Heavenly weekend

Awww, finally I get a weekend at home. Don't you ever feel that way? I'm sure most of you had a busy summer. (what we had of it anyway) It's going this place and that place, birthday parties, and BBQ's, swimming, camping, gardening, sheesh! I'm tired and I want to nest in, smell the scent of burn piles, and apple pies baked. (the burn pile thing is something from my childhood.....don't question) No plans, no commitments, just me and my family and some heavenly time.

It all started with my beauties in the garden that needed some serious picking.

The fruits of my labor. There is something so rewarding about your own garden. I can walk a few feet and pick fresh goods for my family. And they don't go through a baggilian hands before they make it to my kitchen.

Except these little hands.

What a helper! She only snipped about 5 beans and was glad she could help.

While her and most of I prepared the beans, my husband needed some much deserved time to relax.

He hates his picture taken unknown, but you wont tell right?

My mom was a huge blessing this weekend by bringing all her equipment and teaching me the basics in canning.

I have to say, I do have the bug for canning now. It was fun, rewarding, but most of all fun times spent with my mom.

We also had some good meals this weekend and not a penny spent eating out.

But I think this heavenly meal deserves a heavenly dessert, don't you think?

This is probably my husband most favorite requested dessert, and I'm sure that most of you have had this at some point in your life, but needless to say here is the version I grew up on.

Heavenly dessert

1 cup flour

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup chopped nuts(optional)

1 8oz pkg cream cheese softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 regular size tub of whip cream

2 small boxes of your favorite instant chocolate pudding

3 cups milk

3 Tb ground fine bittersweet chocolate(good quality chocolate)

Preheat oven to 350

Melt butter in medium size bowl, add flour and nuts if using. Mix until soft dough forms. 

Spread in 9by13 pan with the back of a fork.

Bake for 15 minutes and cool completely.

Meanwhile in medium bowl with hand mixer, blend cream cheese and powdered sugar until creamy.

Fold in 1 cup of whipped cream. Spread on cooled crust.

In another medium size bowl, mix the two boxes of pudding with 3 cups of milk. Blend as directed on back of box. Spread over cream cheese mixture.

Spread remaining whipped cream(about 1 cup)over chocolate.

Sprinkle the ground chocolate over the top. ( I used my food processor to grind up bittersweet chocolate chips, but you can shave a good quality chocolate bar over the top as well.)

Place in fridge covered in plastic wrap for at least 2 hours.

This weekend was one worth gloating over. Being home, having some normalcy, and spending it with the people I love, was heavenly.