Fancy Like That

After my first three days back to work, I have a day off, and I'm making pizza for lunch.  The last time we had pizza was for our Oscar party celebration.  We invited two very cool friends of ours over for a swanky shindig, and told them we were having pizza "because we're fancy like that."

Can I take a moment to tell you that I really love pizza?  It's fast, easy, and for the most part, universally enjoyed (though we do have a friend who just can't stand melted cheese. Yes, he is human.  And very healthy.)  We have discovered the joy of Little Ceasar's in the past year.  My particular elation with this establishment is that in the time I get out of the car, purchase a cheap-o $5 melted cheesy pizza and gooey bread sticks, and return to the car, no more than 1.5 minutes have lapsed.  (2.5 if the little man is with me).  Pizza makes a busy Mama happy. 

Time to check the pizza.  Ah, melty...

So back to the Oscar party.  Because I had only 4 adults and 2 children to entertain, I had time and energy to go a step beyond my Little Caesar's fare.  I bravely decided to try a trick I saw on a morning show when I was feeding Charlie one day: making dessert bowls out of chocolate using balloons.  Yes, I said balloons. 

"But...won't they taste...balloony?" My sister had asked when I told her of my grand culinary plans.  I wondered the same thing, but decided to risk it, with the support of our guest Jana who offered to help.  (I was clear to note to Jana that it's not that I needed an extra pair of hands so much as someone to share the blame when our dessert tasted like latex). 

So the idea is that you blow up balloons, (and after they were tied, this is when I washed them off a bit), and then dip the smooth ends in melted chocolate.  They then go on a cookie sheet and into the fridge, 10 minutes before you take them out to perform the party trick of the century and pop the balloons - leaving behind the mold of a chocolate dessert bowl. Here is my lovely assistant demonstrating.

Our chocolate-melting techniques could be greatly improved so that our dessert didn't resemble what it would eventually turn into a few hours later after we ate them, but otherwise, it worked!  And no, they didn't taste ballooney.  We filled the bowls with chocolate mousse and indulged while Dan and Jana's daughter, Sadie, played with Oliver.  Oliver decided to take off his shirt after he ate, no doubt to impress his new girlfriend. 

Because he's fancy like that.