happy valentines day

Happy Valentines' Day!

Chocolate Ganache Cake

2005, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 11 fluid ounces chocolate syrup (recommended: Hershey's)
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

For the ganache:

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces good semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
• Candied violets, for decoration, optional

Directions

Butter and flour an 8" cake pan. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time. Mix in the chocolate syrup and vanilla. Add the flour and mix until just combined. Don't overbeat, or the cupcakes will be tough.

Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until just set in the middle. Don't overbake! Let the cake cool thoroughly in the pan.

For the ganache, cook the heavy cream, chocolate chips, and instant coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally.

Decorate with candied violets, if desired. Do not refrigerate.

kneebouncers

Checking my email has become a game synonymous to "king of the mountain". The kids pull on my arms and climb up on the chair. They grab my sweater and try to yank me away. It's a feat to stay online for more than about a minute at a time.

Here's something that they can do while I am googling at the same time. Daily Candy alerted me to Kneebouncers, "a whole lotta fun for the itty bitty ones". I can open two windows, one for me and one for Kate. All she has to do to play is hit any key. There are games that go through the alphabet, colors, numbers, shapes- plenty to keep her visually stimulated.

snow day

If all of the snow flakes

were Hershey bars and milkshakes

Oh what a world it would be!

I'd walk outside

with my mouth open wide,

"Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ahhhhhh!"

one fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish

Introducing...Grover and Ho-Ho!

Grover is Sean's new and blue Betta fish. After gazing at tanks of guppies, goldfish, cichlids, tetras and bettas, Sean was strongly advised (by the employee) to get a betta fish. He picked the male blue fish with feathery fins. Grover.

A wee crab wedged himself in the corner of the tank and then moved around as if to say, "Pick me!" Now Grover has a buddy. Ho-Ho.

weather buddy

One of my simple pleasures is sitting down with a cup of coffee and watching the Today Show. Because I am competing with Curious George and Dinosaur Train, this doesn't happen very often. However, I have been known to quickly leave PBS Kids to "let's see what the weather is going to be like today." This seems like a reasonable request to Sean and he accepts.

I can thank My Little Weather Buddy for Sean's curiosity about sunshine and rain. My sister found this lil' guy who is now happily greeting Sean as he wakes up and looks out the window each morning. It has a temperature sensitive thermometer but rather than degrees, it says warm or chilly or very cold. Each description has a corresponding attire for Buddy. Do I need to wear a coat today? A hat and mittens? What does Little Buddy say?

snacky snack

It's our turn to bring the snacks for the week to preschool again. What a coincidence that the NY Times has an article that brings attention to the snack phenomena and the condition of constant grazing. You can read about it here.

Muppet maker

No way! You can make your own Muppet! How extraordinary! Wouldn't that be the most unique gift?

Check it out at FAO Schwarz. For $129.99 you can have your very own What-Not. Even if you are not ready to purchase one, it sure is fun to create one on their site.

Have fun! Wocka wocka wocka!

I miss The Muppet Show. What has come to take its place? Yo Gabba Gabba?!

It's time to play the music
It's time to light the lights
It's time to meet the Muppets on the Muppet Show tonight.
It's time to put on makeup
It's time to dress up right
It's time to raise the curtain on the Muppet Show tonight.
Why do we always come here
I guess we'll never know
It's like a kind of torture
To have to watch the show
And now let's get things started
Why don't you get things started
It's time to get things started
On the most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, Muppetational
This is what we call the Muppet Show!