Tag Archives: Love

Feb12

The Original Me

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Marcia Williams_Baby

This is the early version of TenaciousM. Still don’t know why Nana (Dad’s Mother) called me “the devil” and refused to babysit till I got over that pyromania phase… Is that not the tallest 2 year old you have ever seen?

I was hanging out with Mama Ocia and Aunt Delores (my Mom’s Mother and sister) in Cedar Grove, TX near the town of Newton. I think I’m dressed for the family Homecoming which is in August, so I was almost 3. I know, it’s crazy that my memory goes back that far, but the spankings I got on the regular served as a sort of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder to jolt my memory at an early age. (Here’s where all the anti-corporal punishment folks need to take a seat. I was one bad ass kid… my peeps did what they had to do).

What’s even funnier is that this was the visit when my Aunt Dee had to explain the “Birds and the Bees” to me. I had asked where I’d come from and she said I was an egg in my mother’s womb. I thought she said “my mother’s room”, and was shocked. I told Aunt Dee that seemed dangerous and that Ceal and Barry (my older sister and brother) could have easily come along and broken me.

Alas, a writer was born! -Marcia AKA: TenaciousM

TenaciousM Crowned

…still a little naughty. That crown was on my friend’s birthday cake.

Feb10

Chocolate S’mmoralist

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Like all the names of the desserts at Sugar, this one is a play on a literary work (André Gide’s The Immoralist). The campfire favorite is made at once more refined and more scrumptious: Meltingly soft, homemade marshmallows are caramelized atop tender, crumbly chocolate sablé cookies. You will need to use a stand mixer to prepare the fresh marshmallows, and a kitchen blowtorch to caramelize them. #chocolatefriendsofTenaciousM enjoy!

Chocolate S'mmoralist

Ingredients

Marshmallows
1 1/4 cups water, divided
1 1/4-ounce package unflavored gelatin
4 tablespoons powdered sugar, divided
2 cups sugar
12 tablespoons corn syrup, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sablé cookies
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped

Preparation

For marshmallows:
Place 1/2 cup water in small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over; let stand until gelatin softens, about 10 minutes.
Line 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish with plastic wrap, leaving overhang. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons powdered sugar over plastic wrap. Combine remaining 3/4 cup water, 2 cups sugar, and 6 tablespoons corn syrup in heavy small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Boil without stirring until thermometer registers 230°F, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush, about 14 minutes (time will vary depending on size of pan). Stir in remaining 6 tablespoons corn syrup and vanilla.
Transfer sugar mixture to heavy-duty stand mixer with paddle attachment. Add gelatin mixture. Beat on low speed until mixture turns opaque, about 5 minutes. Beat on medium-high until mixture is cool and forms soft white peaks, about 15 minutes. Spread evenly in prepared dish. Dust with 2 tablespoons powdered sugar. Let stand at room temperature at least 8 hours to set (marshmallow will be soft). Cover; refrigerate. (Can be made 2 days ahead.)

For sablé cookies:
Using electric mixer, beat butter in medium bowl until smooth. Add sugar; beat until blended. Add flour, cocoa powder, and salt; beat just until blended, adding water by teaspoonfuls if mixture is too dry. Form dough into ball; flatten into rectangle. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll dough out on lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch-thick rectangle. Cut dough into 2×4-inch rectangles. Transfer rectangles to prepared sheet. Bake until puffed and beginning to crack, about 9 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack to cool (cookies will become crisp as they cool).

Line another large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Stir chocolate in double boiler over barely simmering water until melted and smooth. Spread over parchment on prepared sheet. Run fork up and down length of chocolate, forming ridges. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Break chocolate into large irregular pieces.

Place 1 cookie on each of 6 plates. Cut marshmallow into six 2×4-inch rectangles. Transfer marshmallows to sheet of foil. Using blowtorch, brown tops of marshmallows. Invert 1 marshmallow, brown side down, atop each cookie. Brown top and sides of marshmallows on cookies. Arrange chocolate pieces decoratively atop marshmallows and serve.

Feb9

Chocolate Triple-threat Cookies

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Prepare to abandon all restraint when you try one of these cookies, made with melted chocolate and chocolate chips in the batter and layered with a chocolate ganache filling.

