Coconut Banana Cream Pie

This pie was a hit at our Christmas dinner yesterday.  It was much easier than I thought it would be and looked so pretty. Oh, and it was delicious too!

Coconut Banana Cream Pie

3 C. flaked coconut
7 T. butter
3/4 C. sugar
1/4 C. flour
3 T. cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
3C half and half cream
4 egg yokes, slightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large firm bananas, sliced
Whipped cream and banana for garnish if desired.

In a large skillet, saute coconut in butter until golden.  Reserve 2 tablespoons for garnish.  

Press the remaining toasted coconut into the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9 inch pie plate.  Bake at 350 degrees for 7 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.

For the filling, combine the sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt in a large saucepan.
Stir in the cream until smooth.  Cook and stir over medium high heat until thickened and bubbly.  Reduce heat; cook 2 minutes longer.

Remove from the heat and stir a small amount of hot filling into the slightly beaten egg yokes.  (reserve the whites for another use).  Return all to the pan and stir constantly. 
Bring to a gentle boil and cook, stirring for another 2 minutes.
Remove from the heat and gently stir in the vanilla.

Cool to room temperature without stirring.
Place the sliced bananas in the crust. Cover with the cream mixture.  Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.
Sprinkle the reserved coconut.  Add whipped cream and bananas if desired.

And a Happy New Year!

We are so enjoying living in our new 5th Wheel. Even going to work from here is getting easier each day....if only it would be light when I leave.   The commute is easier than the one I have had for the past 5 years so I am not complaining. 

We are thinking of moving to another spot in this park as it is quite noisy here with the traffic behind us.  Kirby spent Christmas Eve morning preping for the move and found out that our slides don't slide.  For those of you who are not familiar - those are the areas that pop out when you are parked so the rig is larger inside.  They are stuck and Kirby has done all he can to troubleshoot the problem. He put a call in for a technician - we will see how long it takes.....since it is the holidays.

We just enjoyed Christmas at my daughters home and now we are looking forward to the new year.  2013 - the year I retire and we head out on a new adventure.  Please come back every once in a while to see what we are up to.

Do'in the Wash

Check out my NEW BLOG - a work in progress, all about laundry!

"First time in over five years.  I didn't want to go but I did it anyway.  I left the RV at about 6:30 AM on Sunday and drove all the way past little rows of RV's to the campground laundromat.  Dark.  Foggy. Quiet.  No one out but me.......... "

Happy, Happy!

We have been living here for a week and a half now.  Living in our RV!  No more big house, garage to park in, 2 bathrooms, dishwasher, washer and dryer and flush toilet.  And I am SO HAPPY!  I LOVE this life.  It really is a lot like our life on boats.  We are close together and can talk to one another almost any time.  I can be doing dishes and watch TV while talking to Kirby - during commercials of course.  Jake, our yellow dog, can see both of us all the time and doesn't have to stress over trying to stay with us both when we are in different rooms.

OK, I haven't tried to cut my hair but I guess if I could do it on the boat, I can do it here.  I haven't been to the laundromat yet but I have done that so much of my life that it will all come right back - darn!

I don't know, I can't really explain it but I seem to have this happy bubble living inside my tummy.  Life is good!

Oh, and we have a signed contract on the house again.  Same people as before but they have different buyers and it is all supposed to be cash before the end of the year.  Please cross your fingers for us and join me in my happiness!

For Every Thing a Place........

.....and for every place, a thing!

I took the day off from work today to try to get moved into our new RV.  A good nights sleep really helped.  The last two days have been very difficult to say the least!  So, this is what I started with today.  I just kept moving things to another area until most everything was put away.  It actually is coming together quite nicely!

The galley was the biggest challenge of all because I want EVERYTHING with me.  It is working!  Things are put in strange places, but all the pots and pans, food, spices and dishes have a home. Even the pressure cooker!

I am loving my living room and all the storage in it.  We didn't like the recliners that came with the unit so we brought our IKEA chairs from the house.  Love those chairs!  Today I had Kirby bring us the little chairs from our dining set that didn't sell.  Now I am so glad because after a couple of days sitting in the cute ones that came with - we both hated them.  Very uncomfortable.  These old chairs may not look so good but neither do we!

I am amazed at myself because there still is nothing in the ottoman.  I am saving it for something special I am sure.  I thought about filling it with Jake's dog food but decided on a drawer instead....what we do for our dogs!

I have to return to work tomorrow and I just hate that!!  I want to retire!  Please say a prayer or send good vibes that someone will buy our house so that I can retire.  It is only fair....it is my time to retire!

Hello! Goodbye!

We were up at 4:15 on Saturday to begin the big moving day!  As Kirby moved everything to the driveway for the garage sale, I straightened up the house for the prospective buyers that were coming to look at the house.  We were almost ready when the first customer showed up in the dark with his flashlight!  Now that is serious garage sale shopping.

We thought the response was poor at 7 but by 8:00 we were in full swing with people almost fighting over things - we had it all priced so low.  Still they wanted to bargain and that got really tiring as I was pretty much giving away a part of me with each item.  Some of the shoppers were very rude and made it even more difficult.

I moved Jake's bed out to the lawn so that he could just lay in his bed during all the excitement but of course he felt the need to sniff each person who arrived!  I mean Greet each person!  At one point he was being so good and laying in his bed and would you believe that Kirby sold his bed right out from under him!  Hair and all!  I even had an offer of $300 for Jake himself!  But I did not take it!

Everyone was gone by 11:00 and we were FINISHED!!  We put the leftovers back in the garage and Habitat for Humanity will pick it up on Monday.  Just as we were finishing, some sweet little girls from down the street arrived and wanted to rake the yard for just $5.00.  I was loaded with cash right then and hired them on the spot.  Just look at this team!

