Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy

No, I did not fall off the face of the earth. Although, there were times in the past month that I felt like jumping off. Ever since the Holidays, Chez SCGG has been a hotbed of disease and dysfunction, governed by Murphy’s Law. We didn’t even have our Christmas tree down when the first of us fell. Fever, chills and unspeakable gastrointestinal maladies gripped Mr. SGCC like a pit bull with a meaty bone. Poor Mini-SGCC was the next to succumb to that ghastly flu. No sooner did she begin to bounce back when Mr. SGCC went down again. And then, it was my turn.

Added to the mix was the discovery of some major household repairs that needed to be made. Oy! Things were pretty stressful around here, to say the least! So stressful in fact, that I resumed an old habit of grinding my teeth in my sleep – which caused me to crack a tooth and require dental surgery. The fun never ends here, folks. Even the dog got sick!

Needless to say, cooking, baking and blogging were not high on my list of priorities. Even if they had been, I was too darn sick and exhausted to do much about it. My spirit was willing, but my body wanted no part of it. Oh, and did I mention that I was limited to soft, mushy foods for two weeks because of the whole broken tooth thing? Yeah. That too.

The funny thing about inactivity is that it breeds more inactivity. The less you do, the less you feel like doing. As things piled up around me, I became overwhelmed. So, I hid. I hid from the dried, shedding branches of the once majestic Noble fir in the living room. I hid from the makeshift gift wrapping station that needed to be turned back into my “photography studio”. I hid from the pile of gifts that needed to be sorted through and put away. And, I hid from you too, dear readers. I wanted to bake, shoot, write and post. I really, really did. But, I just couldn’t drag myself out of my lethargic flu and stress induced haze long enough to do it. I contemplated giving up. Sigh…

Then, I thought about the five years we’ve shared: the highs and lows; the laughs and tears; the triumphs and the disasters. I considered all of the blood, sweat and love that went into crafting over 500 posts here on SGCC! And then, I realized how much richer my life was because of it – because of you. So I put on my big girl panties, got my house back in order and found my way into the kitchen. I can’t promise perfection, but I swear on all that is buttercream, I’m trying, people. I’m trying.

So, with Valentine’s Day swiftly approaching, I ask you this: Will you be my Valentine (again)?

In case the answer is yes, I have lots of decadent chocolate goodies to tempt you with while I’m busy working on some new recipes. After all, nothing says “I love you” on Valentine’s Day better than chocolate. Well… except maybe a flawless, 5-carat, Princess cut diamond solitaire set in platinum. Diamonds are forever, you know. But, chocolate tastes a whole lot better.

Devil’s Food Cupcakes with Roasted Strawberry-Balsamic Swiss Buttercream and Bittersweet Chocolate Glaze

Chocolate Pavlova Torte with Raspberry Dream Cream

Speculoos Cookie Butter Cups

White and Dark Chocolate Pots de Crème

45 Stories High Java Fudge Ice Cream Pie

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Passion Fruit Soufflé with bittersweet Chocolate Sauce

Homemade Chocolate Truffles

One Bowl Brownies

Chocolate Ganache Ice Cream

Homemade 100 Grand Bars

Happy Valentine’s Day!!!