Posted on

Apple Butter Hand Pies for Max

Max Apple Butter Hand Pie

A Promise

“ A frightened sorrow has closed down over my heart. I wish I were child so I could cry. I’m too old to be afraid like this. And I’ve not felt such despair since a bird died in my hand by a flowing water long ago.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

There is a veil of dryness, a barren place that has burrowed into my winter. It doesn’t help that we’ve not had much rain. California is dry, crackling, soon to be on fire dry. But the urban lemons are ripe, dripping with juice. And yet they linger on the neighborhood trees. No one wants them. I stop by and pick another basket full and still more drop to the ground. Once, with great hope, someone planted a promise of lemons. Long forgotten, people moved on, life moved on. READ MORE . . .

Posted on

Savory Summer Hand Pies

Savory Hand Pies

Summer Longing

“I don’t know whether you notice it, but it seems like every other word you say is California. Do you really want to go?”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Living along the central coast of California is nothing less than divine. Except, except we really don’t have a summer. We have fog. By August there are rumblings of fall. I become anxious. Summer is like a fad sweeping the northern hemisphere and I’ve missed out on the latest trend. I long to complain about endless sunshine and a kitchen too hot for baking. Dinner on the patio without wearing a sweatshirt is just a fantasy. Actually leaving the house to go anywhere without a light jacket is just plain foolish. If by chance it is sunny, the fog can return at any time. Our summer vocabulary is studded with “when will the fog burn off” and “when will the fog roll back in”. I live in a place where a day above seventy-five is considered hot. We tend to melt at anything above eighty-five. It may be August, but I’m still longing for summer. Any day now our Indian Summer will arrive and wrap us in late season sunshine. We’re ready. READ MORE . . .

Posted on

Peach Raspberry Pie

Peach Raspberry Pie

A Spinning Top

“And this I believe: that the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world. And this I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Life is good. Our planet Earth keeps spinning around the sun. Each day spills into the next. We try not to sleepwalk though the day. We pause to enjoy as much as we can because we know that at any moment our daily spin could spiral out of control. This past week has been heavy on the spin. I’ve been holding on. My mom was in the hospital for the second time in the last thirty days. Never a good sign, especially when you are 87. I can only hope I have half the tenacity she has. Without the stubbornness please. She has revoked her original DNR order and wants all measures taken. Refusing nursing home care, she has returned home. READ MORE . . .

Posted on

Blueberry Pie

Blueberry Pie

Indigo Summer

“No pies for three months. Tom said, We can’t get through it. We’ll have to move to another place.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

We picked blueberries for the first time this year. It was a revelation. Unlike the bland tasting blueberries often found at the grocery store the South Moon and O’Neal blueberries we picked at High Ground Organics were bright and crisp. With a faint hint of tartness from the appealing indigo blue skin to the sublime sweet centers these blueberries struck a perfect balance between between sweet and tart. READ MORE . . .

Posted on

Cherry Hand Pies

Handpies

Organization Dilemmas

“Liza’s little round face grew redder and redder. She organized and ordered. The kitchen stove never went out.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

I have always been proud of my organization skills. When my possessions and treasures have a specific place I feel better about my personal environment. This is especially true in the kitchen. I am delighted when I know what is in my pantry or freezer and where it is located. Taking inventory and locating ingredients before the next shopping trip is so much faster and less frustrating. This week I organized and then went shopping. When I came home I crammed everything in the freezer and pantry without any thought of the time I had just spent organizing. I realized this is my style of organization and a pattern of behavior that might “possibly” be frustrating for those who share the kitchen with me. I’m astonished at my habits and method of organization in the kitchen. When you return from shopping, do you have have the discipline and time to organize everything as you put it away? READ MORE . . .