Monday's Menu....

Black Bottom Banana Pie


What You Need
6 Tbsp. Butter or margarine,
divided 25 NILLA Wafers, finely crushed (about 1-1/4 cups)
2 Tbsp. Sugar
4 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate
2 large Bananas, sliced
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
1-3/4 cups cold milk
1 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
Make It
MELT 4 Tbsp. butter; pour into medium bowl. Stir in wafer crumbs and sugar. Reserve 2 Tbsp. for later use; press remaining crumb mixture onto bottom and up side of 9-inch pie plate.

MICROWAVE chocolate and remaining butter in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 min. or until butter is melted; stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is well blended. Drizzle over bottom of crust; top with bananas.

BEAT pudding mix and milk with whisk 2 min.; pour over bananas. Refrigerate 4 hours. Top with COOL WHIP and reserved crumb mixture just before serving.

Welcome back to Monday's Menu...tonight I did not actually make this dessert. We had my parents over for dinner tonight and it was wonderful! We shared so many laughs, talked about old times and just generally enjoyed eachothers company! It was nice, we needed an evening like that! Sometimes over the course of my life, there has been times that my parents have been so involved in our lives. They have at times practically lived here in order to help with the kids, or just help keep things under control when life has been busy. With the kids getting older and more independant we haven't needed them here as often, its been hard getting use to not seeing them almost daily. I know in time, we will again be involved on a regular basis, spending time together...hopefully on the porch of a beautiful cottage, or maybe even on a ranch style bungalow in the country. Well, those are just a few hopes and dreams...I just have to find a way to make it happen!!
You want to know what one of my favorite things to do in the summer is? I love to sit outside under the dark summer skies and look at stars, thinking about life! I love to do that alone or sometimes with Paul, doesn't really matter! On a nice summer night, clear skies filled with stars...I sit and wonder about the world, about people, about the past and about the future! I don't always think about the present because I just like to enjoy it as it happens, and I don't like to put to much thought into it or I may become overwhelmed. Well I am sure many of you are having changes come about in Sept, I know that I am not the only one! I must say, things are calming down, thoughts are in check, emotions are settling and I am becoming use to the feelings of change! All is well...like I said if I don't think about today...I can sit back and look at the stars with optimism.