I get asked A LOT of the time, "how in the world do you do it all? How do you work, run a business and find time to bake pies???"....
Years ago, I would have loved to have planted down in front of the TV to veg out every free chance I'd get (hello Bachelor and reality TV!). But for now, when I have little windows of opportunity, I sieze them! Cooking is something that actually relaxes me, and I love it when I get the chance to whip something up. It gets me away from the computer, and I love the tactile experience of cutting things, mixing, stiring and of course, tasting! Throw in a good glass of wine into the mix and I'll really enjoy the whole "time out" from my normal every day.
However, baking on the other hand, is a little more tricky for me. They say you're either a cook (which allows for more creativity on throwing in a little of this or that) or a baker (which means you follow instructions to the tee), and I definitely lean toward the cook side. My oven is also extremely hot which makes any recipe something you have to watch constantly for the last 20 minutes. All of this together makes for a not so "relaxing" experience, but I push forward anyway! I like a good challenge in the kitchen.
In my baking reportoire, I *rule* (seriously, I do) in the apple pie department. This recipe has been my gold star in my baking book: Apple Pie by Grandma Ople. But I decided a few weeks ago it was time to try something new. Peaches have been featured in all my magazines lately, so I came home with a bag full of ripe peaches only to be balked at by my sweet (and sometimes finicky) hubby who doesn't like his "peaches warm..."
On to plan B: blueberries! I send hubby to the store to pick up 3 more cups of blueberries and he comes home with FIVE PINTS.
We ate a lot of blueberries that week...
I ended up using this recipe: Blueberry Pie and even though it didn't "set" as much as I'd like to and I would have gone a little more easy on the sugar and nutmeg suggested additions, hubby said after he licked his bowl clean, "THIS IS THE BEST DESSERT YOU HAVE EVER MADE. DON'T EVER CHANGE A THING."
I think I earned another gold star for this pie!
Fuzzy iPhone photo:
