The march with Affirmation. Religion and Politics Pt. 2

Fat, food, weight loss. Blah blah blah. That is not what this post is about. Sorry!! Instead this is about my Mormon faith (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint, aka LDS) and my activism in the marriage equality movement.

Affirmation group

This post is about my experience marching with Affirmation (a group organized of LGBT Mormons and their straight allies) at the New York City 2012 pride parade. I'll go ahead and let you know that there was all of the typical, and stereotypical, things associated with gay pride parades. Drag queens, club dancers, men in leather and chains, and rainbows to name a few. It's nothing I haven't seen before, as when I got out of college I worked with the gay community in Roanoke, Virginia as the Education Coordinator for an HIV/AIDS/STD Division at the Council of Community Services in that city. I coordinated community outreach and education promoting safe sex, and worked as a Ryan White caseworker for a client with AIDS (I love and miss you, Alvin).  I was even in a drag show once, although the queens dolled me up to be Little Kim for a group performance of Lady Marmalade. Interesting experience nonetheless. 


First and foremost was the loving and reception we (my friends Lyndsey and Mallory went with me) got from the Affirmation crowd as we gathered for the parade and at the meet-and-greet bbq the night before.  (A HUGE thank you to Tina for her gracious hospitality and the bomb-a** feast at her home!)  Loving appreciation abounded.  As for the parade, what I also saw was a lot of smiling, happy, excited people on the sidewalks. The same level of excitement for the entire parade, I also saw when our group marched through the streets. I saw a TON of wide eyes, nudging neighbors, and resulting nods and mouthed "thank you's"from the crowds. (Oh, I even got an "Oh my heck! Dangit!" from one guy who apparently knew Mormon-speak.) On top of that were high fives, hugs, knowing looks, and even a few who shouted "Hey! I'm a Mormon!" with excited, thankful eyes that their Mormon counterparts were advocating for them. We got a few thumbs down and a "get out of here" once, but I'm suspecting a healthy amount of residual resentment for the discrimination and perceived harm that they felt the LDS church has done to homosexuals and those in the marriage equality movement.  Probably the best one-on-one I got was a huge, sweaty hug from a "bear" of a man on the sidelines who said scratchily into my ear, "This means so much! Thank you!" I also got a chance to talk to a couple at the very end of the parade who were astonished and grateful that of all people, MORMONS, were taking a stand and expressing love for their LGBTQ brothers and sisters. And I got to talk politics with those guys, which was cool by me. :)

The sidewalk crowd

What the day consisted of was waiting for many hours for the parade to start for our section. There were active Mormons, inactive Mormons, and even adamant ex-Mormons in our group.  But we all united under the same banner for the same reason--love for our brothers and sisters in Christ.  We were behind the Occupy Wallstreet-ers, and that wasn't even that bad of an experience except for their very outward expressions of civil disobedience--but that's to be expected from that group.  We dressed in church clothes, looking very polished I might add, and fellowshipped, shared food and stories, and created friendships that I anticipate (and hope) will carry on into the next life. Contrary to what I'm sure is popular belief (in the church), LGBT Mormons have the same standards. They attend weekly sacrament meetings, keep the word of wisdom, have served missions, and come from families sealed in the temple, just to name a few traditional cultural activities of people in the church.  These are people that I would be honored to sit next to in church, hear a lesson from, or go on a service assignment with.  People who respect their neighbors, serve callings, and strive to share the gospel with others. They are good Mormons, dangit! 

LGBTQ Mormons

So anyway, for anyone who wondered what it could possibly be like to be around GAY Mormons, there you have it. They are regular people who do regular LDS things. SURPRISE! Preconceived notions squashed. You're welcome. 


I always feel a great sense of loss when it's time for me to leave people who I've developed a special connection with. I get wistful and sad. But to each of them, as I left, I said, "Goodbye, until we see each other in this life, or the next." And one way or the other, I know I will. And for all of you new friends who I was blessed and honored to meet, I leave you with this hymn that I love. And I love you.

