OWAV:) 01/28/11 4am 24°

Up early, seems like one good nights sleep every so often is all I need.  Have my scrabble games caught up.  Bobi is whopping me big time, now the shoe is on the other foot.

Spring Bouquet

Herb and I are enjoying our tulips in the living room.  I planted a big pot of tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and crocus last fall.  I've done this before but, they are blooming more than usual this year.  It really is the only way we can have tulips, because outside the deer eat them like candy.  These are very pretty and fragrant.  Nice little touch of spring.  Don't know if anything else will bloom or not.


❈Before I went to the luncheon yesterday I mixed up a batch of pie crust using the recipe I got at last Sunday's pie baking class.  Mixed together 2 cups sifted  flour, 1/2 tsp salt,  added 1 cup cold butter (diced) and mixed by hand until it was "just right".  Added 1/4 cup ice water and started working it together.  It took some "heavy handed" working and mashing and an extra sprinkle of water but it came together.  Divided it into two discs, wrapped it in plastic wrap and refrigerated it.  Keeping everything cold is key!  In summer I would definitely use the cuisinart, but this time I wanted to feel the dough.  When I got home with some granny smith apples, I cored and sliced them, mixed in sugar (1/2 cup) and cinnamon and let them sit while I rolled out the pie crust.  It was tough rolling but I persevered, light sprinkle of flour, roll twice, 1/4 turn, repeat until size you want.  Only add flour for rolling, if it sticks.  It was an easy dough to work with, didn't split and break when I put it in the pie plate. (The edges were very uneven, will have to work on that.) Added the apple mixture, sprinkled on some craisins and raisins for a little different taste and into a 450° oven for 20 minutes then down to 350° for another 20 to 30 minutes.  Oh, my gosh!  With a scoop of ice cream,  I think it was one of the best pies I've ever made.  Who said you can't teach old dogs new tricks!❈  (As a side note, friend Janie, who is a wonderful cook, was making a pie when we went to write group on Tuesday.  She was smearing sour cream on the top crust, so I ask "What are you doing?"  She said, "This makes the pie brown nicely while it bakes."  You can also use plain cream.  I learned something else.)

❝BS  Beauty school or Cosmetology in itself was an education for me.  Learning to hold scissors, comb and a perm rod, all in your hands at one time, was a real trick.   It took many hours of practice to get this all right.  The more advanced students also helped us when they were not working the floor.  Thankfully we had very patient teachers.  We had two instructors, Jenkins, a jovial, round as she was tall lady, who we all loved immediately.  The other, Mrs. McClain, more stern, almost cranky, was harder to love.  I found though, that if you paid attention and weren't always goofing off, she was very nice and even had a sense of humor.  I was probably her pet.

Something I forgot to mention is that, we were all called by our last names.  It was another way the school thought they could instill professionalism into us.  We were to be Miss Ashton or Miss Shelby, Mrs Jenkins or Mrs McClain.  But commonly, we were called by our last names except, Mrs McClain was alway Mrs. McClain!   It also helped when there were many of the same first names among the students.❞ OWAV:)