DECEMBER 2020 Life at Crowfields

DID YOU KNOW?

Interesting Winter Facts

-Red squirrels make mushroom jerky to prepare for the winter, they actually dry mushrooms and store them in their nests for the winter. -People born during the winter months are less irritable, and tend to have excessively positive temperaments. --Thundersnow is a rare, but real, weather phenomenon. For it to occur, the air layer closer to the ground has to be warmer than the layers above, but still cold enough to Inside This Issue produce snow. -Winter increases your appetite. The reason is your body Did You Know? 1 needs to work harder to keep your temperature at a Letter from the Editor 2 comfortable level, which requires more energy to burn. --Some cities use beet juice, beer waste, and pickle brine on Gifted Funds Committee 3 icy winter roads instead of salt. Salt can actually be harmful Mythology in the Garden 4 to the environment, so some cities are using alternative Covid Updates 9 methods to melt ice. Announcements and Reminders 10 -There is an annual hair freezing contest in Canada every In Memoriam 11 February. The purpose is to create the most creative frozen Cyber Security 14 hairdos as possible. You soak in the hot springs and allow the steam to accumulate on your head while the cold air From the Kitchen 15 freezes your hair. Gosh, that sounds so fun… -There are five types of snow: dry snow (zero percent water), moist snow (less than 3% water), wet snow (between 3-8% water), very wet snow (between 9-15% water), and slush (15% water). -At least a septillion of snowflakes falls from the sky each year and they fall at speeds of 1 to 6 feet per second. The Crowfields Chatter is Edited by -Snowflakes almost always have six sides. The largest Janet Moore and published by Gayle Connell. If you have ideas, an article snowflake on record measured 15” wide by 8” thick! or photos you would like to submit, -The largest snow ball fight involved 7,681 people in contact Janet at 778-9300 or Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, in January 2016. [email protected]

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart. Wishing you happiness.” --Helen Keller

Letter from the Editor Page 2

-Janet Moore

You’ll have to excuse me if I am a bit philosophical. I turned 70 on November 28, and since October 23, I have been fighting a hospital-acquired staph infection in my spine. Blood infections are deadly, and that point wasn’t lost on me. It should come as no surprise that 10 days in the hospital, followed by six weeks of IV antibiotics (with six months of oral antibiotics still to come), gives one pause. For friends, family, and our church, however, this sudden turn of events generated outpourings of love and support. It is humbling to be the recipient; being the giver is much easier, I’ve discovered.

It is in these moments of vulnerability that we can most appreciate the power of

community. Merriam-Webster Dictionary offers two definitions. This is the second: a

feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals. Over the past month, Parker and I have felt what it means to be part of the Crowfields ’community. Thanks hardly seems adequate to the many friends and neighbors who inquired as to how I was doing, or sent cards, or brought food, especially Crowfields’ Neighbors and Ellen James, who gave us a Thanksgiving easy button. Parker, Amelia and I have much to be thankful for, and we know it.

Now it is December, the last month of a calamitous year, and a month rich with religious significance and secular celebrations. It is the month of predictable happenings – the Geminid meteor shower (Dec. 13-14) and the winter solstice (Dec. 21), and holiday lights in and around Crowfields. But COVID-19 is still very much with us which means this holiday season will be different -- smaller, quieter, safer, filled with more Zoom and Facetime. This is not the holiday season any of us wanted, but it is the one we have.

All the more reason to reach out to our neighbors and ask, “Are you ok?” Because there just might be a chance that they aren’t. It is a small act of kindness that makes a difference. It also makes a difference to look beyond Crowfields to Asheville and those in greatest need. How can we, through small acts of kindness, make a difference? It is a question that I have thought about a lot. My answer came in a quote from Archbishop Desmond Tutu. “Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”

So, this holiday season, let’s overwhelm our Crowfields’ community with lights and laughter and love to such an extent that it spills out into the broken world that

surrounds us. There’s never been a better time for us to do so.

In gratitude and appreciation,

Janet

Gifted Funds Committee Page 3

Holiday Gifts and Gratitude

As the days get darker and colder and the pandemic keeps us home and more isolated, we have a chance to reflect on our families and friendships. During these difficult days it helps to envision the coming of spring and the Crowfields Common garden emerging after the winter.

Is there a grandchild, a parent, a friend, a pet or a team you would like to honor this year? Consider a holiday gift of a personalized brick, a memorial bench or a tree to beautify our grounds.

