Where We Left Off

My partner Shannon put this video together a couple of years ago when I was really beginning to see where my life could take me in my chair. Please feel free to share this video and make it go viral. You never know whose life you can change when they see how great it really can be. 

Making a Comeback

Hi, friends!

It's been quite some time since I last posted. A lot has changed and I'm eager to share it all with you. Not only have I lost 60 pounds, but in the process I've learned healthier eating options, found new hobbies, and acquired a full time job. Here's where this gets interesting. It's time to get this blog going again, and I've decided to change it up a little bit. Not only will I be posting new recipes, but I will also be posting my athletic endeavors, achievements, and progress. As much as I thought I knew about living life in a chair before, time has only proven that there was so much more to learn. I've also been teaching along the way. Check out the "Community Involvement" tab under the header for an updated list of all of the events and other things I have attended. The newest tab called "Athletic Accomplishments" will show you all of my rankings, placements, and just plain participation in sports. Another great thing that will be new and improved is the picture quality. When I first started, we were working with a basic point and shoot digital camera. Looking back, the quality makes us shudder. We now have two new DSLR's that will be presenting you with much better pictures to cook along with. In closing, I'd like to leave you with a wonderful before and now photo. I'm excited to get cooking with you again and share my little piece of Para-dise! 

Chocolate Meringue Pie

Pie Crust Ingredients:


1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
Ice cold water





-preheat oven to 425 degrees
-mix flour and salt
-mix together

-add shortening
-cut into flour/salt mixture with a pastry blender

-add enough ice cold water to form a ball

-roll out on a floured surface (wax paper)

-place in pie pan
-cut excess crust off with knife
-flute edges

-crumble a piece of wax paper, unfold and place in pie crust
-place pie rocks on top of wax paper (if no pie rocks you can use rice)
-bake in oven for exactly 12 minutes

Chocolate Pie Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk
3 egg yolks
3 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

-separate 3 eggs
-reserve egg whites for meringue

-combine sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt in medium sauce pan

-mix ingredients
-add milk, cook over medium heat (stirring constantly)

-when mixture thickens and comes to a boil, boil 1 minute (stirring constantly)
- remove mixture from heat, beat egg yolks with fork, stir about 2 tablespoons mixture into yolks, add back into remaining mixture (stirring constantly)
-cook 2 minutes more on medium heat (stirring constantly)

-remove from heat, add butter and vanilla
-immediately pour into pie shell

Meringue Ingredients:

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 egg whites
dash of salt

-add water, sugar, and cornstarch in small sauce pan
-cook over medium heat, (stirring constantly) until transparent and thickened

-add egg whites and salt in bowl (copper preferably) [The copper in the bowl assists in creating a tighter bond in reactive sulfur items such as egg whites.] from Wikepedia under [egg whites]
-beat on high until foamy, continue beating gradually adding the cooked mixture in with the egg whites
-beat 3 minutes

-spread meringue over filling, sealing to edge of pie shell

- bake at 425 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes or until meringue is lightly browned

-Plate and Enjoy!

Toffee Crunch Candy

Ingredients:
Candy Thermometer
2 sticks salted butter
2 blocks semi-sweet baking chocolate (red box)
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 cup chopped pecans (reserve 1/4 cup for topping)
1 tablespoon white Karo syrup
3 tablespoons water

prep:

-chop pecans
-put 1/4 cup in separate bowl and save for end of recipe

-spread sheet pan with butter
-set aside

 -place butter, karo, water, and sugar in pot
-cook on 4 (NO LESS, NO MORE)

-cook butter mixture (stirring constantly) until thermometer reaches 300 degrees
-the color of the butter mixture will change through the process

-once thermometer reaches 300 degrees add 3/4 cup pecans
-pour out onto buttered sheet pan

-let sit 10 minutes to harden
-melt chocolate in microwave
-30 second intervals  until melted

-scoop chocolate in spoon
-let chocolate stream off spoon drizzling it over toffee
-add remaining pecans over chocolate

-once toffee has set break toffee into uneven peices

Plate and Enjoy!