Okay, finally getting around to journaling again. I don't know if this twice a week will work for me or not. Today my friend told me that she really enjoyed reading my last blog about my husband planting flowers for me. Since she knows both my husband and me so well, this really meant something to me. And it was really sweet of him to do that what with everything else going on around here.

When we got home from church today there were 4 calls from different members of his family telling us that his sister Sherry was taken emergently to the hospital around 11 a.m. today. After calling his other sister to find out exactly what was going on, I then had to call him at work and let him know.  As it turns out though she was released from the ER and actually was so hungry that my in-laws took her to Appleby's to eat (she really loves the Santa Fe Chicken Salad there) -- so that was a good way to end what could have been a very bad thing.

We eat after the service each Sunday and each meal has a theme. We had Mexican Day today.  I made a Mexican Chocolate Pie that everyone seemed to really enjoy.  The recipe is really quite simple:

1 graham cracker pie crust or a baked pie shell

1 envelope Dream Whip topping mix

1 large box (6-serving size) Jello Instant Pudding and Pie filling - Chocolate

2-1/4 cups milk

Cinnamon

Cool Whip - thawed in the refrigerator

Mix the Dream Whip, pudding mix, milk, and cinnamon together by first mixing on the lowest speed thoroughly - increase to next speed and gradually keep increasing speed on your mixer until on the highest setting.  Mix on the highest setting for 5-6 minutes.

Spoon into the pie crust.  Chill for 3 hours in refrigerator, or if you need it quicker than that, place in freezer until firm.  Cover with thawed Cool Whip and sprinkle extra cinnamon on top.

Viola!  A really quick pie that everyone seemed to enjoy except for the preacher's middle son who got a HUGE serving of the pie, tried one bite, proceeded to try to give it away, and finally threw it away after he could not convince any of the other kids to take it off his hands (LOL)!

I used a cinnamon from Pampered Chef that is a mixture of other stuff with the cinnamon.  My girls really enjoyed the pie.  So much so that when I got home I had to make another one.  But, since I did not have any chocolate pudding left (only vanilla in the correct size) I made it slightly different this time - used the vanilla and instead of cinnamon I put in butternut vanilla flavoring.  They said it was just as good (but not better) than the one at church.

Oh, in addition to the pie I also made a batch of Mexican Cornbread (full of jalapenos and onions) and a Mexican Casserole (also full of jalapenos and onions, tomatoes, beans, hamburger, etc.).  Almost all of these got gone, too!  I really love it when what I take gets completely eaten -- that way I know that folks enjoyed it.  I love to cook and feed others -- one of my greatest pleasures in life.

Okay, guess I had better get back to work now.