Cosmic Rules

Do you have Cosmic Rules at your house?  You know, the suspiciously regular timing of events despite efforts to the contrary?  Here at Casa de Orts, you always have to eat barbecue at 8:00 pm, you always have to go to the store at 10:00 pm on Sunday night for milk, you always put outgoing mail in the neighborhood central mailbox AFTER the mailhuman has come, the dog never has accidents on the 2/3rds portion of the downstairs that is tile, you always forget you didn't get your gas tank filled when you are in a hurry and don't have time to stop so it's on fumes all the way to work..and, tonight's event,  it is ALWAYS 11:00 pm when you put the topping on the cooling pie.  Of course the pie cannot yet go into the refrigerator because it is too warm.  Which is why I am posting at 11:00 pm because I now have to wait at least a half hour before it can be put away.

What I'm making is actually called a Cream Cheese Pie, my one dessert I am known for (cooking is so not my hobby!), straight outta the Betty Crocker Cookbook my grandmother bought me when I got married.  I like my graham cracker crust rustic so I crush the crackers but leave a few boulders in there too.  The recipe is super simple and requires no pre-baking of the crust.  Just pop in the filling of cream cheese, vanilla, eggs, sugar and a little lemon zest, and you're golden.  The topping is spread over the still warm pie but not baked.  Cool 8 hours and you will wow everyone.  This recipe is close, however the cookbook I have calls for 2 teaspoons of vanilla in the filling, not 1/2 tsp, and the topping is 1 cup of sour cream plus 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 teaspoons of vanilla.  I use more crackers and butter and leave out the sugar in my crust.  It always gets raves, is perfect with sweetened fresh strawberries, and is a dangerous thing to have leftover in your house...it calls to you continually to "even up" the slices.  This is why I only make it either to take somewhere or if we are having company!

Erica told me that it was cruel to her and Grant not to make two pies, since this one is destined for a co-worker's birthday tomorrow.  She said I have three days to make it up to her.  She also mentioned that she hoped the Easter Bunny knows that she prefers chocolate Bordeaux eggs from See's Candies.  I told her I'd send the Easter Bunny a memo.

It's now time to put my cream cheese pie to bed...followed by putting myself there!