On the Crowfields website (and in the clubhouse) you will find forms for bricks, trees and benches which you can fill out and put in the drop box outside the clubhouse with your check noting “Gifted Funds” in the memo line.

As soon as the spring sun warms the ground, the Crowfields Common garden will be built using your bricks, your benches and your trees in a beautiful design for all to enjoy.

Wishing you all courage and health as together we look to a brighter future in the New Year,

The Gifted Funds Committee

Mythology in the Garden Page 4

A Series by Martin Snyder

Mysterious Mistletoe

The Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder provides us with the earliest written account of mistletoe and its importance to the Celts. According to Pliny, their priests, the Druids, considered nothing more sacred than mistletoe and the oak tree that supported it. “In fact,” Pliny notes, “it is the notion with them that everything that grows on it has been sent immediately from heaven, and that the mistletoe upon it is a proof that the tree has been selected by God himself as an object of his especial favor.”

Pliny goes on to say: “Mistletoe, however, is but rarely found upon the oak; and when found, is gathered with rites full of religious awe….Having made all due preparation for a sacrifice and banquet beneath the trees, they bring thither two white bulls, the horns of which are bound then for the first time. Clad in a white robe the priest ascends the tree, and cuts the mistletoe with a golden sickle, which is received by others in a white cloak. They then immolate the victims, offering up their prayers that God will render his gift propitious to those to whom he has granted it. It is the belief with them that the mistletoe, taken in drink, will impart fecundity to all animals that are barren, and that it is an antidote for all poisons.” (Pliny the Elder, Natural History)

So how did we get from Druidic sacrifice to “'I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”? First, let’s consider what mistletoe really is. There are over seventy species of mistletoe worldwide, the European Mistletoe being the one we associate with Christmas. It prefers a mild, humid climate and a good number of suitable host trees. The Eastern mistletoe of North America is similar to the European Mistletoe but belongs to a distinct genus.

Mistletoe is termed a hemi-parasite because its green leaves manufacture sugars by photosynthesis, and it draws only water and mineral nutrients from the host. The stem is yellowish and smooth with tongue-shaped leaves. Mistletoe grows to form an often spherical bushy mass about 2 feet across. [Below left] The white mistletoe berries contain a single seed enclosed in a pulp which is very sticky (giving the

Mythology in the Garden Page 5

plant its botanical name, Viscum). This helps the seeds stick to branches when they land on them, usually by the agency of birds. While host trees can often tolerate some uninvited mistletoe, it can be harmful, certainly killing branches and even whole trees if the 'infection' is heavy enough. The host is killed by desiccation.

What are the characteristics of mistletoe that account for its prominence in folklore and myth?

Foremost is the mysterious appearance of the mistletoe, seemingly heaven-sent and growing without roots in the earth like other plants. Most miraculously, in the dead of winter when deciduous trees like the oak are leafless, mistletoe stands out in the forest with its yellow-green stem, bright green leaves and pearly-white berries. Mistletoe’s persistence in a barren winter landscape is considered a sign of fertility: the continuity of life, procreation, sex, love and peace. It is not surprising that it became a favorite charm to ensure the fertility of both animals and humans. The power of mistletoe to induce and protect fertility is reflected in many uses – as a medicine to encourage fertility, as a charm for young women to find husbands, and in our kissing custom. Hanging mistletoe high in a room and kissing loved ones, or complete strangers, beneath it, is a hugely popular Christmas custom. However, the jaunty sprig of aphrodisiac mistletoe hanging in the doorway originally had a much more practical and perhaps less innocent function. Santa beware!

Mistletoe’s ability to survive the onslaught of winter and the withering of vegetation suggests that it has apotropaic power, that is, it can fend off the powers of evil: malignant spirits, demons, witches, the effects of poisons and even death itself. It is often associated with thunder and regarded as a protection against both fire and lighting. According to one popular belief, mistletoe brought into the house at Christmas/mid-winter/New Year (depending on local custom) should be kept hanging for a full 12 months. This will protect the house from harm and prevent evil spirits from entering. The old mistletoe can be ceremoniously burned after new mistletoe is brought into the house.

It is interesting to note that mistletoe was traditionally excluded from Christian church decorations, probably due to its connection with the Druids and its pagan and magical associations. This ancient ban on mistletoe is still observed in some churches even today.

