The Pie Project #5 - Strawberry Rhubarb

People, I'm on a pie-making roll!  Well, if you consider two pies in two weeks a roll (which as a full-time working mom, I certainly do!).  Strawberry rhubarb is probably my second favorite pie out there, if not a tie with apple.  Because I have feared missing the narrowly small window that is rhubarb season, I decided to seize my Saturday night and make a pie.  Domestic goddess or crazy woman - the jury is still out...

Now, I've made plenty of strawberry rhubarb crisps, but never a whole pie.  As usual, I subscribed to trustworthy Martha Stewart for this recipe, and followed fellow bakers advice to add extra cornstarch - which totally worked!  I ended up scratching the lattice crust for a basic pie crust - and it tasted just fine, but next time I think I'd attempt the lattice if only for a pretty presentation.  

Best part - pie for breakfast the last 2 days.  Can't beat that!

Past Pies * one * two * three * four

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The Pie Project #4: Chicken & Veggie Pot Pie

In my quest to make the perfect pie, I hadn't initially anticipated a savory pie would make my list. However, there's a first for everything, so here goes.  

I never grew up eating chicken pot pie, it just wasn't part of our dinner repertoire.  My mom didn't make too many casserole-type dishes, in lieu of fish, steak, or chicken.  However, my husband remembers it being a staple of his Midwestern childhood.  So, to satisfy his craving, I made this version which Real Simple boasted this recipe a fan favorite recipe in their 15th anniversary issue.  

I took it a step further and made my own crust (Joy the Baker's cold butter crust with slightly less sugar, recipe from Homemade Decadence).  Here's my version (pictured below).  Not too bad, right?  

The pot pie was pretty tasty - and made for superb leftovers for the next two days.  Definitely a recipe I'd try again, and despite the milk involved, it did seem a little on the lighter side as pot pies go.

Past Pies * one * two * three

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Snacking Last Night: Coconut Oil Popcorn

Have you ever tried coconut oil popcorn?  It's ridiculously simple, and somehow satisfies my need to eat after dinner, thus off putting my craving for something far more gut busting like chocolatey ice cream.  It's only 3 ingredients: popcorn kernels (Trader Joe's sells a large bag for cheap), coconut oil, and sea salt - and voila!  Even my husband who has never been a fan of coconut admitted "hey, I guess, it's pretty good."  

Cha-Ching!

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Friday Fun

What are you up to this weekend?  I'm off to a friend's son's baptism tomorrow morning, followed by some projects around the house.  Sunday, my daughter and I are reuniting with an old friend followed by a spring yogurtland run with with one of my students.  Have a lovely weekend!

+ will someone make this for me for dinner?

+ throat soothing popsicles for spring colds

+ is it weird that I like a necklace with tassels?

+ ditches cars for cargo bikes

+ another lip sync battle that raises the bar (anna kendrick/john krasinski)

+ refreshing kiwi margaritas

+ who wouldn't want to wear pizza on a t-shirt?

+ 7 lost american slang words

+ travel dreaming of Thailand

+ how to make a cheap bottle of wine taste amazing

+ new podcasts to try

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Movie Review: Imitation Game

My husband and I are slowly making my way through the Oscar nominated movies.  Thus far, we'd only seen American Sniper in the theaters, (my review here), but now most are available for online rentals, the cheaper and more convenient route anyway.  I've really been wanting to see Still Alice, but unfortunately it wasn't available via amazon prime or netflix, so instead we picked Imitation Game, starring Benedict Cumberbatch (don't you love his name?), Keira Knightley, and Matthew Goode (who I love from The Good Wife).

This was a great movie!  Based on a true story of British mathematician and codebreaker Alan Turing.  The movie is lengthy but doesn't seem to drag on, as it's told through a series of flashbacks, flash forwards, and present day clips, interspersed with real life footage from World War II.  You find yourself genuinely rooting for the characters to succeed in their quest to crack the German code machine the Enigma.  All in all - definitely a movie I'd recommend to any history buff!

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Last Great Book I Read

I devoured this book.  I'd heard buzz via the blog scene likening its gripping nature to Gone Girl.  This is true.  It sucks you in.  Plot-wise, while it does have some similarities but is also significantly different as well.  

I bought this on amazon and sent remotely to my kindle before realizing my kindle was out of power. I told my husband I was going to bed early, anticipating I'd just read a few pages before retiring for the night.  Not the case.  He found me curled up in bed, swiping quickly as I read the book on my iphone.  Ultimately, I finished the book within three days - an astounding feat for this working mom!

Have you read it?  What did you think?

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The Pie Project #3 - Sweet Cherry Pie

Here's a snapshot of a little weekend baking around our house, sweet cherry pie a la Smitten Kitchen.  While at Trader Joe's doing some grocery shopping I noticed frozen sweet cherries.  Thinking to myself - that might make a good pie, I bought two bags on a whim, and them came home to google "sweet cherry pie."  Turns out, it's not the most popular pie, but recipes do exist, namely Martha Stewart and Deb from Smitten Kitchen, so I felt slightly redeemed in my choice of frozen sweet cherries.   

 I bought the cherries aspirations to re-energize my pie project over my Spring Break, but sometimes it's just so nice to simply enjoy time off as opposed to filling it to the brim with activities.  The pie was fairly easy to make.  I used Joy the Baker's cold butter pie crust recipe and Deb's recipe for filling.  While the fruit was quite dry upon entering the crust, the result was a bit soupy, despite the 4 tablespoons of cornstarch the recipe called for, but flavorful which I guess is the ultimate goal.  Next time I'd use more cornstarch or tapioca pearls to help soak up some of the extra moisture from the fruit.

Past Pies * one * two

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Link Love

How was your Easter?  We had a few friends over for an egg hunt/brunch which was a smashing success, the weather cooperated magnificently, and all had a good time.  Perhaps a few sugar crashes post egg collection, but all in all, a fun day!

I'm a little belated on getting this out pre-Easter (hence the egg picture), but it's too pretty to not share.  Here are some things I've been perusing this week...

+ grammar goddesses tune in - even I admit to using a few of these wrong

+ a turtle-shaped island that only appears in the spring

+ this might be the best deviled egg recipe in history

+ can women get away with wearing the same thing to work everyday?

+ Easter egg tree in Germany

+ hot topic: parental leave when your kids are teenagers

+ 480 days of paternity leave abroad

+ don't need any more glassybabys, but this color caught my eye

+ Taylor Swift does it again - cute style that is

+ a light-filled nursery in the city

+ Japan's boasts the world's longest living women (and the key to better health)