Chess Pie

Chess Pie #1:

1 (9 inch) pie shell
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium mixing bowl combine melted butter or margarine, eggs, and sugar. Mix well, then add cornmeal, vinegar, and vanilla extract. Stir until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Pour into pastry shell.
Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until set and golden brown on top.

I took the advice of the reviewers and bought a deep dish crust. Not necessary at all. They must be mixing it with an electric mixer and adding a bunch of air. I also cooked it longer than the 35 minutes specified. No need. Mine is overcooked.

This tastes like the "gooey butter" part of gooey butter cake. We all like it, and I will make it again. I think this might technically be a vinegar pie instead of chess pie. I'm ultimately looking for a less buttery, more evaporated milk flavor for "my" chess pie recipe.

Memphis Too

We went to the gates of Graceland this morning.


We saw the Peabody Ducks.


Beale Street is a sad place on a Sunday morning.

We ate lunch at Gus's Fried Chicken.

Memphis

We're using our long weekend to take Chris to Memphis.

On the way down today, we saw big bales of cotton. The bootheal of Missouri and Northeastern Arkansas is boring except for that.

We ate lunch at Willie Mae's Rib Haus in West Memphis, Arkansas. The beans were phenomenal! The rest of the meal was pretty great too. Ahhh, sweet tea!


We walked around the riverfront with Lacey.




We are staying at the Drury Inn NE. They allow pets.


Then we ate dinner at
The Kooky Canuck on Second Street.

BBQ Egg Rolls & Poutine


Four cheese burger


Fried Green Tomato BLT

Happy Thanksgiving

Cranberry ice cream

Ingredients
1 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1/4 cup water
2 cups milk
2 cups sugar
1 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice

Directions
In a large saucepan, cook cranberries and water over medium heat until berries pop, about 15 minutes. Strain; discard seeds and skins. Cool completely. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat milk to 175 degrees F; stir in sugar until dissolved. Cool. Stir in the cream, juices and cranberry mixture.
Fill cylinder of ice cream freezer; freeze according to manufacturer's directions. Refrigerate remaining mixture until ready to freeze. Allow to ripen in ice cream freezer or firm up in the refrigerator freezer for 2-4 hours before serving.

The first two times I tried to make this per the recipe, I got curdled milk. It didn't taste bad, but it wasn't going to be served at Thanksgiving. It's just too much acid to go into the milk. Maybe it was my technique (twice!)

I thought I was going to give up, then I remembered some cranberry - pomegranate juice I had in the fridge. I cooked that and some Makers Mark down to a syrup, then used 2% milk and half and half. Went right together and made a nice final product. It wound up tasting / feeling a lot like the raspberry part of rainbow sherbet. We'll see how everyone likes it tomorrow.

Home again home again jiggety jig

Junction City, KS is better at night.

I drove us all the way home today. We made great time, and got in around 2:30.

It is nice to see Chris again!

Back to the same ol' same ol' tomorrow.

On our way home again

We caped and quartered Dad's elk this morning. Actually, it is more than quartered, but not quite processed. It fits in the coolers we have available.



We said our goodbyes and started for home.

Dennis got sick and slept most of the way. He perked up somewhere around Limon, but I drove us all the way to Junction City, KS.

Coming down the mountain

We loaded up, cleaned the cabin, and headed out this morning.

Dad and Kelly took the trucks, but Dennis and I got to ride out. Sam took us the long way down, because it was still elk season and we were willing to shoot any cows he could find for us.



There was fresh snow yesterday afternoon and overnight, so all of the sign we saw was from today. We saw tracks, beds, scat and feeding areas. The elk were all around us. Probably laughing at us.

Besides the exciting hunting prospects, the scenery was beyond beautiful. The Colorado woods with freshly fallen snow is one of the prettiest places I've ever been. And so quiet. Except for the occasional jet overhead, there is nothing but natural noise.

Sam could charge for the trail ride he took us on this morning!



