Pie Dough Confessions

I can't say I have ever made my own pie crust. I hear that if you play with the dough too much the pie crust won't come out right. (Although with a cursory look online I can't something to quote.)


Though I have no first hand knowledge of pie crust gone bad, I feel at times as though I ankle deep in pie dough and my hands are a mess with it. It is when I am meddling or putting the cart before the horse trying to force my agenda or hurry God up that I get the sense that I am ruining the pie crust by my hands being so much in the moment or the mess.

I told my boss I feel like am ruining the pie crust with my putting the horse before the cart. He said, "No you?!!?" He knows my propensity for getting ahead of myself.

My hands almost feel messy. Its been happening a lot lately. Its no good, even though I am conscious of my errors its so hard to break out of this pattern and keep my hands off the dough as much as possible! Though there is not much I can do about the already ruined "pie crusts", I am trying to check myself and say, "Liz you are playing with the pie dough too much."

A Report on the Pumpkin Sorbet

Thanksgiving Day's Pumpkin Sorbet created an interesting sensation. Most of my family tried it. And many liked it. Gram admitted she didn't care for it. I enjoyed my 4th batch best. Using the ice cream maker made all the difference! Many thanks again to the 2 people who posted a recipe and a link! Good stuff!

It's just nice to try something different once in awhile!

White Merlot & Red Pears

I don't like pears. I have finally gotten my Gram trained not to offer me pears. It has taken decades... On a whim I decided to try a red pear. I heard that there are pears that aren't gritty. (Its the grittiness I don't like.) I thought perhaps it was the red pear they were talking about.

Walter peeled the skin and sliced it up and it was like a little piece of sweet heaven! On another whim, I added a few pieces of red pear to the Forest Glen White Merlot I was sipping. Perhaps it was a perfect pear -pure sweetness no grittiness- coupled with wine. Oh my was it ever good!
I sad when I had eaten the last little morsel. I'll have to let Gram know she can start offering me red pears all the better if she has some White Merlot on hand as well! Its a grand combination. Its nice to let the tastebuds live a little on the edge.

Fully Committed

Walter and I have been scoping out a used furniture store for something to keep the TV in. Sunday, we found the perfect piece. It was custom made by a Lancaster County Amish furniture company and was every bit as nice as Ethan Allen! He measured and figured we could fit it.

Lightening the load, he took off the doors and lazy susan inside the cabinet, then, I had to decide if I could handle helping him carry it up the narrow steep stairs. First I started up the stairs going backwards with him in the rear but I just didn't have the strength to hoist it and walk backwards. We got up 2 steps and I said, "I can't do it." Knowing full well that I couldn't do it and if continued to try I would crush him and possible kill him. That was way too much pressure. So we switched, I pushed from the rear and he dragged it up step by step.

Never in my life have I do something so physically difficult. The weight and size of the cabinet was almost just too much. We had only gone a couple steps when I realized there is no going back I need to finish this and yet I didn't think I could. I said to myself, "I am just going to have to go find someone to help!" I knew that no matter what Walter wouldn't let go because he would crush or kill me if he did. The magnitude of that was overwhelming on so many levels. I also thought of soldiers at war when they are in the midst of a difficult battle, they can't say, "I am not going be able to swing this. I'll see if I can get someone else to fill in." No, they are fully committed, the only option is to keep going no matter what. They complete the task or die trying. So I called out to God to give me strength and I stretched out my arms and pushed. And finally after what seemed like hours we reached the landing. I was out of breath and shaking!

I had this strange desire to cry too. It was a good while before I settled down and even now my muscles ache! If I had known how difficult it was going to be I wouldn't have attempted it.

The cabinet looks really nice though!

Comments

Whoever sent me the link for the sorbet recipe THANK YOU. I hadn't come across that one.
Ironically though, my roommate came home tonight with the same recipe for me which works out great because I don't have a printer at home.

I am going to give it a try this week. First I have to dig part of the ice cream maker out of the freezer. No easy task!

Someone also asked about where I find things like the big wheel bike. I was at a local antique car club event. And as those particular bikes were in keeping with the era he was invited to join the fun! The man was riding all around on the bike and was letting people try and hop on. I saw a couple of teenage girls do it so I figured I could do it too.

Big Bike

This was a big step up for me.

(Haha get it?!)

Sometimes you have to just try things once in your life, so you can at least say you tried.

I am not so sure I would try again because it was a big step for a little woman, but I look cool if nothing else!

More Than You Think

I was reading tonight that when a woman is pregnant with a girl, she holds inside of her more than just her unborn daughter. A baby girl is born with all eggs she will ever produce.

Its a different way of seeing 3 generations of women...
Once upon a time, Elizabeth Spreng was pregnant with my mom, Nancy. And baby Nancy held inside her the egg that would become me. And suddenly I felt a connection to a grandmother I never got to meet... but in some strange way I have.

This struck me as amazing and certainly something that declares that hope, glory and wonder abound!