My Two Haunted Skeletons...

...wish you a Happy Halloween!

Wordless Wednesday: The Enviable To-Do List Of An 8 Year Old

Talking About Saturdays On A Tuesday

For the past 5 Saturdays we've been pulling on jerseys, making sure the shin guards are in place, double-knotting shoelaces and heading to the soccer field. Now we are in the home stretch and the end of the season is just 2 games away. It's been a fun season even though Big Pup has found a way to get hurt in every game. I think these kids need more than shin guards, though, this is a rough sport! He's a defender and I think that's the perfect position for him--he's not aggressive or fast enough to be a midfielder/forward. Yet. He's learned a lot about the sport this season and he's getting better with each game.

And more than that, it does my heart good to see this small group of boys from different schools and ethnicities come together as a team, laughing and carrying on during practice and then working and celebrating together during games.

It makes schlepping around camp chairs and water bottles worth it.

Gina's Memphis Mud Pie

I've had a few Holy-Moly!-I've-got-to-try-that! moments while watching the Food Network.

One of them was when Sandra Lee tried to duplicate Butterbeer from the Harry Potter books. I can't tell you how much the idea of drinking sweetened condensed milk mixed with butter appealed to me. Seriously. So I made it and....blech. Aunt Sandy can keep this one. It's not for me.

And then one day I was watching Down Home with the Neely's and Gina Neely made this decadent, chocolatey mud pie and HOLY MOLY, I had to have it! So I made it and....yum! This one is a keeper.

One problem, though. I wasn't able to find premade deep dish chocolate crusts so I bought 2 regular size crusts. I wouldn't recommend that. Next time I'll just buy a deep dish tin and make my own crust because I think having all the filling in one pie crust is what gives it it's ooey-gooey chocolate muddiness.


Gina's Memphis Mud Pie (recipe from The Neelys)

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped, plus shaved chocolate, for garnish
1/2 cup unsalted butter
4 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans, plus finely chopped pecans, for garnish
1 deep-dish, store-bought, chocolate cookie wafer crust
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt the chocolate and the butter in a double boiler. Stir continuously until combined and smooth.

Using a stand mixer, beat the eggs, sugar, corn syrup and salt on medium-high speed until it lightens and doubles in volume, about 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in the melted chocolate mixture and fold in the pecans. Pour into the chocolate wafer crust and bake until the filling is just set, about 35 to 40 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool. The pie will fall slightly. Once cool refrigerate until well chilled, roughly 1 1/2 hours.

In a medium bowl add the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla extract and beat until soft peaks form. Top the chilled pie with the whipped cream, makng a nice mound on top of the pie. Garnish the top with shaved chocolate and finely chopped pecans. Serve immediately

Wordless Wednesday: The Natural State

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza

This is by far my favorite homemade pizza. I always make sure I fix a plain ol' pepperoni for the boys but for me I have to have a chicken-bacon-ranch. I made this for my sister several weeks ago but I'm not sure if I gave her enough time to really enjoy it. I kept asking, "It's good right? The best pizza ever, right? Isn't this awesome?!" In between mouthfuls, she agreed with me.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza

12 inch pizza crust (I like this recipe from Cooking Light)
1/2 cup ranch dressing
2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 chicken breast, cooked and diced
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Top crust with ranch, cheese, chicken and bacon. Slide pizza onto a hot pizza stone in a preheated 500 degree oven for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and the crust is browned.

Wordless Wednesday: Breaking In The New Car