A post in which I am struck by inspiration

In the shower, as usual. I get some of my best ideas in the shower. Miss Kat and I had talked Saturday night about subbing out the tropical fruit trifle I planned to make with an extra Kahlua chocolate flourless cake, since the one I made last time went in seconds. Since we had decided this Saturday night while we were tore down, I had been kind of trying to remember that decision all day Sunday.

So these thoughts are kind of randomly turning over in my head (along with visions of sugarplums, of course) in the shower, and my mind kind of jumped from Miss Kat to dana's birthday party, and the food I made for that. It's a shame I can't use up those black cherries I have left over from that party, I thought. And I still have some of that kirsch-cherry whip I made for the middle of that cake too. That would be really good whipped into some refrigerator pies...

About that time, I realized that I could totally do those pies. The menu is set by me - hello. And pies would be a lot less trouble than those flourless chocolate cakes, which are a pain in the ass to make. I already have one elaborate dessert planned, and I could really use the extra time on that anyway. So I called Miss Kat on the phone with her, floated the idea, and changed the menu.

This of course meant another trip to the grocery store. But I needed to go anyway. I made an extensive list, and thought that I now, finally, had everything I need. But I was wrong, of course. I also went to Target and spent $28 on Mother's Day cards! I send them out to a bunch of moms, aunts, etc every year. It's kind of a tradition. I sent seven this year, plus picked up a thank you card for Chris and Pam, and a late birthday card for Eve. Hers was Saturday, and I just wasn't around. But I saw them Friday night.

When I got home, I put together the theme dessert, a sticky chewy butter/cream cheese cake. For the luau theme I added crushed pineapple and coconut before baking. I saved the pineapple juice to be made into a glaze later. That went together surprisingly easily.

When I started laying out the stuff for my pies, I realized that my sweetened condensed milk in the cabinet was out of date. Since it's canned, I wouldn't worry about it for me, but I won't take a chance with the LOCK desserts. They're just too important. So I ran to the store and got the milk, plus an extra 9x13 pan.

Then I started working on the black forest pies. I threw the cherry whip into a bowl with the Cool Whip and cream cheese and beat that all together. I added only one of the cans of milk (you usually use one per pie) because I had so much stuff to go in. Next I whipped in the black cherry juice. Then I took it off the mixer and put in the black cherries. I started to add crushed Oreos, and realized I was running out of bowl space. Strange, I thought, I remember two pies fitting in this bowl. I got a bigger bowl, and added the rest of the Oreos and the mini chocolate chips. The filling just kept growing and growing. My big bowl was full. I filled my two chocolate pie crusts without making much of a dent in it. I then filled an "emergency" crust I had in the cabinet (it needed to be used anyway). I still had enough left over to do at least one more pie - generously. I just put the rest of the filling back in the freezer. At least it's made into something now. All I have to do is thaw it out and use it.

As I was cleaning up the kitchen, I found yet another can of black cherries still in the cabinet. Oh well. I guess I'll figure out a use for them someday.

After all that I was WHOOPED, and my back was killing me. I went on to bed.