DOWN HILL SLIDE

The heat of this summer has been trying.  We've been blessed with the rain but the heat has not been our friend.

The days have flown by.  It seems like just yesterday that the kids were having their end-of-the year parties and looking forward to their summer travels.

In early August, thoughts quickly turn to back-to-school and football season.  My friend Ruth's birthday each year brings an opportunity for everyone to celebrate the coming of the end of summer and the much-anticipated football season. 

Ruth always plans a party where everyone else is the guest of honor, but her.  She invites all the kids, puts Mike to work at the grill, and sets up the slip-in-slide.  She has the perfect slope to her yard for sliding, but for extra viscosity, a couple of bottles of dish soap make for killer speed!

When we got the invitation, I signed up to bring my Asian Cole Slaw.  Of course, I decided to make a special batch of cupcakes for the celebration.  Not being ready to move away from the vanilla pudding cupcakes, I considered variations on the theme....chocolate!!!  A chocolate cream pie cupcake!!!  Instead of banana pudding filling, I made chocolate pudding.  Instead of the vanilla wafer cookie bottom, I made a graham cracker crust.

After a morning of baking and other chores, the kids and I headed to the party in the afternoon.  We enjoyed visiting with everyone and feasting on Mike's hamburgers and hotdogs.  Ruth had a great time playing hostess and even took a turn at the slide herself.  We all had a great time and no one left hungry!

The food, the sliding, and the cupcakes were a hit with the party-goers.  The leftovers I brought to Mom's on Sunday afternoon for swimming after church.  My cousin Nathan, his wife Jennifer, and their sweet, cute son Mason came and swam, too.  Mom found her new favorite cupcake!  She just thought it was the Banana Pudding Cupcakes. :)

When I was young, the Summer never seemed to end.  The days were lazy, and the heat endless.  As I have aged, I swear that time has sped up.  I cannot possibly be 41 and it cannot possibly 2012: the calendar must be wrong.  One good thing about having lived for approximately 15,000 days (I REALLY feel old now) is that I have come to terms with the fact that I cannot change many things: I can only change me.  Be a better person each day.  Do the right thing when no one is looking.  Say please and thank you.


Thank you for taking the adventure with me...

Angie


Now for the recipe...

Chocolate Cream Pie Cupcakes:

1. Graham Cracker Crust (below)
2. Banana Pudding Cupcake Recipe (with chocolate pudding instead of banana)
3. Vanilla Pudding Frosting (sprinkle with chocolate chips and graham cracker crumbs)

Graham Cracker Crust

Ingredients:

·         1& ½ c. graham cracker crumbs

·         1/4 c. sugar

·         5 & 1/3 tbsp. (1/3 c.) unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

·         In a small mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter; mix well with a fork.

·         Drop about 1 tbsp. of the graham cracker mixture in the bottom of each cupcake liner and press down to line the bottom. (Note: the bottom of a squeeze bottle or shot glass works very well.)

·         Bake for 5 minutes.

·         Remove from the oven and maintain the oven temperature.