My next post will be a little more controversial perhaps. I have some things to say on the "condoning behavior" argument. I also have a little to say about "loving the sinner and hating the sin." You'll just have to come back. I'll also get back to posting stuff about food and losing weight, this just happens to be what's powerfully on my mind at the moment. 

Diet Break and Gay Talk. Huh? Religion and Politics Pt. 1

For the past two weeks I've been on a scheduled break from my RFL diet. I've been trying to make good food choices, and also been allowing myself to have some of things I really want. Like cupcakes, Japanese food, and soda. It's been a nice break, but I'm actually glad to be back on. Starting today!  It has been easy to get back on the wagon today, and believe it or not, I've only gained +/- 1.8 lbs. I'm impressed that it is only that little. I'm also excited to (hopefully) shed another 20 lbs. in the next 6 weeks. I've decided 6 weeks is about the extent of how long I can do RFL until needing a break, and I'm happy with the progress in that amount of time, so I'm going with it.

In the meantime, some meaningful things have happened that are completely unrelated to fat loss. Not everyone that will visit my blog will know that I'm LDS, or Mormon as per common vernacular. I've been LDS for 10 years and have a full testimony that Christ is my savior, and that the original church that Christ established on the earth is now fully restored through the prophet Joseph Smith.  It's really not up for discussion as to whether I'm correct, going to hell, or a cult member. I am what I am, and I hope you will leave it at that. I will not try to preach to you through this blog either, so no worries. :)


The one thing that many people DO know about my church is that we work very hard to prevent legislation from passing that allows for marriage equality for all people. AKA, gay marriage.  In 1995 the church released the Family Proclamation. In it the church leadership proclaims "that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children."  And that is the official stance of the church, and I support the church in deciding what kinds of marriages they will recognize. I have no interest in the messy business of telling God what to do in his holy house, the temple.  Marriage in our church takes place in our temples where we believe we are sealed together for time and all eternity. My husband and I were sealed in the Washington, DC temple in 2005.


However, the proclamation also calls upon "responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures."  What that tells me is that our church wants to mix religion and politics, and as a Libertarian, I can't convince myself that it's my place to enforce my specific religious values and rules/laws on anyone who doesn't subscribe to my brand of religion. Interesting enough, in our church scripture volume, known as the Doctrine and Covenants, there is a tiny treasure that reads, 

"We do not believe it just to mingle religious influence with civil government, whereby one religious society is fostered and another proscribed in its spiritual privileges, and the individual rights of its members, as citizens, denied...We believe it just to preach the gospel to the nations of the earth, and warn the righteous to save themselves from the corruption of the world; but we do not believe it right to interfere with bond-servants, neither preach the gospel to, nor baptize them contrary to the will and wish of their masters, nor to meddle with or influence them in the least to cause them to be dissatisfied with their situations in this life, thereby jeopardizing the lives of men; such interference we believe to be unlawful and unjust, and dangerous to the peace of every government allowing human beings to be held in servitude." Doctrine and Covenants 139: 4, 12

It's inconsistent, and leaves room for many questions. Again, I DO NOT believe it correct in my own conscience, or is advocated in the scriptures of my church, to inflict my will on others based on my religious convictions through the use of legislation and government.  The entire book of Matthew is a guide book for me as to how I should treat others. And that's the end of that for me.


Want to know what I really think? I think that government should be out of ALL marriage business. I'd give up my marriage certificate in a second because it neither puts value on or defines my marriage. My temple marriage is the one I'm concerned about, and that is between me and God. Let me also be clear that I'm not trying to change church policy. I'm trying to advocate that my church stay out of politics, and place more value on those of the homosexual persuasion that seek to come and be spiritually fed without fear of being cast out, or what we Mormons call excommunication. And while it's claimed that excommunication is rare, it's not. I can name a few people off the top of my head who have had it happen to them. 


