i'm late and i cheated.....TWD Shame....

No, this has nothing to do with my husband or being pregnant..... we are fine. and I am not.

I've missed two Tuesdays with Dorie baking challenges....being in a dorm room limits the ability to participate in baking challenges. I missed Chocolate Pudding and the Cherry Rhubarb Cobbler. Which is just fine! These are probably the two items I won't make any way...since I still don't like chocolate or Rhubarb..I know, I know..... but I know you (mom) don't like Chocolate either. Are you off Rhubarb too? I mean, can you stand that stuff without sugar?

Now that I am home, I missed yesterday's challenge too! Just tired. So, I made up for it tonight but, I cheated. This week's selection was/is Summer Fruit Gallete....which the other bloggers make look so yummy. It was selected by Michelle in Colorado Springs. Check out her site for the real thing and recipe. I vow to try this again...the real way....

The real recipe uses the same pie crust I made for blueberry pie - which really is wonderful but I cannot have another sweet thing in this house. Pants are not fitting, feel bloated..blah blah blah...

But for today, one day late and my cheater's version......

I took one whole peach (washed and pitted) cut in half and put each half in a ramekin. Baked it for 20 minutes, added a few raspberries and the custard from the original recipe..... baked another 15 minutes. Cooled. Dusted with powdered sugar......

trust me. Cheating is mmm, mmmmmmmm, GOOD.

Love you.

P.s. love the heart shaped ramekins? I know! so much cuteness!

p.s.s. not sure this will help the waistline since I didn't cut the custard recipe down from the original- used all of it! not sad. was good. will take the boys for a walk.

The DRAMA, The CRUST, The FILLING, THE PIE!

DRAMA. Of course there is drama, right? It's me!

I need a rolling pin. When my dough balls were sufficiently chilled, I pulled them out to get rolling and DAMN IT! No Rolling Pin!

I forgot I gave it to Turbo as a chew toy.

What's a girl to do?

.

.

How will I ever make this wonderful Double Crusted Blueberry Pie?

.

.

.

Specifically, it's a bottle of Rosenblum Cellars 1998 "Yates Ranch Reserve" Cabernet Sauvignon. It is a fantastic, award winning wine and this bottle (it's full) made a fabulous solution to the missing rolling pin. Actually, this same bottle pulled me through the "Great Sugar Cookie Disaster of 2001", it served as a rolling pin then too. Now, I do not worry about this affecting the quality of the wine and actually, I have about 9 bottles of this same wine so I could always open another......

Now that crisis was adverted, the crisis being ANOTHER trip to the store.

I have never baked a pie, that I can remember. Have we ever baked a pie together?

On to, THE CRUST.

I remember you making pie crusts using a little U Shape cutter thing with a wooden handle. Yeah, I don't have one.

The instructions recommend a food processor. Yeah, I don't have one.

So....off to the store I went (this was BEFORE I realized I didn't have a rolling pin or, I would have bought one too)

I bought myself a shiny, chrome KitchenAid food processor. It ain't one of those $10 things from the drug store, this baby mixes! And, mixes well! There was NO fighting with it or rocking it to get the ingredients to move....it purred so beautifully and mixed the frozen butter so well.

It's a keeper and is currently at it's new home, on the shelf above my beautiful KitchenAid mixer.

The dough went together wonderfully. I did add one more tablespoon of ice water than listed in the directions. No particular reason. The recipe said I may need more water, I couldn't tell if I needed more water, so I added more water.

It baked flaky and wonderful. That last bit of water did the trick!

Now, THE FILLING.

A blueberry pie. What a great choice for the 4Th of July weekend. Better add some red and white so I can say....RED, WHITE and BLUEBERRIES! So, I did.

I substituted about 1/2 pint of the blueberries for strawberries. Fresh, California Farmers Market Strawberries.....we ate the rest of the strawberries while we waited for the pie.

After I let the filling rest, per the instructions, I tasted it and it definitely needed more sugar for our tastes. I add an extra 1/4 cup sugar. I think the most fabulous part of the filling was the lemon zest and juice. The filling was fresh and lively on your tongue, I believe the lemon made this contribution.

