NO WAY!

So, I was out running errands and someone stopped me to ask about my blog. Apparently I have a blog?

Sorry to be a tease. Ill be back I promise. Lots and lots going on over here in Crazyville.

If all of you would get your butts on fb and be my friend we could keep up even when Im neglecting the blog!

Trader Tuesdays - Make Your House Smell Delicious Edition

For this Tuesday's trade I offer you a link. This is what I put in the crockpot when I need a yummy, healthy meal for a night filled with meetings, et al. (Which is pretty much every night...)

Without further ado, here it is. Don't skip the coconut rice. Not even if you THINK you hate coconut. My kids hate coconut, but LOVE LOVE LOVE coconut rice.

My alterations:
1. I sometimes add baby carrots
2. I add a couple turns of soy sauce to the orange juice mixture
3. I serve with Siracha

Chris Jordan's blog is one of my absolute favorites. you have probably visited it before, but if you haven't, Go. Go now.

I LOVE YOU CHELSEA! and WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT?

I want to rename my blog so so so so so so so so badly!!!!! Was at Barnes and Noble today when the clouds parted and rays of glorious, ethereal sunlight highlighted this cover...

look through the archives and comments.....you KNOW my new name should be Are You There Vodka? It's Me, MaryB

I have a feeling that Ms. Handler's lawyers might have a few unpleasant meetings with me regarding copyright infringement or IP issues though. Oh well, in your heads, you can all now pretend that that is the new name of this blog. Or, **SUDDEN BRAINSTORM** it COULD BE my new tagline! HA! Yes. AND THEN you can all go to Blogstle and I will mix up fabulous vodka concoctions for everyone!!!

You're all putting this on your reading lists right now, right?

Food Is Love - Especially When It Is Chocolate.

It has been a rather sucky week thus far in internet land. Katie feels like crap and has had no sleep. Slynnro's yuppie world has been assaulted by crime yet again. Tessie revealed her shitty deal. Mandy is having a spell of self-doubt and general hand-wringing. And, then, there is the Queen of the Icebergs, who has more to deal with than can be asked of one human being (I'll link to her if I get her permission - she could really use as much good karma and as many warm thoughts as you could muster to send her way!)

If you have ever read about how this blog's title came to be, then you know I am, proudly, a southern girl. Well, in the south, we believe that anything can be fixed with food. Unfortunately I can't feasibly bake and deliver goodies to all of you. (Because I SO WOULD if I could!!) Instead, I'm just going to share my favorite easy chocolate pie recipe and you can all whip one up. We can have a virtual coffee-and-pie girlfriend pick-me-up date! This pie is not as rich and sinful as a French Silk (Rich's fav!), but it is a very rich and decadent result considering very minimal effort! I far prefer it in a blind-baked, traditional pie crust (Pillsbury roll n' bake will do!), but my kids prefer an Oreo or chocolate graham crust (which you can, of course, purchase pre-made at the store!).

Chocolicious Pie

• 2/3 cup milk
• 3/4 - 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (do not use milk chocolate!)
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 2 generous tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 11/2 tsp vanilla
• 4 Tablespoons butter, cut into a few pieces
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream whipped with 1/4 cup sugar (OR, if in a hurry pick up a can of the Extra Creamy Reddi-Whip!)
• Possible decorative and tasty toppings - finely chopped toffee bars, toasted and chopped nuts, mini chocolate chips, use your imagination or use nothing at all - that's fine too!

Heat milk (NOT the condensed milk!) in a a medium-large saucepan until it just begins to bubble around the edges (DO NOT LET IT COME TO A BOIL!) Remove from heat and whisk in chocolate chips until melted.

While that cools a bit, stir the condensed milk and vanilla into the beaten eggs. Stir together the cold water and cornstarch until it is not lumpy. Add cornstarch mixture to the egg mixture.

Add the egg mixture to the chocolate in the saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat whisking constantly. Boil for about 1 minute. the filling will thicken and smooth out very quickly once you reach this point. remove from heat and stir in the chilled butter.

Spoon mixture into your crust of choice. Chill several hours. Top with your sweetened, whipped cream. Add toppings if you choose!

Foot In Mouth Syndrome

Do you ever leave comments and then, when it is too late, realize it didn't come across quite the way you intended? Or that it was just STOOPID?

You know the most stupid aspect of my affliction??? It is that when you are commenting on a blog you can type, edit, and choose your words carefully. But me? Hell no. I give more thought to what I say, out loud, in person than to what I jet off in a comment. Heck, I don't even spell check comments.

At what age or milestone can I look forward to not making an ass out of myself anymore?

Ta Ta For Now...

Don't want you guys to think Iam just a big, lazy slacker. So, just a quick line to let you all know I am going on a blogging hiatus. I'll be checking on all of your goings on though because you all are so darn interesting, insightful, and funny. Hopefully I will feel like rejoining you all in the near future. Until then, keep me laughing, will ya?

FYI

1. My hair looks much better. Thanks for asking. I know you were all concerned.

2. I've read on several blogs lately about the authors' obsessiveness with grammar, style, and punctuation. It has me all twitchy. I share the love of all things being done correctly. I LOVE to help my boys with their grammar homework. I like things that have set rules like that. ( I love, love, love to diagram sentences!) However, I'm sure you have noticed that my blog-writing does not exhibit this love of grammar. This is because I really really do NOT have time to edit this thing they way I would edit other things like papers and correspondence. You guys are lucky I even hit the spellcheck button. My competitive and ego-driven self, though, is now freaking out that all of you natural writers out there think that I am some dumb idiot with no grasp of the written language arts. I assure that I can write correctly. I just cannot allow myself to obsess about such things here. It would make me crazier than I already am. I consider the blog more of a conversation with friends than an actual written composition. Can that be my excuse?

Because I'm Just a Little Bit Nuts

I feel the need to change the colors of the template around to reflect the seasons. Won't the Christmas one be obnoxious? Now if I could only insert a little music player....