So, the self-imposed hiatus is coming to a close, and soon I will be back to writing my same old entries about the emotional roller coaster that is my life. I wish I could say that the last month has led me to exciting new vistas and important self-realization. But it hasn’t. It’s mostly just let me to distraction.
Work and school. School and work. That’s been the story of my life. My account class winds up next week, and I’m sitting at 99.8% in the class right now. I’m actually going to get an A in accounting, and keep my GPA in tact! Huzzah! This class has been like pulling teeth without an anesthetic.
Now that I’ve joined Corporate America (TM), I look forward to Saturdays in a way that I never did before. When you’re an actor, especially in Utah, Saturday means that you have to do two or three shows in a single day. Now, I work really hard to get my homework for the week done by Friday, so Saturday morning, I can relax, enjoy myself, and be a bum. And for the last several week, a bum who bakes.
Not many people know this about me, but I am a master of Pies. (I LOVE Pie. I’d much rather have a birthday pie than a birthday cake). Living in the greater northwest, I am blessed with a ready abundance of cheap fruit with which to make my crusted concoctions. So, for the last several weeks, I have awoken around 9:00, gotten ready, taken Luke for a walk, and then the dog and I hop in the car and drive down to the local farmer’s market. Seeing as how the farms that actually supply the produce to half the nation are within an hour’s drive, this really is a farmer’s market. The last few weeks have been all about the berries…blueberries and raspberries mostly. Although, I did get some Tayberries last week. Blackberries grow wild everywhere here, so I don’t even have to leave my apartment complex to find enough blackberries for a pie.
But the last two weeks have been all about the peaches. The first peaches are just coming into season, and there is nothing that screams summer more than a perfectly ripe peach with just the right mix of tartness and sweetness, juice running down your chin. It’s one of life’s great pleasures.
I’ve often heard of Peach Pies, but I’ve never made one and, although my mother tells me I have had them, I don’t remember ever having eaten one. So tonight, I figured I’d try out my Peach Pie.
Heaven. Have. Mercy.
Being a master of pies, I make the best pie crust ever. (Not to oversell it…) Even my grandmother asked me how I made my pie crust, and you know when your grandma starts asking for your recipes, you’re doing something right. But fillings have taken me a little longer to get the hang of. But today, on my first attempt, I made the PERFECT peach pie filling…the peaches were soft without being mushy, the gel was set, but not too thick. The bottom crust was crispy, the top was perfectly browned. A single slice of warm peach pie with a scoop of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, and I was all but begging with the Lord to take my life before I had to come down from my summer high.
I got another flat of blueberries and raspberries…probably the last of the season, and tomorrow, I’m going to make another mixed berry pie (I’ll probably go pick a few blackberries as well). In a few weeks, we’ll start seeing apples, and I am looking forward to the opportunity to try out some new techniques this year.
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On a somewhat related gastronomic note, Haagen Dazs, (Subsidiary of Satan Foods, Inc.) has just introduced a new flavor. This flavor was a content winner for some new flavor content of which I was largely unaware, but for which I will be forever grateful. This glorious flavor? Caramelized pear with toasted pecans. (Cue heavenly choir of angels). This ice cream is Ah. Maze. Ing. Unfortunately, it’s probably one of those flavors which will just disappear after two months, but I hope it sells well enough to stick around.
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On yet another related note: I haven’t been to the gym since March.
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