Posy-sized Pizza

I gave her a small ball of dough, a few spoon fulls of tomato sauce, pepperoni, and some cheese. You can see the finished result below. She was waiting so patiently for it to finish cooling, once I removed it from the oven.

You see, I'd promised her that she could cut it herself with my mini-pizza cutter. I think she just might have had more fun slicing it than making it! And she very graciously shared a piece with me...........mmmm! It helped tide us over until the big pizza came out of the oven;)

Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

4 tsp of baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 c. granulated sugar

1/2 c. milk

2 Tbs. butter, melted

1 c. heavy cream

1/2 c. small curd cottage cheese, drained

1/4 c. confectioners' sugar

1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

2 c. fresh strawberries, sliced

For the chocolate shortcake, or biscuit, combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, and sugar. Add milk and melted butter and stir just until blended (-you may have to add a tablespoon or so more of milk if you find that the consistency is too crumbly)

Pat the dough into a greased 8-inch cake pan, spreading evenly. If the dough is sticky sprinkle a bit more flour on top of the dough, or flour your hands. Bake in an oven that has been preheated to 425 degrees F. for twenty minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove cake from pan, and cool.*

In a bowl whip cream until it forms soft peaks. Then fold in cottage cheese and sugar.

Using a serrated bread knife, cut the cake into two thin layers. With the cut side up, spread with half of the cheese mixture and drizzle with melted chocolate. Arrange half the strawberries over the filling. Place the second layer on top and repeat cheese chocolate and berry layers, drizzling any left over melted chocolate over the very top.

*If you prefer an actual chocolate cake to the chocolate shortcake or biscuit, feel free to substitute your favorite recipe or mix...........I'm sure it will be fabulous, even though I am more of a "biscuit girl" myself. I guess it's because that's how I grew up eating my Strawberry Shortcake!

~This recipe (except for a few modification made by Yours Truly) is from the Old Tyme Chocolate Cookbook by Larry Friedlan.

Drying Chamomile

If you were to walk in to my kitchen, you would probably notice a big bunch of this hanging by the window above my sink. It grows in great profusion all over our gravel driveway, and makes for some very tasty tea on chilly nights. I am thinking of drying some lavender to go along with it, as I recently tried a lavender chamomile blend of tea that was absolutely delicious! I'll have to let you know how it turns out.......... if I succeed in getting it done, that is....

I am still planning to post the recipe for the Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake. Things have just been so wonderfully busy around here that I haven't had a chance. So don't give up on me. I will do it, I promise;)

The Feast of the Sacred Heart

I was very blessed to be able to celebrate my birthday on the feast of the Sacred Heart this year! What a privilege!! And I must say, that aside from several huge thunderstorms (we lost power for several hours, and had flash flooding in our area) the day was pretty much perfect! My dear husband showered me with gifts that he and the kids wrapped together. New shoes, several books, dark chocolate ........mmmmmmm.........am I ever spoiled!!!

Below, you can see the lovely apron that my mother made for me. Isn't it cute? Have I mentioned before how much I love aprons?



Then my dear husband took me out to an early dinner at The Olive Garden. It was quite romantic. After that we walked around the mall, and he bought me a really cute skirt.

When we got home I assembled this Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake. I'll have to post the recipe when I get a chance. It was very delicious -and quite fitting for the feast day, as the strawberries, when cut across, look very much like hearts!




I don't know how much posting I will be able to fit in the rest of this week, as we are heading off to Minnesota on Thursday to witness the ordination of a dear family friend to the priesthood.

And after that, my husband's folks will be coming to visit for about a week! I am so excited!! So that is what I will be busy preparing for and enjoying if you don't hear much from me over the course of the next week!

My Little Fisherman

Here is Big Brother standing next to the blue gill (can't really see it in this shot) and large bass that he caught the other night. He is always hooking the big ones, and Daddy has to help him reel them in. Wish I could find some pictures of the huge catfish he hooked last summer. The kid's a natural! And the fish he catches are soooo tasty.....;)

Preoccupied

Yes, I have been quite preoccupied lately. Mostly with my little Miss Posy and a fever that seems to go away, but then comes back! It has been quite frustrating, but now she is taking some stuff that seems to be working quite well. I am praying we are through with it. A few ladies at church said that their kids were down with an intermittent fever for over a week also, so it seems to be going around....... A little bit of a comfort, to know that their kids had it too, and made it through. I am just hoping that Big Brother and Boots don't catch it. They seem to be fine so far.......I'll just keep on praying, right?

Fighting a Fever

After fighting a fever these past two days, it seems that Miss Posy is finally on the mend. The house has not been the same without her sweet little smiling face. I gave her a fresh pillow case and sheets this morning, and now that her appetite seems to have returned, I have a little pot of homemade chicken noodle soup simmering on the stove. Now I am really feeling like I need a nap -the past two nights of having to be up with a restless little girl are starting to catch up to me!