Did You Know it's Chocolate Cake Day

There's this website online that tells you each day what it is celebrating!  It's

Days of the year.com

 Well today is Chocolate Cake Day!

So today to celebrate the day, I made a Chocolate cake for teatime.

I have made this cake before and it is so good and easy to make, especially if you don't want to make a large layer cake. It's just the right amount of batter for one layer. Perfect for a small group of people.

I'll have to admit that I had to tweak the ingredients.  Since I've moved I am having trouble finding things. I couldn't find my baking soda when I was assembling all the ingredients.

My daughters put things up for me and I am blessed that they did!

 Just today, one month after we've moved, I found my mini food processor I had been looking for.

 

Here is the recipe.

1 cup all-purpose flour (I used self raising but omit the 2 soda's)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup  unsweetened (dark) cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup milk

1/3 cup cooking oil (I used Canola)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

Powder sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees f.

Grease and lightly flour a 9 1/2 round baking pan.

 In a large mixing bowl combine flour,sugar,cocoa powder,baking soda,baking powder and salt.

(I used self rising flour since I had no baking powder, if you use self raising flour do not add baking soda or baking powder!!!)

Add (I use 2%) milk,oil,and vanilla. 

 Beat on low speed mixer just until combined, then beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Add egg and beat 2 minutes more.

Pour in baking pan.

Bake 30 to  35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes then place on serving plate. 

I hope you can make sense out of it! I put in parentheses what I tweaked. 

..........................

It was so good I could have eaten the whole cake.

 I made myself a cup of Constant Comment Tea and had myself a Tea for One!

 "Take a corner of this day just for you alone"

Dee Appel

I just love my tea for one my sister,Sharon, gave me some years ago for my birthday.

 "Brew yourself a cup of tea, 

release a sigh or two.

You'll find that things are not so

bad when you take time for you."

Dee Appel

Want you join me!

 "Ointment and perfume

delight the heart,

And the sweetness of a 

man's friend gives delight..."

Proverbs 27:9

I did save you a piece, I promise!!  I did!

Enjoy and be blessed!

Sylvia

MY LIFE IS A STORY

"This is the day the Lord hath made"

Psalm 118:24

Shortly after my first 3 grandchildren were born, I was blessed with watching after them as their parents worked.  I loved to read to them, so I kept lots of children's books, in my guest room that I used for them to play, sleep and just enjoy in.  I loved it when they would bring me a book to read to them, they would look, point to pictures, listen as I read and waited eagerly to turn the page to see and hear what came next. 

I would love to think maybe I had a good influence on their lives at this early age.  Do we ever think of our lives, as we live it every day and how others read us like a book, and the influence we have on their lives. Our lives do tell a Story! There are people watching us and reading what we say or do by our attitudes  and actions.  

So what is the story we are telling, is it one of forgiveness, mercy, Love and compassion! 

The Apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 that we as followers of Jesus Christ, are a story or letters "known and read by all men".

 So as God's follower and storyteller, let us with His grace be one of His great storytellers!

O Lord, I love you and want my life to

tell the story of your love, mercy

 and forgiveness.

Teach me and use me in ways

 to serve you!

Amen

May your day be filled with His Blessings!

Sylvia 

Linking to Roses of Inspirations 

Morning Sunrise

Cause me to hear your loving

 kindness in the morning,

 for on you do I lean

 and in you do I trust.

Cause me to know the way wherein

I should walk,

for I lift up my inner self to you.

Psalm 143: 8

 This was the view from my front porch yesterday morning!

Beautiful sunrise!

We are enjoying being able to see God's handiwork each morning. At our previous home we had tall trees that blocked the sunrise.

As the sun came up, in all it's glory, it made us want to get out and enjoy the day, even with the forecast of rain.

Up the road, as we neared the park, where we go to walk, the geese were enjoying the day already.

 

I love the sound of the geese when they fly over on their way to the pond, in the middle of the park. They are here year round, and sometimes we have to stop for them to cross the road. After all it is their  home.

After driving about 40 minutes we stopped for lunch, then headed back home, for the rain was beginning to fall.

 Oh Lord, as we start this day,
 may you lead us with your Spirit, along life's highway. 
Give us discernment for our priorities,
 a sensitive heart filled with your love and power, to live it for you!

Amen

Have a Blessed Day!

Sylvia    

Monday TeaTime

Awe, another Monday!

This month is going by fast. I am usually up early every morning, no matter what day it is!

Got my laundry going early so I could enjoy the day.  Stopped to have a break with a cup of tea and an orange roll.

I have come to love the taste of orange lately.

