Strawberry Rhubarb Pie



Probably because that makes you sounds a bit greedy. So if you must choose, you should probably weigh your options in regards to the decision you're about make, and then make it. I recall someone once saying that pie is simple, and cake... cake is complex, and it felt right to follow the simplistic route, although this experience was anything but! If you see any annotations in light grey, those are my own comments on the recipe. (Did I mention that I am technically allergic to strawberries?)

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
recipe found at saveur

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE CRUST:
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup vegetable oil
6 tbsp. cold milk

FOR THE FILLING:
1¼ cups plus 2 tsp. sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
2 cups thinly sliced rhubarb
3 cups halved and hulled strawberries (I sliced them because the strawberries I used were large.)
2 tbsp. butter, cut into small pieces
2 tsp. milk

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400°. For the crust: Sift together flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Measure oil into a measuring cup, then add milk, but don't stir together. (I don't understand the logic behind that step but I did it anyways.) Pour oil and milk into flour mixture. Stir until dough just holds together. Divide dough in half (and then take a third of one and put it into the other because the base needs to be bigger than the top), shape into 2 balls, and flatten slightly. Roll out each ball between two sheets of wax paper into 12" rounds. Transfer one pastry round (discarding wax paper) into a 9" pie plate, and set other pastry round aside.

2. For the filling: Mix together 1¼ cups of the sugar, flour, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl, then add rhubarb and strawberries, tossing well to coat evenly.

3. Fill bottom crust with rhubarb–strawberry mixture and scatter butter on top. (And by scatter they mean scatter little pieces of butter because the natural properties of butter don't allow for scattering) Cover with remaining pastry round (discarding wax paper) and crimp edges together to seal. Score top to allow steam to escape, brush with milk, and sprinkle with remaining 2 tsp. sugar. Place pie on a baking sheet (oops missed this step, that would have prevented the boiling-over-the-edge dilemma) and bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, about 50 minutes. If edge of crust browns too quickly, cover edge with a strip of aluminum foil to prevent burning. Allow pie to cool for 1 hour before serving.

So I did all of that, and my pie turned out to be a bit runny. I probably could have cooked it a bit longer which would have solidified the juices a bit more, but I also saw a hint that says to take the runny bits out using a baster and then boil it in a stove pan until it thickens, and then put it back in. 






 


Coffee and Pie



Two girls, two coffee shops, one day, one Dillon.

My recent obsession with pie has sprouted from my recent obsession of a certain cancelled T.V. show so it really shouldn't be a surprise that one of my coffee dates ended up being at a pie shop. I had a slice of rhubarb pie while Taylor got a slice of blackberry pie and both were delicious. I plan on making a pie myself later this week, soley because a pie has never been baked in my house and it's about time someone around here bakes a pie! (Also, this place serves up a big slice of remembering-last-summer-shenanigans-with-bloggers.)



Between the two reunions countless stories were told and memories unearthed, and nostalgia has overwhelmed me. Perhaps it's the large amount of caffeine flowing through my system right now (I had a hazelnut macchiato at Starbucks, and a vanilla latte here, at Shoofly Pie) but I am really curious about all of the people that I haven't seen or heard from in a while. Getting back together with people who live in different places and experience different ways of living has prodded me into wondering what other people who I used to be in cahoots with are doing with their lives. Not that I actually want to see some of these people, but rather just know what they've been up to. Sure, facebook does that, but only to a certain extent.

I just want to read the back cover of the biography of their life so to speak. Is that strange?


<<wearing: boots by florsheim ><black jeans by levi>< button-up by j.crew ><hoodie by american apparel >
< jean jacket by levi >< mug from briana >>

Things I Don't Need & Can't Afford

Part 1: CB2





As I am moving into an apartment once I arrive back onto campus in the fall, the inevitability of having to own my own things is approaching quickly. So of course instead of looking for things that I need to live on my own, I found the coolest little things that I want and most definitely cannot afford. 

CB2, or Crate & Barrel 2, is the more modern version of the traditional Crate & Barrel and has some really awesome pieces of furniture that I probably do not need and really can't afford. I've always wanted a wingback chair and although this one is perfect, it has one flaw; I can't afford it (like really, it's ridiculously pricey). I don't even know where I'd put it even if I could afford it. So the pieces above are completely unnecessary but I find them awesome/aesthetically pleasing nonetheless! 



First Day



Today I start coaching again, and I'm actually pretty excited about it. There is really no reason not to be excited about it unless we recall last summer and how overworked I was starting at 5 am every morning and going until 3 pm at the earliest and 11 pm at the latest. A lot of time spent at pools. This pool in particular. But this year is different. I will not be life guarding at all this summer which will take out the 5 am bit and replaces it with 6:45 am which is much more manageable. The best part about this all is that the president of the pool felt so bad for me last year that I'm getting paid the same amount, but technically doing less. So I'll be getting paid fairly for my duties this year.

