Growing up, chocolate pudding was a staple in my home and one of my favorite comfort foods. Making pudding from a box, stirring it slowly over the stove is one of my earliest memories of food.

Now a bit older and wiser, I know that the real thing is so much better! You can’t beat the smooth, velvety texture and rich creamy flavor. You’ll likely have many of these ingredients on hand. Why settle for preservatives when you can easily make the real thing? I like it served warm in a bowl with a nice dollop of freshly whipped cream on top. It’s a simple, year-round dessert.

Chocolate Pudding

Adapted from Joy of Baking

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/3 cup high quality cocoa powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream or half n half
• 4 large egg yolks
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons high quality vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature (cut into small pieces)

In a large stainless steel bowl whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and salt. Then whisk in 1/2 cup of the milk until you have a thick paste. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, whisking to blend into the cocoa paste mixture. Set aside while you heat the milk and cream. Have a fine medium-sized strainer and bowl ready near the stove as you will need to strain the pudding after it is cooked.

Pour in the remaining 2 cups of milk with the cream into a medium-sized heavy saucepan . Bring this mixture just to a boil and then remove from heat. (The milk will foam up to the top of pan when done, so watch carefully.) Gradually pour the milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly, until the mixture is smooth. Transfer the pudding mixture to a clean large, heavy bottomed saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to the consistency of mayonnaise. Remove from heat and pour through the strainer to remove any lumps that may have formed during cooking.

Add the finely chopped chocolate, vanilla extract, and butter, stirring gently with a rubber spatula until the mixture is smooth. Pour into 6 to 8 bowls. Can serve warm or if chilling, press plastic wrap onto the surface of the warm puddings to prevent a skin from forming.

We had a friend visit us a couple of days ago, and had an impromptu chocolate tasting session - we bought a ridiculous amount of different flavoured chocolate in Germany a while ago, and it was a good time to share it.

Some flavours were good, some less so. But the one that truly stuck out was the Zaabar sage flavoured chocolate. Although it lacked a little something....and then we looked at the hard goat cheese on the table, and at each other, and at the chocolate....

The combination of dark chocolate, sage and goat's cheese is phenomenal. Aside from making a pretty unusual cheese course, I now want to combine these flavours in a dish, but I'm not sure the world is ready for it...and I'm not really sure what could be created! Any suggestions?

Mmmmkay, so, I've seen a few Thanksgiving posts in the last week or so, but I don't know that I've seen this particular question.

What is your BEST classic Thanksgiving recipe? You know the classics: stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc. How do you prepare it?

In other words, share your ULTIMATE Thanksgiving menu, with recipes, please!

(Oh, and, you know, help a girl out here - I'm hosting Thanksgiving for the first time ever, and my family has never really had much of my cooking, other than a side dish here and there, so I'd really love to totally blow them away.)

Isaiah 56:3b-5

...neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.

Could this reference to eunuchs also fit for today's GLBT people? There are also bible verses that speak about people being put out of the synagogues for something, and God opposes it and doesn't want it that way.

As some of you know ( or may not know) I am in the process for the peace corps, and am almost done with the process, to where I will be given a real departure date along with country and program details. This has been a really long and tiring process, and I am not the most patient person. Today, in talking with my father about this, I realized that for a 30 year old man, I am a bit of a control freak. This whole process has been beyond my command. My reaction, as a typical male, is to attempt to control the situation, press my point, get the bureaucracy to listen to me, get respect, get my point across. OF COURSE they need to listen to what I have to say, I'm leaving in January, how dare the world delay my master plan!

(Cue Sarcasm)

This may be typical, but it's certainly not faithful.. if anything it's faithLESS. One of the things I remember from my mission in Kenya is using what's known as the "4 Spiritual Laws" flipbook. This book has text and pictures to explain the need for a relationship with Christ. One section asks the reader to look at 2 pictures, one of a man on a throne and a man with a crown kneeling, the other shows the man with the crown ( God) on the throne and man kneeling. The person doing evangelism asks which one the person being evangelized relates to. Often they pick themselves on the throne. Perhaps I am that person.. the one who believes they can jump onto the thrown instead of letting God run things. This is a problem, and I realize I need to stop this before I become practically agnostic in practice.

Thinking of this, I came to the conclusion that my prayer should be that God would allow me to lose all control, to give it up,to let my careful planning fall ( perhaps even apart) at his feet, to trust that whatever happens with Peace Corps, it will be because it's the right thing, for the right reasons, at the right time.

Lord, Teach me to lose control!!

