Deep Chocolate Pudding

6-7 oz dark chocolate (bar or semi-sweet chips)
2 cups milk
1 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup cornstarch (or arrowroot powder)
3/4 t. vanilla

Chop chocolate into very fine pieces (in a food processor or blender). In a large saucepan combine chocolate, 1 3/4 cups milk, cream, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Whisk vigorously over medium heat untill it simmers and is smooth and thick. Stir together remaining 1/4 cup of milk with cornstarch. Whisk into saucepan mixture. Bring to simmer and simmer two minutes, whisking and scraping sides of pan with a rubber spatula. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap pressing plastic to the pudding. Chill to desired temperature and serve. Makes ten 1/2 cup servings.

Boiling the Perfect Egg

In my family boiled eggs are a favorite. We use them in egg salad, deviled eggs, potato salad, or just plain with a little salt. So over the years we have tried several different techniques to make it easier to prepare and to get optimum results. Here is the process I have come up with to get the perfect hard egg.

You will need:

6 eggs (the older they are the easier the shell comes off)
oil
water



1.Gently crack each egg to get an hair-line crack and place in large sauce pan.



2. Pour a little oil into the cap of the bottle and pour over eggs, continue until all eggs have a thin layer of oil on them. (See picture to left.)



3. Cover eggs with cold water and heat to a boil over high heat.




4. When it comes to a rolling boil set a timer for six minutes.



5. After six minutes remove from heat and cover. Set the timer for another six minutes and let pan sit.






6. After timer goes off drain eggs and immediately submerge in ice water. Let sit until ice melts. Drain and store in refrigerator until thoroughly chilled.

7. To shell simply crush shell and slip off . By cracking the eggs and pouring oil over them it creates a slick surface between the egg and the shell, which makes it so much easier to shell than traditionally boiled eggs.

© Lydia Wilwerding 2008

The Joy of Digital Photography: A Review

Photography is not just a mindless thing you do to freeze a scene, it is an art and logical process by which you can capture a picture that interprets the mood and importance of a scene. In The Joy of Digital Photography Jeff Wignall teaches you (the novice) how to harness the power of photography the way the professionals do. And his style isn’t boring either; rather, he brings out the joy of photography in a fun, yet thorough way.

Set up in a topic-by-topic format, this book leads you through all the dynamics of taking great pictures whether you are using a small compact digital or an expensive SLR. Some of the topics include are: choosing a digital camera, designing compositions, getting good lighting, people photography, capturing nature and tweaking you shot in a computer software to get the best resulting print. On every page you will see exceptional photos to illustrate and guide you through the process. After reading this book you will be thoroughly informed on how to capture those special moments in your life and the beautiful world around you.

I have always been one of those people that took mediocre pictures, normally nailing my subject to the middle of the frame, now I will never look a photography in the same way. After only reading a few sections I was surprised at how much my pictures had improved. Now instead of just flipping through my pictures they actually held interest and communicated meaning. Also I was able to learn how to use all those confusing features on my digital camera and how changing settings would improve certain settings. This book was launching pad for me, it inspired me to pursue photography as a lifelong hobby and art; and in our digital age it is easier and cheaper than ever to get started.

WARNING!

Chocolate cravings begin early!



This is a video of a friend's baby girl trying to get her M&Ms. It is funny how desperate she is to get after them!