(Someone actually looked at my post yesterday!  That person was interested in chocolate, so here’s another one, but not a recipe this time.)

I’m sure there are wonderful chocolate shops/businesses all over the world, but I love this one:  www.normanloveconfections.com  I’ve been to the shop and the picture above is what I enjoyed.  The chocolates are amazing!

Frozen Hot Chocolate

(Comes with a WARNING: This recipe is for one big serving of approx. 850 calories!  Share!)

This icy chocolate has a ganache-like texture, made with  dark chocolate, hot chocolate mix, milk and a little sugar. The mixture is whirled in a blender with ice and more milk, if needed, until it’s the consistency of a frozen margarita. Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Ingredients

1.Chop chocolate into very small pieces. Place in top of double boiler over barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until melted. Add hot chocolate mix and sugar, stirring constantly until thoroughly blended. Remove from heat and slowly add 1/2 cup milk, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature. (It must be cool or the chocolate will solidify when ice is added.)This recipe is for one generous serving but, unless you need the calories, I’d divide it into smaller servings. Also, substitute low or nonfat milk to lower the fat and total calories. 

2.In blender, place 1 cup milk, cooled chocolate mixture and ice. Blend on high speed until icy consistency of a frozen daiquiri is reached. Pour into big goblets and top with generous dollop of whipped cream and shaved chocolate.

                                                 Poetry Fans

We’re of a certain age,

when time grows hot, then cold.

Where discretion tints experience

and wisdom could unfold.

We seek the worded breeze,

 accounts that move the air.

From windy musings we conjure dreams

and share them if we dare.

We seek the weft and warp,

designs, the patterns clashing.

We plumb the mysteries of life and

                                                fantasize while flashing

Garden Editing

You place yourself in beauty

but your essence holds no charm.

You have no scent to tease my nose,

no bloom or fruit to please.

You, plant without guile,

are a weed.

There’s bound to be a word for my condition: I buy books when I already have many unread books awaiting my attention. I already feel a bit guilty about the ones languishing in a tall stack beside my bed. However, that doesn’t stop me when I find a title I want, especially if it’s at a good price. An apparently insignificant frisson of remorse only sets in when I place yet another book on my to-be-read collection.

Right now Jane Austen’s letters wait, as does advice from Cesar Milan. The Rag and Bone Shop of the Heart’s poetic turn is still unlocked. Sumi-e and manga are willing to share their techniques if I only take the time. Creative bookbinding has been waiting for almost a year!

Years ago I managed to read a book or two a week while working for a charity, keeping the house relatively tidy and raising a son. How did I do it? Now, if I have a moment for bedtime reading, I tend to fall asleep.

I’ll admit I’m having a little trouble wading my way through Love in the Time of Cholera. I can only hope reading it will not take the hundred years (or so it seemed) I needed to read One Hundred Years of Solitude. Forgive me, fans of those book. My friend Barbara is having her own struggle with Proust’s Remembrance of Things Past. We commiserate, then we laugh.

One Saturday night, about dusk, DH and I were enjoying fast-food hamburgers while parked by the river.  Of course, I noticed the birds…seagulls, crows, doves, pigeons.  Most of the pigeons were dark colored, but one was white.   The others appeared to shun it.  The white pigeon continued  looking for food in the sparse grass,  even when the dark pigeons flew away to roost for the night on the roof of a building.  I decided to test if the bird was hungry.  Since the seagulls swooped on everything,  I was cautious.  I slowly got out  and stood by the car.  Casually, I dropped crumbs from my hamburger bun.  I kept myself between the bread and the seagulls.  With the windfall of crumbs, the pigeon shored up his courage and came toward me.  I stepped back into the car as the pigeon ate.  I placed a crumb on the window ledge.  The pigeon jumped up.  Poor thing must have been starving!  I knew, if I could lure the pigeon into the car, I could catch it.  I put lots of bread on the dash.  It was irresistible to the bird!  In a matter of seconds, I had the bird caught (with hardly a flutter) and tucked into my jacket.  I told DH, “We have to go home now.”   He had “that look” on his face, but he knows me well.   I released the pigeon, who appeared healthy, into our flight.  He’s very tame, friendly.  I know he must have been handled by a person before because wild birds just aren’t that calm or easy to catch.  He has no leg-band and,  in the months we’ve had him, there have been no adverts for missing pigeons.  Mine now,  I guess.  We haven’t named him, but I call him various terms of endearment. 

They are bantam hens and only weight about a pound each, with all their feathers.   Very sweet and tame.  Most will eat from your hand.   We have eight hens.   DH gave me the first two baby chicks and “that was that”!

Recently son C. and I took advantage of a free birthday lunch at a local restaurant which, to keep me out of trouble, will be nameless.  If C. bought lunch there, mine would be free.  Our servers, in their late teens, were having such a good time laughing at their own gossip, we amused ourselves by listening as we waited.   C. ordered a panini and I a hamburger.  The menu didn’t mention blackening of the burger,  so I assume what happened to mine was unintentional.  C.’s panini was also charred on the bottom.  When our waitress asked us, since I was entitled to a free birthday dessert, if I’d like “some of that black cake”, I couldn’t answer for a second.  Seems she meant “you know, regular chocolate cake”.  We think the restaurant should be renamed “Burnt Offerings”.