Page 6 Mythology in the Garden

Mistletoe, despite its hemi-parasitic nature and toxic juices, is mostly viewed in popular culture as a beneficial plant. It does, however, have its darker side. Shakespeare in Titus Andronicus calls it “the baleful mistletoe.” In Vergil’s Aeneid the hero Aeneas must cut a branch of mistletoe, famously called “The Golden Bough,” in order to enter the Underworld. But no myth illustrates the baleful side of mistletoe better than the story of the death of Balder (Baldur/Baldr).

Among the gods of Norse mythology one was particularly beloved. Snorri Sturulson describes him in The Prose Edda thus: "Another son of Odin, is called Balder, and there is only good to be told of him. He is the best of the gods and everyone sings his praises. He is so fair of face and bright that a splendor radiates from him. From that you can tell how beautiful his body is, and how bright his hair.” And Neil Gaiman adds: “He was the wisest, the mildest, the most eloquent of all the Aesir [gods]. He would pronounce judgment, and all would be impressed by his wisdom and his fairness. His home, the hall called Breidablik, was a place of joy and music and knowledge.” [Above left, Balder illustrated from a Swedish translation of the Poetic Edda.]

But all was not well. Balder the Beautiful had ominous dreams, and the gods, fearing that danger threatened him, sent Frigg, the wife of Odin and mother of Balder, to extract an oath from all things on earth, whether living creatures, plants, or things of metal, wood, and stone, that they would do no harm to Balder.

After this they found it amusing to fling darts and hurl heavy objects at Balder, knowing that they could not harm him. But Loki, the devious trickster god, took on the disguise of a woman, and talked with Frigg. He learned that one little plant, the mistletoe, had taken no oath, since Frigg had thought it too young to threaten Balder. Filled with jealousy and spite, Loki cut a branch of mistletoe and persuaded Hod (Hoder), the blind god and Balder’s own brother, to throw it at Balder in sport, guiding his hand as he threw. The dart pierced Balder through, and he fell dead to the earth.

[Right, Balder's death from an 18th-century Icelandic manuscript.]

Page 7 Mythology in the Garden

The English poet Matthew Arnold describes the scene in his poem Balder Dead:

So on the floor lay Balder dead; and round Lay thickly strewn swords, axes, darts, and spears, Which all the Gods in sport had idly thrown At Balder, whom no weapon pierced or clove; But in his breast stood fixt the fatal bough Of mistletoe, which Lok the Accuser gave To Hoder, and unwitting Hoder threw --- 'Gainst that alone had Balder's life no charm.

Odin and the other gods tried to retrieve Balder from Hell, the dark and icy Realm of the Dead but to no avail. Balder, the most beloved god of Norse myth, was doomed to remain among the spirits of the dead until the Norse Apocalypse, Ragnarök. According to Norse mythology, Ragnarök, often referred to as “The Twilight of the Gods,” is a series of catastrophic events, including a great battle that would to lead to the death of the greatest and most powerful of the gods, natural disasters

and the submersion of the world in water. After these events, it was believed that the world would resurface new and fertile, the surviving gods would reunite and the world would be repopulated by two human survivors. Balder would be revived from the dead and join the survivors.

According to Snorri Sturulson the surviving gods will one day sit down in the sunlight and begin to talk. Turn by turn, they will call up such memories, memories such as are known to them alone before Ragnarök. They will talk over many things both good and bad that happened in the past. And then, amidst the waving grass, they will find a few golden chess pieces, treasures owned once by the great gods, and gaze at them in wonder. “They will find other pieces in the grass,” writes Neil Gaiman. “some beautiful, some less so. Here, half buried in the black soil, are Loki and his monstrous children.

Mythology in the Garden Page 8

There is a frost giant. Here is Sutr, his face all aflame. Soon they will find they have all the pieces they could ever need to make a full chess set. They arrange the pieces into a chess game; on the tabletop chessboard the gods face their eternal enemies. The new-minted sunlight glints from the golden chessmen on this perfect afternoon. Balder will smile, like the sun coming out, and reach down, and he will move his first piece. …”

And the game begins anew.

References:

Matthew Arnold, “Balder Dead” (Part One, “Sending” lines 1-8)

Nancy Marie Brown, Song of the Vikings: Snorri and the Making of Norse Myths (New York 2012)

Kevin Crossley-Holland, The Norse Myths (New York 1980)

H. R. Ellis Davidson, Gods and Myths of the Viking Age (New York 1964)

Miranda J. Green, The World of the Druids (London 1997)

Neil Gaiman, Norse Mythology (New York 2017)

Hearne Arboriculture, Mistletoe, accessed at htttp://hearnearboriculture.com/blog/mistletoe

Pliny the Elder, Natural History 16.95

Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up with more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never have enough.

