Granny's Every Cream Pie Filling

My Granny's Pie Recipes
Lookout!
Mix
2/3 c sugar
4 tbs cornstarch
pinch of salt

Separate 3 eggs, add yolks.

2 cups whole milk

Pour milk until it looks like pancake batter (make sure egg yolks beaten really good!)  Add rest of milk.

Microwave 4 minutes on HIGH.
Whisk it really good.

Microwave another 3 minutes (should boil at that point)
Whisk it again.

Microwave another 30 seconds-1minute.

Take it out of microwave and add 1/2 stick butter and a generous tsp of vanilla extract.  Let butter melt. Mix it up again.

VARIATIONS:
Creme Brulee: Put in individual cups, add sugar to top and put under broiler.
Chocolate Cream Pie: Add a generous cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Coconut Cream Pie: Add a cup of shredded coconut.
Banana Cream: Add 1 tbs of cornstarch.  In pie crust, layer filling and sliced bananas.

USE THOSE EGG WHITES:
No fail Meringue
6tbs sugar
1 tbs corn starch
1/2 c water

Bring to a boil and boil 1 minutes (will thicken and get clear)
Beat egg whites until foamy, add hot mixture, start beating again until you get stiff peaks.
350° until lightly browns (15 minutes)

PIE CRUST (keep ingredients as cold as possible--even flour)
3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1 c solid shortening (crisco)
Put in stand mixer with flat beater to 2.
1/2 cup ice water

Drizzle ice water in slowly. When it comes together immediately stop.

Dump onto board and cut into 2 disks and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.
Roll out.  Start in center and roll back and forth.

Let it fall into the pie pan  Let it hang over the sides about an inch.  Fold the overhang up under.  Push your thumb in and then pinch---just ask me to show you. :)

Prick it with a fork all around.  Freeze. Go straight from freezer to oven.
Bake at 400°

My 1970's Decor is Killing Me

Here are the floors in my entryway:

So I uploaded one of these puppies on to this site and it gave me this:

I'm thinking of using the "dull" blue-ish green as a wall color in my foyer and just owning the floors.  I will show THEM who's boss!

I really hate laying tile.

School Starts!

We are just a few short days away from school starting!  We got to meet the new teacher and do the whole kindergarten evaluation thing on Thursday.  The night before, I put this together for her.

And also I made a mom card prototype (different from my work business cards-that mention that I work at a church and therefore people kind of freak out about drinking merlot in front of me, which is totally ridiculous.)

And then I did a bit of painting with Ethan in the mom cave:

Hee Hee.

Done.

Finished.
Complete.
Mission Accomplished.

See?

This Week

 I got a bit sidetracked when my gorgeous sister called to remind me that Mom's 50th birthday was less than 6 weeks away (*gasp).

Thanks to Pinterest and Craigslist (33 wineglasses for $10-woot!) Mom's party will be epic.  She was with me when we found these on the super clearance aisle at Hobby Lobby:

I paid $1.50 apiece for them and they are now living happily ever after in the Mom Cave.  Those are my handy-dandy aprons and the second love of my life (my cordless drill-thanks again dad!).

Speaking of which, check out the progress on the Mom Cave here.

My Favorite Things

My favorite things:
  THIS AD
  Getting this light fixture on clearance at Lowe's for $11.  $11!!  I win.

     Ben growling and then saying "Cooz Me". I am sure it was my husband who taught him to take pride in his burping abilities.  He's practicing.
     THIS FABRIC
     Saw that one coming didn't you?
   
There is a point to this.  I read about a "Favorite Things" party on Pinterest (Here).  I want to host one at my house, with a "Holidays" theme.  Basically, everyone will bring 5 of their favorite craft, recipe, product, etc.  We'll do a swap (and drink inordinate amounts of wine) and trade our favorite holiday stories. I want to host it early enough that we can adopt each other's projects and finish them in time to use in our homes/celebrations THIS year.  So I'm throwing a holiday party in September.  Sounds amazing, huh?

I'll do that.

I love projects.  Any kind of project.  Redecorating.  Organizing.  Cleaning.  Assembling.  Husband.

I do it all.

I love projects so much that I am not always logical about saying "no" to them.  I like the gratification of completion, the sometimes extreme change in scenery or function, and I never met a paint chip I didn't like.

Pinterest is like crack for me.

I should be better about focusing on one or two projects, but I see something amazing and immediately my brain squeals, "I"ll do that!"  Don't worry, I never squeal out loud.  That would be obnoxious.

So on these pages you will find completed projects, in-progress projects, and projects still in the "Owl Do That" file. Just look to your right and click the page you want to look at! Leave me your ideas, comments, suggestions, words to stroke my ego and validate my project obsession to my husband, etc.

P.S.  I pick on my husband. A lot.  And he hates it.  But you should know that he is a pretty amazing guy and I couldn't find a better father to my boys if I tried.  And I did. Try, that is.