A RECIPE: CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

you need only 3 things::

-1 pint of heavy whipping cream

-10 to 12 oz. of semi sweet chocolate 

-either amazing upper body strength, or a stand mixer

pour the pint of cream into your mixer and let it go for about 5 minutes on medium speed.

while your cream is mixing, crush up your chocolate bars as small as possible, 

they'll melt better if chopped smaller. i like technology, so i used a pampered chef chopper to do 

all of that work, too. my god, could i be any lazier? 

 i don't have a double boiler, so i use a big pot of water and a smaller pot sitting on top 

to melt down my chocolate. fancy, huh? 

pour your melted chocolate into your whipped cream and fold the chocolate in. 

try to stir it as little as possible, as you don't want to lose all of the air in your cream!

 let it sit in your fridge for the longest hour of your life.

portion out into individual cups. i used a frosting bag and tip to make it look prettier, but that's only 

because i was bored and had some time to kill. (which is also why i had a mousse photo shoot afterwards)  

and once the shoot was done,  i sat with a spoon and scrapped the sides of the mixing bowl & watched  The Office.

  

TACOCRACY FOR LUNCH

yesterday was just one of those days were everything went right. from a great "makeup day" (yes, those happen) to trying out a new spot in northside for lunch, i could have relived saturday again and again. we hit up "tacocracy" and my mind was completely blown. probably the most friendly staff i have ever encountered, crazy art on the walls, and the best tacos i have ever devoured in my life... plus, mexican coke and let's get real- is there any drink that stands a chance when compared to mexican coke? they also have a "taco of the moment" where they basically just come up with a new crazy taco every couple of days and we got lucky enough to try the "Big Mac taco" .... ground beef, lettuce, mac sauce, pickle oooooh man. and did i mention the mexican coke? we love you tacocracy! 

Crossroads Church Awaited

last night, we enjoyed my favorite holiday tradition of all, a christmas production! now let me just say this is NOT your grandma's church christmas play. this show is the cirque du soleil of christmas plays. it was held at my mom and step dad's church and they expected an audience of about 60,000! the entire lobby was a kid's dream complete with a giant gingerbread house, gum drop trees and ever flowing hot chocolate. saying that this show is amazing doesn't even seem to do it justice! i saw it 2 years ago and they kept a lot of it the same, and for good reason. that year, they passed out free cd's after the show and i was listening to it on repeat until about march. i'm actually blaring it right now... so so good!! i snuck a few pictures once we were up in our seats. get a load of that crowd!! if you wanna hear any of the songs and see some of the performers, youtube "crossroads church awaited" 

thank you crossroads, for another beautiful show. it brings me to tears, makes me want to be a dancer and, more importantly, a better person. can't wait until next year!! 

MEET AMELIA

a special edition of "give thanks sunday!"

today was one of the best days i've had in a while!! i got to  meet ms. Amelia, my cousin's new baby girl. it never ceases to amaze me when people have babies. 10 fingers, 10 toes, eye lashes and lips.... i mean, isn't it absolutely bonkers that women make these little beings? it blows my mind. my cousin also just happens to be the luckiest woman on the planet. she pushed only THREE times before giving birth. i mean, come on. she's set the bar pretty high for the rest of us girls in the family, i can tell ya that. Amelia is perfect, with a full head of hair and the longest toes in the free world. jon wouldn't hold her out of fear of "breaking her" but they basically had to pry her out of my hands. obsessed, i tell you. 

i'm already in love with you, baby. 

our thanksgiving table!

a few pics of how i added decor to our twelve foot dining table! 

that's a lotta burlap, people!