Smooches for our New Pooches

Just kidding - we're only gettin one. Our new four-legged friend will be moving in on Wednesday!! And life as I know it will once again be completely and utterly altered. I can't wait!! Check back to find out which lucky pooch we're adopting.

Damn Fine Cherry Pie

For June's pie of the month I wanted to make a cherry pie Agent Dale Cooper would be proud of. What did he say? This is where pies go when they die? So I think I did it - but only because I was lucky enough to have just picked sour cherries from my neighbor Rob.

I don't even like cherry pie normally because I usually just think of that goopy, sweet, sticky filling of the store bought variety. Well, this one is all together different. But I must emphasize that you've got to use sour cherries to make it rock your world.

Damn Fine Sour Cherry Pie

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Crust:

2 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 TBS sugar
1 tsp salt
2 sticks chilled unsalted butter, cute into cubes
5-7 TBS ice water


Filling:

1 cup sugar
3 TBS cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
5 cups pitted cherries (I used about 2/3 sour and 1/3 Bing cherries)
2 TBS fresh lemon juice
1 vanilla bean, scraped (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)
1/4 stick unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 TBS milk
sugar for sprinkling

For Crust:

Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add the butter and
pulse until the largest bits are pea-sized. Add the chilled water, by the
tablespoon until the dough holds together if pressed. Divide dough in two pieces
and form into a flat disk shape and wrap in plastic. Chill for about 10-15
minutes or overnight. Let soften some before rolling.

Roll out dough #1 and transfer to a pie plate and trim the overhang to 1/2
inch. Roll out dough #2 and using a pastry wheel or knife cut 3/4 inch wide
strips. Reserve while making filling.



For Filling:

Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a large bowl. Rub vanilla
bean seeds into sugar mixture. Sir in cherries, lemon juice, and vanilla extract
(if using). Let macerate for about 5 minutes or so. Strain out cherries and pour
into bottom crust. Spoon out some of the syrup from the bowl over the cherries
if you want your filling more loose. I prefer it a little tighter so my crust
doesn't get too soggy. Arrange the pie dough strips on top forming a lattice and
fold the bottom crust edge up over the strips and crimp to seal. Brush the
lattice (not edges) with milk and sprinkle with sugar.

Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temp. to
375 bake until top is browned and filling is bubbling - about 1 hour. Let it
cool some to set before cutting. I served it with Vanilla Ice Cream.

These kids were made to clean my house while they waited for this pie. I guess it was worth it.

who do you love?

I am absolutely heart-sick right now (more on that in a minute).

One revelation I did not mention that I had while hiking is that in spite of what I've been telling everyone for the last couple of months . . . I now want to adopt a dog. That trail I went on was one that Lu and I used walk all the time when she was a young gal - and I just couldn't stop thinking about her and then all of a sudden I just knew we needed another four legged friend in our home. And then I was completely filled with joy and excitement - amazing when something just clicks and feels so darned right.

Anyhoo, I'm heart-sick because today I visited two dogs I may be able to adopt and I want them BOTH! One is a 3 yr old lab/husky mix named Lucy

and the other is a 14 week old mostly black lab named Chowder.

They are both total sweethearts and such beautiful dogs. I thought for sure once I looked into each dog's eyes I would know which was meant for us, but they both melted my heart to pure sap!

So here are the stats:

Lucy -gorgeous coat, very loving, somewhat high energy but also well behaved
when she settles down, house trained, leash trained, licks alot (kids were not
real fond of that), does not bark hardly at all just does a little "talking"
when she wants your attention, Graham was pretty scared of her but I think that
would quickly change once he got familiar w/her, female - which was my
preference initially, seems like she would be an extremely loyal companion,
really needs a home (she's had several trial runs without much luck, some
concern as to whether she could dig under the coyote fence and get lost,
apparently gets anxiety first few nights and won't sleep but I think that
subsides, likes to sleep in the bed (not gonna happen at our house)

Chowder - cute as can be, kids loved him and felt comfortable with him,
extremely well behaved, house broken with doggie door (so that will have to
change), dietary issues that require special dog food and more$$, seems more
mellow and independent than Lucy, has had obedience training and knows basic
commands already, classes for us included in adoption fee, likes to chew shoes,
will end up being a pretty big dog I think (bigger than Lucy it seems), he's
male which means he's more likely to run off, sleeps through the night next to
bed on his own bed or in a kennel.

