Delicious & Moist Chocolate Cake

by: Felicity King


This fantabulous chocolate cake is light and fluffy, moist, and very easy to make. It will definitely be a winner with your guests at afternoon teas or church socials.

             Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cups cocoa
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup hot, very strong coffee

Mix and blend all dry ingredients together, except for sugar. Cream sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk until blended. Gradually add the dry ingredients.
Add the hot coffee by pouring a slow stream against the inside of the bowl while mixing.
Batter will be thin.
Pour in a 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40-45 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely.

 Chocolate Frosting Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk (plus extra for thinning)

Mix cocoa and sugar in a bowl. In another bowl, cream the butter. Gradually add the cocoa and sugar mixture to the creamed butter, alternately, with the half cup of milk until blended. Carefully add very small amounts of milk at a time until desired consistency is reached. Cream well in between each addition of milk.
Frost on cooled cake. Serve in generous helpings to your guests. :-)

Spices of Autumn

by: Sara Stanley

~various vivid words describing 'autumn'...it might help fellow writers in need of some colorful adjectives. :-)

1. crisp, sun burnt leaves
2. sweet chill of pumpkin
3. faded woods
4. fiery auburn leaves

~and a quote from the favorite, fiery red head:

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers." 

                     -Miss Anne Shirley

An Old Motion Picture Of Avonlea

By: Jasper Dale

Isaiah 40:8

"The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the Word of our God shall stand FOREVER."

                              Have a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow, everyone! God Bless!
                           
                                                                    xoxo, the author ;-)

A Winter Story, part fifteen

by: Olivia Dale   

With Eliza having consumed her special Raven's Water Tea, she came back to her senses and even stopped shivering, all within fifteen minutes! 
Janet stood next to her, rubbing her old aunt's stiff shoulders. She sat down into a chair next to her and took hold of Eliza's wrinkled hands. "Great Aunt Eliza," she said hesitantly, "Can you ever forgive me?"
Eliza looked into her beloved niece's eyes and squeezed Janet's hand tightly. "Of course I do. Forgiveness is something we mustn't do without." she looked down, and said with a flush, "I, I'm sorry, for the way I have treated you- and everybody around here. I'm an old, old lonely woman, never having received attention from, goodness knows who, but you Janet," she looked up at Janet again, "you gave me more love than I deserved, even with all my complaints and bickering."
Janet blinked, clearly at a loss for words.
"But, oh! My feet are as blocks of ice, Janet. I'm frozen stiff.." Eliza finished.
Just as Janet was about to ask something, Felix and Sara came bursting through the door, bright eyed and rosy, smiling from ear to ear in her barn clothes.
"Mother, Father said for you both to bundle up and go into the barn."
Janet's eyes widened. "The barn?" she asked, unbelieving. "Whatever is this about?"
"You'll see." Sara said as she hurried and retrieved their winter coats and mittens from the rack.
"You'll be in for a surprise."she said and plunked the coats onto a nearby chair.

                                                                                 ~*~

Everyone was in the lambing pen as Sara and Felix explained about their "little heater".
"The motion of the bicycle sends an electric current to this box-"
Felix was saying, "which then sends it back through this cable. "
Sara, holding the strand of wire up so that everybody could see, continued their speech. "The cables are all hooked onto the light bulbs which are screwed onto this plank, and because of the electric currents flowing through because of the bicycle, they light up, and produce heat."
"Which is energy." Felix finished. "Now, Mr. Pettibone, will you please peddle that bicycle?" he asked his school master who was standing next to it.               
Mr. Pettibone got on and peddled. Nothing happened.
"You're going to have to peddle a lot faster, Mr. Pettibone." Sara chuckled.
As he did so, they heard that familiar faint buzz and a warm glow appear from the light bulbs.
"Why it's as warm as a summer's day!" Alec said as he stood amazed at the lovely lit light bulbs.
Hetty laughed with delight and sat in the hay, next to light bulbs, holding a lamb and bottle feeding it.
"Well, the sheep are making use of it as well." she said as the rest of the flock shyly sniffed at the warm, bright contraption.
Janet and Felicity seated Eliza next to the lights into a sweet smelling pile of hay, and snugly tucked a blanket around her. Eliza laughed. "I don't think I'm going to be cold anymore after this."
Mr. Pettibone, from his perch on the bicycle, smiled at his pupils.
"Because of Sara and Felix's excellent demonstration and presentation, I give them a passing grade and the prize for the Best Project Of The Year." he said, beaming. "This is ingenious."
Sara and Felix looked at each other in amazement. Did he just say Best Project Of The Year?? They squealed with delight. Janet smiled, and looked at her dear aunt. "Now Eliza, you are more than welcome to stay with us." she said.
"For as long as you wish." Alec put in while holding one of the lambs in his arms.
Eliza smiled. "Are you sure?" she asked them.
"They are certain, Eliza. Don't make them change their minds." Hetty chuckled as she fed her lamb. "Do stay, we don't want you to go." Sara said, and Felicity, sitting next to her, nodded her head vigorously. Felix laughed. "I won't turn the heat off to your room anymore either, Great Aunt Eliza." he laughed as Eliza winked to him. However, his parents, Aunt Hetty and older sister Felicity glared at him for such a heinous act. Hetty pinched him and he flinched, yet still smiling at Eliza.
"Alright then. It's settled. Of course I'll stay." Eliza smiled and looked up at Janet. "Thank-you."
"No, thank-you." Janet told her, "for forgiving me and still loving me." she smiled as they embraced each other.
Outside, the sun was beginning to set and shone golden over the snowy hills, and into the King Barn, giving a bright, warm glow, just like the light bulbs.

