It's a wrap

Finally. 2007 didn't turn out how I had expected or hoped. I am either still twiddling my procrastinating thumbs or else things that should have happened haven't, not for want of trying. It is another year of emotional ups and downs but also feels like just another detour on the train of life and that the detour having been made, and more issues sorted, it is time to move on. Well, that's me being optimistic, but it does feel different.

Some stunningly good things have started this year, seeds planted and the fruit of which will be borne in years to come. So it hasn't all been stationary. My immediate family dynamics have changed with eldest moving out, which we all seem to have survived.

Our house selling hasn't happened yet, but it must in due course. I'm half tempted to unpack our library of books and other items so that we are not in such a state of limbo living out of boxes until it happens. It seems like a retrograde step to unpack but equally, I don't mind unpacking to have a sudden sale sprung upon us and having to re-pack. Meanwhile, we can get a sense of civility back to our lives.

The Holidailies "post a day during December" project has come to an end and thank goodness for that. What a curious experience it has been! I didn't know I had quite that many words inside me, though I reckon I prefer posting less often and with more passion, or more silliness.

2008 is upon us. May it be a happy and joyous and loving and prosperous year. May the tides change bringing even better to those who already have it good; and better to those who have had it rough. And may I not be here this time next year writing the same stuff!

Green faced

Three young people; an in-between aged person and two older people all sitting green and pale. A chocolate fountain whirrs away bubbling up gorgeous brown liquor with treats and fruits to dip all around. Quite frankly one piece dipped was enough. Whilst youngest tucks into an impressive third mouthful before anyone else was seated, and continued to demolish marshmallows to banana to orange segments. Leaving fresh pear, apple and best of all: fresh pineapple; to the rest of us.

The chocolate fondue mixture was lovely. Having done lots of internet research I was really unhappy about adding the quantities of vegetable oil to the melted chocolate as it just didn't seem right. In the end, I probably did add the quantity of vegetable oil as I could see the 1 kg chocolate (Cadburys Dairy Milk whizzed in small batches in the ice crusher of a blender until crumbly) with the three x 284 ml pots of double cream (heated first) was going a tad lumpy. After heating the cream, the melting/mixing process took maybe ten minutes maximum using our induction hob at the lowest heat, which is like a warmer. And then into the ready heated chocolate fountain.

After filling the reservoir and then switching on the motor it seems half the mixture went straight up the funnel. I then poured more of the chocolate mixture into the reservoir. I suppose if I had switched off after this point it would just over flow the whole container!

Luckily plenty was eaten, even though it was very rich. It was delish but just too much. The picture of the fountain above shows air bubbles and not lumps in the chocolate mixture. The picture below is of the chocolate in the saucepan before mixing into the hot cream.

It is surprising, but not as much chocolate is wasted as I thought. I don't like waste so with the judicious use of a rubber spatula and pouring back into the warmed saucepan with the remainder of the warm chocolate mixture and then into plastic food bag lined mugs means it is ready to be frozen and re-used another time. Like a bit later on as we are expecting visitors .... who gave us this apparatus. I'd like to subject them to it and realise that this an object that should be given to party animals. Not people who are downsizing and are hoping to move.

Proving that bah humbug is not confined to Christmas.

Kissing the brakes

"Kissing the brakes" is such a lovely phrase to me, conjuring up ability, forward planning and being in charge. Then there is the word "kissing" and it is gentle and well meant.

For the last couple of years I play a game when I am driving and that is to use my brakes as little as possible. So as I drive down the motorway or dual carriageways and I see cars ahead slamming on their brakes in a domino fashion I don't and instead ease my foot off the gas and allow the car to coast. By then the blockage has either cleared and I can speed up again or else we are all travelling at the same slow speed. But that all only works if you are paying attention to what is way up front as well as everything else.

Yesterday I did one of my regular car trips to pick up my niece and nephew. I adore them and they are staying with us for nine days until school starts. Even though I am a mother I love being an aunt. It is such a different responsibility to being a parent, although I'd lay my life down for them, I don't feel the emotional aches and pains as with my own children. Yesterday I got to doing a lot of kissing of the brakes and then kissing of niece and nephew ... which they pretend to hate!

Chocolate Fountain Recipes?

Guess what we got for Christmas? Not high on our list of must-haves and we're chocolate lovers! I even like a bit of melted chocolate but I don't think we can eat a whole fountain's worth of chocolate. And to add to it all, I can not eat dark chocolate as it gives me migraines. I don't want to sound ungrateful and a miserable old codger about it but that is just how I feel.

There is next to no recipe/instruction booklet and I have spent an hour or so googling all manner of options. If there are any alternative suggestions that people have actually tried .... for instance, could I make a cheese sauce - as if for cauliflower cheese - and dip in raw veggies?

How can I make the chocolate more edible, or less rich? Any thoughts/enthusiasm/encouragement appreciated.

Knackers

Knackering.

Survived.

Counting blessings of lovely children, husband and friends.

Nuff said.