Wow - this is impossible. Lucy is supposed to come on Sat for a week trial with us so that's already in the works. Chowder's adoption requires someone visiting our house to make sure it's suitable. Tough to adopt a pet around here. Andy likes to point out that anyone can have a baby, but a dog? . . . gotta pass the test first. I really don't mind; I'm sure there's plenty of lousy pet owners out there and I'm glad somebody is looking out for these animals. Jeez, maybe you should be required to pass a test or take classes before having children.

Well, I think I have to sleep on this, that is if my quandary doesn't give me insomnia. I still have not gotten Andy's opinion since he's been at work all day. Sure wish he could've come with us. The boys of course want the puppy - no brainer. I have a strange feeling Andy will prefer one and I'll prefer the other - then what?

Cherry Limeade

Ok I'm back.

My friend Julie from the quilting store invited me to a lecture/presentation at the SF Quilting Guild meeting today. The speaker was renowned quilt artist, author, and teacher Frieda Anderson ( yeah, I'd never heard of her either.) Anyway, it was pretty inspiring. She dyes her own fabrics, which are the best part of it, and she does a lot of fusible applique and tiny itty bitty quilting. She passed some of her work around the room - one of which was the size of a postcard and priced at a whopping $50 buckeroos. So maybe there is money to be made someday. You can check out her quilts at www.friestyle.com/ .

I was easily the youngest woman in the room by about 15+ years - no surprise. I've really chosen a hip and happening hobby, huh? Oh well, you do what you love I suppose. I find it to be rather cool myself. It helps to a part of the quilt-along I mentioned because I've discovered how not alone I am as a thirty something mom addicted to fabric, crafts, and sewing.

Speakin a wich . . . here is my completed quilt top for Dana's quilt-along.

I think I'm calling it "Cherry Limeade" - my neighbor went to Sonic the other day to get one and it made me think of my quilt. I've finished free motion quilting the center and will be doing the border tonite. Now I'm on the prowl for my binding fabric which I want to be in the same family as the darker blue, tile-like fabric in the quilt. Strange, but I think every quilt I have made so far has a significant blue aspect to them. I think my blue bedroom walls are affecting me on some subconscious level. So anxious to paint that room!

I also had a breakthrough today because I finally took Andy's advice and went for a hike even though I felt exhausted this morning. It turned my world around! I haven't done that much since Lu-dog became unable to hike ( and since having babies). I forgot how cleansing it can be - just being out there breathing in the mountain air and feeling the warm sun on my shoulders. Truth be told, we went for an amazing hike with the kids last week at Kasha - Katuwe National Park, aka "Tent Rocks". I forgot how stunning that place is - the last time Andy and I had been there we had only been dating less than a year.

We were very proud of Finn because he hiked the three mile hike up to the top all by himself. Graham is still not entirely fond of hiking - except for the narrow canyon parts and climbing over big boulders. But we're proud of him too because it turned out that I was with him at urgent care that same night - poor guy had a raging ear infection all along. (FYI mom, he's fine)

Back in the Saddle

I don't know why it's so hard for me to get back into the blogosphere after vacation. I've been a bit under the radar since we returned from the beach, trying to catch up on various projects and brainstorming the next several. Now that the teaching job is out of the picture, I've been a little unsure what my next step will be - other than planning for the summer dessert menu change and keeping up with my rascal children.

Our vacation, by the way, was amazing. We all had such a good time with Andy's family and friends. The beach was beautiful and the boys were endlessly entertained. Finn conquered his fear of crabs this year and learned to love the ocean.

Graham, however, not so much. Surprisingly, my water-loving little fish refused to go within six feet of the waves. Impossible to predict a toddler's preferences. He was much more interested in the little pool we had back at the house, but hopefully next year that will change. And while we were still in Greenville, Andy took Finn and Graham "fishing" at his buddy's friend's pond. Apparently it was somewhat futile, but this photo had to make it all worth it.

Be back later tonite when the boys are (hopefully) asleep.

Pack it up Pack it in

Thank you to everyone who was pulling for me this morning. I think the good vibes really made a difference because I felt the interview was a success - even if I don't end up getting the job. Apparently there were 58 resumes sent for this position and only 10 of us were asked to interview, so that in itself makes me feel pretty darned fantastic.

We leave painfully early tomorrow for the airport. No DVD player this time - yikes! So what did I do? What any decent mother would do: carted myself over to Walmart and bought tons of junk food and small toys. Will it be 5 hours worth of entertainment? Doubt it - but a girl's gotta try.

May the force be with you (and us)!!