January

 Joan Walsh Anglund

 

January is here again

And the arctic winds are blowing

Out on the frozen puddles

We'll skate till dusk

Our cheeks fairly glowing!

Pamela Denise Brida 

Truth be told, I have not gone ice skating in years!

But I remember how fun it was as a kid staying

outside on a cold, blustery day, skating for hours across

the huge frozen mud puddles in the gravel pit

behind our house.

When the sun went down behind the trees

skating was over for the day, but, I was ready

to take off my skates and head for home to thaw out,

 where a hot supper would be waiting for me
and my sisters.

It seems the cold did not bother me at all back then!

 Coming up soon...

"Happy Birthday to me,

Happy Birthday to me,

I'm no longer 51

But a least I'm not 53!"

In the late 19th century,
my maternal great grandfather
Matthew Yard once worked for
the Baker's Chocolate Company
at their factory in Philadelphia.




Five Gazillion Carbs
(my contribution title)
German Chocolate Cake

(The origins of German Chocolate cake comes from Texas
not Germany. However, because many German immigrants settled in towns there
 like Fredericksburg,  which was named in honor of Prince Frederick of Prussia,
 may be someone invented it there first?)

1 package (4-ounces) Baker's 
German's Brand  Sweet Chocolate

1/2 cup boiling water

2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup butter

3 egg yolks

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup buttermilk

3 egg whites beaten until stiff

Preheat oven to 350.

Melt chocolate in boiling water and let it cool down.

Mix flour with baking soda and salt.

Cream butter and add sugar together until light and fluffy,

then add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well

after each addition.

Blend in vanilla and chocolate, mix until blended.

Add flour mixture alternating with the buttermilk

until smooth.  Then, carefully fold in egg whites.

Pour batter evenly into two 9-inch round layer pans

which have been lined on the bottom with wax paper.

Bake for about 35 minutes.

Immediately run spatula or butter knife around sides between 

cake and pans.   Cool cake for 15 minutes.

Remove from pans and allow cake to cool on a rack

or a plate(s) before frosting.

Coconut-Pecan Frosting

2/3 cup (one 5.33 fluid ounce can) of evaporated milk

2/3 cup sugar

2 egg yolks, lightly beaten

1/3 cup butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup flaked coconut

2/3 cup chopped pecans

Combine milk, sugar, egg yolks, butter, and vanilla

in a saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture

becomes thick, be careful not to let it burn!

Remove from heat.   Add coconut and pecans.

Beat until cool.

Frost cakes and carefully stack one on top of  other to make

a layer cake.  Frost the sides of the cake and add extra frosting

on the top if you wish.

Enjoy!

 

Mary Englebreit Dolls

All Dolled Up 

For A Birthday Party!

"The world never puts a price higher on you

than the one you put on yourself"

Sonja Henie

Norwegian Figure Skater

and Film Star

 

And now for a little singing and swooning...

on ice!

"By The Light Of The Silvery Moon"

(1953)