I take honey in my tea. This morning I am enjoying Twinings English Breakfast tea.

Using my Moss Rose serving tray and cup, makes it a little more inviting. I hope to plant more of this pretty rose here at my new home.

I had company over the weekend, family and friends coming to see where I've moved and see the new place.

Two of my son-in-laws and two of my grandsons came and built hand rails for the front porch and down the slope at the back door. They don't want us falling, so they said. It is a great help and they did a great job, even put solar lights on this one.

The slope is slight in the back, but in our 'olden age' we aren't as stable as we use to be.

I am excited about working in this area this Spring, bringing it alive with pretty flowers. I want to rework the pavers also. Can you see the little white daffodil blooming?

Hopefully I can paint the porch too! Sure needs it.

Have a Blessed Day!

Sylvia

Joining
Sandi at: no place like home  
 Stephanie at : Roses of Inspiration

Hot and Easy Supper Recipe!

Awe..the weather outside has gotten Chilly!

One thing I like about cold weather is...

Comfort food!

With the temperatures in the 20's in the mornings, it gets me to wanting to make something hot to eat.

I found this recipe on Facebook the other day that was posted by a friend. It didn't sound like anything I would think of eating, but it looked good, so off to the store we went to buy the ingredients. 

It's called "Crock-pot Slop"

The name alone would make you make a sour face!

Here is the recipe:

Crock-pot Slop

Put in crock-pot in order:

Do not stir!

1 large can of Green Beans (do not drain)

8 Cut up Russet Potatoes

2 sliced Kielbasa Sausage

1 diced onion

Put enough water to cover potatoes

Drop in 4 Chicken Bouillon cubes

Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook 4 to 6 hours on high

Stir and serve!!

It was very good and hubby loved it!

I always have to tweak a recipe to my liking, I used 4 large red potatoes instead of Russet ones. I only cooked mine for 4 and 1 half hours.

I will be making this again, so easy and good!

There is enough juice with it, if you like it, but I prefer mine without.

Enjoy the day, while supper is cooking!

Sylvia

No Place Like Home

Be it ever so humble,

There's no place like Home!

 internet poem

As you may know we have a new place that we call

"Home".

Christmas week is not a good time to move!

Enough said!

  

Milo doesn't care, he calls Home anywhere there's a chair where he can sleep!

  

Our new home was built in 1929, but has been updated, leaving all the character.  I love all the wide molding.

 Although the fireplace no longer works, it is still special with the mantel and large molding.

 I still have a lot of tweaking to do, but if you have ever moved you'll understand.

  

I've always loved the saying

 "Home is where the Heart is" 

no matter where that may be.

Until next we meet,

Have a Blessed Home!

Sylvia   

Linking to Roses of Inspirations 
Sandi at No place like Home 

GOOGLE'S NEW CHANGES

Google is changing how you follow Blogs!

If you follow by Twitter, Yahoo, Orkut, and other Open ID providers to sign into Google Friend Connect, Google will remove your profile if you don't have an account with them. This will start Monday, January 11th.

 Click here to go to the link and read about these changes.

I love reading your blogs and value my blogger friends very much and will hate to lose anyone!

You can follow by email,also.

Have a blessed day!

Sylvia

Have a Blessed Weekend!

Sylvia

MONDAY, FIRST WEEK OF 2016

Good Monday Morning!

 Even though the sun is shinning through the window, it is in the low 40's this morning.

You can feel the cold weather coming, or

is it just my arthritis!

I am still unpacking, guess I'll be doing this for awhile. I sat as many of my teacups and

teapots on the table as I could get until I can decide which I want to keep out and which to pack back up.With so little room to put them all out, they'll have to stay boxed up and taken out 

when I want to use another one.

This is my new verse I repeat over and over.

God is so good to me and I am finding it easier

to 'be still' and do what I can when I can, instead 

of forging ahead like I normally do. 

May I never need to move again!

Thank you Lord for this Blessed Day!

Sylvia

joining Sandi at: No Place Like Home 

2016

  Today we start off a new year of our lives!

Yesteryear has passed and today we start fresh,

let's make it a great one.

Over the holidays we got moved to our new home.

It's a big adjustment and will take time. I've moved

many times in my 52 years of marriage, so this should be easy....yea, right! I'm not 18 like I was when I married. So many boxes and totes to unpack, but with time and the good Lord's help I'll get it done.

Christmas is always a blessing to get to spend time with family and other loved ones. I hope everyone was blessed with the love and 'presences' of family and friends.

Enjoy the memories of the past and make new and lasting ones in the coming year.

Have a Blessed Day!

Sylvia