I love to cook and try new recipes, especially around the holidays. What other time can we have Grandma's sweet rolls, Aunt Jenn's pumpkin casserole, or Uncle Bob's deep fried turkey? Traditions are kept, culture is preserved, and someone's always coming up with the greatest story since last year's gala. Where else can we get such rich entertainment, than from our own families?

This year, at Thanksgiving, I decided to veer from the norm and leave the pumpkin and pecan pies to my daughters-in-law, and venture out to make chocolate cream-filled cupcakes. It started a few weeks before when I had an assignment to come up with a special dessert for a ladies committee meeting. Just the thought of a Hostess chocolate cupcake that we enjoyed as kids came to memory, and my taste buds began doing jumping jacks in my mouth. I decided that I wanted it to be very chocolaty, with a rich chocolate frosting, and of course the filing had to be creamy and sweet.

I remembered the Chocolate Sour Cream Cake right out of my Rosalie Serving Country cookbook on page 218. This cake is phenomenal, complete with bites of crunchy chocolate chips. Next, it had to have a sweet creamy filling, which after a few tries, I was able to find just the perfect touch. Lastly, a rich chocolate frosting had to top the whole thing off, and I found just the frosting right out of one of my many cookbooks.

So after eating way too many of these little darlings, I realized it was just the thing to use as a "favor" at the place settings for the Thanksgiving dinner. I also realized, that just like that awesome cupcake, every day of life is a gift from God. No matter how bleak things may look, trusting God's direction gives us a sweet "filling."

That's why I conclude, every day is a holiday when it is filled with the ones that are dearest to us; our families. Feel estranged? Invite them anyway, and take the humble side...families are worth fighting for. And for sure they will melt when they bite into one of those wonderful cupcakes.

God bless
Rosalie