Bake. This. Pie.

Please don't get me wrong with this post's title.  I'm actually not a bossy person--more of a nudger.  But not with this.  This is way too good not to share.  So good in fact that I insist you try it.  And what is "it"?  A super duper easy 50-minute pie wonder...so perfect for summer entertaining (I do realize that summer is half over but I wanted to give your swim-suit diet a fighting chance).  It'll make you understand the saying "easy as pie", which, incidentally, is a phrase I previously questioned because in my pie-making experience, making a good pie was actually pretty challenging.

I found this recipe last November courtesy of the Washington Post Magazine's holiday pie contest.  All the winning pies looked like, well, winners but this pie--the mixed-berry custard--went straight to the top of my pile of clipped recipes to try.  Maybe because old man winter was around the corner and the lure of a berry pie was too much to take, I'm not sure.  But after I made the pie, I made it again, and again, and again.  And then 4 more times.  So trust me when I say it's the kind of recipe you should just scribble on a post-it and stick inside a cupboard door, which is exactly where I keep my copy.  Are there more fantastic pie recipes out there?  Yes and I hope to get to those.  But this one is so quick, with ingredients you can always keep on hand, and yet turns out a pie so satisfyingly Dee.Lish. that I sometimes wonder if I really need bother. 

If you must go-Martha on it, knock yourself out by using a homemade crust.  But really?  Remember, it's summer.  So just keep a couple of Marie Callendar deep dish frozen crusts in your freezer, along with a few bags of your favorite fruit, and breathe easy knowing you can always say "I'll bring dessert" without running to the store.  Now go make it (nudge, nudge).  

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Texas, revisited.

Sorry to be gone for a bit.  I went back to Texas for my 20 year high school reunion and oh my goodness did I have fun.  I went to high school in San Antonio and the reunion was held downtown, near the Riverwalk.  Since our high school was located in a San Antonio suburb, we really didn't make it downtown very much except for special occasions.  And so the Riverwalk always seemed like a big deal to us.  So grownup or--to use my high-school speak--like, sooo bad, y'all.  Remember when bad meant good?  Yea, well, it was like that.  Suddenly we were the rowdy grownups in the bars down at the Riverwalk and it was indeed pretty bad and yet really good. 

My life in Texas seems so odd to me now.  Yes of course because I was so young and everyone called me 'Sandy' and football games ruled my social life but also because, for me at least, Texas is not just a place where you live.  It's a bigger, Deep in the Heart (clap, clap, clap) kind of lifestyle.  You simply can't avoid doing certain Texas things, even if you're only there for a blip on your life's radar.  I can't explain it very well, sorry, because truthfully I don't exactly know what that means--but maybe you do if you've lived it too.  Maybe you got mums the size of your head for Homecoming and know what Ropers are.  Maybe you two-stepped at the Bluebonnet even if you listened to Erasure. 

Things were just done differently there.  Most of my East coast friends cannot believe how much we dressed up as high-school students in Texas.  If you were to flip through my yearbook, you could easily assume that there was some sort of daily, mandatory attendance to a cotillion or something.  We're talking dresses, heels, Laura Ashley up the wazoo...the works--just to go to class.  So when shopping for a "reunion" dress, I was a little conflicted--do I try to guess what my Texas self would wear?  Or do I go all East Coast Banana Republic minimal, the look I've sported as a guest to 21--yes, I counted--weddings.  In the end, I took a good friend with me and slapped the racks looking for something, anything, I felt pretty in.  I figured pretty always works. 

The weekend was another girls-only trip which was a pretty big shock to my system as it was a mere two weeks after my last girls trip.  Before these two, I had gone on exactly zero such trips since having children.  So the rapid-fire timing of these two left me feeling a bit guilty (in that I might be spending too much time away from my family) but mostly (sorry honey), they tapped a real yearning for more, more, more.  More time to enjoy with close girlfriends to sit and chat and eat and shop and awake naturally rather than by a child's need or cry.  And, of course, it allowed us to talk nonstop about our children's needs and cries.  This particular trip was shared with my friend Kristin.  It was her reunion too as we've been best friends since eighth grade, ever since I moved two doors down from her house.  The kicker is she also made the trek up North and East during college and now lives only 30 minutes away from me.  We roomed together in college, were each other's maids of honor and have a running joke that if we could just get our four-year-olds to marry we could be related for real.  We don't think we surprised anyone by coming together. 

The reunion was something I'm so glad I didn't miss.  I left San Antonio after a brilliant weekend reconnecting with friends who I did so many firsts with--school dances, makeup, rock concerts, consuming crushes, driving tests, sneaking out, college admissions, daydreams about how our lives would end up....  So to go back and see them in the flesh--not just by lurking on Facebook--and hear about their lives and see them with their babies on their hips was completely and utterly surreal.  It was as if we were at a sleepover, playing with a cootie catcher asking "how many kids will I have", then blinked, and suddenly, here we were.

