Mam-ma's Chocolate Pie

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My sweet mam-ma made the BEST chocolate pie. We used to request it at every holiday dinner or family gathering and it was a fight to see who could eat the most. I have never tried to make it until this weekend. It tasted good but I have a long way to go on being able to make a good meringue. I don't know what the secret it is but I hope one day I can get mine to fluff up like hers always did.

Ingredients:
Pie filling:
Frozen or refrigerated pie crust
1 3/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
3-4 tbsp cocoa
1 1/2 cups milk
4 egg yolks
1 tbsp vanilla
2 tbsp butter

Meringue:
4 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
6-8 large marshmallows

Bake pie crust according to directions. Mix first 3 ingredients. Beat 4 egg yolks and save the whites. Sprinkle salt on eggs. Add milk in eggs. Add to dry and cook on stove top - stir until thick. Add vanilla and butter.
Pour in pie crust when done.

Take egg whites and beat until stiff. Take sugar and a "tad" of water and boil until it makes a syrup. Add marshmallows and melt.  Add to egg whites already beat. Add on top of pie.

Slow's Smoked Gouda and Bacon Burgers Recipe

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Detroit Smoked Gouda and Bacon Burgers
Photograph and recipe from the June 2012 issue of Food and Wine Magazine

Published in June 2012 Food and Wine Magazine in an article about the food served in Detroit's Corktown.  Credited to Brian Perrone at Slows BBQ.  The recipe specifies cooking on a grill - we love to make ours on an outdoor one.  P.S.  We cook on our outdoor gas grill twelve months a year. 

Makes 4 half-pound burgers.

Sweet Barbecue Sauce - makes 2 cups and more than you need
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
salt
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 cup of ketchup
1/2 cup of dark brown sugar
1/2 cup of apple juice
3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons of peeled, chopped, fresh ginger
2 tablespoons of unsulfured molasses

Burgers
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 pound onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup of hot sauce (we like Louisiana style)
1/4 cup of beef broth
salt
6 tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened
8 slices of firm white sandwich bread
8 slices of thick-cut bacon
2 pounds of ground beef chuck
3 ounces of  smoked Gouda cheese, shredded

1. To prepare the sauce:  Heat the oil in a large skillet over a medium-low heat.  Add the onion and a pinch of salt.  Cover and cook until the onion is caramelized; about 20 minutes.  Add the butter,  brown sugar, apple juice, lemon juice, ginger, and molasses.  Simmer, stirring occasionally until thickened and reduced to 2 cups.  Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth.  Season to taste with salt.
2. To make the burgers:  Heat the oil in a large skillet.  Add the sliced onion and saute until translucent and tender crisp.  Add the hot sauce and broth.  Remove from the heat and season with salt.
3.  Divide the beef into 4 square patties.
4.  Heat a griddle to a medium heat.  Spread one side of each slice of bread with butter.  Toast both sides on the griddle.  Remove and set aside.
5.  Grill the bacon slices until cooked and a bit crisp.  Remove to paper towel to drain.  Wipe the griddle clean.
6.  Raise the heat to medium-high.  Season the patties with salt and grill until nearly done.  Top each burger with a portion of the cheese.
7.  Set a burgers on the unbuttered sides of the bread.  Top with bacon, onion, sauce and another slice of bread.
8.  Serve with the offer of more sauce.

Cheese Crusted Grilled Cheese Sandwich Parmesan Crusted Grilled Cheese Sandwich

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Cheese crusted grilled cheese sandwiches are a favorite at our house.  They are delicous made as described, but do try adding your own fillings such as pickles or roasted red peppers.

