do, but now I think maybe I just didn't listen.

On her trip to California, to my surprise, she told me many stories, things about her sisters, how she used to dance, stories about my grandfather and her, a constant stream of conversation. I enjoyed it, I took it for granted and my father and I told each other, she's going to be around for years to come, she is so strong in mind. We were so wrong, this trip was her last.

It's funny what you miss about a person. I miss her large hands, the way she chewed, and her smiling coyly. I missed how she always wore great jewelry and when we went any place other than the Home Town Buffet she would say, 'I always end up ordering the wrong thing', which I now often find myself saying.

I think I have her big eyes, her big bones and a bit of her thriftiness that my cousins and I kiddingly call, 'the Knueven gene' passed down from our mother's and father's because these were the lessons she taught about being grateful and the value of the dollar.

I still think of her on her farm.

I still think of her as if she is in the distance somewhere, possibly dozing, listening to business reports, as she always did. Or maybe, maybe she is softly humming, quietly content.

I hope I am like her when I am a grandmother, when I am older, I wish it so.

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Hoss Intropia



Shopping with the gals is a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon. We found my flatmate's good friend in Intropia Hoss, a store I am not familiar with, but with one step in, I fell in lust.
It's a Spanish, less whimsical, smaller, Anthropologie ish store. I have a love for buttons and this satisfied my love with its large odd shaped, pale colored buttons attached to dresses, fine leather bags, and the occasional high heel. A favorite of my friends was a white chunky domino looking (without the black dots) necklace that the sales assistant was wearing for only the small price of 32quid.

The black dress seen above is from their summer collection, great for someone tall who likes variation in their ordinary white/black getup.

For more looks, check out their site: http://hossintropia.com/
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