I know this entry isn't about crafts or cooking or anything else this blog is typically about, but I wanted to take a second to jot a few thoughts down to memorialize it.  I think I'll hit print, sign it "LYLAS, Sandy", fold it up into a nice, tight note with a "pull me" tab, and pass it to Kris.  I also hope it encourages some of you to get back in touch with a long lost friend, or two, or, in my case, a solid three dozen.  If they were important in your life at some point then there was a reason.  And it might just surprise you to find out how well they still fit there. 

Interview with a four-year-old.

 

In case you can't read the above, it says:

My mom is 8 years old.

My mom is the prettiest when she takes a shower.

My mom likes to make everything that is good for me.

My mom always says, she doesn't tell me secrets.

My mom is funny when she does tricks.

This poster is one of my favorite projects that our four-year-old, Leo, did in preschool last year.  His teachers asked the questions and wrote down his first response.  It has hung prominently in our breakfast nook since Mother's Day and I don't know if I'll ever take it down. 

There are two answers I especially love.  First, the shower one.  All of the other moms laughed when they read it, saying, "oh yes, me too, I went days without a shower when there was a baby in the house!"  I chuckled along but silently was confused as I--shocker--manage to shower daily.  Did Leo not notice?  And so I asked him what he meant and he said, "oh momma, you look so pretty in the shower."  All righty then.  Guess it's time to be a bit more discreet! 

Second, the "tell secrets" one.  Years and years ago when I was a new mommy, I was practicing law and was sent to some training for victim advocates.  One of the best pieces of advice I think I've ever heard came from a child abuse specialist talking to us about simple things we could do with children in our efforts to keep them safe:  tell them that there are no such things as secrets in the house and that no one should ever ask them to keep a secret from their mommy or daddy.  For birthdays and holiday fun, just use the word surprise (because eventually you reveal whatever the surprise is) but no secrets.  I'm a big believer in the old adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure so Leo's response makes me smile--he apparently "gets" this house rule. 

Butterflies.

Recently a neighbor asked me if she could hire me to do cupcakes and the cake for her daughter's First Holy Communion celebration.  I was flattered that she thought of me--but there was no way I would charge a friend for cupcakes and cake.

I only had a few days notice and had a hard time thinking of an appropriate decorating theme.  Then I remembered some flagged pages in my Hello Cupcake cookbook. I love this book.  It's filled with the cutest ideas for just about every occasion. Except, of course, a First Holy Communion.

But it does have butterflies. Beautiful and delicate, they look like they might flutter off the page as you're flipping through the book. And with three boys, I doubted a butterfly-themed party was in our future so here was my chance--how perfect. Because, you know, First  Communion ...butterflies ... get it? Fine. I was reaching but look how pretty.  

Supplies: At least two different colors of melting candy wafer or chocolate (I buy the melting wafers at craft stores like Michaels or A.C. Moore); wax paper; butterfly template; permanent marker; sandwich sized ziploc bags.

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Crazy, exhibit A.

Last Sunday, my wonderful husband, Charlie, surprised me by telling me that he and the husband of my good friend, Caryn, had arranged to send us away for a girls trip.  It begins tomorrow.

Do I think that this is just about the sweetest thing ever?  Of course I do.  Do I think that a girls trip sounds divine?  Oh yes, you betcha.

But you see, I'm a worrier and a planner.  And I don't mean just a little bit, either.  I mean that if planning and worrying were competitive sports, I'd medal in both.

So what does my brand of crazy (regarding prep) look like crammed into five days?  Well, I've constructed a sticky note collage detailing what each mysterious looking bottle in the medicine chest might be used for (I do not think my husband will be able to tell by feel in the middle of the night like I do and it's important to know where Leo's asthma medicine is or which lotion to use on Will's rash vice Leo's eczema or when to use Ibuprofen vice Children's Tylenol, etc.).  I've made a pan of mac 'n cheese so that there is a fallback dish everyone can agree on.  I've made muffins to reward or bribe as necessary.  I've washed, folded and put away every stitch of clothing that could possibly be necessary (from Halloween outfits to winter scarves, never mind that it's summer), noting that the last time this occurred was in 2003 b.k. (before kids).  I've done my best to make sure that the pool bag, park bag, diaper bag, jog stroller, and car emergency bag are all restocked with diapers, sunscreen, bug spray, water, first aid kit, and so on.

So how long is this trip, you ask?  We are staying one full night at a place called Poplar Springs, The Inn Spa, which is barely an hour's drive West. 

Do I know that this prep is overkill for such a short and close trip?  Of course I do.  After writing this blog entry, am I starting to understand why my husband secretly planned a trip for me to go to a spa with my girlfriend to unwind?  Oh yes, you betcha. 

Here is where I'm headed. 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend, too.

Birthday times three.

