My all-time favorite quote about having a pet is by French poet, Anatole France.
Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.
Anatole France
Last November before Thanksgiving, we made the decision to put our brown dog Buddy down. Since he was really my dog, The Hubby left the timing up to me. I’m not going to lie. It stunk big time. Adulting is over-rated.
In true fashion, my grief coping mechanism was to clean. I hoped that scrubbing baseboards and fishing stuffed mice out from underneath the washing machine would take my mind off of the old dog. Without thumbs, Joe and Dixie even tried to help out. Good comic relief though!
As I wiped up slobbers and vacuumed up hair, I thought about my good bud Buddy who was as wild as Son B was.
Who waited for his peoples to come home and every opportunity to chill out with them.
Who watched every movement and, at a moment’s notice, was ready to spring into action in the kitchen.
Who celebrated being a good sport and danced to his own beat.
Who jumped in the car, ready to head somewhere down the road. Remember the Completely Nuts Fudge Brownie Pie and Buddy’s road trip narrative?!
The Hubby used to jokingly banter back and forth with my Pop on how much he’d pay him to take Goatie-Boy. Most of the time The Hubby had a few cents in his pocket. Pop would say that wasn’t enough, Buddy never left, and so it would go on.
Son A lovingly sang to him, “Oh Goatie-Boy, the hounds, the hounds are howling. They howl for you and you alone;” to the tune of “Oh Danny Boy.” He even bought me a mug featuring all of our past beasties.
Today’s post features a family recipe from The Hubby’s great-aunt Sally…her chocolate chess pie. It seemed fitting to bake this for The Hubby on the day Buddy walked over the Rainbow Bridge.
The brownie-like filling is prepared by melting semi-sweet chocolate bars and Blue Bonnet brand margarine together. Aunt Sally was very specific about Blue Bonnet. Eggs, sugar, vanilla and a pinch of salt get whisked in. Pour into an unbaked pie crust and 30 minutes later you’re eating darn good chocolate pie. The filling also makes tasty individual tarts. Whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, and caramel sauce are all optional.
I leave you with these parting thoughts…
Such short little lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home each day. It is amazing how much love and laughter they bring into our lives and even how much closer we become with each other because of them.
John Grogan, American Author
I miss my brown dog.
PrintEasy Chocolate Chess Pie
Sinfully simple and southernly sweet! This brownie-like chocolate pie is deliciously easy to make using a store-bought or homemade pie crust. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream, caramel sauce, a dusting of powdered sugar, or your favorite ice cream.
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 30 Minutes
- Total Time: 45 Minutes
- Yield: One 9-inch Pie; or 14–16 Tarts 1x
Ingredients
1 stick Blue Bonnet margarine
2–4 oz. boxes semisweet chocolate bars
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt (kosher, table or sea)
2 large eggs, beaten
1 pie crust, store-bought or homemade (Consider Flaky Not-Amish Pie Crust)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-inch pie pan with either a homemade or a store-bought pie crust. Set aside.
In a large microwave-safe bowl, place margarine and broken-up semisweet chocolate bars. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir. Melt again for 30 seconds and stir until mixture is smooth. (Microwave in 30 second increments if necessary.). Whisk in sugar, vanilla and salt until evenly combined. Add eggs and whisk again until smooth. Pour into prepared pie crust. Bake for 30 minutes or until a crust forms evenly across pie top. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes before serving. Serve with whipped cream, caramel sauce or vanilla ice cream. Store pie covered in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Notes
Individual tarts can be made. Lightly spray the bottoms and sides of 18 muffin cup tins. Roll out and cut pie crust into 4-inch rounds. (Reroll and cut pie crust as needed.) Gently press each round into the bottom and up the sides of each muffin cup. Pour prepared pie filling into each cup, about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool and serve as directed above.
IMNPB
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