I'm a first semester grad student working on a mock diagnostic, and I'm wondering...when you're evaluating cognitive abilities and are the first person to do any sort of testing or evaluation, as an SLP, do you ever do full tests of cognition, or are you more likely to just do a screening?



Thanks!

Somebody filmed a conference where a pastor was sharing some vital information about things our churches continue to remain ignorant of.



Most churches aren't even preaching this stuff, that's why so many Christians are unaware of it.
Youtube commentator

I am looking for a fairly simple lowish fat dense/chewy vanilla cake with lots of eggs(*). In my head it's almost like crispy-edged solid custard, but I'm not sure that's possible.

Sponge cake is too fluffy, brownies have chocolate (which I can't eat, woe), tend to be fatty, and aren't quite right anyway. French toast, waffles and pancakes can be ok but I'm hoping for cake.

Also: I can't eat dairy (or soy), so while I can substitute milk or butter the chemical properties of say buttermilk are not available.

Google has failed me, you're my only hope!

(*)I know eggs are kind of fatty, but I really like the taste and for some reason they don't irritate my stomach as much as oil/margarine. Also I usually don't like the taste or texture of cakes made with lots of oil/butter/margarine.

I posted notes from my sermon on Matthew 22:34-40 in my personal LJ here. You're welcome to read and comment.

I posted notes from my sermon on Matthew 22:34-40 in my personal LJ here. You're welcome to read and comment.

Do something! Anything. Big or small. Just start already! You may think if you can't do it all you may as well do nothing. However even your smallest task may mean the world to someone else. Listen to this story I read about in a devotional from Max Lucado a while back. If you don't believe small contributions matter just ask Lovett Ivey.

Lovett Ivey was a pilot during World War II and was flying a B-17 during a fight. His tank had been hit by Nazi antiaircraft guns. Even though his gas tanks were hit, they didn't explode and he was able to limp back to his carrier and land safely.

The next morning Lovett went to the ship technicians who were reviewing the damaged aircraft and told them he wanted the shell that hit him to keep as a souvenir of what should have been his last flight. The crew chief explained that not one, but eleven rounds had hit the gas tank. Lovett gasped, knowing he should not be here now.

The crew opened the missiles and found them all to be missing the explosive charge needed to blow up the target. They were all harmless and empty except one. This one missile contained a tightly rolled piece of paper. On it was a message scrawled in German. It simply said " This is all I can do for you now".

Wow! A German assembly line worker disarming missiles scribbled the note and placed it inside one of the missiles. He knew he couldn't end the war, but maybe he could save one plane. He couldn't do it all, but he could do SOMETHING.

Lovett Ivey learned that day somewhere in the Atlantic ocean how God could take our small tasks, our small offerings and make them big. Really big. He can do something really special with our offerings if we only begin.

What have you been putting off doing? What problem seems insurmountable to you? It may seem insurmountable to you, but not to God. Is the clutter in your home driving you crazy? Is your to do pile much bigger than your completed pile at work? Has you been procrastinating about an apology you owe someone because you fear how they may react? He can do wonders with whatever we entrust to Him. We must begin somewhere. Do something. Do anything.

Like the familiar adage says " How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!" Go ahead and start today. God will do the rest!

(Note: I couldn't remember the name of the pilot or some of the specific details as Max Lucado wrote in his devotional, so I added my own details as best I could remember them. The name Lovett Ivey was actually a family member of mine who was a pilot in World War II. Even though some of the details may vary, the general story should be credited to Max Lucado.)

PS- A note to every veteran in the US who has ever served in any capacity so that I may continue to enjoy the freedoms in this country we all have for many centuries------ a heartfelt thank you. Thank you for your service. May God bless you and yours.

Last week my husband got a few pounds of ground venison from a hunter buddy of his. He expects ME to cook it though. I have no idea what to do with venison. I mean, I know it could be used in place of beef, but I also have heard that it's not very fatty, so something needs to be done to make it easier to cook? I don't know.

I've only been really cooking for less than two years now. I don't think this is something that the microwave can tackle.

So yeah. Venison me!

This is why I have been too busy to actually write a real entry.

• 15:04 Listening to President Bush's first post presidency speech. #
• 21:23 @ScottFarnham Good Luck! Senior year is a bittersweet like that. Anxious to be done, but sad to go. #

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... also known as French Onion Soup.

I've been making this for years, but kind of according to my own recipe, which was good. But tonight I took a look at Julia Child's, and I have to say she totally kicked my ass. I'm really not surprised though - the woman did write a few cookbooks, after all.


I used to use red wine to fill out the broth. Julia's uses vermouth and brandy - a distinct improvement. However, it did mean that I was stuck with some "superfluous" red wine. On a Wednesday, no less! :)

( Recipe! )

See more at The Cast-Iron Darling!