Cheese Crusted Grilled Cheese Sandwich 

Ingredients per sandwich
2-3 thin slices of summer squash
2-3 thin slices of tomato
spray olive oil
salt
ground black pepper
2 slices of sturdy sandwich bread
softened butter or margarine,approximately 1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons of grated hard Italian cheese such as Parmesan, Grana Padano, or Pecorino Romano
1 ounce sliced Fontina cheese, orother cheese as desired
1 ounce sliced Provolone cheese, orother cheese as desired

Instructions1. Heat anon-stick skillet* over a medium heat. Lightly grease the vegetable slices withthe cooking spray and season with salt and pepper. Fry until tender crisp – a minuteor two on each side.  Remove to a dishand wipe the skillet clean with paper toweling. Return the skillet to the heat.
2. Spreadone side of each slice of bread with butter or margarine. Scatter a tablespoonof the grated cheese on each. Use the butter knife to spread the cheese evenly.
3. Place oneslice of the bread, cheese side down, in the skillet. Layer the Fontina. Cook for 2-3minutes or until the bottom is golden and toasty crisp. Remove to a plate.
4. Place the second slice of bread cheese side downin the skillet. Layer the remaining cheese, all of the vegetables, and the first slice of bread on top. Cook until the bottom slice is goldenand toasty pressing down with your spatula to set the layers in place.

*for multiple sandwiches, I use a non-stick griddle.

Christmas Cookie Bars Recipe

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Make one delicious cookie bar bottom and top with assorted Christmasy things like crushed candy cane, shelled pistachios, popcorn, drizzles or splashes of white chocolate tinted red or green, nonpareils, flakes of confectioner's gold or silver, or anything you fancy.

Cookie Bottom
2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup of light brown sugar
1/4 cup of granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1-1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract (or 1 teaspoon almond extract)
1-1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

Chocolate Layer
6 ounces of chocolate; milk, semisweet, or bittersweet; finely chopped

Toppings  as described above

Instructions
1.  Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of a 13x9 baking dish.
2.  Place the butter in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light; approximately 2 minutes.  Add the sugars and salt and beat for another 1-2 minutes.  Beat in the vanilla.   Add the flour in 1/2 increments, beating well between each addition. Spread the dough into the bottom of the foil lined pan.  Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until golden brown and puffed up.  Cool thoroughly for several hours at room temperature before continuing to "set" the base.
3.  Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Prepare the toppings.
4.  Scatter the chopped chocolate on top of the baked cookie bottom.  Bake for about 2 minutes or until the chocolate is melted enough to spread.  Immediately scatter the toppings and lightly press into the chocolate to set in place.  Cool before removing from the pan and peel away the foil.  Cut into bars.

Ace's Favorite Cheesy Dog Biscuits

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1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/4 pound margarine -- corn oil
1 clove garlic -- crushed
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup Milk -- or as needed
Grate the cheese into a bowl and let stand until it reaches room temperature. Cream the cheese with the
softened margarine, garlic, salt and flour. Add enough milk to form into a ball.
Chill for 1/2 hour. Roll onto floured board. Cut into shapes and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until slightly
brown, and firm. Makes 2 to 3 dozen, depending on size.
Yield: "24 biscuits"

Paula Deen's Shrimp Gumbo Bake

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I like to try all of Paula's recipes and let you know how they are........well this was VERY good!It's a great change from the normal chicken. :-)

Ingredients

Gumbo:

• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup finely chopped celery
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
• 1 1/2 teaspoons House Seasoning, recipe follows
• 1 cup chicken or fish stock
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 10-ounce package frozen cut okra
• 2 cups shrimp, cleaned, peeled, and deveined
• (This wasn't in the recipe but I added 1 1/2 cups of rice to thicken it up some and it was good that way!)

Topping:

• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/3 cup milk
• 12-ounce package corn muffin mix

Directions

In an iron skillet, saute onion and celery in oil. Add bay leaves, thyme, lemon-pepper seasoning and House Seasoning. Pour in stock and add tomatoes and okra. Cover pot and gently simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in shrimp.

To prepare the topping, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix together egg and milk, add to muffin mix, and combine until just well-blended. Drop by tablespoonfuls on top of hot shrimp mixture, leaving the center uncovered. Bake 15 to 20 minutes.

Cook's Note: This Southern dish usually is prepared and served in an iron skillet, but may be cooked in a frying pan with an ovenproof handle.

