The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow!

We celebrated Mom's birthday last Sunday, it was her 86th! This past year has been a difficult one recovering from a fall that fractured her neck. She had several months wearing an uncomfortable brace that limited her movement and slowed her down. She didn't quit though, that's not in her vocabulary. She used to say no matter how bad the day, the sun would shine tomorrow. Her whole life she's faced obstacles and overcame them. I honestly can't remember a time when she didn't have a smile on her face! 

This birthday is extra special because she has her Granddaughter Stephanie and Great Grandson's Jackson and Gavin here to help her celebrate.

This is one of two parties we'll have so she'll get to make a second wish on Wednesday!

You can't have too many parties...

...or too many presents!

She enjoyed having her chicks under her wing for the afternoon and relived so many happy memories. I hope I have inherited Mom's outlook on life, she makes the best of every day and tries her best not to ever be ungrateful for the many blessings she has received.

King of the Castle!

Regardless of our age, our birthday's should be filled with fun from the time we get up until bedtime! Grandpa Tilton is the "King of the Castle" most days anyway, but we tried to make the day special for him last Saturday. We went to his favorite BBQ hangout and tied on the old feedbag, we came home and had cake and ice cream and then opened presents!

But if you asked Grandpa his favorite thing about the day, he'd most likely say the time he spent with Great Grandson's. Deep conversations that he now feels driven to share. Words of wisdom, bits of advice, even stories from long ago when he was a boy.

While Grandpa advises the boys, Stephanie and her Grandma share secrets in the kitchen.

 I can hear giggling but I don't have any idea what they were talking about!

Later Stephanie shows Grandma her Ipod pictures...

"just do this Grandma"

Texas pictures, treehouses and Easter egg hunts..

Now Grandma wants an Ipod!

Almost Nola

Your "Almost Name"...the name your parents almost named you but decided on something else.
They considered the name Nola, after my paternal Grandmother or Vance after my maternal Grandmother if I'd been a boy. I like the name my parents gave me, Joy Colleen (Joycee) better than either one of those. What would I have been like if I'd have been a Nola? Would it have made me have a different personality, more outgoing or more reserved?

"Reserved" is not a word we use much on my side of the family! We are a noisy bunch who speak our minds, laugh out loud and never meet a stranger. You can get away with that sometimes, but it rubs some people the wrong way. I know. When we are all together, the decibel level is off the charts loud. We all talk at once, we talk about EVERYTHING under the sun and food is always involved!

Our youngest daughter Amy and her family are coming soon, so for the first time in a very LONG TIME, we are all going to be together. I will bask in the glory of having all my chicks under my wing and enjoy GRANDson Ewan!

I'm working on the menu, but I know for sure two of the recipes I will be making...Michelle at  Cute Everything had two recipes on her blog last week that I can't wait to make! The first, Fish Bowl Jello is a great idea from Martha Stewart Living that would be perfect for a party centerpiece. It's made with jello and gummy fish and I KNOW Ewan will love it!

Fish Bowl Gelatin: Fills a 2 1/2-quart fish or glass bowl
1 two-liter bottle lemon-lime soda, flat
4 1/4-ounce packages unflavored gelatin
2 drops blue food coloring
2 ounces gummy fish
Place 1 cup soda in a large bowl. Sprinkle gelatin evenly over soda, and let stand to soften, about 5 minutes.
Place 2 cups soda in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat until just before a boil. Add the softened gelatin, stirring to dissolve the gelatin completely over the heat, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the remaining soda and food coloring, and stir to combine. Pour the liquid into the fish bowl. Using a damp paper towel, carefully remove any bubbles that have formed on the surface. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill overnight.
When ready to serve, use a sharp knife to make vertical slits in the gelatin; insert the fish in a random pattern to make it look as though they are swimming in the bowl. Keep refrigerated until serving. Serve within 6 hours.
Note: To make the soda go flat, twist off cap, and let the bottle stand at room temperature overnight.

The second appeals to my 1970's HIPPY~DIPPY self! I like the name Groovy Cake, I like saying Groovy, I may drive the kids a little crazy adding it to every sentence where I can work it in!
 