Am planning to bake my first gluten-free coeliac 'Xmas cake this year and for various reasons am adapting a basic Simnel cake. (Also means I'm facing a lactose-free crisis as well but I believe that is covered with the Rose wine gelee and a mango coulis. However, I'm cheating since the gluten free flours can be difficult, I intend to use an Orgran gluten-free Victoria sponge mix base.) The size of the cake has to be increased from 8" x 2" to 9" x 3" deep to feed everyone. I'd appreciate any input, ideas or suggestions from you more experienced folks if my planning is obviously faulty.



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Notes augmented

We've enhanced and de-bugged Notes. If you haven't tried it yet, now's the time! You can create a private note when you ban multiple users. You can also delete multiple notes at once. Lastly, paid users have the option to add a note (visible only to you) whenever you add or remove a friend (guaranteed to avoid embarrassing social mishaps). If you don't currently have a paid account, you can upgrade now! It only takes a few minutes and costs less than a bad shopping mall haircut (plus, it's way more fashionable)!

Product tweaks and bug kill

1. In another effort to zap spam, comments containing links from domains LiveJournal deems untrustworthy are now automatically screened
2. If you sign up to get notifications of the Writer's Block question of the day, you'll now see the daily question in the email notification, so you'll have a little extra time to ponder before you post. You can subscribe to Writers Block notifications here
3. The issue causing random comments to vanish has been fixed!
4. If you visit a LiveJournal page and get prompted to log in, you'll be returned to the same page after you sign in (Thanks, Dreamwidth)!
5. If you don't edit the timestamp for an entry at all, the entry timestamp will indicate the time the entry was posted instead of the time the Update Journal page was loaded
6. Comments with paddings/backgrounds render correctly within the comment box (and will no longer wrap outside the box and break frames/margins)

New FCK fixes rich text editor!

1. We've updated our RTE (Rich Text Editor) to FCKeditor version 2.6.5
2. When switching from the RTE to HTML editor, links for syndicated feeds are no longer broken
3. RTE now functions properly in Safari 4.0
4. An extra line/space will not be auto-inserted whenever you switch from RTE to HTML editor
5. The insert image link now works correctly in all browsers

LiveJournal Cares

We’re pleased to introduce you to lj_cares, a new LiveJournal community dedicated to raising awareness and funds for U.S. charitable organizations that improve the health and well-being of people around the world. Each month, we’ll spotlight a nonprofit that is making a significant global impact through medical research, public outreach, and/or humanitarian social programs. Charities will be selected in accordance with the U.S. calendar of national health observances based on a high rating (of over 60%) on Charity Navigator and global scope of impact.

In this, our inaugural month of November, we will celebrate national adoption month by offering a charitable virtual gift (priced at $2.99) to support Love Without Boundaries, an organization that saves the lives of orphans with life-threatening diseases and places them in loving homes around the world. LiveJournal will donate 100% of the proceeds from the sale of charitable vgifts (we'll cover the cost of credit card transaction fees). To learn more about Love Without Boundaries, please visit lj_cares and read about how they helped save Baby Kang and the Rainbow Twins from fatal illnesses, who are now thriving in nurturing families. You can purchase your Love Without Boundaries gifts in the Virtual Gift shop.

Papered in postcards

A couple of weeks ago, we asked you to send in postcards to surround us with LiveJournal community. Thanks for coming through! We've received postcards all the way from Germany, Finland, and Canada and from all over the US, including Texas, Florida, Alaska, Montana, Wyoming, Indiana, Hawaii, and Oklahoma just to name just a handful. We're thrilled with our improved decor.

Please keep the love coming for one more week by writing to Frank the Goat, Esq., c/o LiveJournal, Inc., 539 Bryant Street, Suite 210, San Francisco, CA 94107. Be sure to include your username, since we'll be drawing the names of ten random contributors next Thursday to win paid account credits!

Photos of the week

We have more dazzling images posted by talented LiveJournal photographers from around the world. We're hoping to span the entire globe, so please continue posting and tagging. Of course, you can also sit back and enjoy the view at lj_photophile.

You can see a sample of this week's gorgeous photos and check out spotlight communities and awesome user content after the jump!

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Curtains

We thank you, once again, for joining us. See you next week!

Sampling:


The rest can be found HERE at my journal. ♥

Hi everyone! I am a CSD undergrad planning to attend the ASHA convention for the first time. Does anyone know what kind of attire is appropriate for the convention? I'm not sure whether I should wear jeans or if I should wear casual office attire.

Thanks for any information!