This photo says it all. This recipe would be fun to make with children who are at the age of a little self control, because there’s a bunch of temptation to just eat ganache a truffle at a time. Decorating them is fun and requires some creativity, and this recipe honestly is super simple. It is key to use high quality chocolate, and to let it firm up as ganache for a sufficient amount of minutes in the fridge before forming into balls. I love the decadence of ganache and I used to make a signature pie in which it figured prominently, and these are little balls of this pie. In truth I did not eat them because I have some health stuff which means I can’t always eat sugar, even in sm quantities, but I will next time. Published at 5:56

I live my life in such a way which might be described as “Everybody likes sprinkles”. We all need thoughtful gestures, we all need the beautiful ephemera of life which uniquely moves us and every so often, we need somebody to give us flowers from a real place. I try and pay attention to the “sprinkles” other people appreciate, I try and remember what people have said because it matters to me people leave me feeling heard and sometimes it works. In those moments I realize how much of who I have always been, I still am. These truffles are real metaphors for how involved family stuff can be, even with the people who you communicate with the best- sometimes things get sticky, sometimes they are messy, sometimes you need to take moments to say the thing your heart needs to say, sometimes it is so hot in the kitchen it feels like the whole thing is going to go to hell, but in the end, I have found sometimes your relationships which matter most are creations of true art…individual magical vignettes only your hands are capable of creating.. .In a life which has had some heartbreak about family occasions, I choose today to make the effort I can, in my way, to let people know how much family still means…a multi sprinkled truffle at a time. Everybody likes sprinkles.

I did not ever picture myself being the lady who brings the fanciest thing to dinner; I pictured myself being the person who was encouraging children to use their napkins and to eat their vegetables, but God sneezed and now I fill my days leading up to special occasions with well, prepping to bring things which are more involved than I would be able to have the time to make if I had the life I thought I would have by now. In bringing special things and listening to the children I have access to I find some real value in letting them know how special they are, even though I can’t buy them expensive things or might even at times have a faraway look in my face they have a hard time placing but I fear makes them sad. The reality is many of the women and men in my life honor food, with children on their hips and wisecracks on their lips. so I am following in a grand tradition of speaking with food when words would be best, but food works for now. There are many ways to honor people but I have always tried to honor people and occasions by making food celebratory because in the effort I put in, I am letting them know the effort I am willing to put in to the people who matter. It’s not always easy to say “yeah the sad stuff happened and I know you can’t fix it even though you wish you could”, but in showing up I have found I say it in ways I have often been too angry or scared or sad to say in words.

Yes, relationships should not always take considerable effort, but the reality is the relationships worth having in life sometimes take real effort just like special occasion food sometimes takes effort.. I’ve done the emotional work and I try and show up, but for the things which can’t be said today or have been said before so many times they seem hollow, I cook. I cook because I can and in my painful journey with food, it’s a revelation to think about enjoying what I am eating and serving and I want people to know there are actually parts of me which have actually healed so much I find joy in food.