I am more a tart apple pie fan than a sweet apple fan. I LOVE Strawberry rhubarb pie. No cake for me!
I am hoping the window people finish their installation today. I desperately want my house back! Unfortunately we now need some exterior and interior painting done so it may be a while before I get my peace and quiet back.
I am loving my daily outdoor hikes and am afraid what will happen once our snow hits. I may try to pick up cross country skiing. Am I crazy to think I could pick this up as a later in life sport without hurting myself?
Do y’all remember me posting a while back about a HS friend who was the smartest, most sophisticated of us all, who ended up as a career grocery store cashier? Well, through Facebook I learned that she passed away yesterday. I PM’d a mutual friend and it seems she died of liver failure - drank herself to death. The grocery store folks are posting on Facebook about how terrific she was - warm and smart and helpful, so good to the young workers. Addiction is such a terrible thing. There has probably never been a generation of kids who listened to their parents when they said it can happen to anyone.
I like a tart apple pie as well but most importantly I want the flavor of the apples to come through. I waited at a local place recently (orchard) for 45 minutes to get in purchase cider, apples and a pie. The pie was okay I guess. A couple of weeks later I just made my own – actually took less time than driving there, waiting and driving back. Plus I got to make it the way that I like it.
Go for it NM! I think it’s hard - meaning great for calorie burning. My I’m trying to run more. Not fast but just more.
As the weather starts to chill I find I crave certain foods. Yesterday I made an apple crisp out of some apples that were way past their prime. It is delicious!
Had a follow-up doctor’s appointment today after injuring my back. The good news is that I’m probably 95% on the way back to normal. It did serve as a wake-up call - I really don’t want to be incapacitated like that again, and I need to get in better shape.
Sorry about your HS friend, missypie. So very sad. I have a former work colleague who is the same age as me, and has two children the same age as mine. Her S is battling addiction, and she is raising her grandchild. I don’t think she even knows where her S is right now.
Oh dear, I just so dislike cooked apples–applesauce aside–I dread it when I am served apple pie
and have to pretend to eat it, or drink apple cider. Love apples though! Am with NM regarding cake
–too much fluff.
mp, sad story about your HS friend.
cq, good news!
RM,do you have flat to ski on? Have you downhill skied?
I began cross county skiing in 1979 and stopped just a few years ago. I stopped because around
here all of the trails are very hilly. The last few years there are many off leash dogs and folks snow
shoeing messing up the trails and seriously getting in the way.
That said, I would love to go on a vacation to flat lands and ski.
Yes, certainly you can learn (I have taught a number of friends). The #1 lesson is to know how to fall.
Lean back and onto you hip as if you are sitting down on the floor.
We had a good visit with S, DIL, and G’Son last weekend. We took the 2nd part of S’s bed that
he had from 2 yrs to 12 to G’Son. The beds make an L with a low loft–just about 4’. He was cute and thrill, even has
a little ladder. I have to admit that I am always exhausted after just a 24 hour weekend. But fun.
oregon…there is great park around here with groomed trails and I could also ski on the frozen lake but that isn’t groomed. I am not a downhill skier. Believe it or not there wasn’t enough snow last year to get out on the trails. I am just back from a beautiful 5.5 mile walk around a local lake. Tired but happy to be outside on this beautiful day.
Think you meant NM Oregon. I have downhill skied though - and had a broken leg which needed a bone graft to prove it. I did ski after but am so cautious it’s just not as much fun. Have been cross country skiing - it’s okay but not in my mind as fun - too much work!
Sorry about your friend, MP. Addiction is a nasty beast.
On a better note, I love apples and apple pie. One of the best pies I ever ate was an apple-rhubarb pie and that was in Minnesota, NM.
Went into work late today after a very long day yesterday (well technically I never did come home yesterday). It was so nice to leave on time and be home for dinner with H. And we got some nice news, a work friend in another department got a big promotion which is well deserved. I always am happy when that happens.
OK–I m sold–I love anything with rhubarb! Grew up pulling it in my Grandparents yard back by the alley.
Would suck on it raw.
FG, congrats to your friend.
I did forget to mention (on a much lesser scale I am sure than FG) that S just received a promotion and a raise.
We did have a $$$ celebration dinner when I had planned a pizza night–but he is/should be proud.
One of the things that is throwing me in my meat cooking is what to do with frozen meat? If I forget to thaw
before hand–well I kinda hate what the microwave does even gently defrosting. I do know to put in a big bowl and
run water, as I easily do for frozen prawns and scallops. Tonight my friend told be to defrost the homemade burgers
I froze earlier in the micro. But I did not like them. They were drier than usual.
Do you thaw ground beef in a bowl with running water?