- Oprah Winfrey

COVID -19 UPDATES Page 9

Governor Roy Cooper issued additional COVID-19 safety measures to tighten mask requirements and enforcement as cases continue to rise rapidly in North Carolina and across the country. Executive Order 180 goes into effect on Wednesday, November 25 and runs through Friday, December 11. The order tightens the existing statewide mask requirement – making it clear that everyone needs to wear a mask whenever they are with someone who is not from the same household. The Order also adds the mask requirement to several additional settings including any public indoor space even when maintaining 6 feet of distance; gyms even when exercising; all schools public and private; and all public or private transportation when travelling with people outside of the household.

For more information regarding the Covid-19 County Alert System, access this link

https://files.nc.gov/covid/documents/dashboard/COVID -19-County-Alert-System-Report.pdf

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends vaccination against the flu for everyone 6 months and older with any licensed, age-appropriate flu vaccine. Vaccination against the flu can make illness milder and reduce the risk of more serious outcomes, making it especially important for those at higher risk of complications, such as people over 65, children younger than 5, pregnant women and those with certain medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease or obesity. Some of those same groups MPORTANT I are also at high risk of complications from COVID-19.

OUTDOOR DECORATING CONTEST

Once again, the Anonymous Judge

will be making the rounds to determine the most

attractive seasonal outdoor decorations.

At this time of uncertainty and loss, let's

concentrate on lighting up our piece of the world with glowing warmth. Now, more ever, this 2020 we need to turn our thoughts and efforts to the cheer and love of this season.

The Judge will announce the decision on December 27th, so, look for the name and unit number of the winner.

Good Luck and Happy Decorating!

Announcements and Reminders… Page 10

LET THERE BE LIGHT

Join your neighbors on December 21st, the darkest night of the year, to shed light and welcome the lengthening days. We will walk through the neighborhood carrying light (flashlight or candle) starting at the Circle, walking down by the pond and then down Crowfields Lane, by the Community Garden to the 700’s then back by the 600’s and ending at the Clubhouse. Walk as little or as much as you wish. And if you don’t want to walk, you can just open your door and wave your light from there.

We will start at 6:00, probably make it to the Lane about 6:20,

to the garden around 6:30 and to the Clubhouse close to 7:00.

Wear your mask and walk 6’ apart. It should be safe and fun.

Call Ann Taaffe with any questions 828-342-9250.

HELP SANTA FIND HIS WAY LET'S RING A BELL FOR JOY AND FUN

On Christmas Eve at six o'clock let's step outside and ring a bell. Let our neighbors know that we greet them with the warmth of this season.

We'll get through this time and shake hands and hug again. Until we can, let's make the noise that sounds like laughs and courage.

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Shirley Marie Merolla, 87, passed away Sunday, November 8th at Mission Hospital. She is survived by her husband of 68 years, Robert S. Merolla, three daughters, Shelley Stacks of Asheville, Teri Mills of Durham, NC and Karen Barker (Paul), of Bloomington, IN, as well as seven grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. Shirley was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother who will be greatly missed by her family and friends. A celebration of Shirley’s life will be held at a later date. You can visit her obituary page at www.grocefuneralhome.com.

Adam Scott Bennett, 27, entered into a place of glorious peace and solace on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020.

Adam was born Jan. 26, 1993, and was a true blessing to his family all of his life. Adam had served his country in the United States Marines, being stationed in Japan. He had made his home in

Haywood County and worked in the construction industry as a self-

employed carpenter. Adam was a gifted and creative artisan and he also loved music, and DJ’ed under the name of “Adam Bent-It” throughout the area. The mountains were one of his favorite places to go and spend special time, often hiking and camping. Adam was indeed a handsome and special young man and he was even featured as a model. The greatest gift that we are given are our children and we give thanks for the loving son, the amazing father, and the respectful and helpful healer that he was to many.

Left to cherish his memory are his parents, Charles and Mary Stephenson Bennett; his precious 3-year-old son, Asher Bennett; his brother, Anthony Bennett (Mandi); his sister, Stephanie Lindsay (Scott); his fiancée, Heather Halstead; two nieces, four nephews, and many friends,

A private family service to celebrate the life of Adam will be held at a later date. Memorials may be made to www.gofundme.com/f/adam-bennett-memorial/ to help aid in maintaining the beautiful memories of Adam for his son, Asher and family.

