National Black Forest Cake Day

What is the meaning of life? All evidence to date suggests it's chocolate!!

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Did you know that March 28 is National Black Forest Cake Day! What awonderful and sweet holiday! Check over at "Dying for Chocolate's" blog for a terrific indiviual recipe for Black Forest Cakes. Dang I love CAKE!!!!

National Black Forest Cake Day is another one of those food holidays randomly placed on the calendar simply to entice our taste buds.


The dessert originated in the Germany's Black Forest region in spring of the late 16th century. According to What's Cooking America, it was during this time that people started baking chocolate into cake -- which seems reason enough to celebrate.

This foodie holiday honors the German chocolate cake layered with whipped cream and cherries. For an authentic flavor, soak the cherries in cherry-flavored liqueur. For a modern twist using the flavors of the traditional recipe, try a Black Forest Cherry Cake Roll.
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Quick Black forest Cake Recipe
Ingredients

1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix with pudding 3 eggs 1 tablespoon almond extract 1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 1 tablespoon butter 2 tablespoons milk 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Mix together: cake mix, beaten eggs, almond extract, cherry pie filling and 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips. Stir until just combined. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 inch pan.

Bake in a 350 degree F (175 degree C) oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove cake from oven and let cool.

To Make Glaze: Heat 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, butter or margarine, and milk in a saucepan over medium high heat. Once semisweet chocolate chips are melted and mixture is combined stir in confectioners' sugar.

Spread glaze over cooled cake. Serve cake as is or with whipped cream and a cherry.


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And a few Chocolate quotes.........

Life is like a box of chocolates - full of nuts!




There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with chocolate. - Linda Grayson, The Pickwick Papers


After a bar of chocolate one can forgive anybody, even one's relatives.

                                               
 Test Your Age Using Chocolate Maths

Start the Chocolate Test:



1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to have chocolate. More than once but less than 10 times.

2. Multiply this number by 2.

3. Add 5.

4. Multiply it by 50 -- I'll wait while you get the calculator


(Click Start button, run, calc.)
5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1761 ....


If you haven't had a birthday, add 1760.

6. Now subtract the four digit year that you were born.

You should have a three digit number.
The first digit of this was your original number. This is the number of times you want to have chocolate each week).
The next two numbers are:
YOUR AGE! (Oh YES, it is!!!!!)

Important Footnote
The above test is designed specifically for the year = 2011.



TGIF Springtime Flowers A Visit From A Hawk

TGIF....today I am looking at sunshine and clear skies... finally.. :) everything sure got a big drink from all our rain.

Look what I found sitting on our backyard fence yesterday??? Yup a hawk, and he was eyeing up our koi fish!!! Usually he perches up on the high wires, but not yesterday, he decided to pay us a visit.. at least long enough for me to snap his photo.. :)

Bob nI at his fishing awards banquet



these are called Freeshias



this year the Cala Lilys are really blooming




the moon that night was spectacular wish it came in as big as it looked






a 4 leaf Clover plant I won at the Stitch n' Chicks last party





this guy really likes Volkswagon

an original charcoal painting so pretty





 

Huge and Beautiful Trees with Moss

these trees are a few blocks from my home they are incredible

the moss hangs to the ground

these are fantastic looking trees

Red Hats Crowning of the Red Hat Queen and an 85th Birthday Bash

Yesterday my Red Hats group had a Royal Birthday party and we took a group shot and then I was garbed in the queen cloak and septer and crown. :) What Royal fun!!! We went to a Hawaiian restaurant that had live music and Hula Dancers....

crowning Queen Debb



one of the fountain falls at the restaurant



the Hula dancer

Aunti Jeri the Hawaiian singer



the Birthday gal learns to Hula dance



Happy St Patrick's Day

Happy St Patrick's Day!!!!

Times a Changing.....

This weekend we change the clocks!!

Yea more light....Don't forget!!! 

Why do we change our clocks???

The American law by which we turn our clock forward in the spring and back in the fall is known as the Uniform Time Act of 1966. Daylight Saving Time - for the U.S. and its territories - is NOT observed in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and by most of Arizona (with the exception of the Navajo Indian Reservation in Arizona).

Indiana, which used to be split with a portion of the state observing DST and the other half not, is now whole. In the past, counties in the Eastern Time Zone portion of the state did not observe DST. They were on standard time year round. A state law was passed in 2005 that has the entire state of Indiana observing DST beginning in April 2006.


One of the biggest reasons we change our clocks to Daylight Saving Time (DST) is that it reportedly saves electricity. Newer studies, however, are challenging long-held reason. Daylight Saving Time "makes" the sun "set" one hour later and therefore reduces the period between sunset and bedtime by one hour. This means that less electricity would be used for lighting and appliances late in the day. We may use a bit more electricity in the morning because it is darker when we rise, but that is usually offset by the energy savings in the evening.


While the amounts of electricity saved per household are small...added up they can be very large.

In the winter, the afternoon Daylight Saving Time advantage is offset by the morning's need for more lighting. In spring and fall, the advantage is less than one hour. So, Daylight Saving Time saves energy for lighting in all seasons of the year except for the four darkest months of the year (November, December, January and February) when the afternoon advantage is offset by the need for lighting because of late sunrise.

 
This is a pretty crochet clock 



this one is a crochet Cucko clock

This one actually has a clock in his tummy. :)

a clock that time stands still necklace

Ok not a clock, but I loved the Beatles and this is actually a cake!! Fantastic!!!

Some Around Town Photos

they look like snow clouds

I took this to show my sis it was cold here too!!!

the sky was pretty before the rain

look closely all the cranes are those white spots they were roosting for the night

this was out my front door

this was the view from our dinner table where we ate

last Sunday the sky was so pretty as the sun set

at the marina I go to

I couldn't resist taking a pic of their lawn

around the block from us these people made a dino lawn

the guy in this has about as much protection as a smart car

I haven't figured out what this car is????

hubby and wife out for a bile ride th eother day by my house

a white crane also lives at the pond I go to near my home

a swan at the duck pond I go to all the time

These trees in my town are so manicured