Gravel Road Musings

So way back in 2011, Dave and I had this conversation about pie. And the challenge went forth to make 50 pies, all different, no repeats. Well, I made it to the teens somewhere and I don't know what happened, but something did because that is where it stopped. I made pie since then just not in an intentional manner to create 50 different kinds of pie. But the other week I tried a new pie crust. Believe it or not, it actually didn't really shrink much. That is amazing for me. It involved odd steps that I was not used to like freezing my shortening and grating frozen butter into the mixture, then refrigerating, then rolling out the crust and then refrigerating again. Line the pie with tinfoil and fill it with beans and back at a normal temperature for 45 minutes. All things I hadn't been doing, but you know what? I ended up with a very delicious pie crust that pleased me greatly. There was a small shrinkage, but not much. That simple act reminded me once again of the Pie ...

Tonight feels like I should blog, but I feel like maybe I have nothing to blog about. I just read http://quiet_hearts.xanga.com/ and now can feel relatively uninspired. I like to think maybe I can write, but then I read hers and feel woefully inadequate and yet inspired to try a little more. I don't know that I'm trying tonight. In case you are still wondering I did get pies 12 and 13 done. It was Eva's Rhubarb Pie and a Chocolate Fudge Pecan Pie. Both were quite delicious. I love rhubarb pie. Now I realize I may be in the minority with that sentiment, but it is true. Rhubarb and me go way back. Way back to those summers when it seemed like everything we ate was rhubarb. On to other things, my mom and sister came today and helped me finish the garden. What a great feeling. Now to begin the weeding. So discouraging, but if only I can look ahead to the harvesting, maybe it won't seem quite so bad. When I am out weeding, then is the time to wonder why Eve ever ate the fru...

Okay, I just had a post done in which I had pictures posted and everything. I went to publish it and it said there was a conflict and I needed to hit the back button the browser. I did and ended up with a blank screen. I had my Pie No. 6 & 7 and pics of the quilt I had made, the azalea D bought me and our naughty puppies. So please feel free to imagine any or all of the above. They were lovely, even though the pics didn't do justice anyway. Pie No. 6 was a Coconut Cream Meringue Pie that was wonderful. Pie No. 7 was an Old-Fashioned Custard Pie that was exactly the opposite. While having a nice texture, it had an odd taste. I don't know if it was the nutmeg flavor or if it took on a flavor in the fridge. It will be food for the pigs, I believe. Anyway, that is all. I struggled to get these pics uploaded in the first place and I have no intentions of trying again. I am off to make stuffed animals. Hopefully, my sewing machine will not talk about editing conflicts...

Maybe I should start out with a before and after picture of the two of us, so you can see what this project cost us in terms of enlarged girth and new clothes. No, I don't honestly think it will be quite like that. Last evening, D and I went on a walk and we were talking about pie for some reason and I made this comment about how I could probably make a different pie every week for a year and not duplicate. D seemed a little dubious, so I named as many as I could think of, which only amounted to about 28. But then I was on to a notion and for those of you who know me, when I get on to something I am driven by it until I get it taken care of. It's not the most useful processing of the brain I have, but it works at time. So when I came home, I grabbed 3 cookbooks and wrote down the months and projected 4 pies a month for the rest of year with a few as misc for when I need a different idea or have already made all my pies. Do I think I will actually get 50 pies made this year? I d...