As the celebratory month of April has come and gone, I reflect on the many celebrations that I have
had during the month. This year, April brought a bounty of occasions that were worthy of jubilation; so many that Cool & The Gang might agree that there were enough to “last throughout the years.”
Birthday celebrations began April 2nd as I toasted one of my best friends from high school, Lynda and then Peter on April 3rd. Peter’s April 3rd toast continued at a weekend get-away (April 16th-17th) to celebrate a milestone – his 50th birthday – with friends at the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay. What a treat!
The guys golfed for two days, the first at The Old Course and the second at The Ocean Course. The gals lunched at a wonderful Italian restaurant Pasta Moon and shopped the first day on quaint Main Street. It was off to the spa at the Ritz on the second for a few hours of pampering and relaxation.
Dinner Saturday evening was amazing. The eight of us “ate, drank and were merry” for hours at Navio. En route home, Kay had the brilliant idea to stop at her favorite spot Barbara’s Fish Trap for clam chowder and other wonderful seafood fare as none of us were really ready to end the soiree and go back to reality.
The celebration continues! On April 22nd, Mike and Kathi hosted a cocktail party at their home coupled with a wonderful dinner party at the San Jose Country Club. The “eating, drinking and being merry” continued with more great food, more great wine, and beautiful views of San Jose during sunset; all enjoyed with special friends. CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES
- 2 ounces roasted, salted pistachio chopped
- 3 tablespoons best quality unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 2 ounces peanut brittle, finely chopped
- 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate (can use chips), preferably 62% cacao
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon brandy
Prepare in ice-water bath. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Place pistachio, cocoa powder, and brittle in separate bowls. Place chocolate in heatproof bowl. Bring milk and butter just to simmer in a saucepan pour over chocolate, and whisk until smooth. Whisk in brandy. Set bowl in ice bath; whisk constantly, scraping sides of bowl, until mixture is thick enough to scoop with a spoon, about 5 min. Use a mini-ice cream spoon (or tea spoon) to form mixture into balls, dropping them into the pistachio, cocoa powder and brittle as you go; roll to cover. You can roll the truffles in one, two or three coatings.
Transfer to prepared baking sheet and refrigerate until set, at least 10 min. Truffles will keep up to 1 week in the refrigerator, store in a single layer in an airtight container. Makes one dozen.
With another week of April still remaining, the celebrating continued with a toast to my other best high school girlfriend Deb-Deb, April 27th, and to my Aunt Janie who shared her birthday with the Royal Wedding – Prince William and Princess Kate on April 29th; a grand celebration indeed.
In our wedding worthy hats and bedtime finery, Julie and I too celebrated the marriage of Prince William and Kate. We camped out in front of the big screen and watched the festivities live celebrating with champagne, scones and sweet treats along with the other estimated 3 billion people throughout the world. We made it from midnight until five in the morning; then we crashed. 
The month of April brought many together to have a good time. Each celebration brought laughter, love, merriment, and the consumption of good food, good drink and good desserts with dear friends and family.
With all of this eating and imbibing, my friend Sandra again reminded me about my motto of “not wasting calories.” A few years ago, she honored me with a glass cupcake (pictured above) from Ras Galleries in Yountville, California. Keeping with tradition, Sandra presented me with another sweet
indulgence created by Dinah and Patty Hulet, the “Love” chocolate; both beautiful sweets are sans sugar and calories, brilliant! Per the Hulets “These unique glass chocolates provide a combination of decadence and sinful goodness that will last a lifetime.”
Now you can really have “a celebration to last throughout the years!” Imagine having as many Hulet & Hulet chocolates as you wish and never having to worry about the calories. Now that is something to celebrate!
Asante!
