Chocolate Banana Cream Pie

We had some friends over last night and I served this pie. The ladies are always calorie conscientious so I offered a smaller choice to one of the ladies and a larger choice to her husband. After she finished her slice, she was eyeing her husband's pie thinking she might have to steal a couple more bites off his plate. She regretted accepting the smaller slice! The husband said he needed me to make this again in February and bring it to his house (he was referring to having me make this for his birthday. No cake for him, bring on this pie)! It's a little extra effort than this pie, but they all sure seemed to love it a lot, so I think it was worth it. I found the recipe on Pinterest which took me to this blog's post which I have adapted below. It is very similar to the custard I use for my coconut cream pie.

Chocolate Banana Cream Pie 
CRUST:
26 Oreo chocolate sandwich cookies
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
In a food processor or blender or a Ziplock bag and a rolling pin, process or crush the cookies into fine crumbs. Pour 1 1/2 cups of crumbs into a medium sized bowl, reserving the leftover crumbs. Add the melted butter to the bowl and stir together. Press the buttered crumbs into and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Place in refrigerator while making custard.
CUSTARD:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups milk (use whole or 2% milk)
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon butter
4 oz. white chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 bananas (not overly ripe, but not green either)

Pressurized whipped cream or sweetened whipped cream
Chocolate curls, if desired
Directions: In a small heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add milk; stir until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir for 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Slowly stir a small amount of hot filling (about 1/2 cup) into egg yolks; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Return pan to medium heat and bring custard to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat; stir in the butter, the white chocolate chips and vanilla. Stir until the chips are completely melted. Cool slightly. Remove pie crust from refrigerator and slice bananas so they fit the bottom of the pie crust in a single layer. You will use about a banana and a half for this. Pour half of the custard on top of the bananas, then add reserved cookie crumbs on top of the custard. Slice the remaining banana(s) on top of this layer of custard. Place plastic wrap on top of the custard and refrigerate for about four hours. Just before serving, add whipping cream over pie and sprinkle with chocolate curls. You can garnish the plate with a little chocolate ganache if you happen to have some handy. Yield: 8 servings. 

Buckeye Cupcakes

The peanut butter obsession continues over here. I was told that this was "one of the best cupcakes I've ever had." She continued to say, "The Buckeyes were so very yummy! Perfect peanut butter frosting." So if you're looking for chocolate and peanut butter yumminess, try this out. Thanks for the glowing review, Michele!

Buckeye Cupcakes

For the buckeyes:

1/4 cup butter, melted

3/4 cups smooth peanut butter (I used Skippy)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

Chocolate candy melts or other chocolate for dipping

Using a hand-held mixer or a stand mixer at low speed, stir the meted butter and peanut butter together until blended. Stir in the vanilla extract, then slowly add the powdered sugar. Beat until smooth. Roll peanut butter mixture into small balls, then freeze the balls for at least 20 minutes. I made mine ahead of time, putting the frozen balls into a Ziplock bag. Remove the balls from the freezer. Poke a toothpick into the ball and dip into melted chocolate so that the chocolate comes up to the top of the ball but doesn't cover it completely. Use a second toothpick to free the ball from the first toothpick. Use the back of a spoon (or your finger) to smooth over the hole left by the toothpick. Place buckeye on parchment paper until chocolate solidifies. Work quickly so the peanut butter balls don't get to soft. If necessary, return un-dipped balls to the freezer until firm again.  

For the cupcakes:

1 (15.25-oz) box devil's food cake mix (or other chocolate cake mix)

1 (3.4-oz) box chocolate instant pudding

3/4 cup sour cream

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup buttermilk or 1/2 cup regular milk

Preheat oven to 350°F. You'll need about 24 cupcake liners in a cupcake pan (or pans). In mixing bowl, blend together the sour cream,  vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla and buttermilk. Add cake mix and pudding, blending just until combined. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until cupcakes test clean with a toothpick. 

