Bad Day Pie

We all have bad days. Hayden happened to be having one when I made this pie back in December. I remember the day pretty well- he was fussy from the getgo. He was hungry, but didn't want to eat. He was tired but didn't want to sleep. When he did sleep, it was for 15 minutes at a time, then he'd wake up crying because I had put him down. He spit up several times throughout the day, which meant he was constantly wet and stinky. All that made for one cranky baby.

My grandma was in town and had stayed the night to help out. I think we scared her. haha! Hayden is generally a happy baby and only cries when he is tired, hungry or in pain. He doesn't just cry because he needs something to do. But that was the first time my grandma really spent time with him and I don't think she was prepared for it. This pie only takes a few minutes to put together but it took me over an hour to make because I kept having to take breaks to soothe Hayden. Melt the chocolate, take a break, stir in the cream cheese, take a break, fold in the whipped topping, take a break, pour into crust, take a break. You get the idea.

After several hours of crying baby, I had a mini breakdown and retired to the bathroom to soak in the tub in peace. Mr. H and my grandma were tending to Hayden and all I could hear from across the house was his crying. I tried to relax and just couldn't. Mr. H tried to soothe Hayden and couldn't so he brought him into the bathroom to see me. He got in the tub with me and we played in the water for over an hour. He loved floating and splashing and returned to his usual happy self. All this to say that even after a long hard day, something sweet can still come out of it and I'm not talking about the pie.

Hayden with his Great Grandma (GGma) in December 2011

This pie was creamy, slightly tangy from the cream cheese, light and mousse-like. You can switch it up by using different chocolate, or whipped cream instead of Cool Whip, just be sure to use a homemade crust- I used store bought and was disappointed in it's flavor but the filling was great. If you're having a bad day, take a break or ten, and make pie.

German Sweet Chocolate Pie from Let's Dish

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• 4 ounces Baker’s German Sweet Chocolate
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (8 ounce) Cool Whip topping, thawed
• 1 graham cracker or chocolate pie crust

Heat chocolate and 2 tablespoons of the milk in saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently until chocolate is melted. Beat sugar into cream cheese; add remaining milk and chocolate mixture and beat until smooth. Fold in whipped topping and blend until smooth. Spoon into crust. Freeze until firm, about 4 hours. Garnish with additional whipped topping and chocolate curls, if desired. Let stand at room temperature about 1 hour before serving then refrigerate any leftovers.

A Loaded Photo Post

I've had photos on my computer that date back to September that I wanted to share with you all and never did. Then Keeley from My Life On A Plate blogged a bunch of photos that inspired me to so the same. No food or recipes today just some of my favorite photos. My friend Lori from LFE Photography took the photos of Hayden when he was just 2 weeks old and our holiday pictures. The rest of them I took but I've put my logo on all of them. Hope you enjoy!

These are photos of Hayden when he was just 2 1/2 weeks old and still wearing newborn size clothes. I look back at these from time to time and I can't believe how small and tiny he was and how much he's changed!

I think this one wound up on Pinterest. My friend shared it on her FB page and someone pinned it. I didn't know about it until my sister saw it and told me about it.

This personalized wooden block was given to Hayden by Allie of Eat At Allie's. It was one of my favorite things he received because it was made especially for him with his birth information on it and because she honored Hayden's older angel brothers on it. It will be treasured for a lifetime. You can purchase your own from Craft-E-Family. Thank you Allie so much!

Fast forward to the first of December when Hayden was just 3 months old. I knit this blanket a few years ago and now he gets to use it. At this age he was still learning to hold his head up.

I did not knit this but a dear friend of mine did. It's a sleep sack and matching hat. I took a picture of him using it to send to her and my mom loved it so much that she submitted it in the Gerber cutest baby contest. haha!

These next few photos are from our holiday photo shoot. These were so much fun!

That is one good looking Poppa holding his son.

Of course Autumn took part in it too.

Sleepy and ready for this photo shoot to be over!

This was a happy coincidence- this heart was already carved into the tree- we did not photoshop it into the pictures. I also want to point out the beautiful green blanket my friend Kristi of Not What I Expected made for him. Thank you Kristi!

Mr. H is a huge fan of Christmas and "exterior illumination". Once Thanksgiving is over, he turns into Clark Griswold. He wanted me to share this photo of his hard work. Thank you honey for making our Christmas brighter.

And these are salt dough ornaments that I made in February of Hayden's hand and foot. I hoped to have them made in time to put on the tree but it just didn't happen. They'll look great on the tree next year though :-)

My beautiful Valentine!

Hayden was born with enlarged kidneys. They're also filled with fluid and shouldn't be. This can lead to urinary tract infections but so far he's been perfectly fine and infection free. We've taken him to a few doctor appointments and ultrasounds just to keep an eye on them. This past Tuesday he went for a follow-up appointment and we stopped by The Ronald McDonald house which is next door to the pediatric urologist. Here is a side by side comparison of Hayden with Ronald. He's filling out that car seat very well.