House Seasoning:

1 cup salt

1/4 cup black pepper

1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Mam-ma's Chocolate Pie

To contact us Click HERE

My sweet mam-ma made the BEST chocolate pie. We used to request it at every holiday dinner or family gathering and it was a fight to see who could eat the most. I have never tried to make it until this weekend. It tasted good but I have a long way to go on being able to make a good meringue. I don't know what the secret it is but I hope one day I can get mine to fluff up like hers always did.

Ingredients:
Pie filling:
Frozen or refrigerated pie crust
1 3/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
3-4 tbsp cocoa
1 1/2 cups milk
4 egg yolks
1 tbsp vanilla
2 tbsp butter

Meringue:
4 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
6-8 large marshmallows

Bake pie crust according to directions. Mix first 3 ingredients. Beat 4 egg yolks and save the whites. Sprinkle salt on eggs. Add milk in eggs. Add to dry and cook on stove top - stir until thick. Add vanilla and butter.
Pour in pie crust when done.

Take egg whites and beat until stiff. Take sugar and a "tad" of water and boil until it makes a syrup. Add marshmallows and melt.  Add to egg whites already beat. Add on top of pie.

Ace's Favorite Cheesy Dog Biscuits

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1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/4 pound margarine -- corn oil
1 clove garlic -- crushed
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup Milk -- or as needed
Grate the cheese into a bowl and let stand until it reaches room temperature. Cream the cheese with the
softened margarine, garlic, salt and flour. Add enough milk to form into a ball.
Chill for 1/2 hour. Roll onto floured board. Cut into shapes and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until slightly
brown, and firm. Makes 2 to 3 dozen, depending on size.
Yield: "24 biscuits"

Mary Connealy's Lasagna

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From Mary Connealy:

"This one is a stand-by. It's what I take to new moms, to homes where there's been a death in the family. To people who are sick. . .and that doesn't include sick of cooking. I don't have time for all of them. Plus if you got food brought in for that, they'd have to bring it to me. Lasgna, a bag of salad, garlic toast. I take it raw. So they can freeze it. It is also very delicious. I give you permission to eat it yourself."

Lasagna

1 lb. hamburger (browned)

Stir into hamburger:
1 container cottage cheese
1 jar Prego spaghetti sauce

Lay uncooked lasagna noodles in bottom of 9 x 13 pan (3 or 4 noodles).
Add layer of sauce, and layer of 1 C. mozzarella cheese

Repeat for second layer, that's all I ever make. Three layers usually runs over the pan. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top of the last layer of mozzarella. Bake in 350 oven for 45 minutes to an hour or until cheese on top is browned. Serve with garlic bread and salad.

Use a smaller baking dish, make half-sized lasagna, then freeze extra sauce—with meat and cottage cheese in it, in the cottage cheese container for even quicker lasagna next time.

Garlic bread
Slice loaf of French bread the long way so it looks like a huge hotdog bun. Lay halves of bread side by side on a cookie sheet. Butter, sprinkle with garlic powder, sprinkle with mozzarella and/or parmesan cheese (I like both together) and bake the last fifteen minutes with the lasagna.


A three in one collection including:

BUFFALO GAL
CLUELESS COWBOY
THE BOSSY BRIDEGROOM






BUFFALO GAL
They'll never see eye-to-eye.

Buffy Lange has spent her life learning about, caring for, and protecting buffalo. She's landed the job of her dreams, managing a huge buffalo ranch in South Dakota. With stars in her eyes, she imagines all of the Midwest given over to free-ranging buffalo. To her, buffalo embody beauty, majesty, and strength. To Wyatt Shaw, however, the buffalo are a constant threat. Wyatt's ranch adjoins the Buffalo Commons and he watches in trepidation as its owner expands and rides roughshod over the local ranchers. Buffalo are wild, untamable, and dangerous. They present a hazard to man and beast.