Crawford Ray Funeral Home and Cremation Service is honored to be caring for the Bennett family and words of comfort may be shared at www.CrawfordRay.com.

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One of the great joys of living here is keeping company with the interesting folks who also call Crowfields home. It was through Mary Palmer and Hugh Dargan (interesting people in the own right!), that Parker and I met Pat Stevens. As it turned out, we had shared friendships that extended beyond the Dragan’s to include our daughter’s godmother and Sarah Smithers (444 Crowfields Drive).

Even without these connections, it was clear that Pat and Parker and I would be friends. We shared a love of the South, a commitment to equality and social justice, and an appreciation for writing done well. Her husband Phineas was Eudora Welty’s lawyer. Pat knew good writing. I would drop my latest short story in her yellow -tag mailbox. She would write back with her thoughts.

In the summer when my garden overflowed, I would take her bouquets of zinnias and dahlias, and fresh beans. She would invite us over for a glass of wine on her back porch where there would always be delicious nibbles. But we never went for the food. We went to visit with Pat about books, and writing, and food, and history and yes, even politics.

When Pat told us that she was returning to her hometown of Jackson, MS, we were not surprised. She wanted to be closer to family. But we knew that we would never know anyone quite like her again. You see Pat was part of that remarkable generation of Southern women who worked to right the wrongs of racial segregation during the 1960s; it was a cause she never stopped championing. She was smart, articulate, well -read, curious, generous and gentile with a wonderful sense of humor. She will be missed by many. Her obituary follows. Janet Moore

Patricia Land Stevens (Pat) died on November 1, 2020, All Saints Day, at the home of her daughter and son-in-law, Susan and Charles Reeder of Laurel, Mississippi.

Patricia, born November 28, 1926, in Shreveport, Louisiana, was the daughter of Mary Elizabeth Land and E. Timothy Kelly. Growing up she lived primarily in Louisiana and graduated from Louise S. McGehee School in 1944. Pat attended Louisiana State University, 1945-46, and the University of Mississippi, 1946-48, where she helped organize a chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. During this time, she was selected as one of ten “Favorites” on the University of Mississippi campus.

After college Patricia worked in New Orleans for WDSU radio, and lived with friends in an apartment in the French Qua rter. At a wedding of mutual friends in McComb, Mississippi, she met Phineas Stevens and they married in 1949. Phineas was one of the founding partners of Butler, Snow, O’Mara, Stevens and Cannada in Jackson, Mississippi. They were married for 67 years, until his death in 2016.

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During her years in Jackson, Mississippi, Pat was active in civic and church organizations. She and Phineas joined Phineas’s parents and grandparents as members of Galloway Methodist Church. Subsequently, they joined St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, and Pat became the first woman to serve on the vestry. She was also the first woman on the University of Mississippi Foundation Board of Directors.

In her active years in the Junior League of Jackson, she was an officer, editor of Tattler Magazine, chairman of the admissions committee, and chairman of the provisional training. Pat was a founding member of the Jackson Symphony Orchestra Association, served on their first board and was chairman of the “Pops Concert.” She helped organize the St. Mark’s Day Care Center and was on the board of St. Andrew’s Day School.

As someone who treasured the arts, Pat was also on the boards of the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters, the Walter Anderson Museum of Art, New Stage Theatre, and the Mississippi Humanities

Council. She also served on board of the Mississippi National Science Museum. She particularly loved her work on the Executive Council of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi.

Beginning in 1962, Patricia participated in a group of Jackson community leaders, women, both Christian and Jewish, who met weekly to work promoting racial justice and good public schools for all. As community activists, they used their influence to facilitate communication and equality among the races.

Devoted as she was to education, Patricia returned to school in 1978 and earned an M.A. degree in American Literature from Goddard College. She went on to teach a course on “Images of Women” in the Millsaps College Community Enrichment Program, in 1978 and 1979, and at the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Park Continuing Education, in 1978.

She always loved her native state of Louisiana, and in 1982 wrote the text for “Louisiana's Architectural and Archaeological Legacies,” published by Northwestern State University.

After Phineas retired, they lived in Ocean Springs, Mississippi; New Orleans, Louisiana; Point Clear, Alabama; and Asheville, North Carolina. Most recently Patricia had returned to live in Jackson, Mississippi.

