Jane Austen Night!

I think I gained ten pounds just looking at this yummyness again!

Every Saturday during the Priesthood session of Conference, Jess and I host a Jane Austen and decadent dessert night at our house.  The last few times we have had a hard time deciding which movie to wathc, so Jess and I came up with a survey to help us.  Each girl wrote down their answers to questions like, 'Which Jane Austen movie character has the best/worst hair?", "Which curate is the best?", and "Which proposal was the best?".  Then we discussed and mooned over the answers.  As it turned out, the movie choices came down to Persuasion and Mansfield Park.  Mansfield Park won out and we started the movie.

 Here are some of the ladies discussing their surveys.  We laughed and debated for 15 minutes!

That is when Jess and I pulled out a little game for the ladies- Jane Austen BINGO!  We made bingo boards with spaces made up of cliche Jane Austen moments that are in all her movies.  Things like "Getting caught in the rain", "A musical performance", "going to a ball", and some more creative ones.  The best ones were:
1. Improper behavior (running, yelling, not being married by 16)
2. A close up of a hand
3. Longing glance toward an object of affection
4. Cinematic interlude of walking
5. Meaningful thought or conversation in a carriage,
and the one that created tons of shouts of "BINGO!"-
6.  Someone takes to their death bed

We had a blast, and used peanut butter M&M's for markers.  Oh geez, it was fun.  And I think everyone got a Bingo at least once.  We even had two girls get a blackout (they have every space on their boards marked out).  SO GREAT!

We had a little time left over afterward, and some of the ladies hadn't gotten enough ooey gooey loveyness, so we popped in the Young Victoria.  Another fantastic flick!  It was just a night for period dramas. 

And the whole time we were gorging ourselves on the most amazing desserts!  We had Swiss Cake Roll Cake, Texas sheet cake, cheeseball and crackers (thanks for the amazing recipe, Mom!  The girls LOVED it!), Chocolate Mousse Trifle, among other things.  I made a recipe that I recently found, and is definitely a keeper!  They are Strawberry Napoleans, and they are fantastic!  A pastry layer, then vanilla creme, then strawberries, pastry, creme, strawberries, pastry, chocolate sauce, and topped with a whole strawberry.  Deliciousness, I tell you!

This was a night for the books.  Heaven on earth!