When disaster strikes, Wyatt's worst fears are realized and Buffy can do nothing but clean up the mess. With one determined to rid the area of buffalo and the other determined to see them flourish, the dust seldom settles around these two. Will they find a common ground or are they destined to forever stand alone.

CLUELESS COWBOY
American Christian Fiction Writer's Book of the Year Finalist

Emily Johannson discovers a cranky man living in a derelict house in the woodland behind her ranch. When she orders him off, Jake Hanson tells her he bought this wreck and is planning to live there. He's filthy, starving, and furious that Emily found him. He wants to be left alone. And she would if she didn't keep needing to save his worthless life.


THE BOSSY BRIDEGROOM
Michael Davidson was a tyrant for a husband, and Jeanie was born to be a doormat.
They got along great.
Then Michael abandoned his submissive wife, just another way to be a jerk.

Michael returns a Christian and wants to heal their relationship. Jeanie is in possession of the first bit of hard won self esteem of her life, and she doesn't believe for a minute her cranky husband can change his ways.

They commit to building a healthy marriage but his new job as her boss slips them back into old habits.

Absolutely Rockin' Baked Beans

To contact us Click HERE
We had two grandsons graduate this year, and my contribution to each party was different. For the first, I was in charge of things to dip in a chocolate fountain. I picked up delicious huge succulent strawberries at Sams, bought marshmallows and ordered an incredible Mexican cake from The International Bakery. The chocolate fountain table was a gathering place for all!

For the second, I was assigned baked beans for 100. There were closer to 150 who attended, and these beans were a smashing success. Trust me, next time you feed a crowd, try these!

Absolutely Rockin' Baked Beans 
4 (four)  7lb cans pork 'n beans
24 thick slices slab bacon (I used maple, but hickory would be good too)
5 medium onions, chopped small
4 cups barbecue sauce (I used Hunts original)
3 cups dark brown sugar
1 & 1/2 cups cider vinegar
3/4 cup dijon mustard

Spray the liner of your electric roaster. (Borrow one of you have to.)
Cut the bacon slices into thirds.
In a large skillet fry the bacon, but don't cook it crisp.
Reserve all the drippings.
Use enough of the drippings to cover the bottom of the skillet and saute the onions until golden.
Place barbecue sauce, vinegar, mustard and brown sugar in the bottom of a roaster.
Drain the liquid from two of the cans of beans.  Add beans.
Add the onions.
Add the remaining bacon drippings.
Mix well.
Place all the bacon on top.
Cover and set at 350. Cook for two or three hours, with liquid bubbling.
Reduce heat and keep hot on a lower temperature.

We kept these warm for a five hour open house and they never got mushy.

Toad In The Hole Recipe

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A family favorite adapted from a cookbook we purchased in 1986 in York, England. The batter is similar to Yorkshire pudding or popovers enriched with additional eggs.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
butter, approximately 3 tablespoons, softened
12 breakfast link sausages
4 large eggs
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1 cup of milk
1/2 teaspoon of salt
maple syrup

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 430 degrees.  Place a rimmed sheet pan on the center rack.  Heavily grease with butter the cups of a 12-cup non-stick muffin tin.
2.  Fry the sausages in a skillet until brown and fully cooked.
3.  In a spouted bowl, whisk the eggs, flour, milk, and salt until smooth or only small lumps remain.
4.  Pour the batter evenly into the tin cups.
5.  Cut each sausage in half and place in one of the muffin tin cups.
6.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until the batter is puffed up, baked through and golden.
7.  Serve with warm maple syrup.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle Recipe

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My Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle is a showstopper that never fails to have many tasters asking for the recipe.  When it comes to boxed cake mixes, I like Betty Crocker gingerbread and angel food cake  more than from scratch.  The gingerbread mix requires no added fat and the angel food mix is simple to prepare yet always turns out picture perfect. You can add flavorings such as almond extract or lemon zest to the angel food batter to create the illusion that your cake is from scratch.  Most home cooks would not think to look at the expiration date on boxed mixes, but do look at them.  These mixes do age and not very well.