Top 10 Cybersecurity Tips for Holiday Page 14 Shopping

For most of us, the holiday season is about friends, family, food—and shopping! Black Friday and Cyber Monday fall just after Thanksgiving in the U.S., but internationally, they are two of the busiest shopping days of the year. Unfortunately, while you’re looking for holiday deals, the bad guys are looking for ways to scam you any way they can.

Follow these tips to stay safe this holiday season:

1. Keep your smartphone, computer, and other devices updated. This helps ensure that your device has the latest security patches. 2. Only use trusted Wi-Fi connections and be suspicious of any network that does not require a password to connect. 3. Take the time to change any outdated or simple passwords. Use strong, unique passwords on all of your accounts. 4. Be careful not to overshare on social media. Consider anything you post to be public information. 5. Keep an eye on the activity in your banking and credit card accounts. Also, be sure to monitor your credit report on a regular basis. 6. Be suspicious of emails you receive about online purchases. Check the status of your order directly on the website that you purchased from. 7. If you receive a holiday greeting card in your inbox, verify the sender before clicking the link to view the card. 8. If you’re traveling for the holidays, be sure to keep your devices stored safely at all times. 9. Pay close attention to the websites that you order from. Only shop on websites that you know and trust. 10. Watch out for giveaways and contests. Remember that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

“The worst gift is a fruitcake. There is only one fruitcake in the entire world, and people keep sending it to each other.” -Johnny Carson

Page 15 From the Kitchen Recipes by Gayle Connell

If you have cooking questions, or would like to request a recipe, email me at [email protected] Instagram: #foodlifeandcats

CHOCOLATE GANACHE CHEESECAKE WITH MASCARPONE TOPPING Ganache:

½ cup heavy cream 8 oz good semi-sweet chocolate (60-70% works best) Heat the heavy cream in glass bowl in the microwave for 1 minute on high, stir the cream, heat for another 30-40 seconds, add the chocolate to the heated cream, don’t stir, just let it melt for about 1-2 minutes then stir until smooth. Set aside to thicken. You can do this the day before, refrigerate and then bring to room temp before continuing. Crust 24 Oreo cookies 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling

4 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese (full fat), softened ½ cup sour cream or full fat Greek yogurt ½ cup fine granulated sugar ½ cup packed light brown sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 4 large eggs Chocolate ganache mixture above

Topping 1 cup heavy cream Here is mine from Thanksgiving, I 3 tablespoons confectioners powdered sugar drizzled the top with salted caramel ½ cup mascarpone cheese 2 tsp. vanilla or Kahlua

White or dark chocolate curls or shavings for decorating

Preheat oven to 350°F. In the bowl of a food processor, break up the cookies and process with the melted butter until they are fine crumbs. Press into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake crust for five minutes until set. Set aside to cool while making cheesecake. Lower the oven temp to 325°F

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Prepare cheesecake: In a large bowl, mix cream cheese, sour cream, sugars, chocolate ganache, and vanilla using an electric mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition. Once all the eggs have been added, continue to beat on medium for another 3 minutes. Pour cheesecake batter over crust and spread evenly. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until center is almost set. Start checking at about 45 minutes, especially if you are using a convection oven. You do not want to over bake it. The center should still jiggle while edges will be set. Turn oven off and crack oven door to allow cheesecake to cool slowly for 15-20 minutes, then remove cheesecake from the oven and carefully run a sharp knife around rim of pan to loosen cake. Allow cheesecake to cool at room temperature for at least an hour, then cover and refrigerate for six hours or preferably overnight. Remove from springform pan. Beat the cold cream, sugar and vanilla or Kahlua if you are using it, until you have stiff peaks. Stir the mascarpone until smooth and then fold it into the stiff cream until well combined. TIP—place your bowl and beaters in the freezer for a few minutes before you beat the cream, and you will get a nicer stiff peak if everything is very cold when you start to beat the cream. Mound the topping on top of the cheesecake or pipe in decorative pattern. Suggested decorations—white or dark chocolate shavings, or drizzle with cooled melted dark chocolate, raspberries are a nice addition or even sprinkle with pomegranate seeds or sugared fresh cranberries. If desired, make chocolate shavings or curls by placing a chocolate bar in a warm place (~78°F) for about one hour. Using a vegetable peeler shave chocolate bar into curls or shavings and place on cheesecake just before serving. Store the cheesecake in an airtight in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Dark chocolate fudge cake, covered in Hot cross buns filled with dried cherries and white chocolate swiss meringue apricots. Lovely split, brushed with butter buttercream with chocolate drizzle. This and served with tea. was for my best friend’s birthday.