Groovy Cake
1 box (18.25 oz.) white cake mix
3 whole eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
Red, blue, green and yellow food coloring
2 (12 ounce) cans whipped vanilla frosting
Assorted colors decorating gel tubes
½ cup SKITTLES® Bite Size Candies
2 8-inch round cake pans
1. Blend cake mix with eggs, oil, and buttermilk. Spoon 1/2 cup of batter into four separate bowls. Tint each bowl a different color, set aside. Divide remaining white batter between two greased and flour cake pans. Drop spoonfuls of tinted batter randomly over the white batter. Gently pull tip of a knife through batters, creating a marbling effect.
2. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven until golden and an inserted toothpick in the center comes out clean, approximately 28-31 minutes. Cool cakes completely.
3. Trim the tops of the cakes, leveling them. Sandwich the layers together with frosting and set on serving plate. Spread remaining frosting over sides and top of cakes. Using photos as your guide, pipe concentric hexagon shapes of different sizes and colors on the sides and top of the cake. Gently pull the tip of a toothpick through the frosting (not the cake), starting in the center of the gel circles. Randomly dot the cake with SKITTLES® Bite Size Candies.

Future, Past or Present?

The year is zipping by me, just like last year and the year before that. We have lived in Arkansas 9 years now and even though I loved living in Texas, the Ozarks have always been my home. I'm looking forward to Fall...Razorback football starts soon, Bikes Blues and BBQ in September and War Eagle Craft Fair in October. This morning we woke up to a crisp 50 degrees, perfect for doing a little mum shopping today! I never can decide on colors, I love the cheery yellows, the warm bronzes and the way the deep purples blend with the Fall leaves.

I love the changing of the seasons, going from lake fun to football fun!

Slowly the trees begin to change from Summer's greens to Autumn's golds, reds and oranges.

As I glance across the lake early mornings, you see fishermen hidden by the fog lifting off the water.

Big bales of hay are in fields as I go to town, waiting for cold wintery days and hungry cows! I never tire of the changing seasons in the Ozarks. This morning I opened up the door to the top deck to drink in the coolness and in the distance I could hear a rooster crowing. Life is good in these old hills!

Shifting Gears

The season is definitely taking a turn, yay! Last week was still in the 90's, steamy mid-day but not too hot. After a month of near 100's everyday, we actually had some water fall from the sky in the form of drizzle. It's been a hot and dry August and I haven't been able to open the back door at all to let in fresh air. One of my favorite things about Spring and Fall is the ability to open the house up early morning and listening to the birds or the heartbeat of the rain. No doubt about it, Fall is just around the corner! I love this time of year in the Ozarks. During the latter part of August our mornings are foggy and steam rises off the lake as it starts to cool off. It happens one day and you can feel just a little "Fall" in the air. My Grandma used to count the fogs in August, Folklore said that's how many snows we would have that winter!

At the end of summer the edges of the lake always looks dry and the trees a drabber shade of green. There are other signs that summer's ending. The crickets get so loud they hurt your ears! The woods have a distinctive "woodsy smell" from the brown leaves.Then as we reach the end of September the trees start their color show. Subtle at first with just a hint of color, then the Poplars turn a bright golden yellow, the Maples orange and the Sumac's a brilliant red.The mornings are crisp and you need a jacket, only to shed it by mid day. The wildlife seems to breathe a sigh of relief to see the summertime temperatures give way. The squirrels and chipmunks spend their days finding and hiding acorns and nuts, scurrying across the yard. It's funny, if you sit and watch they are like they're on a time schedule running and darting into the woods!

Fall arrives in all it's glory in October! Perfect weather for Arkansas Razorback football, pumpkin picking, a hayride or a long walk in the woods!

How do you do, 100?

The dog days of summer are officially here. We've had highs shaking hands with 100 degrees nearly every day. Hot for Northwest Arkansas, hot for anywhere! Our daughters and their families brave Dallas and San Antonio heat so they are used to living in an oven...that's not to say you ever get used to it. Wet down to your underwear is on my list of "Things I Hate." In fact, it's near the top of the list. I can't tell you how much it irks me to take my shower, get all gussied up for the day...then a simple trip to the mailbox results in me melting into a pool of stinkiness. It just gets me in the worst mood and not a thing I can do. Well, except gripe. Whoever I talk to, the first words out of my mouth are, "This weather is killing me!" Or, "I can't wait until Winter." When you get older the months fly by. Spring was just a blink ago, summer is nearly over, gone in a puff of smoke. In fact Winter wasn't that long ago...when I was sitting inside waiting for warmer days to finally arrive.