That being said, money is stressful. As we grow up everything seems to get more expensive (and no I do not mean solely because of the economy) with college, buying a car, paying for rent, buying furniture, etc. It takes a lot more thought and money than having to choose between video games.
Oh to be a kid again.
But also whoa-I-turn-twenty-one-in-five-months-where-has-the-time-gone. It's a weird feeling knowing that it's almost your turn to be functioning person in society. A lot has happened in the past month, but one of the most impacting was knowing so many people that are graduating and going to start working in their respective locations. It's kind of a bright light at the end of a tunnel scenario, and even though I plan on trying to take in my day to day experiences, I need to be looking forwards in order to get through the grimy stuff.

All that being said, today is a beautiful day. Not only because the sun is out (finally!) but I was able to take care of some business that has lifted a lot of weight from my shoulders.
- I'm on better terms with a a friend from school (if you happen -because apparently you do just happen upon things like this- upon this Adam; yes this is about you) and although it took an awful situation to prompt it I'm glad we cleared the slate.
- I've been watching a lot of Pushing Daisies recently (and if you have never seen an episode go watch it right now. It has also prompted me to decide to bake a pie. I'm thinking strawberry-rhubarb.)
- Money stuff is getting figured out which included returning an unnecessarily pricey case for my new phone, cashing some old bonds, and receiving a bonus from my manager last year.
- Maggie is living in Seattle this summer and arrived today! We plan on meeting up in this magical city later this week.
- I (just) received an envelope of mix CD's from Melany which is beyond awesome (especially considering one one the mixes was supposed to be a Halloween mix..)




<< wearing: boots by florsheim >< socks by uniqlo ><jeans by levi >< hoof pick belt by tory >
< shirt by j.crew >< dri-fit quarter zip by nike from rpi >< watch by timex >< bracelet from syed >
< sunglasses were  thrifted >>

Anecdote of the Day




It's too early for me to go to bed, and I've really had an urge to blog lately but haven't been able to (eat, sleep, process large words,etc.) for a while since finals has come upon myself. But, the night is young, and my workload is dwindling along with my motivation, and something happened today that I just haven't been able to fully process yet.

We were in line at the salad bar at the dining hall (this is really irrelevant besides to point out the fact that it was an extremely casual setting) and one of the graduate architecture students who my friend group and I have recently befriended had joined us, and he looked forlorn. I mean, I'm used to seeing him tired (I swear he doesn't sleep the hardworking fellow) but he just seriously looked... sad. So, in my sarcastic way I said to him "You look so happy today!", assuming he was just really tired and followed that up immediately with "I'm being completely sarcastic. Are you alright?"
He just kind of mumbled that he was really tired, long weekend, something else under his breath.
I sympathized, but since we were getting food it was a short-winded conversation that I had forgotten about soon after.
Later, when we had arrived back to studio, I was all set up at my desk -glasses on, headphones in blasting Temper Trap- when he tapped me as he walked past to go to the computer lab, and in the same forlorn sort of tone said "Thanks."
And then he stood there for a second because upon receiving a tap I have to spin around to see who it was, take off my glasses because oops they're reading glasses and I can't see more than five feet away from me when they're on and rip out my headphones to actually hear what he said. I had him repeat what he said.
"Thanks."
"For what?" (I said this almost exasperatedly because I had no idea why he'd be thanking me for something. Recall that I had forgotten the earlier conversation.)
"Thanks for caring."
(Confused look on Dillon's face)
"For earlier..." At this point he seemed almost embarrassed, and I also remembered the conversation that I reminded you that I had forgotten. I stammer out something along the lines of  no problem because I thought he was being sarcastic. He walks away and I'm stupefied at the situation, so, like any technologically advanced person I message him and a) ask him if he was being sarcastic and b) told him that if he ever needs to rant or talk that we're good listeners. Turns out he was being genuine.
He and his long time girlfriend had broken up that weekend, and he was saying that he was sad that he's not going to see us for a year (commence "awwww's") and that was showing up on his face. I again tried sympathizing and ended by asking if he'd like to join us to see The Great Gatsby on Friday. Once he responded in commitment to my invitation, I did what I felt like was right and got him a ticket online and printed it out and casually handed it to him.

It was at this point at time that I accepted that 2013 sucks. Like, it's just been really awful to me so far.
HOWEVER.
That doesn't mean that other people have to suffer as well. Why not give the person who needs a pick me up a pick me up. Because then maybe you'll get a pick me up too. And actually, that thanks for caring was my pick me up. (That and the ice cream that I was surprised with by another friend. That helped too.)

So just as a general message to my readers, thanks for reading. Thanks for taking the time to read, or skim, or even just glance at the picture at the top. It means a lot, even if you don't comment, that you took the time to read whatever words stumble out of my mind on any given day.


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