Cool cupcakes for 2 minutes in the pan, then remove warm cupcakes to a container that can be covered, such as a couple of 13x9-inch pans. Cover pans with plastic wrap. Doing this helps lock in the moistness of the cake. Keep cupcakes "under wraps" until they are completely cool. 

For the peanut butter frosting:

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

4 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup heavy cream (or more, depending on desired consistency)

Beat together the peanut butter and butter, then add in vanilla extract and salt. Slowly add the powdered sugar, beating until well combined. Add the heavy cream (you can use milk if you want, but start with a little less than 1/4 cup and see what your consistency is before adding the entire amount). Beat until light and fluffy. 

For the ganache: (recipe is adapted from My Baking Addiction)

4 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate, chopped finely

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

2 T honey

2 T light corn syrup

2 T vanilla (yes, that is tablespoons)

Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan just until bubbles begin to form around the side of the pan, but do not boil. Place chopped chocolate in a bowl. Pour the hot cream over chopped chocolate and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Stir the cream and chocolate together until it is combined. Add remaining ingredients. Let the ganache set up for about 15 minutes and then transfer to a Ziplock baggie. 

To assemble: 

Frost the cupcakes a few at a time (because if the frosting sits too long, you can't get the chopped peanuts to stick). I used a Wilton 2D tip. Snip off a tiny corner of the bag of ganache and drizzle the cupcake, then sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Top cupcake with a buckeye, pressing down very gently. Continue until all cupcakes are decorated, or you can take a break from the assembly process and test-taste your creation. 

You'll probably have a few buckeyes left over. That's a bonus! I think I could eat those all day long!

Mississippi Mud Brownies

It's not unusual for me to crave peanut butter with my chocolate. I was thinking about making Tim Riggins Brownies from Our Best Bites, but it wasn't exactly what I was wanting (the brownie, that is. You'd be crazy to not be in the mood for Tim Riggins at all times!). Somehow I found a different recipe which was exactly what I wanted, but because I was feeling lazy that day, I simplified it and the results were fast, easy and delicious.

I had read somewhere that baking in condiment cups was a great idea because you don't need cupcake pans since the cup is sturdy enough to stand on it's own. While that is true, using cupcake pans is not a problem for me; I have several! I found the cup to be a little too sturdy, and it was difficult to get the brownie out of its wrapper. I won't be doing that again.
These are smaller than a normal cupcake, and the brownie to peanut butter cup ratio was off just a little, in my opinion. The next time I make these (which will be soon), I will make them in a normal cupcake size.

Mississippi Mud Brownies
1 box of your favorite brownie mix, plus ingredients listed on box to make brownies (I used Pillsbury)
Miniature Reese's Peanut Butter cups (or bells if they're available), unwrapped
Regular size marshmallows, cut in half (use a clean pair of scissors instead of a knife)
Chocolate frosting
Reese's Baking Bits and sprinkles (optional, but not really)

Heat oven to 350°F. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. Fill cupcake liner 1/2 to 2/3 full.

Place a Reese's cup into the batter. If you can find the bells, put the bell into the batter upside-down. Bake for 18 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately top with a marshmallow half.

I had those flat marshmallows but didn't have regular ones, so you've gotta go with what you've got! Place back in the oven for 2 minutes or until marshmallows barely start to puff up. Remove from oven and allow to cool a few minutes in the pan and then remove from pan and cool completely.

When cool, frost with your favorite chocolate frosting.

Decorate, if desired. Go ahead, break out your stash of yumminess! 

If you need a favorite chocolate frosting recipe, try this one.

Chocolate Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 oz. cream cheese, softened (I used low-fat)
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
3-4 cups powdered sugar
milk (or heavy cream) if needed

Beat butter and cream cheese together for about three minutes, scraping down the bowl if necessary. Add cocoa powder, vanilla extract and slowly add 3 cups of powdered sugar. Check the consistency and sweetness, adding more powdered sugar if necessary. If it is too thick at any point, add a tablespoon of milk or heavy cream. 

