Eggs in Nest - "INSPIRE US"

Welcome to Lovebug Scrapbooking's "INSPIRE US!" blog hop!! Our blog hops take place on the last Saturday of every month. Thanks so much for joining us!

If you just happened by this blog and didn't realize a blog hop was taking place, please go back to Lovebug Scrapbooking and start the Hop. You won't want to miss all the ispiration from our members....... or the prizes :-)

Our theme for March is "EASTER".

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For my cooking project, I decided to make some "Eggs in Nest". I've done these before and used boxed chocolate mousse, but this time I made mousse from scratch. It is DELICIOUS!! More time-consuming, but well worth it :-)

Here's what you'll need for the mousse:

Chocolate Mousse

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 1/2 Tbs. butter
8 egg yolks
2 cups whipping cream
4 egg whites
1/4 c. sugar

Melt chocolate chips on stove or in microwave. I did mine in the microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring each time. They might not look like they're melting, but they are! Be careful not to scorch.

Melt butter and mix in egg yolks. Add this egg mixture to the chocolate, stirring constantly (you don't want lumps!). Let cool a bit.

Whip the cream -- soft peaks :-)

Whip the egg whites to soft peaks, then start adding in the sugar gradually. These should whip to stiff peaks.

Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate, then fold in the egg white mixture. Refrigerate.

Now, for the nests. First, prepare some small bowls -- these will make the rounded nest shape. Grease them and cover with plastic wrap.

Melt a bag of semisweet chocolate chip as you did above, for the mousse. Let cool a bit then spoon into piping bag. Pipe over the bottom of the bowl and then make random pipings to create a nest. Let chill in refrigerator until firm.

Remove from refrigerator and release the "nest" from the bowl/plastic wrap. You might need to warm a few minutes or the chocolate may crack. If it does, no fear -- just melt and redo :-)

Fill nest with chocolate mousse and add some chocolate eggs for decoration.

ENJOY!

Thanks for looking! Leave a comment and I'll enter your name to win Taste of Home's Casseroles Recipe Cards magazine.

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This blog hop will run from today, March 27th until March 30th. We will be drawing for winners on March 31st.

Now, head over to Margo's blog and see what she has to share with you :-)

cakes for March

Five cakes for this month. Thanks for looking!

different kind of recipe

Got this from an online friend :-)

A GREAT RECIPE

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes. each day (buy a lock if you have to).

3. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, "My purpose is to__________ today. I am thankful for_____________".

4. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

5. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli , almonds & walnuts.

6. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

7. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

8. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

9. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

10. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

11. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

12. You are not so important that you have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

13. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

14. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

15. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

16. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'

17. Forgive everyone for everything.

18. What other people think of you is none of your business.

19. Scrapbook. (okay, so I added this one....)

20. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

21. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch!!!

22. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

23. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: "I am thankful for__________. Today I accomplished_________".

24. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

25. When you are feeling down, start listing your many blessings. You'll be smiling before you know it.

Chicken Pot Pie

One of our favorite meals for a good winter day (and yes, it's still winter here in Newfoundland!) is Chicken Pot Pie. Now, we call it pot pie, but it's more like a chicken stew. I used to bake it in the oven with pastry over the top, but now I just make it in the crock pot and I make biscuits on the side. We all LOVE it!

CHICKEN POT PIE

3 chicken breasts (I use boneless, skinless)
1 onion
4-5 carrots, sliced
1 small turnip, cubed
3-4 medium-sized potatoes, cubed
3 sticks of celery, chopped
1/4 cup chopped red or yellow pepper
1 cup chopped broccoli
1 cup chopped cauliflower
1 can kernel corn
2 cans of Cream of Chicken soup
1 can Chicken Broth


Boil the chicken breasts in large pot. Save the liquid. Remove and cut into cubes. Put back into pot and add chopped onion. Bring to boil again. Next, add in carrots, turnip and potatoes. Boil for about 10 minutes.

Put the Cream of Chicken soup and the Chicken Broth in large crock pot. Add celery, red pepper, broccoli, cauliflower and corn. Add in chicken, vegetable and the liquid. Stir and set on high for 3 hours.

In last half hour you'll need to thicken it. I use about 4 Tbsp of cornstarch in 1 cup of cold water. Mix well, then stir into soup.

Serve with hot biscuits.

**NOTE: This makes enough for a large crock pot and is enough for 2 meals for our family of 6. Like most soups/stews, it always tastes better the next day :-)

You can add other vegetables or increase/decrease the amounts to your liking. I just try to put the "harder" veggies in the pot to boil a bit before adding to the crock pot.

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Here's a biscuit recipe. I got this one from my mother-in-law.

Lonna's Biscuits

2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter or shortening
3/4 cup milk

Mix first 3 ingredients, then cut in butter with pastry blender. Add milk and mix. Knead on lightly floured board. Handle it gently and knead about 15 times. The more you handle it, the tougher the biscuits will be, but don't worry, we haven't had one we couldn't eat :-) Pat or roll to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutter and bake at 450 deg. for 8-10 minutes.

If you make this recipe, I'd love to hear what you think of it!

cakes for February

Not too many this month........only three, for a total so far this year of 14.

Peanut Butter Pie

Doesn't this sound delicious?!! I like it better with some chocolate drizzled over the top.

PEANUT BUTTER PIE

3/4 cup peanut butter
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup icing sugar
1 tub of frozen Cool Whip, thawed
1 graham cracker crust (recipe below OR buy one ready-made)
chopped peanuts

Beat cream cheese, peanut butter and icing sugar until smooth. Fold in the Cool Whip and pour into prepared crust. Sprinkle with nuts and/or drizzle with melted chocolate. Chill before serving.

GRAHAM CRACKER PIE CRUST

6 Tbsp melted butter
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (Approx 24 crackers, crushed)
1/4 cup sugar

Add sugar to graham crumbs. Add melted butter and combine well. Press into pie shell. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees.

WINNER of ....

my prize for the Lovebug blog hop is SHANNON S.!! You've won a "Taste of Home: Simple and Delicious" magazine :-)

CONGRATS!

I'll need your mailing address, and I'll get it in the mail asap.