And lastly, this is the sunset from our backyard last night on Mr. H's birthday. It was 92 degrees in February! This day last year it was snowing. That's just how unpredictable Texas weather is.

That's all for now. Thanks for letting me play catch up! Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by!

Pie Or Cake?

I've been on a pie kick lately and I'm not sure why. Maybe because they're so versatile and can be sweet or savory, and can be served at any meal. Or maybe it's because they can be the meal and the dessert? I'm not sure, but I've been going through my cookbooks and bookmarking pies left and right. I hope you don't get tired of them because it seems that 2012 is the year of the pie. Move over layer cake! Did I just say that?

This month The Cake Slice Bakers chose to make Boston Cream Pie. I realize it's not actually a pie, but a cake, but who cares when you have vanilla cake sandwiched with thick pastry cream and topped with velvety chocolate ganache? I almost made this for my Pie Party, but I ran out of time so I made it for our Super Bowl get together. Classy right? Picture it- Spicy Buffalo Wings, Chips and Queso, Baked Corndogs, Veggies with Dip, Sausage and Pepperoni Pizza Puffs and Boston Cream Pie on a Pedestal. haha! It's a little contradictory but it's never a bad time to eat cake. Or pie. Which is it?

This cake is not hard to make, but you have to plan ahead when making it. It's a little laborious and time consuming, but it's rather simple as long as you read and follow the directions. Just be sure to make the custard ahead of time and have it well chilled so when you're ready to assemble this cake you're not having to wait on the filling. Now I'd love to say that this cake was a dream come true but to be honest I thought the actually sponge cake was a little dry. The filling and the topping were great though and I'd make those components again but I'd try a different recipe for the cake. I thought it dried out because I made it the night before but some of the other Cake Slice Bakers had the same issue. Keep that in mind if you give this recipe a try. If nothing else you'll end up with a very pretty dessert. And who doesn't love pretty?

Boston Cream Pie adapted from The Cake Book

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• 1 recipe Vanilla Custard Filling (make and chill prior to baking the cake)
• 1 recipe Hot Milk Sponge Cake
• 1 recipe Chocolate Glaze

For The Vanilla Custard Filling:

• 3 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

In a medium bowl, whisk together the yolks, sugar and the cornstarch, set aside.

In a medium saucepan, bring the milk to a gentle boil. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk about 1/3 cup of the hot milk into the yolk mixture. Return the entire mixture to the saucepan, place over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat, scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula, and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the butter until melted.

Immediately strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Whisk in the vanilla extract. Cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap, and let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for two hours, or until well chilled.

Just before assembling the cake, transfer the custard filling to the bowl of an electric mixer. Add 1/4 cup heavy cream and using the whisk attachment, beat the mixture at high speed until it is light and forms soft peaks, about 1 minute.

For The Hot Milk Sponge Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Position a rack in the center on the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch cake pan. Dust pan with flour.

Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt two times. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the milk and butter and heat over medium heat just until the butter is melted. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

In a bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the eggs at high speed until blended, about 1 minute. Gradually add the sugar and vanilla extract and beat until pale and tripled in volume, about 6 minutes.

Sift one-third of the flour mixture over the egg mixture and gently fold it in with a rubber spatula. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture in two more additions.

Reheat the milk mixture to just under a boil. Add it all at once to the egg mixture and gently fold it in. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake the cake for 20-25 minutes, until it springs back when lightly touched and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Run a paring knife around the edge of the pan and invert the cake onto the wire rack. Reinvert the cake, so that it is right side up.

For The Chocolate Glaze:

• 3 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate to the pan. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the glaze is smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract. Transfer the glaze to a small bowl. Cover the surface of the glaze with a piece of plastic wrap and let cool for about 10 minutes before using.

Assemble The Cake: Using a long serrated knife, cut the cake horizontally in half to make 2 layers.

Save the smooth bottom layer for the top of the cake, and place the remaining cake layer cut side up on a serving plate. Scrape the filling onto the layer and, using a small offset metal spatula, spread it into an even layer. Top with the other cake layer, cut side down.

Glaze The Cake: Pour the warm glaze over the top of the cake, allowing some of it to drizzle down the sides. Serve the cake immediately, or refrigerate.

Store in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to a day. Bring to room temperature before serving.

I've been getting emails and comments asking where Hayden is. You guys are funny! Here he is with his daddy looking at himself in the mirror. He looks at himself, smirks at the good looking boy staring back at him then starts giggling. When he's feeling grumpy, this cheers him up everytime. Maybe he's laughing at his momma, because I like to sing to Michael Jackson's "Man In The Mirror" to him when he does this, except I sing "I'm looking at the boy in the mirror". :-) I wish you all could just hear his laugh. It's the best sound in the world.