Red Velvet Cookies w/Cream Filling.

I made these for my brother and sister-in-law's Christmas Party. I found the cookie recipe here...http://www.howsweeteats.com/2010/10/red-velvet-chocolate-chip-cookies-from-scratch/ although I didn't use chocolate chips in the cookies.

What you'll need for the cookies:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon red food coloring (I added about 1/2 teaspoon more for darker color)

About 1 cup white chocolate chips (for drizzled topping)

What you'll need for the cream filling:

4 oz. Cream Cheese (room temperature)

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar

For Christmas themed I added about 1 teaspoon green food coloring.

Combine cream cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar, (and food coloring) in bowl, and mix with electric mixer till smooth and well combined. Make about 12 balls using teaspoons and place on wax paper, cover and place in freezer for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375.

Cream butter and sugars together until fluffy in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add egg and vanilla and combine until smooth. Beat in red food coloring. Stir in cocoa, flour, baking soda and salt until just combined, scraping down the sides when needed. Cover two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Use a small amount of flour to cover your hands so you can make golf ball size balls out of the cookie dough so it won't stick to your hands. Place six balls of cookie dough on each cookie sheet, well spaced apart. Flatten each ball one at a time with palm of hand. Take one of the cream balls that you made earlier and place in the middle of each of the flatten cookie dough. Fold the cookie dough around each of the cream balls, and gently roll in to a ball, careful not to let the cream leak out. Place in over once you have added the cream to all the cookies. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Watch as they cook. Let cool and serve.

A Winter Message

A flake of snow in flurry thro’ the air
Had landed as a kiss upon my cheek
A secret message, just for me to share;
To take to heart but never dare to speak
About or presuppose to other eyes
Your open feelings – distant though they are.
And so, upon your lips, my OWN surprise:
A flake of snow returned from me afar.

Copyright © Mark R Slaughter 2010: 

http://poemhunter.com/poem/a-winter-message/

The Raven

The Raven

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
`’Tis some visitor,’ I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -
Only this, and nothing more.’
Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow; – vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow – sorrow for the lost Lenore -
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore -
Nameless here for evermore. And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me – filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating
`’Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door -
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door; -
This it is, and nothing more,’ Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
`Sir,’ said I, `or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you’ – here I opened wide the door; -
Darkness there, and nothing more. Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the darkness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, `Lenore!’
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, `Lenore!’
Merely this and nothing more. Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
`Surely,’ said I, `surely that is something at my window lattice;
Let me see then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore -
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore; -
‘Tis the wind and nothing more!’ Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore.
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door -
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door -
Perched, and sat, and nothing more. Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
`Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,’ I said, `art sure no craven.
Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the nightly shore -
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night’s Plutonian shore!’
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.’ Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning – little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door -
Bird or beast above the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such name as `Nevermore.’ But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only,
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing further then he uttered – not a feather then he fluttered -
Till I scarcely more than muttered `Other friends have flown before -
On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.’
Then the bird said, `Nevermore.’ Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
`Doubtless,’ said I, `what it utters is its only stock and store,
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore -
Till the dirges of his hope that melancholy burden bore
Of “Never-nevermore.”‘ But the raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door;
Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore -
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking `Nevermore.’ This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom’s core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion’s velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o’er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o’er,
She shall press, ah, nevermore! Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
`Wretch,’ I cried, `thy God hath lent thee – by these angels he has sent thee
Respite – respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore!
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe, and forget this lost Lenore!’
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.’ `Prophet!’ said I, `thing of evil! – prophet still, if bird or devil! -
Whether tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted -
On this home by horror haunted – tell me truly, I implore -
Is there - is there balm in Gilead? – tell me – tell me, I implore!’
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.’ `Prophet!’ said I, `thing of evil! – prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us – by that God we both adore -
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels named Lenore -
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels named Lenore?’
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.’ `Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!’ I shrieked upstarting - `Get thee back into the tempest and the Night’s Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken! – quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!’
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.’ And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted – nevermore! ~Edgar Allen Poe

Chocolate Banana Cream Pie

Chocolate Banana Cream Pie

All you'll need is:

• 1 Chocolate Graham Cracker Crust
• 1 Package of Banana Pudding
• 2 1/2 Bananas
• 2 Hershey Bars
• 1 Tub of Cool Whip
• About 1/4-1/2 cup of Milk/Cream

First get a pot of water, and put it on medium heat on the stove. Have a stainless steal bowl that can sit on top of the pot. Break 1 3/4 of the Hershey bars into pieces. Place chocolate in the bowl that is over the boiling water. When the chocolates begin to melt, add a small amount of milk/cream and stir. As the chocolate continues to melt, keep gradually adding the milk/cream and stirring it. When the chocolate is completely melted, and is about the consistency of syrup, turn off water and carefully remove the bowl of chocolate, and pour into the bottom of the pie crust. Place in the freezer and let set till the chocolate is just about solid. Once the chocolate is set, cut about 1 1/2 bananas into 1/4 of an inch thick rounds. Place rounds on top of the chocolate and on the sides of the crust. Make up the banana pudding as directed on box. Dice up the rest of the bananas and mix into pudding. Scoop into crust and level it on top. Then you can either use a piping bag to make detailed dollops or just use a spoon to apply the cool whip. Then take the remaining chocolate and use a small cheese grater, and grate the chocolate over the top of the pie for garnish. Place in fridge for later, or serve and enjoy.