Now what was it I didn't like about Winter???

Planning my Menus

Every now and again, I am stumped what to fix for dinner. After 40 years of breakfast, lunch and dinner meals...that's roughly 43,800 meals I have made. I have to set here awhile and rest after doing the math...I'm tired, very tired!

So, I want to share a little secret with you. When I have reached the bottom of the menu barrel, when planning another meal is just not on my agenda... you can make any of these delicious meals if you will just keep a bag of this item in the house!

Breakfast = 2 Espresso + 1 Buttered Toast* + 1 Orange Juice

Coffee Break = 2 Cappuccino + 1 Chocolate Pudding + 1 A&W Cream Soda

Lunch= PB&J Sandwich = 2 Peanut Butter + 2 Grape Jelly

Happy Hour = 1 Pina Colada + 1 Margarita + 1 Strawberry Daiquiri

Dinner = Fruit Salad~1 Cantaloupe + 1 Crushed Pineapple + 1 Green Apple + 1 Pink Grapefruit + 1 Tangerine

Jelly Belly Recipes

Banana Split = 2 Chocolate Pudding + 2 Cotton Candy + 2 Top Banana + 2 Very Cherry

Macaroon = 2 Coconut + 1 Very Cherry

Chocolate Covered Cherry = 1 Chocolate Pudding + 1 Very Cherry

Candy Apple = 2 Green Apple + 1 Cinnamon

Chocolate Dipped Strawberry = 2 Strawberry Daiquiri + 1 Chocolate Pudding

Mint Chocolate = 3 Chocolate Pudding + 2 Peppermint Stick

Movie Theater Floor = 1 Bubble Gum + 1 Buttered Popcorn + 1 Root Beer

Chocolate Dipped Banana - 1 Top Banana + 1 Chocolate Pudding

Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich = 2 Top Banana + 2 Peanut Butter

S'mores = 1 Caramel Corn + 2 Marshmallow + 1 Chocolate Pudding

Root Beer Float = 2 Root Beer + 1 Cream Soda

Jalapeno Poppers 1 Buttered Popcorn + 1 Jalapeno

Banana Cream Pie = 1 Top Banana + 1 Cream Soda + 1 Coconut

Orange Dream Bar = 2 Orange Sherbet + 1 Cream Soda

Mud Pie = 2 Chocolate Pudding + 1 Cappuccino + 1 Peanut Butter

Pineapple Salsa = 2 Crushed Pineapple + 1 Jalapeno

Blueberry Muffin = 2 Blueberry + 1 Buttered Popcorn
Bottom of Your Shoe = 3 Bubble Gum + 1 Licorice + 1 Cinnamon + 1 Peanut Butter

Twizzlers = 3 Hawaiian Punch + 1 Licorice

Mellow Yellow = 2 Lemon Lime + 1 Lemon

Yucky Pie = 1 Top Banana + 1 Cinnamon + 1 Buttered Popcorn + 2 Orange Juice + 2 Peach

French Vanilla Coffee = 1 French Vanilla + 1 Cappuccino

Candy Apple = 2 Red Apple + 1 Caramel Apple

Tropical Punch = 1 Pina Colada + 1 Crushed Pineapple + 1 Coconut + 1 Hawaiian Punch

Starbucks Mocha Valencia = 2 Espressos (Cafe Latte?) + 1-2 Orange Juice

Rocky Road = 1 French Vanilla + 1 Chocolate Pudding + 1 Peanut Butter

Toasted Caramel Corn = 1 Toasted Marshmallow + 1 Caramel Corn

Sizzlin' Watermelon = 1 Sizzling Cinnamon + 1 Watermelon

Mr. Clean = 1 Juicy Pear + 1 Lemon Lime

Hot Wings = 2 Roasted Garlic* + 1 Tabasco* + 1 Jalapeno

Chocolate Mocha = 2 Chocolate Pudding + 1 Cappuccino

Hot Chocolate = 1 Toasted Marshmallow + 1 Chocolate Pudding

 

You're

Welcome!

On a Mission

There comes a time every summer, when cabin fever hits. Just like winter, summertime in the South brings us to our knees...either in front of a fireplace or in front of a fan. We're here, sitting with our big glass of iced tea and letting the breeze from the fan stir the hot, sultry August days. Air conditioning has been elevated on everyone's "must have" list. No one goes out into the mid day heat unless they work or they are out of food...yep, just like Winter.

