Too Much Chocolate and a Stuck Zipper

Today's adventure began yesterday with the start of Zipper Pouch 2.0. Continued to a new chocolate cream cheese pie. Ended with a stuck zipper and a pie that is too chocolate for me.

Zipper Pouch 2.0 is a different style of zipper pouch from Zipper Pouch 1.0 as it has a sew in lining and boxed corners. It went pretty well for a while. The zipper went in OK and I checked to ensure that it would move freely. I top stitched the zipper BUT on one side didn't catch both the exterior and the lining in the stitching. I didn't notice this until I was well into stitching up the sides so elected not to undo a lot of stitching and remedy this. Boxing the corners went well and with a bit of a struggle turning the bag right side out went smoothly. After I stitched up the bottom of the lining (the opening I used to turn the bag), I checked the zipper by zipping it all the way closed. Big Mistake! The zipper is now jammed and will not open. My cute little zipper bag is useless. I'm sure the problem is the lining getting caught in the zipper either because I stitched too close or because of that little top stitching oversight. Either way, this bag is useful only as a learning experience. <sigh>

Chocolate Cream Cheese Pie 1.0 is still awaiting final judgment after it's been in the fridge for a couple of hours. My first take after licking the spoon is that it is too chocolatey (I know!) and the instant pudding mix didn't completely dissolve in the mixing process. Sitting in the fridge for a while might solve the second problem and some whipped cream might solve the first. I don't know. But for now, this is the second failure of the day.

In case you're interested, the recipe for the Chocolate Cream Cheese Pie 1.0 is as follows:

Combine 8 oz of cream cheese, 12 oz sweetened condensed milk, and 1 cup chocolate syrup in a mixing bowl and mix very well. Then add a family size pkg of instant chocolate pudding mix and again mix well. Spoon the mixture into a 9- or 10- inch graham cracker crust and refrigerate for a couple of hours.

If you make the pie, let me know what you think.

I'm thinking about adding vanilla for 1.1 and maybe using only a small pkg of the pudding mix. A 9-inch crust is better unless you plan some type of topping, maybe cherry pie filling or something peanut buttery.

As for the zipper pouch, I will probably begin work on Zipper Pouch 2.1 this afternoon. This time, stitch a little further away from the zipper and be sure to get both layers when top stitching.

In the meanwhile, Live and Learn and Laugh. LOL

dks, 9 Oct 2025