Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie

oh my goodness! this stuff was crazy good!!! I'm not a big pecan person so I imagine the next time I make this I will crush the pecan's a bit more. I followed the recipe almost to the letter. I walk away from it sometimes and end up doing my own thing. Which might be what I should have done. I should have mixed half the chocolate chips into the corn syrup mix to get the chocolate distributed. and then mixed the rest in later with the pecans (and of course, crush the pecans more).
I also used a butter crust recipe.

1 (9 inch) pie shell
1 cup white sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup butter
4 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup bourbon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chip
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees F).
In a small saucepan combine sugar, corn syrup, and butter or margarine. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until butter or margarine melts and sugar dissolves. Cool slightly.
In a large bowl combine eggs, bourbon, vanilla, and salt. Mix well. Slowly pour sugar mixture into egg mixture, whisking constantly. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans. Pour mixture into pie shell.
Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, or until set and golden. May be served warm or chilled.

chili, projector screens, laundry

I was about to sit down and express my undying appreciation for having my sanity back... in the form of my corner... ignore the pile of laundry! (the hubby had a "projector screen" up against that back wall for awhile. If you moved the chair slightly you could even be attacked by it. oh, the bonuses! He finally took it down because he hadn't used it in a while. Speaking of which, where is it now? ....oh, boy.)
Anyway, I was about to sit down when I heard the sound of hissing coming from my stove... I put rice on to boil only a few minutes ago after I tasted my chili and suddenly couldn't feel my tongue. Canned red peppers and dry diced jalapeno peppers can get quite powerful apparently.
and on to my sanity. Lots of things have been driving me crazy- our boss asked if he came up with a way to cover our costs would we stay for another year? Commit to another year? GOD GIVE ME DIRECTION AND GIVE IT TO ME NOW!!! the pros and cons are too great! I was starting to adjust to the mindset of job, house, schooling, kids?, life, career, etc. -which the homey-soccer mom inside me craves. Or I could live another year overseas - which the adventurer inside me craves.
Oh, life, why are you so difficult?
I think we have this part way figured out... if one thing doesn't work, we have the other thing. right?
Next, how do you pack? I'll start with the pile of laundry.

Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin (mushed)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp pumpkin-pie spice (a combo of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and allspice)
1.25 cups plus 1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
Equipment: 12 foil or paper muffin liners; a muffin pan with 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups

Directions:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350F. Put liners in muffin cups.
Whisk together flour and baking powder in a small bowl.
Whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, pumpkin-pie spice, 1.25 cups sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until smooth, then whisk in flour mixture until just combined.
Stir together cinnamon and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in another bowl.
Divide the batter among muffin cups (each should be about 3/4 full), then sprinkle the tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake until puffed and golden brown about 25 to 30 minutes.
Cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes, then transfer muffins from pan to rack and cool to warm or room temperature.