My sister, Janet, tells a story about laboring over an old Martha Stewart scratch recipe.  She faithfully purchased the prescribed ingredients and diligently followed the painstaking steps to bake and frost a chocolate cake.  The result was expensive and inferior to a quality boxed mix.  Other than the gingerbread and angel food, I recommend Duncan Hines.  Grandma Julie was an excellent baker who preferred Duncan Hines over all other brands and over scratch cakes as well.  She added oil as instructed and the result was moist and tender, but if you are wanting more of a homemade taste and texture, try swapping melted unsalted butter for the oil.  She always made her frosting from scratch and on that subject I will not equivocate.  Prepared canned frostings are the sensible thing for school bake sales and the like, but they are no equal to a superbly made from scratch butter frosting.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle
Serves 16 and best made the day before

Ingredients
14 ounce box of Betty Crocker Gingerbread cake mix (if unavailable, try a spice cake mix and if you don't like spice cakes, use vanilla!)
a large box of pudding mix (your choice of vanilla, butterscotch or white chocolate cheesecake)
14-15 ounce can of pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon, or to taste, pumpkin pie spice
1/3 cup of brown sugar
8 ounces of frozen whipped topping
1/4 cup of crushed gingersnap cookies, OR, 1/4 cup of chopped pecans toasted in a skillet with a bit of butter and then salted

Instructions
1.  Earlier in the day, prepare the gingerbread cake as directed and cool before continuing.
2.  Prepare the pudding mix as directed.  Fold in the pumpkin puree, pie spice, and brown sugar. Set aside.
3.  Crumble half of the cake into the bottom of your bowl or trifle bowl.  Layer 1/2 of the pumpkin mixture and then half of the whipped topping.  Repeat the layers one more time.
4.  Scatter the crushed cookies or nuts on top.  Cover and chill overnight.

Swiss Cheese Potato Gratin Recipe

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Swiss Potato Gratin Recipe

My Swiss Cheese Potato Gratin recipe borrows heavily from Julia Child's Gratin Dauphinois as published in Volume I of Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  Those of you who follow this blog know that I often cheat when it comes to complicated steps, and this recipe is no exception.  It is not a very pretty dish so not really company fare unless your company is dear family or friends who have come to dine only because it is with you.
Serves 6 to 8 as a side dish

Ingredients
2 pounds of potatoes
3 tablespoons of butter cut into bits plus additional to grease the dish
1/2 clove of garlic
1/2 teaspoon of salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
4 ounces of thinly sliced or grated Swiss cheese, divided
1 cup hot, scalded milk

Instructions
1.  Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Rub the cut side of the garlic clove all over the interior of a baking dish.  Liberally grease the dish with butter.
2.  Peel the potatoes and cut into 1/8" slices.  Place in a large dish towel and pat the slices dry before layering half in the prepared dish.
3.  Season with salt and pepper.  Dot with half of the butter.  Layer half of the cheese on top.  Repeat the layers.
4.  Pour the hot milk (2 minutes in the microwave is about the right amount of time required to scald the milk) over the potato assembly.
5. Bake for 30 minutes and serve at once.

Mary Connealy's Lasagna

To contact us Click HERE
From Mary Connealy:

"This one is a stand-by. It's what I take to new moms, to homes where there's been a death in the family. To people who are sick. . .and that doesn't include sick of cooking. I don't have time for all of them. Plus if you got food brought in for that, they'd have to bring it to me. Lasgna, a bag of salad, garlic toast. I take it raw. So they can freeze it. It is also very delicious. I give you permission to eat it yourself."

Lasagna

1 lb. hamburger (browned)

Stir into hamburger:
1 container cottage cheese
1 jar Prego spaghetti sauce

Lay uncooked lasagna noodles in bottom of 9 x 13 pan (3 or 4 noodles).
Add layer of sauce, and layer of 1 C. mozzarella cheese

Repeat for second layer, that's all I ever make. Three layers usually runs over the pan. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top of the last layer of mozzarella. Bake in 350 oven for 45 minutes to an hour or until cheese on top is browned. Serve with garlic bread and salad.

