Dog Days “Scout, a friend”

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"when the seas boiled, wine turned sour, dogs grew mad, and all creatures became languid, causing to man burning fevers, hysterics, and phrensies" – Brady’s Clavis Calendarium, 1813. Well, that’s what Wikipedia says.

This is picture of my friend and neighbor’s pup Scout, a cute little Boston terrier who loves to come play. He’s very keen on Maisy.

Last night I left work late (again), hopped into the supermarket for yet another half-assed grocery trip, and brought work home (again). But this time I saw the looks on my dog’s faces, put the milk in the fridge, grabbed the leashes and took them for a beautiful golden twilight jaunt. We live just around the corner from the historic district so there’s always alot to see on our walks. Things I saw:

  • the late day light is changing to that warmer autumn tone
  • the water tower is almost all painted.. white with Beware, Wildcat Country! (in purple)
  • there’s an art show at Kingfisher Gallery
  • lots of people are at City Cafe for the Wednesday night Home style buffet… Pot Roast & Fried Chicken. Love their lemon meringue pie.
  • Maisy is getting much better on her leash.
  • I needed this as much as my 3 dogs
  • Work can and will wait

So today I donned my favorite white eyelet skirt, a sage blouse and my favorite flip-flops to wear to work. Yep, you heard right, flip-flops to the office.

Today I need to get a package together for a new friend (S—it may be mañana, send a birthday card to my mother ( I just started her gift, of course).

I have started knitting Wisp in Rowan Kid Silk Haze color—Trance, a beautiful teal. The last time I knit with this yarn…I wasn’t in love with it. But I am soooo digging it this time, wonder if I chose a better needle for the mohair. Think I may need to knit some of these as gifts, it is so luxurious and so delicate. Yummy.

I also need to decide on a scarf for my downstream pal  for the Ravelry Scarf Exchange. She ‘s not a fan of Mohair, so Wisp is out… maybe Steam?

Am also quickly knitting the Bubbly Curtain from Mason Dixon for the husbands bathroom and the hinky little window on the front door.

Am also thinking of setting up an Etsy shop to peddle my invites, announcements and stationary.

 

The Punishment Sock & a Pie Recipe

 

 

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Wild Blueberry Almond Crumble Pie 

Filling

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (or more) sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

7 cups fresh wild or regular blueberries (32 ounces) or 32 ounces frozen wild or
regular blueberries (do not thaw)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 

Topping

2/3 cup unbleached all purpose flour

4 ounces marzipan or almond paste, broken into 1/3-inch pieces (about 3/4 cup loosely packed)

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 teaspoon salt

Whipped cream or ice cream

Roll out pie crust disk on floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Turn crust edges under and crimp decoratively, forming crust edge 1/4 inch above sides of pie dish. Refrigerate while preparing filling and topping.

 

For filling:

Whisk 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar and cornstarch in heavy large saucepan to blend. Stir in blueberries and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat until mixture bubbles and thickens, frequently stirring gently, about 13 minutes. Chill filling until cool, about 1 hour. If more sweetness is desired, stir in sugar by tablespoonfuls.

For topping:

Combine first 4 ingredients in processor; blend until mixture begins to clump together. Transfer to bowl; chill 30 minutes. Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Spread blueberry filling evenly in unbaked crust. Sprinkle topping evenly over. Place pie on rimmed baking sheet and bake until crust and topping are golden and filling bubbles thickly, about 50 minutes. Transfer pie to rack and cool completely. DO AHEAD Can be made 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Serve pie with whipped cream or ice cream.

The reality
Just use your favorite homemade or store bought crust, I say this only because the crust is not the star of this pie. I used frozen wild blueberries which were so yummy and I ate them by the frozen handful. I bought four 10 ounce bags because I was afraid I’d be short. I did not adjust cornstarch or anything and consistency was great. If my pie pan had been deeper all the filling would have fit nicely, but I had about a cup left over.

Okay, now the real dilemma. I live in a small farming community of about 8,000. Marzipan is NOT at the top of everyone’s shopping list therefore not available at my local HEB. So . . . I tossed some almonds, alot of almond extract and some white and brown sugar to the topping mixture. May have been less sweet but was still great. I gotta tell you the salt in the topping is key. You definitely know it’s there (in agood way) and it rounds out the topping nicely.

This being Texas, pie must be topped with Bluebell Homemade Vanilla How can you not love a company who’s trucks read, “We eat all we can, and we sell the rest“?

FYI . . . I am about 6 rows away from completing the toe on the The Punishment Sock. I know now that if I didn’t knit them simulataneously  (and use spell check for that matter) simultaneously I would NEVER, oh and I do mean NEVER, knit a second sock in my life. Don’t care how cold my other foot is. Second Sock Syndrome is too nancy a diagnosis… I propose a motion to call the second sock simply the The Punishment Sock.

400 Children and Crap in the Field

07aspr_wg239_m01I ordered this skirt online and wish it was as long as it is on this girl, cuz it is way too above the knees for a sturdy girl over 40 to be sporting. Just when did that happen? God I was so brave in my twenties.

One of the cool things about my job is that the edit dept receives lots of music for review and they can be up for grabs most of the time. I scored the new Lori McKenna today when I went to fetch a cup of mint tea. It’s obviously more produced than The Kitchen Tapes and not as sweet as Bittertown but I love " I’m Not Crazy"

Finally ordered Bend the Rules Sewing I can’t wait to finish the guest room so I have some room to sew and quilt and just be.

The pie social was a big hit… there were twelve eleven pies in all:

  • wild blueberry almond crumble (mine, the blurry pie pictured below… camera phones kinda suck)
  • apple pandowdy (which is not technically a pie and actually leads to another whole can of worms such as cobblers, brown Betties, Charlotte’s, crisps and other  topics which deserve discussion, just not now)
  • peach
  • peach cherry
  • buttermilk
  • peach custard
  • blueberry lattice
  • Oreo
  • million dollar
  • treacle (I’m serious)
  • key lime
  • apple

    Noname_3

I think it’s important to note there that not one of these Texans brought a pecan pie. . . very strange, even though it’s not quite pecan season.

While I’m in list making mode . . . I am compiling a play list of 70’s country tunes that used to play on the jukebox of the Golden Spike, the truck stop my parents ran in Colorado.  So far the list is looking like this:

  1. Happiest Girl | Donna Fargo
  2. Behind Closed Doors | Charlie Rich
  3. Jolene | Dolly Parton
  4. Kiss an Angel This Morning | Charlie Pride
  5. Rose Garden | Lynn Anderson
  6. Lucille | Kenny Rogers ( and I think it’s 4 hungry children, not 400 children as I believed for like, oh forever)* Did I ever mention that I saw Kenny Rogers perform at the Miss America Pageant? I’ve been twice . . .  another story for another day.
  7. Help Me Make it Through the Night | Kris Kristofferson version..maybe but not if I include #9
  8. undefined Her Was Easier | Kris Kristofferson
  9. Paper Roses | Marie Osmond
  10. Ode to Billy Joe | Bobbie Gentry
  11. Race is On | George Jones
  12. Wichita Lineman | Glen Campbell (this is one of my all time favorite songs, I’m serious)
  13. Delta Dawn | Tanya Tucker (because where there’s Glen . . .)

other possible contenders are

One Tin Soldier
Ramblin’ Man
Sunshine on My Shoulders

am I forgetting any?

*Oh I almost forgot, speaking of  misheard lyrics…  check this site out http://www.kissthisguy.com