—thanks, 35 years a veggie. Meat still confuses me.
There are so many good pies out there and directions to go-apple, cherry, peach, blackberry, strawberry rhubarb, pecan , key lime, coconut cream, chocolate cream,banana cream. Lots more and some cool gourmet type recipes out there if you want to get fancier. I love pie, and also like cake!
I usually buy ground beef the same day I plan to use it. If it is ever frozen, I usually take it out in the morning and gradually thaw it in the refrigerator (sometimes put it on the counter for a while first). I have occasionally though put frozen steaks or ground beef or stew meat in cold water for a few hours ( and shrimp, scallops, etc.)
NM, have you considered snowshoeing instead of cross country? The motion of walking with the sticks is equally good for the core and in theory at least there’s less risk on the knee, I believe. But your knee must be good these days if you’re doing 5 mile walks, right?
I am banned at the moment from either but have an evil plan to try to get back up the hill one of these coming winter days This plan motivates me during some of the more boring physio stretching exercise!
So D’s wedding dress came in and we picked it up last night. Ugh - it is too small. The seams seem plentiful enough and can be let out and we have 11 months to when she needs it but D was very upset. She doesn’t want it let out because she is worried that it won’t look the same – I know that it will be okay but she was very upset. I think the long hours at work and just chilling from after the marathon have at a minimum changed her shape. She says that she hasn’t gained any weight. What baffles me is that the dress is a size 10. She typically wears a size 2. Seems way different in the sizing…
^^^^ Oh my, RM! Now I can add this to my potential “wedding worries!” They took all sorts of measurements before ordering the dress, right? Makes me wonder if D should have waited until closer to the wedding to order hers …
Kudos to your S on the promotion, oregon.
Circling back to the pie discussion – my mother always made piecrust from scratch using oil instead of shortening. Therefore, that’s how I make it – and it’s what D is used to tasting. (Crust made with oil tends to be flakier, IMO.) While I get that almost anyplace we end up getting pie for the wedding will use a shortening crust, the issue with the apple pie we tested was no flavor. I use cinnamon, sugar, lemon juice & lemon peel in the mixture that gets sprinkled over the apples before putting on the top crust. I don’t know what was in that pie, but there was definitely no cinnamon …
Oh yes – took they took a lot of measurements and even ordered up a size from the measurements (or so they say). I’m sure that it will all work out but last night it was like talking her down from the cliff - she was tired and I know that affected her. I think she may have put on a few lbs from when she originally went in a few months ago. I think at this point it’s just a put it in the closet - wait until March - pull it out and see where we are. If too far off then she goes on a diet and starts to run more. If not that bad we deal with the seamstress. I know it can be fixed but last night she wasn’t in any state to deal with it.
CBB…can you share the recipe with the bakery? We were able to do that for some dishes at D2’s wedding. The chef was very gracious and wanted the food to be perfect for the day. D1’s destination wedding is in 21 days. Her shower is this weekend. Busy time around here.
Question. The gym I belong to is closing. I like it because it is very close to home and I go home after to get changed for work. I could continue belonging and going to the same gym but in another town. Not sure how that would work out. I could go later and go to our town rec center that is close to home but that would mean changing my hours at work. Not sure that I really want to do that. I could join the Y - good ones around with what appears to be good classes but not really close to home or work. I could join one that is close to work but rather expensive although it looks really nice. More country club like I think than what I’m used to – more expensive but I could swing it. Wonder if paying more would make me go more. So looking for thoughts from those here. What do you guys do? I’m worried that with the winter coming I won’t want to drive out of my way - is that just being stupid?
I’m with mp – if the gym is at all out of the way, I won’t go. Back when we lived near Hartford, CT, I joined a gym that was on the way back from me dropping S off at school. (And it was still close to home/convenient when he started driving himself to school.) It was a little pricey, but the gym that was less expensive was out of the way. I knew I wouldn’t go. When we moved to Cambridge, I checked out several gyms. I needed up with one that was convenient AND near a grocery store, since I’m not that good about planning meals ahead and end up shopping almost every day. Works for me.
NMinn - that’s a possibility we’ll keep in mind. I figure we still have time, and that bakery was the first/only one D has checked out so far. Where is your D’s destination wedding?
CBB - I give you credit. I HATE, HATE, HATE going to the grocery store so I manage to figure out a way to go just one time per week and those weeks where I screw up I go after I work out so am in and out of the store before 6 so less people - but see that would have to stop as well. I hate having to figure this out but yes I do think that going out of my way would deter me. However if it was between me and my D I wonder if I could get her to get her but out of bed and join me. That would help me get there and maybe solve the dress problem as well.
Plus I got to make it the way that I like it.
This plan motivates me during some of the more boring physio stretching exercise!