                                                               THE END

A Winter Story, part fourteen

by: Olivia Dale

the King Farm House

"Alec, I think you had better run for the doctor." Janet said, who was sitting next to her aunt, wrapping Eliza in yet another blanket.

They both looked at a blue lipped Eliza. She was shivering although the fire in the furnace was blazing and the kitchen was actually warm for a change. The old woman was muttering something, something about a little black case.

"Her case! The little black case, oh Alec it's in the sleigh. Get it quick." Janet said.

Alec went out to get it, Hetty of course, following him.

Back in the kitchen, Janet was soothing her aunt. "There, there, Eliza. Alec is going out to get it for you, just calm down, dear, you'll warm up soon." she said.

"My- my little c-case. W-with water ravens tea.  I need it! It w-w-will warm me up. It tastes like chocolate, d-don't you know. Reci-p-p-pe from my m-m-mother. My case. I n-n-need my little case, Janet...the black one, you know. Filled with my remedies." Eliza stuttered, looking pleadingly at Janet.

Janet looked at her helpless, not at all knowing what to do. If she could just get that tea down inside her maybe that should calm her down a bit. I hope, she thought, squeezing her aunt close to her.

                                                                         

                                                                          ~*~

Alec and Hetty hastily walked down the pathway leading towards the barnyard. He coughed and reached for the black case, then blew his nose.

"Oh," he groaned as he stuffed the handkerchief back into his coat pocket. "This influenza, whatever it is, came right in the wrong time of year. I have so much work to do, and now with Eliza going downhill..." he coughed again, "and to leave the lambing to Felix, of all people.." he complained. 

Hetty stiffened. 

"Now what's wrong with leaving the lambing to Felix? Or any of the children for that matter?" she accused her brother. "It's not wrong to step down and let your children grow up and be responsible around the farm. And Eliza will perk up the moment she has some of that- that- water ravens tea remedy of hers. It would do you and Janet both some good to listen to what she has to say for a change." Hetty softened her tone of voice and stopped walking in order to let her next words sink in with her brother. "Eliza is an old, old woman and she has lots of wise things too share with you. Your family the only family she has. And Abigail, too, but Eliza is here now and we don't know how much longer she will be with you all, so take the time now to learn from her. And to give her the love that she so desperately needs." she finished, emotion penetrating her voice.

Alec looked down, knowing all too well that Hetty was right, as older sisters always are. Most of the time, that is. He looked at his sister and smiled. 

"You know Hetty, you're right." he told her.

"I always am." she said, winking, and turned around and went back to the house, with the small, black case in hand.

Then, just as Alec was about to follow Hetty, two youngsters caught his eye.

"Father, Father!" Felix shouted as he ran towards his father.

"Uncle Alec!" Sara echoed in, "You've got to see what's in the barn."

A winter story, part thirteen

by: Olivia Dale

The screeching of sled runners sliced through the quietness of the King family barnyard. Janet tugged mightily on the reins and pulled the horse to a jarring halt. She picked up a woolen checkered blanket, which she had found in the back of the sleigh, and wrapped it around a shivering Great Aunt Eliza. "Alec! Hetty!" she cried, "Come here quick! I've found Eliza!"
Just then, Clive Pettibone showed up, who had made his way from town to check on the lambs,
"What's all the commotion? Is something wrong?" he asked, but then he quickly realized that there was something serious going on. He rushed over to the sleigh and over to Eliza's side.
"Oh Clive, thank goodness you're here. She's fallen through the ice and she keeps on mumbling things and I can't understand a word, it's so unclear...I don't know if she's in shock..." Janet sobbed and sniffed with fright.
Clive didn't hesitate a moment. "Alec! Hetty! Come here!" he called in a loud, booming voice as he scooped the feeble woman into his arms. Alec, followed by Felicity, toddler Daniel, and Hetty, came running towards them.
Alec helped lift Aunt Eliza and together he and Clive carefully carried her into the house. Everybody followed, Felicity closing the farmhouse door behind them, and prayed with all her heart that Aunt Eliza wouldn't die in the midst of them.

                                                                      ~*~

In the meantime, Felix and Sara arrived in the barnyard, clumsily carrying a wooden board with light bulbs screwed onto it, all attached with wire strings mingled onto a bicycle and a big, black box.
"Ouch." Sara groaned as a loose string whipped into her face, "Felix, don't go so fast, I can't keep up." she exclaimed.
Felix sighed but kept his steady pace. "We've got to save the lambs, Sara. We're almost there. Just two more steps."  He told her as they made their way into the lambing pen. Carefully, Sara placed the board with light bulbs onto the soft straw as Felix set up the bicycle and the box. Together they fumbled around with the strings.
Felix picked up the charred black string from the latter finger burning incident, and twisted it onto the black box. Phew, no invisible hand chucked him across the floor this time, he mused.
Well, the contraption looked ready to roll.
Fingers crossed, Sara hopped onto the bicycle and started to peddle. She heard a little buzz and saw a faint glow glimmer from all of the light bulbs.
Felix stared in awe. "Peddle faster." he instructed.
So she did, and the faint glow gleamed beautifully bright, and oh! the warmth that came from it! Immediately all of the lambs wobbled towards the light, bleating happily.
Sara and Felix laughed with delight.
"C'mon Sara! We've got to tell the rest of them!" Felix shouted with glee. Sara stopped peddling and slid off of the bike, then she and Felix ran back into the cold, with happy news to share with the family. Yet little did they know about their Great Aunt Eliza...