Well, that brings me to this past weekend. Stemming from the past marriage equality legislation in California (in which the LDS church was heavily involved in preventing it's passing), a few "ally" groups have formed from LDS church members. An ally is someone who is straight that supports the gay church members (or gay anybody's) by showing love and respect for their lifestyle and how they choose to live it. I went to the NYC Pride Parade this past weekend to march with one of these groups, Affirmation (first pic up top). Our group was comprised of gay and straight LDS church members, ex-members, and friends. It was an incredibly uplifting, loving, testimony building experience. I met some spiritual giants, new friends, and amazing men and women--who are LDS and GAY.  *gasp*  It happens. And I love them anyway.  Here is the video and a picture. I'm the one carrying the sign reading "I'm proof that hearts can change." 

You can also view the entire article here.  Most people in my family (I'm the only Mormon in my family), church, and ward would not be supportive or happy about this at all. I'm erring on the side of love for my fellow brothers and sisters, and am willing to stand accountable to God for my actions. There is always a group of people who are the underdogs, who not many will stand arm and arm with. I could be in one of those groups one day, and I would only hope that someone would come to my side as well. Anyway, I hope you've learned something about me, about my church, and about what I hope the future looks like for those who have been often hurtfully discriminated against. Hearts can and will change, and I am proof of that.


Sending out vibes of charity, love, and the light of Christ. Back to getting skinny tomorrow. :)

Big Mac Salad? Yes, Salad!

Heaven in my bowl...

Here we go again with my modern day mentality when it comes to eating. Besides the internet, I think one of the greatest inventions of the 21st century is the McDonald's Big Mac. It's impossible for me to explain the zen-like experience I have when I eat one.  It's ridiculous, and a bit embarrassing to be that in love with such a terrible excuse for a food, but I bear it all here, so there you go.  And for the record, I may eat ONE a year. I just know how bad they are, so I stay away.  

Anyway, my same HCG diet going friend Krista, who introduced me to the buffalo chicken dip, also introduced me to the BIG MAC SALAD. Yep, I'm screaming that at you via caps lock. It tastes like a Big Mac, only without the bread, and who needs that anyway?!  It's meaty, creamy, cheesy, and has all the flavors of a classic Big Mac. I'm going to show you all of exactly what I did.  This recipe isn't necessarily low fat (for me), but for the average eater, it's a HUGE improvement in reducing the bad fats in the traditional Big Mac sandwich.

I'll go ahead and give you a second to thank me. No. It's okay. Take your time. I don't mind. :)  Crappy pic...again. Night time cooking. Fluorescent light pics. You know the drill at this point.

Big Mac Salad

1 pound 5% fat ground beef, cooked, crumbled, drained, rinsed

3 cups salad greens (I used shredded iceberg for authenticity)

2 pickles sliced

1 tbsp minced onions, rehydrated

1/4 cup shredded cheddar or 2 slices fat free American cheese

1/4 cup low carb 1000 Island dressing (recipe below)

pepper

Halve all of your ingredients, because this makes 2 salads worth of food.  In your bowl, place 1.5 cups of your salad greens. Top with half of the browned beef, cheese, dressing, pickles, minced onions, and pepper. Some people like to mix the onions and pepper in with the browned beef, but I just prefer to do it on my salad.  Sit down and prepare for some heaven in your mouth.  Serves 2. (Use less beef for lower protein intake if you need to stretch your daily allowance out.)

Low Carb 1000 Island Dressing

2 tbsp fat free mayo

2 tbsp light mayo

1 tbsp ketchup (you can use sugar free ketchup, I just use regular Heinz)

1.5 tbsp dill pickle relish

Mix all together and refrigerate for 15 mins, then serve. Keeps for up to 2 weeks.  Serves 2.

Nutrition

Calories 375

Carbs 7g

Fat 15g

Protein 50g

Just for comparison, this is the nutrition info for an actual Big Mac from McDonald's...

