I want the pie. give me the pie.

I'm reading/writing email, drench, and reading. I'm thinking about having a cup of hot cocoa.

I am doing nothing of importance and I like it like that.

I am going to the gym.

I'm doing nothing tonight, except watch Step Brothers on TV in half an hour, followed by some football. I made chilli earlier. It was fabulous, and there's enough left over for at least three dinners next week.

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(I have only a tiny freezer compartment, so if I make a big pot of something, I eat the same thing three or four days in a row. Last week it was lentil, spinach and potato curry.)

I love pie. I love making pie. I love eating pie.

For about 3 weeks in July, I bought many quarts of sour cherries at various farmers markets, pitted them and froze them. They make the best pies .. nothing at all like that canned goopy cherry pie filling.

For Christmas I bought this lattice pie topper for my husband to give me. My pies taste good but don't usually look so beautiful. I'm hoping this will help.

I usually use butter flavored Crisco for the crust. I've been tempted to try lard as I hear it makes the best pie crusts but haven't done it yet.

My day is busy with boring errands and trying to keep my little kid happy, occupied and productively engaged. Pretty much like every other day of the week.

I am doing nothing of importance and I like it like that.

ME TOO!

I am drinking white tea and eating banana bread.

I'm using a new (to me) crust recipe, Kangaroo. It's from the Cook's Illustrated New Best Recipes book, and it calls for a small proportion of chilled shortening to a larger proportion of chilled butter. I don't use lard because I'm usually feeding at least one vegetarian, and I haven't had much luck with all-butter crusts. (That may be my failing, not the recipe's; I'm not great at pastry in general because my hands are too hot and I'm too hasty. Hot and hasty, that's me.)

There is something satisfying about making big batches of stuff, walking around with a tea-towel apron, and having flour scattered around. I rarely make pie at home (I used to crank them out by the dozens at my sister's bakery, but that is somehow different), and it always makes me feel like a doughty pioneer woman to make 'em.

I am doing nothing of importance and I like it like that.

That is my plan for this evening. Yay!

Taz, you are welcome to some pie, but you have to come here to get it. No, really! There's plenty! I'm making one big pie and one medium pie for the family dinner, and a few smaller pies for our private Thanksgiving dinner at home, plus whatever teeny tiny pies I can make with the scraps of filling and pastry. I knew my weakness for teeny tiny baking pans would pay off someday!

Oh sweet mercy, taz, drench is going to be completely addictive. Curses!

I've been playing Drench too. Mostly I am sitting on the couch because I don't feel so hot, whilst the boy cooks and pours me wine. He is finishing up a roast pheasant stuffed with bacon and chicken liver, brussels sprouts, and mashed parsnips.

We just watched Star Wars IV on TV, and I'm voting we dig out the Empire Strikes Back.

So sorry, Elsa! don't let my pie burn.

I am screwing around online, washing clothes in our new washer, enjoying the cool autumnal breeze coming in from outside, drying some de-mildewed towels in the sun, and making coffee for ikkyu2. I need to start researching gluten-free pie recipes for Thanksgiving, but the whole concept intimidates me, so I am procrastinating.

Oh no. I just started playing Drench. Way too addictive.
Today I've just been walking, walking, walking. Did some xmas shopping, yay bookstores.

For about 3 weeks in July, I bought many quarts of sour cherries at various farmers markets, pitted them and froze them. They make the best pies .. nothing at all like that canned goopy cherry pie filling.

Oh HELL yeah. I bring home pounds of sour cherries from Michigan when I go visit my folks. Best things ever. EVER.

I've been scanning old photos and uploading them various places. Everything ranging from my parents' wedding to the year I spent in Barcelona to baby pictures. Emailed my family to see if they wanted to look at them. My mom's the only one who's replied so far. Her response was hilarious: "Bring it." I suspect that's because she and my dad are divorced and she sees looking at some of these photos as a challenge.

I'm drinking beer and boiling in beer and onions some bratwurst I browned thoroughly in my cast iron pan. The electric lighter on my grill has gone kaput and I can't figure out how to light it, so I made do.

It's a nice, chill day.

Now I am researching how to get our coffeemaker repaired, as it just died.

occhi, I imagine you've found it, but I recently noticed that Gluten Free Girl had a round-up of gluten-free pie crusts.

