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.