Calories 550

Carbs 46 g

Fat 29g

Protein 25 g

Who am I kidding? There is no comparison on this one!  I'm not sure what to say about this salad except to thank Krista. The first one I made I ate in less than 3 minutes. It was a combo of deliciousness and not having had eaten in 7 hours. This is a really fun way to transform modern foods into something special for a diet, or even to surprise your friends with at a funky dinner party.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!

Love, peace, and hamburger grease!

Diner Food Done Smart!

The WHOLE meal!


What Rapid Fat Loss (RFL) has done for me is to educate me, show me through my body functions, and give me the correct information on how to eat clean. Eating clean (for me) comes down to eating what our biological bodies need. What our ancestors ate to stay in top health, and really what it was that the earth provided them to eat--it was intuitive, and their bodies thrived on this diet. This includes meats, fats, herbs, vegetables, fruits, berries, nuts, roots, and lots of water. While I'm not necessarily eating all of these things (since my goal is fat LOSS in addition to gaining health), I know they will eventually be on my menu.  The problem is that I'm a modern day woman, with modern day eating habits, trying to reprogram my body and mind to want and crave those whole, healthful foods that I need. Yeah, I want a big greasy cheeseburger and fries, and a chocolate shake on the side, but my body really only needs the meat and veggies, and maybe a potato, but roasted, not fried.  This means that while I attempt this transition to eating clean, I'm finding ways to satisfy my modern day cravings with healthy options that are allowed by RFL.


I occasionally have a hankering for a tuna melt. The cheesy, melty, oniony tuna patty on grilled, buttery bread calls to me. This week, I've found the perfect option for satisfying that craving, and even have a complimentary side that will astonish even the most skeptical eater...just try it, trust me. :)  What is this deliciousness you ask? It's a super tuna melt with a side of roasted cauliflower poppers. And a pickle on the side of course. YUM! Just go with me on this one... 


ALERT: CRAPPY PICTURE. Taken in the light of a fluorescent bulb at night in my kitchen. :(

Tuna Patty Melt (low carb)
1 4 oz can tuna in water, drained
1 egg white
1/3 cup fat free shredded cheddar
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper


Preheat a non-stick skillet over med/hi heat. Mix all ingredients together. Form into 2 patties. When skillet is hot, fry both patties until both sides are golden brown, flipping after about 4-5 mins.  Serves one.  Note: I may add a tsp or so of light mayo next time, just for added creaminess. That will affect nutrition though.


Nutrition information
Calories 179
Carbs 3g
Fat 2g
Protein 36g


These are warm, slightly cheesy, and have a great texture provided by the golden brown sides.  Now, onto the part you are skeptical about...


Cauliflower Poppers (low carb)
Inspired by DelightedMama.com
1 large head of cauliflower, washed and chopped into 2" chunks, stems trimmed (mine were cut into much smaller pieces and I won't do that next time)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper


Preheat oven to 400F. Mix ingredients together until well coated. Spread on a large baking sheet, lined with non-stick foil.  Baking time is 1 hour total: bake for 20 mins, and turn; bake another 20 mins, turn; bake a final 20 mins, and they are ready to eat!  The pieces will shrink significantly when baked, and you will notice a lot of moisture in the pan the first time you turn them. This will evaporate.  Serve with your choice of ketchup.


These taste very much like fries, which is why I included them with the tuna melts. I usually loathe cauliflower, but roasting veggies seems to be the key for me to LOVE them, and this recipe was a FO SHO winner!  This recipe also adds a small amount of fat to the diet, but I'm not including the nutrition info because cauliflower is a "free" veggie for me.  I really hope you try this combination of foods. It's delicious!  You know, going back to my first paragraph, you could whip up a "shake" with a little greek yogurt, ice, and chocolate protein powder, and really have the whole experience. Ah. Next time...