Use a smaller baking dish, make half-sized lasagna, then freeze extra sauce—with meat and cottage cheese in it, in the cottage cheese container for even quicker lasagna next time.

Garlic bread
Slice loaf of French bread the long way so it looks like a huge hotdog bun. Lay halves of bread side by side on a cookie sheet. Butter, sprinkle with garlic powder, sprinkle with mozzarella and/or parmesan cheese (I like both together) and bake the last fifteen minutes with the lasagna.


A three in one collection including:

BUFFALO GAL
CLUELESS COWBOY
THE BOSSY BRIDEGROOM






BUFFALO GAL
They'll never see eye-to-eye.

Buffy Lange has spent her life learning about, caring for, and protecting buffalo. She's landed the job of her dreams, managing a huge buffalo ranch in South Dakota. With stars in her eyes, she imagines all of the Midwest given over to free-ranging buffalo. To her, buffalo embody beauty, majesty, and strength. To Wyatt Shaw, however, the buffalo are a constant threat. Wyatt's ranch adjoins the Buffalo Commons and he watches in trepidation as its owner expands and rides roughshod over the local ranchers. Buffalo are wild, untamable, and dangerous. They present a hazard to man and beast.

When disaster strikes, Wyatt's worst fears are realized and Buffy can do nothing but clean up the mess. With one determined to rid the area of buffalo and the other determined to see them flourish, the dust seldom settles around these two. Will they find a common ground or are they destined to forever stand alone.

CLUELESS COWBOY
American Christian Fiction Writer's Book of the Year Finalist

Emily Johannson discovers a cranky man living in a derelict house in the woodland behind her ranch. When she orders him off, Jake Hanson tells her he bought this wreck and is planning to live there. He's filthy, starving, and furious that Emily found him. He wants to be left alone. And she would if she didn't keep needing to save his worthless life.


THE BOSSY BRIDEGROOM
Michael Davidson was a tyrant for a husband, and Jeanie was born to be a doormat.
They got along great.
Then Michael abandoned his submissive wife, just another way to be a jerk.

Michael returns a Christian and wants to heal their relationship. Jeanie is in possession of the first bit of hard won self esteem of her life, and she doesn't believe for a minute her cranky husband can change his ways.

They commit to building a healthy marriage but his new job as her boss slips them back into old habits.

Absolutely Rockin' Baked Beans

To contact us Click HERE
We had two grandsons graduate this year, and my contribution to each party was different. For the first, I was in charge of things to dip in a chocolate fountain. I picked up delicious huge succulent strawberries at Sams, bought marshmallows and ordered an incredible Mexican cake from The International Bakery. The chocolate fountain table was a gathering place for all!

For the second, I was assigned baked beans for 100. There were closer to 150 who attended, and these beans were a smashing success. Trust me, next time you feed a crowd, try these!

Absolutely Rockin' Baked Beans 
4 (four)  7lb cans pork 'n beans
24 thick slices slab bacon (I used maple, but hickory would be good too)
5 medium onions, chopped small
4 cups barbecue sauce (I used Hunts original)
3 cups dark brown sugar
1 & 1/2 cups cider vinegar
3/4 cup dijon mustard

Spray the liner of your electric roaster. (Borrow one of you have to.)
Cut the bacon slices into thirds.
In a large skillet fry the bacon, but don't cook it crisp.
Reserve all the drippings.
Use enough of the drippings to cover the bottom of the skillet and saute the onions until golden.
Place barbecue sauce, vinegar, mustard and brown sugar in the bottom of a roaster.
Drain the liquid from two of the cans of beans.  Add beans.
Add the onions.
Add the remaining bacon drippings.
Mix well.
Place all the bacon on top.
Cover and set at 350. Cook for two or three hours, with liquid bubbling.
Reduce heat and keep hot on a lower temperature.

We kept these warm for a five hour open house and they never got mushy.