Oh. My. Goodness.

So, yesterday I mentioned that I won a giveaway from The Hungry Housewife that included a jar of the stuff above. I also mentioned that I LOVE tart cherries. My grandparents had a tart cherry tree when I was little and there were more than a few times that I made myself sick on those heavenly little treasures. 

I actually got my prize package in the mail yesterday not long after that post. I really didn't have high hopes for these preserves. Lately I have been convincing myself that something I am about to try is going to be phenomenal and it ends up not being so. I didn't want to get my hopes up only to have them be dashed again. I knew they would be good, but I didn't think it would be possible that they would blow my mind or anything. 

I was SO wrong. They are fantastic. In fact, fantastic is not enough to describe how good they are. 

I put some on a thin piece of regular toast this morning and I feel guilty now for using simple toast as a vehicle for this scrumptious treat. (People who know me know that I mean business because I am not a fan of the word "scrumptious" and can count on one hand the number of times I have used the word. Most of those while expressing my distaste for it.) My mission is to find something to top these with that is worthy of their greatness. Though, I really could just eat them with a spoon and be happy the rest of my life.

I am not sure if stores around here carry these. I didn't know the existed until now and I am not usually in the jelly/jam section of my grocery. But if you enjoy tart cherries and you come across these preserves, grab some. You will not be disappointed. Another plus is that they are only 50 calories per tablespoon and a tablespoon packs enough flavor to go a long way!

What a Week

It's been a good week. And I really needed it.

I had a four and a half day weekend, which was super nice. One day, I even went back to bed at 10 in the morning and slept until 2 in the afternoon. I know! What is that? Moms don't do that! I haven't done that since my baby-less days. Heck, even before. But Mr. Mac knew I was exhausted and he didn't ask questions when I wandered back to the bed and didn't come out for a few hours. He took care of Baby Mac for me and it was the most glorious 4 hours of sleep I have had in a while. I didn't even feel guilty. Well, maybe a little. 

I made a trip to Sephora to replenish my foundation. How great is that store? I mean, it is the equivalent of Disneyland for grown women in my opinion. Or a candy store as one friend put it. I didn't want to leave. It was like being told it was time to get out of the pool and go home for the day.

I bought this per the recommendation of a few other food bloggers:

I have a passion for photographing food but still am not that great at it. This book puts things in simple terms and has lots of photography do's and don'ts in regards to food. I have little natural light in my kitchen and most of my house is not conducive to setting up photo shoots so I am excited to read about some solutions. I have skimmed through it and I can't wait to dive in. It's gotten some fantastic reviews.

I also bought these:

I have had vanilla beans on my to do list for some time now. I LOVE vanilla. When I was little I would open mom's extract and just sniff. It made me happy. I know that sounds really weird, but it was vanilla. Not canned air or cleaning supplies. I turned out just fine. 

Jennifer Love-Hewitt says she uses vanilla extract as a fragrance. People have laughed on gossip blogs about this but studies have shown that men react strongly to the scent of vanilla. I think she's got the right idea.

The Hungry Housewife

And to top off the week, I won a giveaway from one of my favorite ladies of food, Leslie Green, The Hungry Housewife! I have entered every giveaway on every food blog I follow and I finally hit the jackpot! I won a jar of Smucker's Orchard's Finest Michigan Red Tart Cherry Preserves (Tart Cherries are one of my favorite things in life) and a $50 gift card to Cooking.com. 

Now, I have made a list of some of the things I need for my kitchen: a salad spinner, an oven thermometer, a cake stand (can you believe I don't have one of those?), and some other boring but necessary items. But while I  was browsing this caught my eye:

It's the Kitchen Aid ice cream attachment for my mixer. I have made you guys fully aware of my love of ice cream. If given the choice of cake or ice cream I would chose the latter every time. 

But, I need this like I need a hole in my head. But wouldn't those vanilla beans come in handy for this thing? But, I would get myself in trouble. Or should I say, my backside in trouble. But it is summer, right? But I don't NEED it. But it's fun! But I have no where to store it. But, but, but....

It's been like this for two days. 

So help me decide? Sensible, necessary items I am going to have to pay for out of pocket at some point anyway? Or fun accessory for making sweet summer treats?

Have a great weekend!

Best Ever Chocolate Sauce

Note to self:

Do not attempt an ice cream photo shoot on the hottest day of the year so far. In your kitchen. While the oven is slow cooking a chicken.

Sincerely, 

Me

Even though the air is on in my house, this was a tricky shoot. Things were melting and sliding (quickly, at that) and not making for pretty pictures. 

The whipped cream refused to cooperate even a little so I scrapped it. The ice cream itself, a key part in the whole gig, almost didn't make it through. I felt like a director whose actors kept walking off the set.

This, my friends, is the BEST CHOCOLATE SAUCE IN THE WORLD. For real. It will knock your socks off. And it's so super simple. The hardest part is the waiting. (Tom Petty couldn't have been more right about that one.) 

This amazing recipe came from my mom and though she has made this many times in my life, I was reintroduced to it a few weeks ago. It's a dangerous recipe to have in your arsenal when your favorite sweet treat is ice cream. 

Trust me on this: Take a bowl of simple vanilla or chocolate ice cream, top it with a bit of this heavenly delight and the result is pure magic. No other toppings needed. 

Best Ever Chocolate Sauce

2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup cocoa

1 1/4 cups water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

-In a sauce pan, whisk together sugar, cocoa, water and salt. Stirring occasionally, bring to a rolling boil then immediately remove from heat. (This mixture tends to boil over very quickly so stay with it. Once it reaches the rolling boil, get it off the heat to avoid a mess.)

-Allow to cool about an hour or two, then put back on stove top and bring to a rolling boil once more. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and then allow it to cool about an hour in order to thicken a bit.  (It will thicken even more once you store it in the refrigerator.) 

I hope you have a relaxing Memorial Day!
Don't forget to remember those who made all our freedoms possible.