chocolate yum..

As I was reading the December issue of Oprah magazine this evening, I came across this lucious dessert - orange chocolate mousse...double yum! It brought back a long ago memory:

When I was pregnant with my daughter Stephanie 19 years ago, I worked in a very quaint Italian restaurant....and we served chocolate mousse. How I loved it - and everday during my pregnancy, I would eat a HUGE bowl of that decadent dessert - I KID YOU NOT!

It made my heart sing. My thighs and rear end were not too happy about it, but I didn't care...I was pregnant and was going to eat whatever the heck I wanted. So I did. After that little eating stint and my daughter was born, I was only able to eat a spoonful, no more huge bowls. I just wasn't craving it any longer.

But today when I saw this recipe - those old feelings came back...I have listed the recipe below just in case you would like to give it a taste yourself and while you're at it - Oprah Magazine has

some AWESOME articles - 12 stories of giving - which are so inspiring! It just goes to show that we have so many people that want to make a difference in the lives of others and I for one am

truly grateful to anyone that wants to make someone else's life just a little bit better!

ORANGE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Ingredients:Serves 6
5 ounces coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate
2 Tbsp. coffee or water
2 Tbsp. Grand Marnier
4 large eggs , preferably organic
1 cup chilled heavy cream
1 Tbsp. sugar
Candied orange peel , for garnish; available at Amazon.com
Edible gold flakes , for garnish; available at Amazon.com
Combine chocolate, coffee (or water), and Grand Marnier in the top of a double boiler. Stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Separate eggs. When chocolate has cooled, whisk in yolks.In a medium bowl, whip chilled heavy cream to soft peaks. In another bowl, beat egg whites until foamy; add sugar, and beat to soft peaks. Fold half of whites into chocolate until incorporated, then fold in rest of whites. Finally, fold in whipped cream.Spoon mousse into 6 glasses; chill at least 4 hours. To serve, top each glass with candied orange peel and gold flakes.