Butterfingers Rice Krispies Treats

Can we talk about deliciousness?

I keep a container dedicated to Butterfingers, which I buy in bulk from Orson Gygi. I used the the Butterfingers to make the deliciousness. 

My supply is getting low! I need to stock up again soon.
I took these treats to an impromptu family lunch yesterday.

I couldn't wait to try them and had to sneak a taste before I took them to my mom's house. 

I thought a sliver missing would be less noticeable. 

The "frosting" is actually this stuff. 

Everyone who tried them loved them. I know I really loved them! I don't think I'll ever be satisfied with a normal Rice Krispies Treat again. Ever. 

Butterfingers Rice Krispies Treats 

1/2 cup candy corn

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

3 T butter

10 oz. miniature marshmallows

5 cups Rice Krispies cereal

Skippy Natural Peanut Butter Spread with Dark Chocolate

Crushed Butterfingers (about 2 cups, divided)

Measure out the Rice Krispies cereal into a large bowl. Grease a 9x13-inch pan (I lined mine with a Silpat instead, and then cut the bars carefully). 

Place the butter in a large saucepan and melt over medium-low heat. Meanwhile, put candy corn in the microwave and heat on 50% power until melted. Stir peanut butter into the melted candy corn. Once the butter is mostly melted, add the marshmallows to the saucepan and reduce heat to low. Heat until marshmallows are almost completely melted but still have several marshmallows holding their shape. Add peanut butter mixture to the marshmallow mixture. Stir to combine. Add the cereal and stir quickly. Pour half of the mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle about a cup of crushed Butterfingers onto the cereal mixture. Add the remaining cereal mixture. Press down on the cereal lightly- don't compact it! After the treats have cooled for about five minutes, spread the peanut butter spread over the treats until they are covered as thick or thin as desired. Immediately sprinkle remaining Butterfingers over the top and cool completely.  

Lemon Cookies

While thumbing through the holiday cookbook from Six Sisters'Stuff I noticed that their recipe for red velvet cream cheese cookies and the one for gooey butter cookies were almost the same. The concept is to use a cube of butter, a package of cream cheese and a box of cake mix. I figured it wouldn't make any difference what flavor of cake mix was used, it just depended on what you were in the mood for, and I was right. I was in the mood for lemon! Depending on what flavor cake mix you use, you can add 1/2 cup of chocolate chips or other chips (but not Doritos chips because that would be gross.) 

Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened 

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract (for more lemon flavor use lemon extract)

1 box lemon cake mix (ignore directions on the box)

Powdered sugar (about 1/2 cup)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the egg and the extract, and beat until combined. Add the dry cake mix in about three installments until completely moistened. 

Place powdered sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll dough into balls and dip in powdered sugar. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet, or use a Silpat liner. Bake for 10-13 minutes. I pulled mine out at 11 to 11 1/2 minutes. Remove from oven and sift additional powdered sugar over tops of cookies. Move to wire rack to cool. 

Makes about 30 cookies. 

Cheesy Enchilada Casserole

I'm not done with Six Sisters' Stuff yet! In the following picture, you are looking at a picture of leftovers. It looked better the night before, but I wasn't able to take a picture of it the first time around. Let me just say that it was yummy the first time AND the second time. Just imagine that the cheese is a lot meltier the first time. 

Cheesy Enchilada Casserole (from Six Sisters' Stuff) 
1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean) or ground turkey (I used turkey)
1 large onion, chopped 
2 1/2 cups salsa 
1 can (15 ounces) black beans or red kidney beans, rinsed and drained 
1/4 cup reduced-fat Italian salad dressing 
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium taco seasoning 
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 
6 flour tortillas (8 inches) 
1 small can of drained corn, or about 1 1/4 cups of frozen corn (optional) 
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream   
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend 
1 cup shredded lettuce, if desired 
1 medium tomato, chopped, if desired
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro (or not!)

