LOVELY, LOVELY WEDDING

My alarm was set for 4am on Friday morning. 
I was planning all along to get up and watch the Royal Wedding.
Why?  Well, I love a good love story, but I do have some "English roots".  (My mom is Canadian.  Her whole family is pretty "English".)  Plus, following the Royal family isn't really new to me.  I love history so I have always been interested.

Last week I told Alyse all about there being a wedding of a real life princess and prince.  I showed her pictures and asked her if she wanted to watch it with me.  She was very excited so I decided to make a fun memory out of it.  I went to the store and bought some tea biscuits, some tea, and let Alyse pick out a hat, which wasn't very pretty, so we decided to fancy it up a little.

We got me a hat too.

Now, I wasn't planning on getting really, really sick that night.... but I was not going to let it ruin Alyse and my plan.  I had promised that we would watch it.  I was DVRing it in the other room, but I still got up and watched by myself for a little bit.  At about 5:50ish I went and woke Alyse up and brought her out just in time to watch Kate drive to the Abbey.  She was very excited.  And I think it will be a great memory for both of us.

Now, I realize that our hats were not at all as fancy as those at the wedding!

Here are some of my favorites:

I love how simple and classy this one is.

Charlene Wittstock, fiancee of Prince Albert II of Monaco

I also love a fascinator

(the hats that are worn to the side or to the front of the head.)

I think that Prince William's cousins looked very pretty in their fascinators! 

These are the daughters of Princess Diana's brother.

Amelia, Eliza, and Kitty Spencer

I also like the hats that have something coming out from underneath the brim, kinda like this one.

Zara Phillips, daughter of Princess Anne

(Princess Anne is the Queen's daughter.)

Of course the prettiest head piece was this lovely tiara!

And I LOVED the dress!!!!

So classic!

And I am not even kidding when I tell you that it looks similar to a dress that I pulled out of a bridal magazine 8yrs ago when I was planning my wedding.  I never found that dress.... 

(I still have that picture.)

I think that they look so lovely and loved watching every minute.

And yes, I have watched the highlights over and over and read many an article on the Internet.

(I've been in bed sick!  I told Josh it is better than watching Real Housewives in repeats over and over again...but I confess I did that too.)

I found the recipe for the Prince William's favorite cake that they served for the groom's cake. 

I really want to make it.  I think Josh would love it!

Chocolate Biscuit Cake

Recipe courtesy of Darren McGrady

Servings: Makes one 6-inch round cake (8 portions)


Ingredients
1/2 tsp. butter , for greasing
8 ounces Rich tea biscuits (You can buy a tea cookie, like this, at the grocery store.)
4 ounces unsalted butter , softened
4 ounces granulated sugar
4 ounces dark chocolate , for the cake
1 egg
8 ounces dark chocolate , for coating
1 ounce chocolate , for decorating

Directions

To make cake: Lightly grease a 6" x 2 1/2" cake ring and place on a tray on a sheet of parchment paper.

Break each of the biscuits into almond-size pieces by hand and set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl until the mixture starts to lighten.

Melt the 4 ounces of dark chocolate and add to the butter mixture while constantly stirring.

Beat the egg into the mixture.

Fold in the biscuit pieces until they are all coated with the chocolate mixture.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake ring. Try to fill all of the gaps on the bottom of the ring because this will be the top when it is unmolded.

Chill the cake in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.


To coat and decorate: Remove the cake from the refrigerator and let it stand while you melt the 8 ounces of dark chocolate.

Slide the ring off the cake and turn it upside down onto a cake wire.

Pour the melted chocolate over the cake and smooth the top and sides using a palette knife.

Allow the chocolate to set at room temperature.

Carefully run a knife around the bottom of the cake where the chocolate has stuck to the cake wire and lift it onto a tea plate.

Melt the remaining 1 ounce of chocolate and use to decorate the top of the cake.

Ok, I will stop going on and on about the Royal Wedding.
How many of you watched?
Did you have a favorite hat?