Eventual Victory

I woke up to a lot of rain this morning. Like I said yesterday, I felt like it was perfect timing to have another day away from the run.

That didn't stop me from considering a quick run when I heard the rain stop. I was very seriously thinking about getting ready super fast and heading out before any more started. By a stroke of luck, though, I happened to catch the weather radar before making it too far into the getting ready process, and I saw we were due for more rain in 9 minutes.

Eight minutes later, this happened:

I know it's difficult to tell, but it's pouring. I know exactly where I would have been on my route, too. Needless to say, I would have been royally screwed.

So, I made the best of my day which included indulging in a bit of this:

That's a pie I made last night. But, it was not awesome last night. That's because I ignored the fact that it is a custard pie even though it says so right in the name: Pecan Custard Pie. You really can't get any more clear than that. I guess I saw Pecan and saw Pie and got all kinds of excited that I found a sugar-free pecan pie recipe right before Thanksgiving because, as you know, not only am I on a reasonably consistent quest to find and experiment with many of the fabulous Trim Healthy Mama recipes that are out there, but I also love to find sugar-free options that my Dad, who cannot have sugar, would enjoy.

So, last week, when I came upon the pie recipe (here!), I was pretty stoked. I finally got around to making it last night. I was even smart enough to get it in the oven to bake while we were eating our dinner so it would be ready soon thereafter. Planning!

We waited for it to somewhat cool, but it was actually still steaming when the slices went on the plates. Everyone took a bite, and no one spit it out or otherwise grimaced. That's usually a good sign. But, something was wrong. I didn't quite know what, but there was something about it that wasn't what I wanted. Then, Aaron piped in with an unenthusiastic, "It's pretty good. But, it tastes more like a custard."

That was the problem. Oh, and DUH.

Like I said, it was right there in the name. And, I don't know about you, but I think custard is pretty gross. The consensus around the table was a similar-to-Aaron's lack of enthusiasm except for with regard to the crust. THAT was a HIT.

I recalled from the recipe that its author said she preferred to put the pie in the fridge overnight and enjoy it cold. With that lingering in the back of my head, I put the rest of ours in the fridge, and I retested it this morning (so, instead of running, I ate some pie. You read that correctly!).

It was AWESOME. Chilling it totally took that custardy edge out. The filling, which I found kind of gelatinous last night, settled in and was no longer spongy-weird, and the flavors were enhanced from sitting and stewing on themselves. I sent Aaron an email announcing my victory and promised I'd leave plenty for everyone to try.

Once everyone was home, we all resampled -- even Pit Crew #3, who politely gave me his "Ew, no thanks" look without actually saying the words, trusted me enough to try it again anyway. Including my own, the fridge version received 3.5 thumbs up! The recipe went from last night's "You don't need to make this again" to "Totally make this again!" And, to be honest, even if I never made the pie filling again (which I know I will next week), the recipe is a total keeper for the crust itself. YUM.

So, there was the latest venture in the kitchen. I'm not wildly successful in there (because, let's face it, I don't care enough), but I like to share when I am! I do better on the road which is where I intend to start my day tomorrow! I'll see you after!