Valentine Recipe

Covered with Kisses Chocolate-Cherry Torte

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted 

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

2/3 cup all- purpose flour

1/2 cup Hershey's Cocoa

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup chilled whipping cream

1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling, chilled

1 3/4 cups (10 ounce package) Hershey's Mini Kisses Baking Pieces

 Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom only of 9-inch springform pan, or line 9-inch round cake pan with foil; grease bottom of foil.

 Stir together melted butter, sugar and vanilla in large bowl. Add eggs; using spoon, beat well. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually add to egg mixture, beating with spoon until well-blended. Spread batter into prepared pan.

 Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until cake is set (Cake is fudgey and will not test done.) Remove from oven; cool completely in pan on wire rack. 

 Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar in medium bowl until well blended. Beat whipping cream until stiff; gradually fold into cream cheese mixture, blending well. Spread over top of torte; refrigerate several hours or until set. With knife loosen cake from side of pan; remove side of pan (Or , lift torte out of pan, using foil remove.)

 Just before serving, put baking pieces in 6- inch wide heart outline in center of cake. Fill heart shape with cherries from pie filling; put baking pieces all around outside edge. Serve cold, cut into wedges, with remaining pie filling. Cover; refrigerate leftover dessert.  

 Serves 12-15 

 Each serving contains 430 calories, 6g protein, 21g fat, 55g carb, 180 sodium, 70mg cholesterol.

 From Hershey's

 This is so yummy. I hope you all enjoy it. It is well worth the calories:)

Valentines Day!!

These are the flowers that Brian got me for Valentines. They smell wonderful and they are giving me Spring Fever. Brian snuck them in the house the night before Valentines Day and he hid them in our dining room. I had no idea they were there. Although that night I asked him what that incredible smell was. 
This is the desert that I make Brian every year for Valentines. I have been making this since the first year we were married. 
It may not look that pretty but it is yummy! Brian told me that if there is a year when I don't make it, that means I don't love him anymore. Please don't let me ever loose that recipe! 

Bad Weather

The same storm that produced that tornado in Oklahoma yesterday is here in our area right now. Here is the front of our house. Those clouds  are scary looking.
There was a tornado that touched down in south Atlanta a few minutes ago. We have not heard if there was any damage yet. I think that we are OK where we are. I just love looking at these awesome storm clouds and watching the wind blow these huge trees around. 
What I don't like is that Brian is out driving in this. 

Silly Girls

One night last week the girls were being super silly. They were dancing, shaking it, and just having a fun time. 

Giving themselves bunny ears. Lindsey is  total goofball. 
Lauren is having fun too!! I wish that I had gotten a better picture of her.

Striking a pose. 
Doing a dance.
Lauren was naked when Brian got home from work on Friday. (It was almost bath time). So, he put one of his shirts on her. We added a belt to make it look more like a dress. She said "I am a princess now!" She is always a princess. 

Sunday Fun

On Sundays while Brian is at church for 8 hours, we get a little goofy waiting for him to come home. 
We do dress up. Here is our dress up Queen!! Don't you just love her big red shoes? Every time I turn around she has on a new outfit. 
Kirsten helped me make these pretzel haystacks. They were so yummy. She is our little Chocolate Queen. 
You may wonder where Lindsey is? Well she is reading Harry Potter of course. 

Lindsey's new obsession

So, I know that everyone has read Harry Potter by now. Lindsey started reading it sometime last year while in 3rd grade. She just lost interest and only read a chapter or two. Well, she started Harry Potter again and will not put it down. Every time I look for that girl she is reading somewhere. This is where I found her last week. She sat like that for about an hour. 

This is how I found her today. She is now on #5. They have what is called Accelerated Reader here in Georgia or AR. At the end of every book they take a test on the computer. Lindsey has been getting all A's on these Harry Potter books. We are so happy that she loves to read.