I'm finally getting a chance to sit down and catch up with our thread! Welcome, Kirby!
Thank you to all for the suggestions for the little monkey. He seemed better over the weekend but he's back to his normal rude self today. DH is taking tomorrow off to get a few things done...I don't know why he's better with DH but he is. So I'll get a break from the attitude tomorrow.
Pea-n-Me, your photos are beautiful! I love flower photos...I take a ton of those myself. They're cheerful.
Lynxstch, this is the recipe for the pie...
Ingredients
- 2-3/4 cups crushed pretzel sticks ****
- 1 cup sugar, divided
- 3/4 cup butter, melted
- 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream, divided
- 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
- Additional crushed pretzel sticks, optional
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Combine crushed pretzels and 1/3 cup sugar with melted butter. Using the bottom of a glass, press onto bottom and up the sides of a greased 9-in. deep-dish pie plate. Bake until set, 12-15 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- Meanwhile, sprinkle gelatin over cold water; let stand 5 minutes. Beat peanut butter, softened butter, cream cheese and remaining sugar until smooth. Gradually beat in 1/2 cup cream. Microwave gelatin on high until melted, about 10 seconds; stir into peanut butter mixture. Transfer to crust.
- Microwave chocolate chips and remaining cream on high; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Spread chocolate mixture over peanut butter mixture. If desired, top with additional crushed pretzels. Refrigerate, covered, until set, about 3 hours.
****I followed the directions to the letter and there is WAY too much crust! If I ever make this again, I might stop at 2 cups of the crushed pretzels. This is a photo of mine B.C. (before cutting
):
I *think* DH had a good birthday. Being a dad, he had to drive us around for errands in the morning. Then after lunch, he set up Josh's pool outside and they played for a few hours. We got Chinese for dinner, then opened gifts and had some pie. Sunday morning we braved the grocery store. Why does literally EVERYONE bunch up in the bread aisle? I was trying to look for the apricot preserves that I need for a recipe and was getting nasty comments from people about being in the way
After that, we went up to my in-laws for a visit. Nobody noticed that my 83-year-old FIL was sitting in a flimsy, wobbly chair until he suddenly was on the ground, feet in the air, head on the concrete steps behind him. He said he was okay; he had a good-sized scrape on his knee and I thought there was a spot of red next to his eye (from hitting it, not a scrape). My BIL arrived right then, so between me, DH, BIL, and SIL, we got him back up. So scary when an elderly person falls. I reminded DH that we should call tonight and make sure he's okay.
There were some dragonflies hanging around my MIL hydrangeas, so I got a few good photos of them, too...
Today I had so many cucumbers from my SIL that I worked on making refrigerator pickles. Then I cut up 3 "magda zucchinis" to marinate in Italian dressing (her suggestion)...will bake them later with parmesan cheese. Ironing, laundry, Josh's state project...finally sitting down and watching The Planets with Mike Massimino on the Science Channel! Tonight we'll have some of that baked squash with "Buffalo Chicken Salad."
QOTD for 8/1: What was your (or your kids) favorite thing to do at the park or playground?
I have to think back to elementary school because things were different then than now! I remember this big round climbing structure that we had...not a dome, though. It was a big tall pole in the middle with 3 sets of prongs going outward from it. Around the outside, there were 2 or 3 big rings on the bottom "level," then 2 or 3 smaller ones above that, then 2 small ones on top. It was pretty large, or so I thought at the time. Probably wasn't as high up as I remember. And of course I loved the swings. Everyone did. If you weren't one of the first kids out there, you didn't get a swing. They were those old black rubber things that ruined many a pair of pants, too. My mother was so mad about that that she told me to find something else to do at recess.
Loved playing dodgeball, too.
Josh likes climbing the rock wall, if there is one. Anything that has to do with climbing. He always wants me to go down the slides with him, too (and I do! I'm the only mom who actually gets up there and plays with my kid!)