I don’t want to be dramatic, but I had a bit of a crisis yesterday: There wasn’t any chocolate in the house.

After feeling sorry for myself for a bit, I assessed my resources and did something about the situation. I realized that even though we didn’t have any edible chocolate, we did have cocoa.

Some brainstorming later, I decided to make a single-layer cake with ganache and toasted pecans. In the end, it took more effort than pulling a chocolate bar out of the cabinet. But, it was also much, much more satisfying.

The cake recipe was one that I’ve adapted a few times before and continue to use. I love that I can whip it up in one mixing bowl and it’s super delicious. The topping idea came from Shutterbean. I made a few adaptations for a thinner ganache…

The warm cake absorbed the ganache, which made it extra rich. No need for a thick frosting when the cake is so moist on its own!

And, of course, it’s impossible to go wrong with toasted pecans.

Enjoy this recipe with friends, family or by yourself… But only if you have good self-control!

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Things have been a little hectic around our neck of the woods for the past week or so — but all in very good ways. New year, new opportunities!

In the midst of it all, I wanted to take the time to reminisce on one of my all-time favorite memories with Dan.

Back in the beginning of December, Dan was gearing up for a tough round of finals. I was also waiting to hear about a job interview. The tension was pretty high and we wanted a brief escape.

That weekend, temperatures in the Midwest were nearing record highs. We decided it was a perfect time to squeeze in a few hikes, so Dan began looking at trips in neighboring states.

Although there are many positive attributes to these states, they simply aren’t the best destinations for hikers. So, at noon on Saturday, Dan presented me with a far-out option: How about we drive up to the Black Hills of South Dakota?

My first instinct was to laugh. A 12-hour drive is no easy task. Plus, even if the weather is unseasonably warm, we can’t get by with cheap camping. The logistics of it all just weren’t adding up… And I’m big on getting the logistics right.

But then I did something totally out of nature. I stopped thinking about it and said we should go for it.

One hour filled with quick-packing and lots of “I can’t believe we’re doing this” statements later, Dan, Tracker and I were on the road!

By midnight, we were nearing our destination of Rapid City, South Dakota. We settled on a comfortable hotel with great off-season rates and quickly fell asleep — which was fortunate because we set our alarms for 5 a.m. the next morning.

We grabbed a quick breakfast the next morning and hit the road just in time to watch the sun rise over the Black Hills.

From Rapid City, we drove about 45 minute father to the interior of Black Hills National Forest. With cool-but-comfortable weather and our hiking boots on, we set off on the Harney Range Trail.

For 3.5 miles, we wound through the woods and between rocky spires.

Unlike the August trip my dad and I took to the Black Hills a few years ago, the off-season meant the trail — and the view — was all ours.

Of course, there was a downside: The off-season meant there wasn’t maintenance on the trail. Fortunately, there weren’t many obstacles besides the snow and a few downed trees.

Besides, the reward at the top of the trail was worth the hike: At 7,242 feet, Harney is the tallest peak east of the Rocky Mountains. It also offers a stunning view of four states!

We spent as much time as we could at the top, but “unseasonably warm weather” at 7,000 feet in a South Dakota winter is still cold, cold, cold.

It was a bit sad to hike down from such a great lookout, but there was still a lot on the itinerary for the day. Like, you know, that little national monument some people like to see…

Seriously, friends, do yourself the favor of visiting Mt. Rushmore. We’ve all seen it in movies, but the big screen does little justice for the real deal. It’s an absolute work of art and a true national treasure — and I’m not just talking as the presidential history nerd that I am.

Once again, it was great having virtual free rein of the park. Without the summer crowds, we were able to walk at our own pace and take it in on our own time.

In addition to Mt. Rushmore, we also visited the unfinished Crazy Horse Monument. The scale of it is incredible, but progress has been pretty slow for 60 years of work.

With the sun quickly going down, we tried to squeeze some more sightseeing in by driving through the park. But, in addition to the waning sun, our energy was also fading.

One drive back to Rapid City and a Papa John’s pick-up later, we were back in our hotel and oh so glad to relax for the rest of the night.

After a night of deep sleep, we packed up and headed out for another long drive — with a morning detour through the Badlands.

Around 12 hours later, we arrived back home… If you’re counting, that made for 24 hours of driving and little more than 24 hours of actual vacation. Generally, I would have considered that proportion to be way, way off. But, looking back, it is one of my absolute favorite memories.

They’re onto something with that whole “quality over quantity” thing…

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In this post, “it” shall refer to my career. A few years ago, it could have easily referred to my eating habits. Before that, it could have referred to my love life.

Since graduation, I’ve felt aimless, unsuccessful and confused about what I want to do with my life. With my job. With the it that I always assumed would define me.

However, the thing is, I’ve realized that no one my age (or any age?) has all of it figured out. Maybe one it, but not all of it.