Last Winter was particularly hard in NW Arkansas. From Christmas until March we had wave after wave of snow flurries. About the time one would melt off, here would come another. We kept the snow shovel by the front door and our coats, hats and gloves didn't even get hung back in the hall closet. Things came to a standstill.

I saw in the paper that my favorite store was having a 50% off sale and against my better judgement I went to the hottest place on Earth...Buds and Blooms to buy more plants! The deer have made our yard and patio look like no one lives here. They have nibbled our hostas, grazed down our pink impatiens and I've officially given up on ever having any vegetables as long as we live on Granny Mountain. But I noticed they are leaving the Vinca and Marigolds alone so my plan was to go and buy every single one that's left. I don't care if it is 99 in the shade, I was on a mission! I found one lone tray of Vincas and not a single Marigold was left. By the time I got home I was wet down to my drawers and I looked like I'd been through the car wash, drenched and droopy. I did save $7 though. Now if it will just cool off so I can plant them!
 

School Days

That familiar school bus is making it's way down Old Prairie Creek Road that winds back to our house. If I come home from shopping 4ish, I get behind the bus. It makes half a dozen stops out our way, not too many kids live out our road. They always look like pack mules carrying backpacks, lunchboxes and jackets! Tired little disheveled bodies pour off the bus and run wildly up their driveways or roads. I was a city kid and never road the school bus. Our daughters did and complained unmercifully about the torture they endured on the bumpy, un~airconditioned buses. There was always a mean driver, or a kid that picked their nose, or just the fact that it came so darn early! I would drive them to the main road where we would wait patiently for the bus to round our curve and stop. We'd listen to the radio and talk. Great talks about friends and feelings, right and wrong, meaningless talk that makes Moms and daughters bond.

Dan Henshel used to read the school menu on the radio each morning. He would make the lunch meal sound as good as he could...Chicken with a biscuit on top, creamy mashed potatoes, green beans, yellow cake with chocolate icing, and when he got to the end he would always say "And milk-y." It drove Stephanie crazy...she would go on and on about how stupid it was! She's sending her boys off this morning to another year of school. I bet she's thinking about milk-y!

Don't Tell me What to Do...

Isn't it great on a weekend to go through the channels and find an old movie like First Wives Club? I love watching old movies that make me both smile and cry! These three actresses were just perfect for this movie and Goldie Hawn...she cracks me up! Our tv guide that comes with our paper on Sunday's lists movies for the week alphabetically. Pick out an old fav and DVR it for later!

A Pretty Penny...

Something that costs an arm and a leg; to be expensive; to cost a lot of money.
"Mary's dress is real silk. It must have cost a pretty penny."
"Taking care of a fancy car like that can cost a pretty penny, let me tell you."

Oldest daughter Stephanie spent part of her vacation here doing her favorite thing, shopping. She and my Mom share the uncanny ability to go shopping without ever spending money. I'm not sure exactly how they manage the task, but the act should be renamed 'Looking!' In her prime my Mom loved to shop at the now defunct TGY variety stores in Oklahoma City. She never did drive, so Daddy would take her shopping on the weekends...a true act of love! He didn't accompany her in her quest, but would rather sit in the car and wait 'watching people,' his chosen passtime!! Mom would return to the car without a single purchase. I was witness to this odd behavior many times and when I got older, I asked Mom why she liked to shop and not buy anything. Her answer? "I just like to look."

So here I am at 58 and it's happening to me. Shopping has lost it's sparkle. I no longer shop just for the enjoyment, the thrill of the hunt. Bargains may be out there but I don't feel the need to hunt anymore. Not unless I need something. That's not to say I wouldn't be tempted if I see that Belks has a sale on some shoes or dishes (my real weakness)!

Summit Street, 1959

I could be a vegetarian...if I didn't have to give up meat! Early on, I loved vegetables and grains. My favorite lunch when I was a kid was cooked spinach with lemon but I think it was was greatly influenced by Popeye cartoons!

