Chocolate Cream Pie

This year for Andy's Birthday I gave him a coupon that said he could have a pie a month (that I would make for him). Last month was his actual birthday and I made him the traditional Banana Cream Pie (his favorite). So, I asked him a couple of days ago what kind he wanted this month and he chose Chocolate Cream. I actually haven't made chocolate cream from scratch before, in the past I just used chocolate pudding for the middle...so after doing some research of recipes I made a Chocolate Cream Pie from scratch today. I think I can call it my own recipe because I really didn't follow any recipe in particular, so in case you're in the mood for a rich dessert this weekend, here's the recipe:

1 (9inch) pie crust, baked
1 1/2 C White Sugar
1/4 C Cornstarch
1/2 t Salt
1/2 C Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
4 Egg Yolks (beaten)
3 C Milk
1-2 T Butter
1 T + 1 t Pure Vanilla

Bake Pie Shell* and have it cool before adding the Chocolate filling. In a large saucepan stir together Sugar, Cornstarch, Salt and Cocoa Powder, set aside. In a medium bowl blend the Milk and Egg Yolks; gradually stir into sugar/cocoa mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens & boils. Boil & stir 1 minute. Remove from heat; blend in the butter and vanilla. Press plastic wrap onto fillin in saucepan and cool to room temperature. Pour cooled filling into pie crust. Chill pie thoroughly before serving (about 2 hours). Top with Whip Cream and Enjoy! Yum!

*I use Martha Stewart's Pate Brisee recipe

Photos From a Special Day!

Good Morning 6 year old! Happy Birthday! What a joy you are to our lives! I am amazed that in your 6 short years of life how you have touched our hearts and how we have seen prayers answered that we prayed when you were living inside of me. I remember when I was pregnant with you waking up in the middle of the night because I couldn't sleep and I would spend what seemed like hours praying for you sweet Hope. Your daddy and I were committed to praying for your life and how it could impact the world. We prayed (like we still do today) that you would bring HOPE to the nations. We prayed that you would grow up to love Jesus and understand His sacrifice on the cross for your life and that you in turn would go and share that hope with others. I don't think that when we prayed those prayers that we thought we would see answers as quickly as we have. Hope, you share the hope you have in Jesus beautifully. You are such a light to your classroom, friends and others around you. You truly think of others before yourself and serve with a joyful heart. I can hear you from a room away singing praise songs to Jesus when you are unloading the dishwasher in the kitchen and I give thanks to the Lord! I can see the gifts God has given you forming even now. I am thankful that you are ALWAYS asking how you can help, and sometimes even without asking you just assess a situation and take care of a task you see that needs to be done. I am also amazed at your creativity and the way your mind thinks and works through problems (you definitely got that from your daddy)! Hope, you are a good and perfect gift from above! (James 1:17)




Hope with Josiah and Livia and her gifts





All the girls dressed in their party dresses


Teapot Cake!


Special afternoon walk with Daddy to the beach...they came home with an agate and beach glass!



Dinner at Red Robin!

March 24th - Hope is 6!

Happy Birthday to Hope!!!

I will try and post some pictures later from her special day. So far it has been a VERY fun day. Hope chose the egg in the hole toast for breakfast with a scoop of ice cream with whip cream on the side! Josiah chose ice cream for his last birthday breakfast and I think now we've started a tradition. :) She opened up her gifts from the family this mornig and got some new movies (she LOVES movies)...she received a new Gigi movie and David and Goliath movie from Livia and the Cosby Show Seasons 1 & 2 from Daddy and Mommy. She also got the game Operation from Josiah. Mommy and Daddy added to her Faith and Friends doll collection with a new doll that she very quickly named Prairie, and then said, "She has the word PRAYER in her name!" We also got her a matching cross necklace and earring set. She was overjoyed this morning! At 11am 3 friends from school came over for a "teaparty". All the girls were dressed so beautifully. This was Hope's very first friend party and it went so well. I think her friends and her had a wonderful time together. There was a lot of laughter! After the girls left Hope and I sat down to watch a couple of the Cosby Show episodes and it brings back childhood memories for me too. As I type, Hope is still in her party dress and wearing tennis shoes and her big pink sunglasses and pink purse in tow as she and Andy take an afternoon walk together hand in hand to the beach. Again, I will try and post pictures soon, because that was a priceless sight!

We will be off to Red Robin soon so Hope can have her very favorite cheeseburger for dinner!!!

Bird Brain

Hope gets the Big Backyard Magazine and we were looking through the March issue recently and learned that baby robin's eat 50 worms a day, and they are fed by their daddies. Josiah (very smartly and concerned) asks, "How do you think the daddy robin is able to count?" I guess that is just another wonder of our God and His creation!

Happy First Day of Spring!

6 years ago...

Hope asked yesterday if we could start a countdown until her Birthday...so in 13 days she will be 6 years old! Wow, this is hard to believe!

It seems like yesterday that this brand new little person became part of our lives!



I am so proud of our girl though. She is growing up beautifully with a heart that loves Jesus and loves others. We had her school conference this morning and she is doing very well in kindergarten. Her reading and writing are taking off. I always enjoyed the baby stages because they are constantly learning something new, but I had no idea that this stage of learning to read would be just as fun!

I thank the Lord for our Hope!

Life...

Here are some shots of our life from the past few months:

Hope's first day of school!




Getting off of the bus


Hope and her kindergarten teacher


We got a chance to visit the local firestation and get a tour from one of our friends, Firefighter Ashley. The kids had a great time!




Potty training is going better for Livia's dolly than Livia herself


We had a really fun family night a couple of weeks ago that was totally planned by Hope. She requested a fire in the fireplace, hot cocoa and that we all work on a puzzle together

The Fair

Ok, it's taking me forever to get the vacation pictures up and life continues to move forward. Someday I might get the rest of the vacation pictures posted, but for now you can enjoy our day at the NWWF (Northwest Washington Fair):