For now, enjoy your day, and EAT YOUR VEGGIES!

Breakfast of Champions

The elusive breakfast recipe...


I've been saying for a few weeks now that I was going to publish my breakfast super food recipe. Today is the day to stop the procrastination!  This is the food that gets me started, keeps me going, and makes it easy to get on with my day since I don't have to even THINK about what to have for breakfast.  It's also a make ahead meal, so it's there and ready when I wake up.  A lot of you may have seen the recipes all over Pinterest for breakfast egg cups, or veggie and egg cups, or whatever they are called for each recipe.  This is the same thing, but with a special, yummy twist.


Most egg cup recipes are baked in muffin tins, and using muffin liners. I tried this the first time and everything stuck to the liners, and I was frustrated. Instead, I found inspiration elsewhere on Pinterest, and saw a recipe that used lunch meat to line the muffin cups. Genius!  I like ham with my breakfast food, but you can use whatever you like.  I have two of these every morning, sometimes with some hot sauce. Again, easy, yummy, keeps me full. Win win.

Ham, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Cups 
3 cups liquid egg whites
24 slices ham (I used Oscar Meyer Deli Creations Honey Ham)
6 slices fat free American cheese


Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with nonstick spray. Line each cup with 1-2 pieces of ham, depending on what kind/brand you are using.  Pour in each cup 1/4 cup egg whites. Place half a piece of cheese in each cup. Bake for anywhere from 15-25 mins, or when the centers are only very SLIGHTLY jiggly. These will be puffy and beautiful when they come out of the oven, but will shrink and look more like the photo above when cooled.  Serves 6, 1 serving=2 breakfast cups.


Nutrition 
Calories 122
Carbs 7g
Fat 2g
Protein 24 g


I promise that you will like these. They can be made with real eggs (with yolks) and full fat cheese and I imagine would be nothing short of a delicacy. You can also add veggies to give these more body, but I prefer mine sans veggies. These are perfect for a brunch, or other meal where you have to serve a lot of people. And who doesn't love little single serving sized foods?  Honestly, it's just the easiest thing to pop in the microwave in the morning and eat on the go. I'll sometimes throw mine in a baggie and eat it on the road. They can be a little juicy, so watch out.


Eat up and be happy!

Who's Got the Booch?

I do!

 

Ruby, 6, loves kombucha!

I guess it's time for me to talk a little about kombucha (click this link for all the info) since it's in my blog banner, and I've yet to mention it. I was introduced to this magical drink a couple of years ago and thought it was the nastiest thing I've ever tasted.  GT's was the brand and...ick. Vinegar was all I tasted. Pink vinegar. Green vinegar. Orange vinegar. No matter the flavor on the bottle, I tasted vinegar. 

The hubster loved it though, but at $4 a bottle, and him wanting to add it to his diet on a more regular basis, (and me wanting him to find a substitute to the nasty energy drinks he sucks down everyday), I started looking into brewing my own. I did a lot of googling, and trying to find a local source for the materials I needed to start brewing. Made simply with sweet tea and the "mother", kombucha is actually an incredible living, fermented health food drink that is rich in minerals, probiotics, and other healthful minerals. It's cleansing to the liver and gut, and I drink it as a daily diet supplement. Since it is fermented, it will turn to vinegar if left to sit long enough, and generally has an alcohol content of somewhere around .5-1%. (Not as potent as Nyquil.) ;)  While it comes in at about 18 g carbs per bottle, it isn't supposed to be on my diet plan, but I feel like the health benefits outweigh the potential setback on my weight loss it might have.

Not only has kombucha helped me add a healthy treat to my nighttime routine, it also helped me cut down drastically on soda, to which I am a bona fide addict. It's the carbonation, and my homebrew booch allows me just that--plenty of carbonation and a healthy, low sugar, mineral rich, probiotic filled alternative.  How is this NOT winning?  Anyway, I finally found a kombucha mother, called a SCOBY (Symbiotic Combination Of Bacteria and Yeast), in a health food store in Charlottesville, VA. $8 and I was ready to go. These are some pics of my brewing adventures.