So what if I am still looking for the full-time job that will keep me engaged and satisfied? Sure, I thought I would be more on track eight months post-graduation. But, I didn’t think I would be married or living in a country house. Something’s gotta give, right?

This all sunk in this past weekend when I was back in Nebraska to visit friends and family. I was glad to be back, but I dreaded the inevitable “What are you up to these days” question. I’ve always prided myself on having it figured out. Now that I don’t, I’ll admit that I was ashamed.

Then I got to Nebraska and started catching up with friends. I quickly learned something: If they have their own it straightened out, then it’s likely that another it is up in the air… And I am so proud of them for that. I am thrilled that my friends are challenging themselves and refusing to settle.

Why should I treat myself different? Shouldn’t I take pride in the challenge rather than satisfaction in an easy job decently done?

The post Figuring It Out appeared first on Pursuit of Healthfulness.

I never really understood the concept of sugar cookies. Without any real flavor beyond a hint of vanilla, sugar cookies just didn’t seem worth it. Why not add a little chocolate in there and make them delicious? Or, why not add chocolate and peppermint and make them really delicious?

If you really want to impress Santa with your cookie offering this year, these are the treats to go with. The amounts of cocoa and peppermint are perfectly balanced — and frosting is always a good thing.

The only problem is that we’ve eaten these up so quickly, we’ll have to make another batch before Christmas. (Life’s tough, isn’t it?)

To balance out our sugar intake, Dan and I took the time the other day to explore a little bit of the property. It like a completely different world than it did in the midst of summer!

The silly kittens followed us around like little dogs.

Tracker was more content to do her own thing.

Now we’re bracing for our first snow of the year. It’s highly likely we’ll receive more in this one storm than we did during the entirety of last winter. Crazy Kansas weather…

Enjoy the holidays!

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Along with the rest of the country, I am still trying to process the events that transpired on Friday in Newtown, Connecticut. Sadly, the more we’ve learned and the more I’ve thought about it, the harder it is to comprehend.

Evil has been around since the beginning of time. But it’s become increasingly apparent that no place is sacred. Just this year, there were shootings in a movie theater, a temple, a mall and — now — an elementary school.

I began Kindergarten in 1995 and graduated from high school in 2008. In that time, I played witness to ever-changing school rules. The first time I heard the word “lockdown” was after Columbine in 1999. Whereas school children during the Cold War practiced hiding beneath their desks’, we practiced locking the doors, shutting the blinds and staying quiet until the voice came over the intercom and announced the drill was over.

We went into an active lockdown during my freshmen year of high school when student brought a gun to class and threatened another boy. Fortunately, we had roaming police officers on duty who handled the incident quickly without any injuries.

Still, an increasing number of regulations were instituted to keep students safe. Beginning my senior year of high school, we had to wear photo IDs every day. The lanyards were a hot topics, particularly among students who were prone to forget their IDs and were forced to pay $3 for a temporary.

In December of that year, arguments against the IDs were quelled. At a nearby Omaha mall, a 19-year-old went into Von Maur with a semi-automatic rifle. He took an elevator near the door to the third floor, which opened in the center to reveal the two other levels of the department store. Then, with more than 30 rounds fired, he killed eight people, injured four and — finally — took his own life.

Shock waves were felt throughout the state of Nebraska. My community was particularly moved when we learned that one of those killed was the father of a classmate. He was just on his way to the Omaha airport and decided to shop for presents at the mall. I also remember how vividly I was able to picture the massacre: I had visited the shop many times. I even bought my homecoming dress from that Von Maur just two months before.

The sad thing is, this is just my story. I’m one of millions who have memories directly related to mass shootings. And, unless any real action is taken, that number will continue to grow.

I know the tragedy at Sandy Hook has stirred opinions about gun control, psychiatric care and more. Although this is a time to mourn the victims, it is also a time to really consider what can be done to prevent another tragedy. And another. And another.

The topic of gun control shouldn’t be political. Consider legislation enacted by the conservative prime minister of Australia following a 1996 mass shooting that banned semiautomatic weapons, automatic rifles and shotguns: There have been no mass shootings since that time and there has been a 59 percent decline in firearm homicides.

This is a unique country with a special Constitution. As much as anyone, I believe these laws should be upheld. However, I also believe they leave room for change. The Founding Fathers knew that when they wrote in the Constitution how to change it (Article 5). Following that process, there have been 27 refinements since the Constitution was drafted in 1787.

And, if there have been that many reforms to our freedoms, I think it is definitely reasonable to consider reforms to the second amendment — particularly considering this was ratified when the strongest arms available were muskets, not semiautomatic, military-grade rifles.

I’m not sure what a perfect revision to the second amendment would look like. Should people be allowed shotguns? Should there be more regulations on who can purchase firearms?

There is a lot to consider. But, let’s agree on one thing: The time is now.

The post The Time is Now appeared first on Pursuit of Healthfulness.