Directions
In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
Stir in the salsa, beans, dressing, sour cream, corn, taco seasoning and cumin.
Spoon a generous layer of meat mixture on bottom of 2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese.
Tear up a flour or corn tortilla into pieces and place on top of meat mixture. Layer with half of the remaining meat mixture, and cheese. Repeat for one more layer, finishing with grated cheese on top.
Spray a piece of foil with non-stick cooking spray and cover casserole. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. 
Let stand for 5 minutes before topping with lettuce, tomato and cilantro. Yield: 8 servings.

Chicken Spaghetti

Winner, winner, chicken dinner! If I had known this is what they were talking about all this time when they used that phrase then I would have cashed in a lot sooner. This meal (I used a weird filter and it looks rather red) was so simple to make and everyone loved it! The neat thing about it too is that you can substitute things in or out according to your preference. Another Six Sisters' Stuff win!

Chicken Spaghetti by Six Sisters' Stuff, adapted slightly

2 cups cooked chicken, cut up (I used a precooked Costco chicken)

3/4 to 1 lb. package uncooked spaghetti noodles (I used 3/4 lb.)
2 cans 98% Fat Free Cream of Mushroom (or Cream of Chicken) soup

3 cups grated cheddar cheese, divided (I used a conglomerate of cheeses that were opened in the fridge)

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained (or use fresh)

1/4 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup green pepper, diced
1 t seasoned salt
Dash of cayenne pepper (optional- I didn't use it)
1 (14.5 oz) can chicken or vegetable broth

Break noodles into 2" or 3″ pieces and cook according to package directions. Place cooked noodles into a large bowl. Add chicken and toss together. Add soup, onions, green peppers, tomatoes, 2 cups of cheese, seasoned salt, and cayenne pepper. Mix all together. Add about 1 cup of the chicken broth and stir it in, then and add a little bit more if needed. You want it nice and moist, but you don’t want it to be too runny. I used the whole amount and it was fine. Lightly spray a 9×13″ glass pan with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the mixture into the pan. Top with remaining 1 cup of cheese. You could also top with bread crumbs or after it has baked for 25-30 minutes you could add french fried onions to the top. 

Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes (or until hot and bubbly). 

Other substitutions that would be tasty would be chopped celery, mushrooms, zucchini, or whatever sounds good to you. Really, you can't go wrong. 

Avocado Chicken Enchiladas

I have a dear friend who can no longer process animal protein. We've been spending some extra time with him and to give his sweet wife a break, I've been cooking some of the dinners. While these are avocado chicken enchiladas, I just left the chicken out of a few of them so he could still eat the dinner too. 

                                          

If I keep blogging Six Sisters' Stuff recipes I'm going to have to give them their own label like I did for Our Best Bites! This starts with a homemade enchilada sauce which makes these super tasty. I spooned extra sauce over the top of this enchilada, so you aren't really seeing the cheese under there.

Avocado Chicken Enchiladas from Six Sisters' Stuff

Sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 T butter

1 T all-purpose flour

1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

1 cup mild or medium salsa verde

1/2 cup chopped cilantro (obbbbbbviously, I left this out!!! Blech!)

Enchiladas

3 to 4 cups cooked chicken breasts, shredded

2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided

3 avocados, peeled and chopped

8 flour tortillas

1/2 - 3/4 cup French Fried onions

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a medium saucepan, sauté garlic in butter about 1 minute on medium heat. Stir in flour and cook about 2 more minutes. Stir in broth, cumin, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream, salsa verde and cilantro (if you're using it). 

Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Add about 1/2 cup sauce to the pan and spread until bottom of dish is evenly coated. 

