A Day of Family and …Chocolate Overload!

4-30pm

Julian arrived last night. David went out to the airport at almost  midnight to pick him up. I woke up hearing them arrive home and chatted to Julian until 1am before retiring again!

This morning, I went shopping quite early because today is “bake a chocolate birthday cake” day! I came home laden with 14 chocolate Kitkats and 4 boxes of chocolate Smarties! I soon had the cake in the oven and Granny enjoyed licking out the bowl…

Actually, when I went to get the bowl, she wasn’t quite finished with it…I had to take a photo! Here she is licking the rim…don’t waste any of it!

Sweet Granny! 🙂

After Stacey arrived, we decided the one chocolate cake was not enough, so while the oven was still hot (I had browned the lamb in it), she whipped up another one and when that was out the oven, we all went out for lunch. Stacey turns 24 tomorrow. Adrian was working but Stace spent the day with us. 🙂 We went to The Toad at Noordhoek Farm Village…here are my two, always entertaining…

And Julian and I…

Mike and Granny made up the party of 6 and we had a lovely meal followed by chocolate ganache cake!

When we got home, it was time to start on the chocolate icing. First, a tin of Caramel Treat in the middle…

Ha ha, Birthday girl caught in the act…

Stacey melted 500g (YES!! FIVE HUNDRED GRAMMES) milk chocolate with 250ml cream and a dash of vanilla essence and that is the icing…we dipped strawberries in it to make sure it tasted okay! 🙂 Then we started assembling the Kitkats…

Chocolate Kitkats all done….Chocolate Smarties next…

And this is the finished product…

Stacey’s chocolate birthday cake all ready for tomorrow’s celebration!  We had such fun making it! Meanwhile, the lamb is simmering away on low in the slow cooker…

Through it all, David and Mike were working on David’s bike for his road trip on Monday. Mike dug out a bright yellow ‘Karimore’ bag that was unopened and which we took on our honeymoon more than 25 years ago and never used. (We did the Otter Trail as part of our honeymoon!) On tearing open the packet, despite being in a box in the roof for 22 years, it was in perfect condition! Here it is on David’s bike…

Now I have is the dubious task of going and capturing all those calories I have indulged in today. www.myfitnesspal.com is my next stop!

Christmas 3 weeks tomorrow! This was written by Isaiah hundreds of years before Jesus was born and was fulfilled by His arrival…

Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel”.

God bless you richly this festive season!

In His Grip,

Helga 🙂

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