They were bucking the wind the whole time but they worked hard and did a good job!  Thanks, girls.

Then it was on to our new home.  Kirby loaded the truck - again!  This time we brought our wonderful IKEA chairs that we love so much in place of the stupid recliners that came the rig.  And lots more 'stuff'!  It will not all fit so I am purging again!

Last night we were so tired but also so happy.  We are here!  Our new life is beginning.  It will be slow as we still have to sell the house - again, and I am still working.  But our new life of adventure is about to begin!  Wish us luck in selling the house soon so we won't be delayed!!

Changes

Change is good for us, right?  I believe in change.  I believe that it will keep me from being bored.  I have always embraced change and welcomed it to my life.  I grew up an Air Force Brat and moved around often from the day I was born.  Three years in one place was a max for this young girl.  I spent 6 years in Big Spring, Texas and almost died when I had to leave at the precious age of 16.  Not good to stay in one place for so long that you don't want to go.

When Kirby and I first hooked up, I told him that I get bored easily and love change.  There was never a problem.  We changed our home every 6 months for the first 3 years.  We would spend 6 months on the boat in Mexico and then go to California for 6, rent a new apartment and set up housekeeping again.  Then the cycle would begin all over again.  Even when in San Diego, we at least changed our home or our jobs.

With this current economy we haven't been able to manage much change in our lives.  Same job and same home for over 5 years now.  I wanted so much 2-3 years ago to move to a different home, get a new job - SOMETHING!!  But, nothing has changed since we first moved here.  Same job, same house.  Not that it was bad - it was just THE SAME!

Finally, things are changing!  Yea!  We are moving!  NOT FUN!  We have stayed here too long.  This moving process has become painful.  Now I am beginning to understand how people can stay in the same job/same home for years and years and years.  This is stressful!  When you move and change your life often, it is a breeze - just get up and go.  But now we have loads and loads of stuff.  (Kirby says we have "Too much useless shit!" ) How do I decide what is important to keep.  I can't keep it all - we are simplifying our lives!  I believe in and want a simple life but I am attached to all this STUFF.

We are running out of time.  Garage sale this coming Saturday and then that is it!  Out of here!   What doesn't fit on the RV goes.............

Ah, the Simple Life!!  Wish me luck!

Getting Ready to MOVE!

We have had company the last week and haven't done much toward getting out of this house and into our new home.  Steve and Mollie left before breakfast this morning and even though Lee didn't leave for the airport until 3:00 PM, we started in with more packing and sorting.  Kirby and Lee delivered the first bed next door to Arlene (the second one will go this weekend when we say goodbye to living here).  I got lots of bedding and throw rugs washed and packed and then I sold off our sofa, chair, ottoman and the beautiful coffee table that I loved so much!  The house is looking bare, but messy.  Hopefully I can take a few days off this week or at least half days and get a lot moved to Myrt (our RV).  Saturday, weather permitting will be our 2nd and final garage sale.  I have lots of things listed on Craig s list!  Wish me luck!!

Too Good to be True

If it seems too good to be true, it probably is!  And I guess that is just a fact of life.  We sold our home and then we didn't.  When we signed the contract to sell it, it just seemed too good to be true.  Two days on the market, full price and a short escrow.  Oh, well, time to start over. 

Our real estate agent called this morning with the bad news. The deal just fell through.  Our empty, messy home is back on the market and our dream is on hold.  To tell the truth, I am rather pissed. Actually, right now - I am very pissed!  I think I will feel better about it all tomorrow but right now....not too cool.

This happens all the time to people, I know that.  But I also know that next time, I will not have the highs that I had when this deal 'came together'.  I was dancing around the house, squealing and laughing...it was too good to be true.

We have a hold on the listing for 2 weeks while we finish moving out and getting it cleaned up.  It won't sell as well with the furniture and pretty things gone.  I actually spent money on things to help stage the house to sell it.  Those things are gone.  That sucks!

Please send us good vibes.  I need some not just to sell the house but to ease my mind and my soul.  I am so ready to retire and begin our next adventure.

THE Garage Sale

I think I caught Christie in motion - which she was all morning as she helped us with the EVERYTHING!  She was here at 6:15 in the morning and I appreciated her help so much.  I couldn't have done it without her!

Our garage sale was very successful!!  And we had a blast.  We always have fun when we do a garage sales.  The neighbors come out and the shoppers are fun!  These are our very first shoppers in the picture.  I said 7:00 am in my ad but people started showing up at 6:20!  I guess we were ready as it all worked.  I had said in my at that we would be open from 7:00 until I was too tired to continue and that happened about 11:45.  I just all of a sudden couldn't do any more!

This was our smallest shopper.  He lives about 10 houses away and just showed up on his bike.  He looked around and then went home for some money.  He was so cute with all of his purchases and he even hung around until the end and managed to get some more cool stuff for free!  He was very entertaining!

This was taken near the end.  The funny thing was when I would all of a sudden see something I just couldn't part with and run with it into the house for safekeeping!! :)

Since is is not all gone we have decided to do it again next Saturday.  Then whatever is left will go to a charity.  We were really tired when it was over so we just went out to lunch and then came home and goofed off.  I have been working with my new Lenovo computer and trying to figure out Windows 8.  So far it is pretty cool.  I am also adjusting to a laptop.  I love my desktop with the big monitor and nice keyboard but I will get used to this.

So, one more step towards our escape!  Tomorrow we get to go visit Myrt!  (Myrt is our new 5thWheel RV)  We miss her!!