This is a SCOBY from a quart jar transferred to and growing in a larger brewing vessel. Brown cloud is yeast.

Side view of the SCOBY after it has grown to fit the diameter of the vessel. Brown strands are yeast.

Top view of the SCOBY. The light area you see is just sunlight coming in.

So this brainy, snotty, jellyfish thingy is the magic of kombucha. It is a living organism that converts all the potentially harmful substances in tea (tannins) and converts them into probiotics and useful minerals. Yep, like yogurt. There are a lot of places online to learn how to brew kombucha, including Kombucha Kamp.  I started off brewing small quart sized batches, and quickly moved onto a continuous brew in 2.5 gallon spigot pitchers.  All this means is that I have fresh kombucha on tap whenever I want, and can bottle and flavor it as I want. Unlike store bought booch, I can create mine in a way where I control the flavor. Which brings me to mango kombucha.

In my last batch of booch that I bottled before I left for the beach, I tried out a new flavor. Mango. Simply mango. My general favorite is what I call gingerade, and also another flavor I call orange cream. But the mango...I'm not sure I'll make any other kind for a while. And it was made with frozen Dole mango chunks.  I'm sure to talk more about kombucha in later posts, and may even do a how-to at some point, but really this post is just to give you a little introduction into the goings on in this house. And this is just the beginning. It's also to give you just a tiny bit of info about why kombucha is good. And it is SO good. Just look at all those beautiful fruit chunks floating in the top of this liquid gold. Side note: fruit that is put into kombucha will eventually take on a tea stained brown color. It's safe and delicious to eat when you drink your bottle of booch.

Get these gorgeous hinge-top bottles at Specialty Bottle.

Get your booch on. I highly suggest it. Peace! 

Snack time! Let's eat! Buffalo Chicken Dip.

I've made several delicious recipes lately, just am slacking on posting because my time has been slimmer than my hips. My husband travels a lot for his job and military service, so I'm a solo parent part time. It's summertime too, which means days full of pool time, river time, sprayground time, play time with friends, and pretty much whatever I have to do to keep the chirren' entertained. That leaves only a little time for ME. 

I have a few free (quiet) minutes this morning so I'm trying to play catch-up really fast!  I'll go ahead and say that while my hubby is gone, I have a much harder time sticking hard and fast to the RFL (Rapid Fat Loss) diet. On top of that, add in that special monthly gift from nature to women and you've got a dangerous combination for a woman. RFL quickly turns into eat-whatever-the-heck-you-want diet. Yeah, so I'm back to RFL today, and my digestive system is already thanking me for it. More on that later (yeah, I'm going to go there.)

Okay, so onto the yummies!  Let me take a minute to say that I LOVE my internet friends. Yes, I'm lame and have internet friends that I've never met in real life. I always say that I'd love to create an in-life community of some of these women, and then I'm sure I'd never leave the neighborhood. They are some amazing women! (Yes, you, Sandra, Krista, Christina, Sabrina, Gretchen, and a few more I'm sure I've forgotten.) Krista is doing the HCG diet, and I'll admit that I'm not incredibly familiar with what it is, but I do know that we have a lot of similarities in our diet, and she's always on top of what's cookin', so I replicate her recipes for what I can eat.  This first one is phenomenal! 