On each tortilla, add some chicken, cheese and avocado to one end. Roll it up and place it seam-side down in pan. Pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas. Cover with 1 cup of cheese and bake uncovered about 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbling. Sprinkle the French Fried onions over the top of the casserole and bake 3-5 minutes longer until the onions are golden. 

Makes 8 servings.  

Chicken Taco Soup

This recipe can also be called Food Storage Soup, but that might scare some people away. 

                         

I know sometimes it is scary to try a new recipe. Not to worry, I've got you covered. I've kind of been going through Six Sisters' Stuff's Teal-colored book and this is another gem. 

Slow Cooker Eight-Can Taco Soup from Six Sisters' Stuff

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (15 oz.) pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (15 oz.) sweet corn, drained

1 can (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes

1 can (10.75 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup (I used mushroom because I was out of chicken)

1 can (10 oz.) can green enchilada sauce

1 can (12.5 oz.) chicken breast, drained (I had leftover cooked chicken in the refrigerator, so I went with that). 

1 pkg. (1 oz.) taco seasoning 

grated cheese

avocado, sliced

Pour all ingredients into slow cooker and stir together. Cook on low heat 2-3 hours. Top with shredded cheese and serve with tortilla chips and sliced avocado, if desired. 

Note: I was in a hurry and chose not to use the slow cooker. I poured everything into a pot and brought it to a simmer, then cooked it for about ten minutes on low heat. Worked just fine! 

Slow Cooker Cranberry Pork Loin

Break out the slow cooker. You're going to want to try this soon! It's so easy and completely yum to the tum. 

                 

Six Sisters Stuff is to blame for this one. Here's the thing- I'm stuck in St. George and I only brought four cookbooks with me. Two of them are Six Sisters, and since I'm loving their "stuff" lately, that's what I'm cooking and blogging. Costco sells a two-pack of pork tenderloin, and within that two-pack are two tenderloins, so you're really dealing with four tenderloins per total package. Use two of the tenderloins (or one half of the total package you've purchased) for this recipe. 

I like to make my cranberry sauce (thank you OBB girls- I haven't forgotten you!). 

Slow Cooker Cranberry Pork Loin (Click to go to the original post at SSS)

3 lbs. boneless pork loin or tenderloin  

1 can (16 oz.) whole cranberry sauce (or click on the cranberry sauce link above to make your own)

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 T light brown sugar

1 tsp prepared yellow mustard

Place roast in a slow cooker coated with cooking spray. Combine the rest of the ingredients and pour over the roast. Cook on high 4-5 hours or on low 6-8 hours, making sure the internal temperature of the pork is 145°F. Remove roast and cover with foil while you make the sauce. 

To make the sauce, just add a little water and cornstarch to the mixture left in the crock pot. Whisk until combined. Serve with sliced pork.

I didn't thicken my sauce as I felt it was fine without the cornstarch mixture.  

There's Always Room For Jell-O

When you think of pretzel Jell-O you probably think strawberry or raspberry, right? Would you believe I had never tasted the pretzel Jell-O concoction before trying this one? True statement. Or if I've tried it, I have forgotten that I've tried it, which could be a completely true statement as well.

This recipe makes a lot (13x9-inch pan), so take it to a party, or be prepared to eat a lot of it over the next few days (which is a good alternative as well)!

                                  
Mandarin Orange Pretzel Salad (from Six Sisters' Stuff)
2 cups crushed pretzels
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup plus 3 T granulated sugar, divided
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese
1 container (8 oz.) Cool Whip (yes, I could type out nondairy whipped topping, but hey)
1 box (6 oz.) orange Jell-O
2 cups boiling water
1 can (11 oz.) mandarin oranges, undrained

