By Sheri Hopkins, Lifestyle Contributor
Hello everyone! We went from winter to spring. I love this weather, such nice days we are having. Punxsutawney Phil has made his prediction; an early spring is headed our way. I know he is just a rodent, but he’s a famous rodent.
Have I told y’all my house is haunted? Every time I look in the mirror, a chubby old lady appears. I thought that was sooo funny.
I want to tell y’all another story about my mother. I’ve told y’all 100 times she had Alzheimer’s. My mom always sang at church and led songs as long as I can remember. Even when she was in advanced stage, she could get up and sing and not forget the words. It makes me cry to think about it. Never missed a beat. She would bless people with her singing and loved to go to church.
I know y’all remember Shirley Gillis. She was such a precious person. Mom would ask her questions about her mom, Marie Clopton that had passed away. Shirley would always answer her and be so patent with mom. Almost without fail, every service mom would ask Shirley how her mom was doing. Even the most patient can break every once in a while. One night after service, mom, again, asked Shirley how her mom was. Shirley responded with, “Janice she is dead.” In my mom fashion, she replied, “whaaaaat?” I laugh thinking about it. That Shirley was a jewel for sure.
When my husband passed away, mom didn’t recognize many people. She was sitting in the kitchen, we had a house full of people, my two brothers were standing outside, and she could see them through the window. She looks and says, “there are my boys.” It made me cry, she remembered them. We had a lot of laughs at my house with her. She loved Jacob and Jimmy and all the little kids. If your mom is still alive, make time for her. You won’t regret it.
This week’s recipe is for a chocolate dump cake. I love chocolate.
CHOCOLATE DUMP CAKE
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
1 box chocolate cake mix (you can use fudge or milk chocolate, just whatever you like)
1 (5.1 oz.) box of chocolate instant pudding
2 1/2 cups of whole milk
1 (12 oz.) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
Spray a 9×13 pan with nonstick spray and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly in the pan. Sprinkle the dry instant pudding on top of the cake mix. Add the milk to the melted butter (make sure the butter isn’t too hot). Pour the milk/butter mixture on top of the cake and pudding. Use a whisk to mix slightly, you don’t need to stir entirely, but you do want it slightly mixed, so it bakes evenly. Sprinkle the entire bag of chocolate chips across the top. Place in the oven to bake for 40-45 minutes. Serve with ice cream.