Buffalo Chicken Dip (low carb)

4 oz chicken breast, cooked and chopped or shredded

1 tbsp dijonnaise (I use a mix of dijon mustard and light mayo)

1 tbsp buffalo sauce

1/8 cup fat free shredded cheddar

Mix all of this together and nuke or bake until cheese is melty and dip is hot. Eat that junk up!  I eat it plain out of the bowl, but it would be great with celery sticks for dipping.  This makes two servings.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 104

Carbs: 1 gram

Fat: 2 grams

Protein: 12 grams

I love buffalo chicken dip. I love the cream cheese, full fat cheddar version. I love it with a huge french loaf cut into chunks and used to scoop up the creamy, greasy goodness. My arteries and waistline do not like it. This is a delicious, WAY lightened up version, and while you don't get the full on creaminess, you get the spicy, buffalo kick, and the texture of chicken. It actually feels good to eat it, because you can enjoy it without questioning any negative effect of each bite of the high fat/calorie stuff.

Here's hoping you have a great week! 

New! New! New!

I've lost 20, I've lost 20, hey hey hey, hey hey hey!

Woohoo! Today is a par-tay in my body (minus the party food and sodas.) I've officially hit the 20 pound mark for my weight loss. THANK YOU RAPID FAT LOSS HANDBOOK!  That was after a free meal last night too. I've officially decided that the body is the most incredible science experiment set before mankind. And I think it's fantastic!  So what is so new about that? My body! It feels and looks new, and I intend to keep that feeling going with another 20 lbs, and then maybe another 20 lbs. I'm talking long term goals here, so no pressure. But before I head out for the State Central Committee quarterly meeting for the Libertarian Party of Virginia (<---visit our crappy, old website here), I wanted to share one more thing...

Did ya notice anything else new? Maybe on the actual blog itself? No? Well, I got a new banner courtesy of my completely talented artist and friend Ashley.  She is a local painter, jewelry maker, henna artist, graphic design artist, campfire attendee extraordinare, and everything in between. She has helped me several times gratis, but this time I did compensate her. I suggested bug repellent that I make, she suggested sweets. Never wanting to give up a chance to get my kitchen messy with desserts, I fulfilled her request. With this...

(Image from http://yummyluv.blogspot.com/2011/01/recipe-for-sexcess.html)

Let's just say that this turned into full on bowl licking and forced me to take the week's second free meal.  It was worth it.  

This peanut butter chocolate cream cheese pie was something I discovered on Pinterest, and I had NO idea the raciness of the blog it came from. Yummyluv.blogspot.com is cah-razy, and not for the faint of heart, so if you can't take some down and dirty sexy stories, don't read it. This woman tells ALL!  I'll post the recipe here anyway to save your virgin eyes. She calls it the Perfect Couple Pie, because it's like chocolate and peanut butter are food soul mates.  hehe  (Edit: In typical fashion for myself, I didn't read the directions, and mixed in the entire tub of cool whip when I made it, so I didn't divide it, or have an extra cool whip layer, but it was still fantastic!) Have at it!

The Perfect Couple Pie

1 chocolate graham cracker crust
1 cup peanut butter
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
1 tub (12 ounces) Cool Whip, divided
1 jar (11.75 ounces) hot fudge topping, divided
½ cup sugar

For the topping:
2 tablespoons hot fudge
2 tablespoons peanut butter

• In large bowl, beat peanut butter, cream cheese, and sugar until creamy (this takes a while, but does happen, don't get too antsy and give up too soon!) Fold in 3 cups Cool Whip. Spoon mixture into crust and smooth to edges.

• Remove 2 tablespoons hot fudge from jar and reserve in zip-loc plastic baggie for later. Heat remaining hot fudge according to package directions. Spread on top of peanut butter layer. Refrigerate pie until serving time (make sure it is fully refrigerated, or else it is too runny.)

• At serving time, carefully spread remaining Cool Whip on top of pie.  (I left this step out and just mixed in all the cool whip when I made it...)

• Knead hot fudge in baggie with hands; cut tiny hole in corner of baggie and pipe over pie. Repeat with 2 tablespoons peanut butter and pipe on pie in opposite direction.  

So, last night while attending Relay for Life I got this text, "Holy hell this is good". Success FTW! Thank you, Ashley for your work. I love and appreciate it, almost as much as I love our campfire time. Thanks again, you rock!