Good luck with the coffee maker!

I'm taking a break from cleaning the kitchen, which I just accomplished, and worrying a little bit about the new kitty, who seems to have some..um..digestive issues. In an hour I'm going to meet LT and we're going to this charity event where you look at a bunch of decorated Christmas trees, then out to eat somewhere.

People in New England under-appreciate cherry pie, and sour cherries can't be found, so I have a cherry tree to plant. Hmm, I could be doing that, but I am sitting here enjoying how unseasonably warm it is for November. because vacuuming suck, and I will notice the need to vacuum less when it is dark, in 10 minutes. Nice sunset.

Mmmm, cherry pie. Y'all are geniuses. Pie geniuses.

Back from the gym, listening to MetaChat Radio and playing drench.

Thanks, Elsa. I am desperately trying to find a gluten-free pie that does not require me to make a gluten-free piecrust, because I hate baking when it just requires flour so when you start needing things like "xanthan" and "sorghum," I pretty much start backing away slowly.

I did just find a pear crisp recipe that sounds do-able, though it does require sorghum flour.

I'm no dab hand with pastry even when it contains flour, so I hear what you're saying. GFG does link to a few recommended gluten-free mixes, which might at least save you the hassle of gathering small quantities of gluten-free flours, but I don't know if that's helpful for you or not. I'll look forward to hearing what recipe you find!

Sign me up for the nothing important camp. There's some pasta in the fridge I think I'm going to hit in a minute.

Just finished making some bulk foodage for the week (3 chicken breasts: one garlic salt flour rubbed, one bbq, one with worchestire sauce) and 1.5 pounds of roasted yukon gold potatoes with olive oil and fresh rosemary (in which I forgot to sprinkle with salt and pepper but they're still tasty.)

I need to continue getting my to-do list organized, finish typing up my PA, collect all the crap I need to print at work tomorrow, and put together my last 2 picture frames. I'm still undecided about going to a Lebanese restaurant for dinner and to go watch a free bellydance show put on by my teacher. It's an 45-60 minute drive, I have no gas in my car, and I have no idea if I'll like the food. :-/ Maybe I'll just stay in. People are scary.

Making stock for soup. Making muhammarra for Thanksgiving. Making crostata dough to make an apple crostata for Thanksgiving. Wondering what to eat for dinner, considering velveeta and salsa with chips.

I'm hanging out with a sleepy puppy.

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New Jetboil toy, cup of tea, banananaana, apple, and a nice dose of the great outdoors. Total 100% brainlessness, just the way I like it.

Playing Drench at the moment. Taz is evil.

Was: helping the mister with trying to figure out where a leak is coming from (seems to be tied into the dryer vent to the roof), reading Wikipedia for info on Tradescant, trying to ignore a headache and listening to a growling stomach (mine).

Mostly sleeping. I just got out of the hospital after a bout of acute pancreatitis. I had my first solid food this morning since Tuesday.

Pie, any pie, sounds soooo good, but I want to get over this first.

Curse you all, with your pie-prattling ways. I went out and bought a cherry-cheesecake streudel because of you lot!!!

(And it's delicious!)(Omm nom nom nom nom....)

My pie production line broke down.

After some cursing, some crumbling pastry, many many missing pans, some rummaging through the cupboard of my tiny kitchen, some substitutions and a good deal more cursing, I took a break to eat a long-overdue dinner, accompanied by two (count 'em, two!) drinks. I then returned to the pastry. It went very smoothly, and I didn't fret over inevitable imperfections and oddities imposed by the nontraditional vessels.

From this, I conclude:

I should only roll out pastry after a drink or two.

Glad you're on the mend, lysdexic! Take care!

Sitting in a very comfy hotel room in Jersey after visiting my sisters and my moms and my cousin for an early t-giving dinner. My family is as crazy as ever but in a good way. Everyone else is asleep and I'm sitting on the couch drinking a Troegs and reading mecha on my phone.

You can get one hell of a deal on hotels during the weekend in jersey since they're mosty aimed at business travelers. We got a two bedroom, two bath, thee tv suite at the Hyatt for a whole $80/night. I've lived in smaller houses. Free wifi and breakfast too.