I was very happy to meet running water when we got back to the house. The first shower after a long stay on top of a mountain is one of the best you'll ever have.

We're having Elk for Christmas!

We went up the ridge behind the cabin this morning. Dennis and I sat together right on the canyon edge. It is a long way down to the Conejos River. We can also see across the canyon to the Ruybalid Trail and the approximate area where the base camp is. We stayed there in tents in 2007. I'm glad we're not camping for this trip.



Dennis and Kelly both thought they saw some movement in a clump of trees by Los Flores Lake, but it was too far out for either of them to even confirm if it was an elk or not.


View Larger Map

We rode back down to the cabin. Sam and Dad came in right after us, and we heard that Dad had shot an elk!



I let myself get pretty cold, so I stayed at the cabin and did dishes while everyone else went back out for the afternoon. The area they were hunting was pretty much the same place Dennis and I went on Thursday. There were elk prints all over the places I was staring at on that windy day, and it was right down the ridge from where Dad shot his elk. We were definitely looking in the right places.

Snow!

The wind blew in snow.



It is beautiful, but it is cutting into our hunting time.

Sam said the only thing we'd accomplish if we went out today is getting ourselves wet and cold.

We found some copies of Western Horseman in the bedroom, and I've shared my fashion magazines with anyone willing to read them.

I don't know if I would have made a good pioneer woman. That's a long winter to be holed up together. It gets dark at about 4:30 up here. Good thing the cabin has propane lights in every room. It is not really gloomy inside at all.



This evening, Dennis melted a big pan of snow for me, so I took a 'bath'. Ahhh, refreshing!

The wind cries Mary

I'm not sure if the wind actually cried "Mary", but I do know it kept us pinned down in the cabin today. It was howling! Sam said that just like whitetails at home, the elk were not likely to be out moving in this weather. They've most likely found a good place to bed down and stayed there.

Dennis and I did go out the forest road around 3:00 and sat on a hillside for a while. The wind was the pull your hat off variety, and it almost snatched the binoculars out of my hands once. It was carrying our scent across the draw and up the hillside we were looking at, so I doubt anything was ever going to come out of the woods.

At least we have a warm bed to sleep in. This wind would be a real challenge in wall tents.

A hunting we will go

We sat outside most of the day today, elk hunting.

Dennis and I were together, the farthest from camp. We rode through a lot of elk sign to get to our place for the day.





Dad was somewhere to our east, and Uncle Kelly was the closest to the cabin.

We heard four shots sometime around 2:30, and I was convinced it was my dad. We found out later he didn't hear a thing. But Kelly did. Sound does funny things in the mountains.

Some elk passed my dad, but he was looking the other way and didn't see them. We only know because Sam saw them. Kelly saw two mule deer does near the salt lick he was watching. Dennis and I saw our horses and each other, but no other wildlife to speak of.

A cabin in the woods

The "big house"


and "the little house"

Elevation

We drove up as far as we could take the horse trailer into the Rio Grande National Forest. Then we dropped the trailer and rode the rest of the way up.

Thankfully for me, this ride was not as hairy as going up the winding stair, but I have city eyes and I really can't see anything at night anymore. Did I mention it is DARK here?

The cabin is warm and cozy.

Colorado here we are!

We arrived in La Jara, Colorado around 2:30 this afternoon.

We saw a beautiful sunset over Kansas last night. I don't care what anyone says, I like Kansas!


We can see mountains now :)

Colorado or bust

We're leaving for Colorado for our elk hunt!



Our plan is to stay in Burlington, CO tonight and make it to Sam's house tomorrow.

Another Where's George Dollar

Every time we go somewhere, I seem to get one of these Where's George dollars.

The last one was quite soggy, as I got it as change from the snack bar at Mammoth Cave National Park.

Dressing up

I am wearing a dress at work. No joke!

What I'm reading

I've downloaded the audio books:

Animal Farm

Black Beauty

and

The Count of Monte Cristo

for our trip to Colorado.