My favorite Dessert

Right now I am very focused on slimming down.  It is true that cold weather is an appetite stimulant. I can't beat Mother Nature. I have spoken with a few women who live here in a place where winters are normally quite cold, and they all said they gain at least ten pounds by March.  Okay fine. So that was five months at least of weight gain that I want to see melt off in as short a time as possible.  Already I notice my appetite diminishing. Its wonderful. However, the weight is not budging.  Since a month ago I have lost one little pound. no.. let me correct myself. I lost it then gained it then lost it again. My calories are minimal but I don't feel like I am starving myself.  Perhaps this isn't the time and place to discuss such things but I think I am in good company here. So here is what I am doing and what I shall be doing very shortly.
First of all I am planning my meals and counting calories.  I use an online FREE program called CRON-o-meter. CRON stands for calorie restricted, optimal nutrition.
The meal planning comes from a site DIET SOLUTIONS.  I paid for it. not free.

What I WILL  do is increase my strength training and not rely on cardio workouts for weight loss.  I learned that bicycling (which is my favorite sport as well as recreation) is not good at melting fat into chiselled muscle. Weight training is the way to go. I hate weights. I get all swoozy and sleepy at the thought of going to the gym and using cold hard iron bars and machines that I sit in and push pull and strain at. I am thinking in my advanced age I shouldn't have to torment my body and expose myself to this indignity. But my vanity and my fear of looking like my grandmother(s) (God Bless Them) is goading me into this most unsavory of activities.  I learn all this stuff from another website I bought into which is www.truthaboutabs.com.  I am sucked into all this stuff now which is usually reserved for the younger types, because I learned this is not just for youthful people or males.  Its for all of us, if you have taken on a human form in this lifetime. So bottom line, abs and ab workouts?  Not a good combo. Its whole body workouts, short ones, not exhausting ones. I will let you know if I in fact do take that first step and read the manual (which I paid for) and follow thru and go to a ....(gulp) gym. Actually I do go to a gym in the cold weather, but only to do the torture chamber thing....... the nordic track.  See how I am?  Not a fan of machines.

Okay its Friday. Its a beautiful COOL day, windy in the a.m. and tomorrow is SATURDAY!!! I love the sound of that.  So in celebration of my beautiful husbands homecoming (after a month separation) I shall create my his favorite dessert,  Flourless Chocolate Cake with Ganache frosting.....Maybe I will allow myself a wee small bite, just to make sure its made correctly.  A cooks prerogative.

By the way I had a dream last night of eating some delicious hot savory dish from a casserole.  The power of thought is amazing-- I got hungry, and it smelled wonderful. (Never had a food dream that I can remember)

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE (baked chocolate mousse)

Preheat oven to 325.

Ingredients.

4 large organic eggs- separated.

1/2 cup organic white sugar (sorry I have not got the guts yet to try stevia in cooking, I can barely use it in my tea-- some sort of aftertaste?!)

1 4 oz. stick of butter, organic raw if possible

1 3.5 oz bar of TJ's 72% organic chocolate (plus another 3 squares to equal 4 oz)


Vanilla

1/2 tsp Salt..... if the butter isn't salted.

 Procedure.

Separate eggs. Set aside yolks.  Put whites in large stainless bowl and whip til stiff. You can add a little creme of tartar if you are feint of heart.

In a double boiler add the chocolate (broken up) and the butter. Melt and stir every so often so the chocolate does not get dried up in the bowl of the double boiler.

What is this thing.... double boiler?  Simply a pot of water with a stainless fitted pot above it OR a stainless bowl set above the water.  As the water boils it gently heats without burning the contents of the pot or bowl. 

Okay turn off the stove now when that step is finished. Now whip in the sugar to the yolks which you have set aside.  Add the vanilla. Then combine the yolk mixture with the chocolate mixture.  It will be quite stiff.  Finally add the egg whites by folding in with a spatula. The idea is not to break up the tiny bubbles in the frothy egg whites....... That way the cake (or the mousse) will be light and fluffy.

Turn out this mixture in a quiche dish or a pie plate, that has been greased. 

Bake this for about 30 minute and keep checking to see if it is firm to the touch when pressed in the middle lightly. At that point remove from oven.

Remove from oven, let cool. You can top it with ganache frosting if you like and if you are really decadent i.e. its a full moon in Taurus, add some sweetened whipped cream...Powerful stuff. 

Ganache frosting

In a small stainless pot, add 4 tbsp butter, 1/4 cup cocoa powder and 4 or more squares of that leftover TJ"s chocolate.Also add about 3 tbsp of organic white or turbinado sugar.   Heat and stir then add about 1 cup of half and half.  Keep stirring til really thick. You can add more cream if too stiff. Add a flavoring of your  choice such as vanilla or orange liquor. Coffee as a flavoring if very strong like a few tbsp of espresso.. Cool in a bowl in the fridge and  use this to spoon on the cake later, or just pour directly onto the cake and then put in the fridge.  It will get firm.  This ganache can also be used to coat strawberries if you like.

And one wonders why I gained so much over the winter....