The odd thing about the filing, I thought, it was dry going into the pie. It worried me a little. It basically looked like blueberries covered in sugar (which, I guess it is).

The instructions called for 1/4 cup of bread crumbs to top off the pie crust before pouring in the filling. Ummmm, BREAD CRUMBS? That seems odd too. I read some of the comments at the TWD website and some people were using graham crackers in it's place. That sounded fine and good, but I can't have graham crackers (ahem, remember mother, honey allergy). It's a big fight to sort passed the 100 different kinds of those things to find the one kind I can have..... So, I used Nilla Wafers, crushed. I may add them to every pie. The consistency was compellingly perfect.

Finally, THE PIE!

mmmmm, the pie.

I used my stoneware Pampered Chef pie plate.

I coated the top crust with an egg wash, sugar and red sanding sugar (Ahem, Red, White and Blueberries).

The pie baked up perfect! The edges did begin to brown quickly ( I think stove is not level) so I tented it with aluminum foil the last 30 minutes.

I think it's beautiful. And, a cut piece is more heavenly.....

It was the best damn pie ever. We shared it with Alan and Lyndee, after I had a 'test' piece, they loved it too. I topped it with fresh whipped cream (not the store bought kind) and strawberries....I forgot to save some blueberries for decoration.

We will definitely have this pie again. It was wonderful.

Sorry, we did not save you a piece. I wish I had a piece today for breakfast.

Love you,

K

Dear Rez,

That is IT! We've had it. We are sending you one gray & white one-eyed cat. woof.

First, he broke Mom's favorite flower pot. woof.

Then, he broke one of her Dream Angels statues. woof.

Now, THIS...... grrrrrr

That is MY HOUSE. MINE. woof. woof.

Now, he's yours. ha!

Love Turbo.

(p.s. do you want me to send you a rooster from Little Mexico too? There is a fresh batch).

(p.s.s. Mom wants tadpoles)

i don't feel guilty.

i had the last piece of blueberry pie for breakfast.
it was good.
now, it's all gone.
only regret is I'd like another piece.


love you.

Dear Rez,

we are out of treats. woof.

please send some. woof.

the grass has grown out back, woof.

but they still won't let us out there to play and pooh. woof.

talk soon.

The "T" boys.

i rearranged the greenhouse that is my kitchen...

everyone got a shot of Miracle Grow last weekend they they all look green and fresh. The orchid is wonderful and I've managed to keep it going...can you see the new bud on the end ?? There are actually 2 of them and we are watching them closely.

My jade plant from Pam has really taken off too and it got a new pot. I really like the pot and looks so pretty against all the green of the plants.

And, my 2 new sheep have found a lovely home. I am not sure about the one on the left, his name is Chester and I think he belongs to the Iowa girls. But, Turbo and I love him so we decided to keep him. They like their new place...next to the bulb that won't flower.

Love you,

K

Dear Mom....

Today I created this website to show you pictures from our day(s). It's for DAD too! And, Rez. Also, because I bought this cook book and found a website that cooks every thing in the book. I wanted to participate so here we are.... I've been looking at this book for months. Then i saw at it on the Discount Table at the bookstore and KNEW it had to be mine...

Tuesday's with Dorie is the site I am participating in..... click HERE!

First up is Blueberry Pie. We'll be having it this weekend for the 4th and I'll post the results - good or bad - Tuesday! Expect Red, White and BLUEBERRIES.

On another note, the "lamp" made it perfect! Look at the boxes it came in, that is the fridge behind them for scale! Both are full of packing peanuts and packing stuff!!

It's more beautiful than I remember! We are having an electrician come in August to hang it and do a a few other things (move ceiling fan from kitchen to bedroom, install dimmer in living room, remove the ugly pineapple light fixture thing from the living room).

Lv u.

Punky.

p.s. if you want to reply you can comment down below (hit the comment link right there >>>>>>) or I'll "learn" you how to post like I am.