Chocolate Triple Threat Cookies

Yield: Makes 16 sandwich cookies
Prep And Cook: 50 Minutes
Chill And Cool: 2 Hours, 30 Minutes

Ingredients

Cookies
10 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into chunks
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 tablespoons flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup finely chopped toasted pecans

Ganache
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Preparation

1. Make cookies: Put chopped chocolates and butter in a metal bowl and set bowl over (not touching) simmering water in a pot. Cook, stirring, until melted, then remove from heat and let cool slightly.
2. Whisk eggs, sugar, espresso powder, and vanilla into chocolate mixture. In another bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir into chocolate mixture until evenly mixed, then stir in chocolate chips and pecans. Wrap dough airtight and chill until firm enough to hold its shape, 50 to 60 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make ganache: Put chopped chocolate and cream in a medium metal bowl and set bowl over (not touching) simmering water in a pot. Cook, stirring, until melted, then let cool. Cover and chill, stirring occasionally, until firm enough to spread, about 1 3/4 hours. If ganache becomes too firm to spread, transfer to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for a few seconds to soften, stir.
4. Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop 2-tbsp. portions of dough onto sheets, spaced about 1 in. apart. Press dough to flatten into even 1/2-in.-thick rounds. Bake until cookies no longer look wet and you can feel a slight crust on top, about 10 minutes (don’t overbake); switch position of baking sheets halfway through. Let cookies cool on sheets on racks.
5. Generously spread flat sides of half of cookies with ganache and top with remaining cookies. (You may have a little leftover ganache.)
Make ahead: Dough and ganache, up to 2 days, chilled. Filled cookies, up to 2 days, chilled, or 2 months, frozen. Serve at room temperature.
Note: Nutritional analysis is per sandwich cookie.

Note:
The cookies are most irresistible if they’re still soft after baking; test-bake one to judge how long they take in your oven.

Feb9

SUNDAY REFLECTIONS

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Phillipians 8

Philippians 4:8

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable— if anything is excellent or praiseworthy— think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me— put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Feb5

Muhammad Ali Asks Questions

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Celebrating Black History Month…

Muhammad Ali is a role model for me. He reminds me that confidence is often misconstrued as arrogance. He has a courage of purpose that is unforgiving. I realize that there are times when others want me to “dim my light” to make them comfortable with me. And like Muhammad Ali, I believe that to do so makes me a phony of the worst kind… a phony to myself.

“I am an expression of the divine, just like a peach is, just like a fish is. I have a right to be this way…I can’t apologize for that, nor can I change it, nor do I want to… We will never have to be other than who we are in order to be successful…We realize that we are as ourselves unlimited and our experiences valid. It is for the rest of the world to recognize this, if they choose.” -Alice Walker, The Color Purple

Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr.; January 17, 1942) is an American former professional boxer, generally considered among the greatest heavyweights in the sport’s history. A controversial and polarizing figure during his early career, Ali is today widely regarded for not only the skills he displayed in the ring but also the values he exemplified outside of it: religious freedom, racial justice and the triumph of principle over expedience. He is one of the most recognized sports figures of the past 100 years, crowned “Sportsman of the Century” by Sports Illustrated and “Sports Personality of the Century” by the BBC.

Born Cassius Clay, at the age of 22 he won the world heavyweight championship in 1964 from Sonny Liston in a stunning upset. Shortly after that bout, Ali joined the Nation of Islam and changed his name. He subsequently converted to Sunni Islam in 1975.

In 1967, three years after winning the heavyweight title, Ali refused to be conscripted into the U.S. military, citing his religious beliefs and opposition to the Vietnam War. He was eventually arrested and found guilty on draft evasion charges and stripped of his boxing title. He did not fight again for nearly four years—losing a time of peak performance in an athlete’s career. Ali’s appeal worked its way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, where in 1971 his conviction was overturned. Ali’s actions as a conscientious objector to the war made him an icon for the larger counterculture generation. Ali remains the only three-time lineal World Heavyweight Champion; he won the title in 1964, 1974, and 1978.

Feb2

SUNDAY REFLECTIONS

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Here’s what I do. Focus on love and the rest seems to fall right into place.

Phillipians 4_6

Philippians 4:6-7

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Jan27

Calling All Dreamers

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Happy Monday to all my #DREAMERS (and you know who you are). Here’s a Monday pick-me-up just in case you have forgotten how fabulous you are. Remember, we aren’t selling our joy and we sure as hell aren’t giving it away for free. I recommend eating chocolate while listening!

Shout out to the original DREAMERS: Char, Diana, Pamela, Freida and Janice as well as my BFF and Honorary Dreamer Barbara Kapp. Mad Love Mondays and Always!

Jan26

SUNDAY REFLECTIONS

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Genesis 9:12

And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come.

Take What You Need.3

Jan12

SUNDAY REFLECTIONS

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Proverbs 20:3
3 It is to one’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.

Free to Choose 2

Jan9

Over The Hump Old School Sound Check- Marvin Gaye

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“What’s going on in your world?” We can all make the world better one day at a time, one person at a time. I’ll let Marvin Gaye remind us.

Looking forward to the weekend! Happy Thursday and Happy Birthday to my great friend Barbara Kapp! You are one of the truly cool people holding it down in Big D.