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine pretzels, melted butter and 3 T. sugar. Stir together until well blended. Press into a 13x9-inch baking pan and bake 7 minutes. Cool completely.
Beat remaining (1 cup) sugar and cream cheese together until smooth (it takes a few minutes to get the sugar to stop being gritty). Fold in the thawed Cool Whip. Spread this mixture over the pretzel crust, spreading it against the sides to seal out the Jell-O mixture from seeping down to the pretzel layer, because soggy pretzels are such a disappointment.
Mix the Jell-O and boiling water and stir until the Jell-O is completely dissolved (at this point, I added about 6 ice cubes to speed the cooling process along). Add the oranges and let cool until slightly set. Pour Jell-O carefully over the cream cheese layer (I used a measuring cup as a ladle so it wouldn't splash too much). Refrigerate until firm. Cut into squares and serve.
SSS says this makes about 12 servings, but I would say those would be 12 very generous servings.

Oatmeal White Chocolate Chip Cookies

I tried using the mobile version of Blogger but the learning curve was steeper than I was willing to climb, so while I'm in St. George (which may or may not be forever) I will have to blog when I have an internet connection. I made these cookies a couple days ago and gave most of them away before they did too much damage to my resolution to not let my snack calories outnumber other meals. 

                  

These are from Six Sisters' Stuff and were delicious. I made a couple of changes (big surprise there, huh?). Here's a link to the original recipe.   

White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 cup white chocolate chips 

1/2 cup cinnamon chips 

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a bowl, beat together softened butter and both sugars. Add in eggs and vanilla extract, mixing well. Stir in the flour, baking powder and soda, the salt and cinnamon, then stir in the oats. Finally, stir in the chips. 

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a parchment-lined (or baking mat) cookie sheet. 

Bake 9-12 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet and cool completely on wire rack. 

Makes about 4 1/2 dozen cookies.  

Crispy Onion Chicken

 Have you heard of Six Sisters' Stuff? I have two of their cookbooks and really love everything they do. Being in Santa Clara, I've lost my built-in cook (my daughter), so I've had to get back into the kitchen again. My sister told me she fixed this for dinner the other night, and since I had everything I needed to make it too, I gave it a try. Hello, yum!

It's super simple too! "Paint" a chicken breast with honey mustard and then press the chicken into some crushed french fried onions. I placed them onto a small cooling rack that fit inside my 9x13 inch pan to lift them up off the pan so the underside would be crispy too. I baked it for 30 minutes at 375°F. It was tasty! Here's the link to see how the Six Sisters made theirs. They use a lot more mustard than I did. 

Going on a Walkabout

Some of the things I got to see while walking around in St. George and Santa Clara last October. We've been spending large chunks of time down there because we've been trying to restore our home there to some level of order and cleanliness after having rented the home out for the last three years. That was a mistake!

Other Happenings in October

I made an unexpected trip to California to attend the funeral of a dear friend of mine who lost the battle to cancer after six hard years of fighting. The up-side of being in California was visiting six adorable little people. Here they are.  

Nora

Tracy

Sara

Gary

Theo

Mia

The kids always want to be the photographer, so this is the result. 

We also went to the beach while I was there, and that was a blast! I sure love these kids! 

Building the mandatory sand castle

Gary was dragging seaweed around all day. His final pile was impressive. 

Theo fed more of his lunch to the seagulls than he fed to himself. 

Cuteness overload! 

Hello Again!

I didn't actually fall off the face of the earth, but it was a close call. I thought I'd start back with what's been happening since I last blogged nearly six months ago! 

In October we went to the Huntsman World Senior Games, as usual. Bud was surprised he did so well, but he always says that, so I'm not sure when to start believing him.  

He received one silver and four golds. His arch nemesis, Frank Piemme, beat him in the 50 meter backstroke by less than a half second. What comes around goes around and on the next race, Bud beat Frank by a little more than a half second! From then on, Bud increased his lead in every race, and finally won the last race by more than 20 seconds. 

Here's the hardware. 

This is our good friend, Don Baker. 

This is our dear friend, Biff Lowry, posing with the Wong sisters and Mama Wong. 

That's it for now- I need to ease back into the blogging world and not just jump into the deep end!