I am back!!!

Hello, my lovelies!! Are any of you still out there after my long absense? It has been so long since I have posted and I am sorry for that!

I have good news and then more good news! Which would you like first? The good news? Ok great!

We closed on our house and have been moved in since 11.17.09! It has been extremely hectic and busy with moving and the holidays so I havent really had much time to think much less focus on my cooking and blogging as I'd like. But I am back and the other good news is that I have a yummy recipe for you as well!!

Before I get to the recipe though I have more to share! Thanksgiving was *not* what I would say was a good food thanksgiving. It was good but mostly not homemade. We had just moved in and I couldnt find most of my pots and pans so we bought 99% of the food. I announced at dinner that I would be making a "from scratch" Christmas dinner and that was that.

Christmas dinner was wonderful! I was so pleased with how everything turned out. Fortunately Ethan was there to help me or I might have gone insane...well more insane! We had turkey, ham, cornbread sausage stuffing, mashed potatoes, garlic cheese grits, deviled eggs, brussell sprouts, corn casserole, spinach dip with homemade pita chips, sausage balls (that I forgot to put out!!), watergate salad, peanut butter pie, yule cake, and banana pudding. Oh and of course a huge relish tray to nibble on while I was still cooking.

Everyone said it was wonderful and that made me very happy. We had snow for Christmas too which was good and bad. Great to have a white Christmas (the first in DFW since 1926, I hear) but bad because my parents couldnt make it to dinner. We sent them lots of leftovers though.

Ok so I've rambled enough. Time for food. I wanted to attempt a yule log because they always look so darn festive. I found a recipe that looked like it would be a great beginner recipe and ran with it. Other then the cake breaking into 3 sections when I unrolled it from the towel it was great! I almost cried when it broke but Ethan cheered me on and said I could fix it and no one would even know. He was almost right. heh.



Chocolate Cake Roll
Recipe from Kraft

6 squares semi-sweet chocolate, divided
6 Tbsp. butter
1 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 cup flour, divided
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2/3 cup water
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup powdered sugar, divided
3 cups thawed whipped topping, divided

HEAT oven to 350°F.

SPRAY 15x10x1-inch pan with cooking spray. Line with waxed paper; spray with additional cooking spray.

MICROWAVE 3 chocolate squares and butter in medium microwaveable bowl on High 1-1/2 to 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Add granulated sugar; mix well. Beat eggs in large bowl with mixer on high speed 3 min. or until thickened. Blend in chocolate mixture. Add 1/4 cup flour and baking soda; beat just until blended. Add remaining flour alternately with water, beating well after each addition. Spread evenly into prepared pan.

BAKE 15 min. or until top of cake springs back when touched; sprinkle with 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Immediately invert cake onto clean towel; remove pan. Carefully peel off paper. Starting at one short side, roll up cake and towel together; cool completely on wire rack.

BEAT cream cheese and remaining powdered sugar in medium bowl with mixer until well blended. Gently stir in 1-1/2 cups COOL WHIP.

UNROLL cake carefully; remove towel. Spread cream cheese mixture onto cake, completely covering top of cake. Roll up cake; place, seam-side down, on platter.

MICROWAVE remaining chocolate and remaining COOL WHIP in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 to 1-1/2 min. or until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after 1 min. Cool 2 min.; spread onto cake. Refrigerate 1 hour.