My brother and I were typical 1950's kids who were expected to clean our plates. It wasn't a suggestion, there wasn't a discussion...we just ate what was on our plates, no other choices given. When I compare childhoods with Hubby, he was allowed to get up and fix a hot dog or eat a bowl of cereal in place of the roast and vegetables that he hated. Wimp! I had to force down liver and onions, Salisbury Steak or meatloaf loaded with onions...my Dad's favorite. Luckily, Mom provided plenty of fresh vegetables with our meals and I loved nearly all of them! Mashed potatoes, creamed corn, Harvard beets, glazed carrots, green beans with bacon and new potatoes, baked sweet potatoes and greens of all kinds cooked down with country ham! Summertime brought Big Boy tomatoes and fresh green onions, fried okra or squash and corn on the cob. In the middle of the table you could always find an assortment of condiments; homemade bread and butter or beet pickles, chow-chow or fruit preserves to be served with hot biscuits. Cornbread or hot rolls were on the table often. Mom had learned from her mother that homemade bread was far superior to anything store bought.
These hot August days have me remembering that kitchen table where we sat and ate our meals. The plastic seats of the chrome set would stick to my skinny little legs and I'd squirm around, alternating sitting and standing! The Emerson fan sit on a little shelf on the wall and did it's best to stir the hot air from the oven being on to prepare the meal before us. It was 1959, and we didn't know how cool air conditioning would make our lives, the phone never rang at dinnertime and we were just one of millions of families who were gathered for the evening meal.

Awesome!

Sleeping on freshly washed sheets....

A Bad Taste in my Mouth...

When I don't get good service, whether it's at a store or when I call a repairman...I can't help but hold onto that feeling of disappointment. I don't forget, and I don't go back. And here lately, it seems it happens a lot.

When I had my unfortunate accident last month with my range top that ended up making our ravioli dinner cost nearly $300* I opened my address book and dialed the number of a repairman that I'd used several times before. He never answers, I get his cell and his voicemail. He used to own an appliance store and knows the ins and outs of all makes and models. He fixed our ice maker last year, a little plastic wheel that turns the ice out broke. He ordered the part, then in a few days he came back out and replaced it. Showing me the part he remarked it shouldn't be made of plastic, then he gave me the bill...$189. High we thought for a piece of plastic that looked like a tiddly wink, but oh well...it needed to be fixed.

When he calls back later on that day, I asked for a quote. Just ballpark, but I like to have a quote so I know how sick I'm going to feel. The next day I got the bad news, almost $500 to replace the range top. I was floored and said I might as well order a new one, he agreed. I just couldn't get over the cost so I didn't do anything for a couple days. Then I thought, maybe I should call around, get some prices for myself on the range top. Sears quoted $239. Big difference. Even with $15.99 flat rate shipping it didn't add up to the repairman's quote. The next day I called him back and told him I'd found a good price on the range top and how much would he charge me to install. He wasn't interested. He said have Sears install it and hung up.

We ordered the part, installed the cook top and I'm in business again. I can make pancakes or stir fry, potato soup or spaghetti. I'll never lay the lid down on the glass again...go back to that horrible day with me HERE. But I can tell you, it left me with 'A Bad Taste in my Mouth.' I'll never call that repairman again. He took advantage of us several times and I just paid thinking that's what the parts cost. I like to trust the people I do business with and it's just not a given anymore.

Aunt B's Birthday!

Some of you may notice I do a lot of posts that are inspired by Aunt B. She is my husband's dear Aunt, his Mother's sister. Before I get you too confused, let me tell you that when we first married, we lived a distance from family. A good thing I think, because you need space...time to enjoy that "honeymoon" period and work out all the kinks! We were lucky to be close to my husband's Aunt B. and Uncle G. They were the Cool Family, young and not judgemental or apt to give unwanted advice ever! Looking back we may have "worn out our welcome" since we spent a lot of time over there. They invited us for dinner a lot and we never said no to a home cooked meal. But it was much more than that, we just loved being in their home. Their three kids filled the house and yard with noise, laughter and toys.

Aunt B. was a wonderful cook, but what I remember most about those meals was AFTER dinner was over. She was a very good housekeeper and I was taking notes. I liked order anyway, but I could see a balance in her life. Not too much stress because things got done when they needed to be taken care of. She had a routine she followed every meal and that included sweeping and mopping the kitchen floor. It was all fresh and clean, ready for another day.

Life is kind of like that too. Face the problems each day and do your best to clean them up, not letting anything pile up to a big mess. When it gets too big, you want to give up. You can only do so much in a day, but then God gives you another day to "Clean House!"

