Mushrooms, Mormons, Dulce de Leche, and Some Other Odds and Ends

• There’s been a mushroom battle brewing in my backyard over the last couple of weeks.  We have been fairly dry and windy, so I’m not quite sure why they are popping up, and just overnight too.  
  I pull a couple up, and next day there are a few more in another part of the grass.   It’s very odd. 
• A couple of days after posting about my tall chair, my friend Sheila dropped off some blocks that she had used to raise some furniture at her house.  Since I wasn’t able to lower my desk chair, she instructed me to use them to add height to my desk.  They rode around in my car for a couple of weeks until Jason helped me fit them last weekend. 
  They are terribly conspicuous, but they get the job done.   There’s only one downside…Jason said I now look like a kindergartner sitting at the desk.  But at least now my chair easily slides in keeping me from killing myself while I’m behind the desk. 
• On Thursday night, some friends and I went into Hollywood to see The Book of Mormon at the Pantages. I’d heard various reviews – some thought it was fantastic while others were offended and thought it went too far.  I thought it was totally offensive and totally fantastic.  It is not for the prude or faint of heart, but it was so clever and very, very funny.  Even though it’s focused on Mormon missionaries, I thought it was very much a commentary on all religions.  They all have stories that followers choose to believe, and this play focused on the part those stories play.  We enjoyed it.
• There’s always room for some cute puppy pictures.  Rigby is so goofy.
  After 4 days of not walking someone’s getting a little cheeky.  Nothing like waking up being spooned only to find out it’s your 50 pound puppy.  That face!
• I made my first Dulce de Leche Banana Cream Pie on Friday.  The recipe has been floating around Pinterest this last month.  I had a friend in high school whose Mom made this all the time.  So I thought I’d make it for some company.  A couple of days before I made magic happen by boiling the can of sweetened condensed milk for a couple of hours, creating dulce de leche. 
  The day of, I put together a graham cracker/cinnamon crust and some whipped cream.
  And then put it together – bananas, dulce de leche, whipped cream, and chocolate shavings.
  It was so fun and easy and looked beautiful.  After chilling for a couple of hours, it was served.  I might have added too much of the dulce de leche because it was a bit runny when cutting so we had to use a spoon to serve.  No matter, it still tasted great.  The guests ate half of it.  Luckily, I’ve been sick and haven’t been able to eat the other half of it.