Mmm. Pistachio Dessert and a sunrise.

This is the beautiful view I woke up to this morning. Normally I'm not up early enough to enjoy a beautiful sunrise like this but with fall coming and days getting shorter I was lucky enough to catch this one. I saw it when I opened up my blinds and I had to wander out onto my deck and capture its beauty.

These are the shoes I'm wearing today. I have an obsession with shoes and this is one of my favorite pairs. Not only do I love that they're red but they're also one of the most comfortable pairs that I own. I call them full day shoes since many of the shoes I own get uncomfortable after half a day.

I made an amazing dessert for the pot luck at my work today. It's called Pistachio Dessert and is one of my favorite desserts ever. The last time I made it was when I moved into my place as a "welcome home" dessert for myself. I like making it in a clear pan because you can see that it is a layered dessert and the green layer gives it some nice color. Everyone at work said they enjoyed it and wanted the recipe so I thought I would share it with you.

Pistachio Dessert

CRUST
All-purpose flour                                                              1 cup
Butter or margarine                                                        1/2 cup
Finely chopped pecans                                                   1/2 cup

FILLING
Cream cheese, softened                                             8 oz. or 250 g
Icing sugar                                                                       1 cup
Instant pistachio pudding (6 serving size)                        1 pkg
Milk                                                                                 2 cups
Whipping cream                                                              1 cup
Slivered almonds                                                          2 - 3 tbsp

Crust:
- Put flour and butter into bowl. Mix until crumbly. Stir in pecans. Press into ungreased 9x13 inch pan. Bake in 350°F oven for 15 minutes. Cool.

Filling:
- Mix cream cheese and sugar together well. Spread over cooled shortbread crust.

- Beat pudding mix with milk. Pour over cheese-sugar layer. Chill a few minutes to firm.

- Whip cream until stiff. Spread over pudding layer. Sprinkle with slivered almonds. Serves 15.

I use frozen cool whip instead of whipped cream because I like the flavor better. If anyone tries this recipe I would love to know your thoughts on it. Or any ideas on how I can improve it or make it healthier.

Now I know I already have way too many teas but the new fall collection just arrived in the mail for me. I haven't had a chance to try them all yet but I did try a few of them and I must say that they are amazing. I just finished drinking Pumpkin Chai. It's a black tea with cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and pumpkin candies. I added some steamed milk and brown sugar and it was absolutely heaven. Currently I'm drinking Buttercream. It's a white tea with mango, chamomile, and osmanthus. Smells amazing and tastes equally as good. I would love to try mixing them together and seeing how they taste. Sounds delicious just thinking about it!