Aunt B. is celebrating a birthday today so I'd like for you to join me in wishing her a fun day filled with many surprises! Through the years, she's inspired me to be the best wife and Mom I could be through example. She's given me good advice, supported us during difficult times and celebrated our good fortune. That's just like a Mom isn't it?

These pictures were taken this summer when we went to visit. Their abundance of tomatoes were placed carefully on a plastic tablecloth, atop a white quilt in a cool guest bedroom to ripen to perfection! They sent us home with sacks of Big Boys and okra, so good! You mean the world to us Aunt B....

Happy Birthday!

I'm the Dinosaur that Roams the Earth...

I'm not one of the millions of people that are tied to a cell phone. My use requires the most basic easy phone available, a Tracphone. But I am not the norm, I'm the

Dinosaur that roams the Earth...Grandma is my name!

My calls are quick and to the point...

"bring home milk... what time are you planning on meeting me... I'm running a little late."

If I lost my phone it wouldn't be the end of the world, they sell them for $20 at Walmart and I'd just get another. But with most people, the dilemma of losing their Portable Information Cataloging Gadget, i.e. cellphone~ they'd lose contact with people entirely! The information that Iphones, Blackberrys and other PDA's hold these days is mindboggling. It holds documents, account contacts and personal information we don't want shared.

 

I saw this on Twitter the other day and saved the site...just in case Hubby loses his Iphone. It could happen, his Blackberry is at the bottom of Beaver Lake...DON'T ASK!!!

Good Genes...

(left to right in the picture...me being held by Mom, my Grandpa Keeling, my Great-Uncle Claude...in the front my brother and Great-Grandma Keeling. Santa Ana, California 1954)

Mom's Paternal Grandmother lived to be just shy of 100 years, quite a feat in 1963 but not so much these days. With all of the research on centenarians,  people are living longer and longer lives. A new study has found that there are traits found in families who have grandparents, parents, aunts or uncles, brothers or sisters who live to be a ripe old age. There's a website Livingto100.com that has an easy calculator that uses the most current and carefully researched medical and scientific data in order to estimate how old you will live to be. The calculator asks you 40 quick questions related to your health and family history, and takes about 10 minutes to complete. I took the test this morning and it estimated my lifespan at 101 years! Good genes and living a pretty quiet lifestyle definitely bumped up my years!

Triple Chocolate Pie

I received only one cookbook as a wedding gift and I didn't even crack it open once until after the honeymoon. My poor husband was doomed to years of burnt food, Rice-a-Roni and Tuna Casseroles. He loved me though, he never complained. It wasn't that I didn't like to cook, when your budget is $10 a week there's not much room for experimenting. I dreamed though. I'd go to the Fayetteville library and check out the most glorious cookbooks, laden with full color spreads of Beef Wellington..Baked Alaska..Chocolate Mousse. I copied by hand recipes that I knew that I wanted to make, someday.


Mom was a Midwest cook who relied heavily on meat and potatoes. The meal was planned with those two things, add vegetables and a salad and dinner was ready. She was a good cook who had mastered bread making. Her rolls would fill the house with that heavenly aroma and tempt my brother and me to snitch one before dinner! She cooked strictly from "scratch," we didn't eat boxed puddings or any frozen vegetables. Food value was her main consideration, second only to cost.


I was an odd kid, I didn't like chocolate. Years went by before I tasted good chocolate and the love affair started. There's no turning back now! Mom's from scratch Chocolate Pie is still the best. It's decadent only in the fact that it uses half and half, our access to fresh Jersey milk afforded us the luxury of all the butter and cream Mom could use. Whether you make the pie or just eat the pudding still warm from the pan, you will throw rocks at the boxed varieties after trying this...


Triple Chocolate Pie
Printable Recipe
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 1/2 cups half and half
4 large egg yolks
3 1/2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Baked pie shell
Whisk sugar, cocoa, and cornstarch in heavy medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in 1 cup half and half. Whisk in remaining 2 1/2 cups half and half and yolks. Whisk over medium-high heat until mixture thickens and boils, whisking constantly, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat. Add both chocolates and butter; whisk until melted and smooth. Mix in vanilla. Cool slightly and pour into baked pie shell. Refrigerate at least 6 hours. Top with whipped cream and chocolate curls.

Awesome!

#455 Digging a hole in your mashed potatoes and filling it up with gravy...