 

Our boys' birthdays are fairly close together, so as long as we can get away with it, I plan to combine their birthday celebrations. I know many folks tsk tsk this practice but the thing is, our boys share the same group of friends and it simplifies travel plans for the out of town grandparents. Besides, we celebrate their birthdays, need I say it, on their actual birthday, plus they typically get a school party, PLUS this combo one so I think they're covered. This year the theme was a "Master of Disguise" party--we were going to throw a basic costume party but then our oldest wanted a spy theme, so there you go.

Everyone was invited to dress up to be "in disguise"--I thought other moms might appreciate their munchkins getting another wear out of a Halloween costume.  Then surprise!, even though it was April, it was unseasonably hot, so none of our boys could wear what they had planned and instead wore a mish mash from their dress up trunk...for exactly 11 minutes until it was too hot for even that.  We also had to strike the spy obstacle course because standing still outside without sweating proved impossible, so running/leaping/tummy crawling/etc. were, in my mind, out of the question.  But I should have channeled the mind of a six-year-old because oh, my, my, how this executive decision nearly brought down our oldest.  I still think it was a reasonable decision (kids were in polyester costumes!), but made a note to self that "just playing" is evidently not a suitable enough birthday activity once you turn 6.  I really should have known better.  Sigh.

 

We had party bunting (I may post a tutorial on this later, though plenty abound online already), mini cupcakes, a moon bounce, piñata fun and three birthday cakes.  I used a jumbo cupcake pan for the cakes and tragically learned that it produces a shape not at all compatible with my homemade cake recipes (too delicate of a crumb--each cake collapsed as soon as I unmolded it).   As I was predictably doing this the morning of the party, I had no time for major reconstruction.  I ended up wrapping each cake with some pretty scrapbook paper to make a cuff that kinda, sorta resembled a cupcake liner, effectively holding the cakes together.  I added frosting on top, muttered my discontent, and away we went.  Luckily the boys thought they were perfect and watching them blow out their candles with such happy faces helped me remember to stop sweating the small stuff (a constant battle for me).

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Halliefest Scones.

Every couple of years or so, a dear friend named Hallie, who lives in San Diego, comes back to D.C. for a visit.  She used to live here and we met while I was in law school over a decade ago.  My law school is a block away from a gym and every Friday night many of us would cram into the aerobics studio for a particular step class (please remember that I said this was over ten years ago, so step aerobics and thong leotards were the rage.  I try to block out the memories of the thong leotards and ask that you do too). 

Most girls were a little territorial about their spots in class.  And by a little territorial I mean major stinkeye if you got too close.  But not Hallie.  She noticed I always rushed in with barely enough time to set up my step (I had a school class that ended minutes before the step class and leaving 10 minutes early from Real Property--my preference--was not going to fly).  So one day Hallie set up my step for me and I've latched on to her and her good karma ever since.

Hallie is sort of like that to everyone.  That means she has a lot of super close friends who would move Heaven and earth for her.  When she comes back to D.C., I usually host a brunch to celebrate and people crowd in just to get a minute with her :) so I nicknamed the event Halliefest.  Next time I'm putting up a velvet rope.

At Halliefest '08 I served some scones that have become a family favorite.  The recipe came from a friend I worked with--he told me it was from The America's Test Kitchen Cookbook so I knew straight away the scones would be terrific and they are.  As further proof, one of my favorite food bloggers of all times, Smitten Kitchen, also proclaimed this recipe The One for perfect scones, so there.

Now the recipe calls for heavy cream which does ensure a flaky experience that I have been known to go on and on about.  But to be honest, for everyday consumption, I use half and half because that's what I always have on hand to use in my coffee.  If you do that, you don't need a full cup...closer to a generous 3/4...and you'll get a dough that you can just drop onto your baking sheet rather than shaping and cutting.  The texture is different, more chewy, but on top of cutting out some fat, an added bonus is it's less crumbly--something that might be a good thing if little hands are eating one, two, or five. 

Please promise that you will not do the half and half biscuit style and proclaim these a dud as far as scones go--the heavy cream version is what will sell you on this recipe so you should really start there (and then build on it and marvel how Starbucks can call a sugary hockey puck a scone).  I made these today as part of our Father's Day breakfast.  But in the spirit of Hallie's countless good deeds, I also piled some on plates for the boys to deliver to a few dads in our neighborhood as an unexpected treat.

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Pick.

 

A few times each summer, we try to go to various area farms to pick fruit.  I think strawberries may be the boys' favorite--perhaps since it's always the first outing.  By the end of the season, let's just say they don't jump into the car and buckle up by the mere sight of a U Pick flat like they did this week.

Our youngest was pretty funny to watch.  I thought maybe he'd understand--after all, picking berries isn't that different from fetching his scattered Hot Wheels cars or other colorful items and depositing them into random containers (beware what lurks inside a tissue box at our house).  But no.  He definitely did his share of the eating though.

We went to Homestead Farms in Poolesville, MD, which we like because:  1.  there are farm animals to mix it up a little;  2.  you can walk to the fields without having to haul the kids, your gear, and a jog stroller onto a wagon; 3.  you can walk back to your car because if you have kids you will probably need to--diaper duty, forgot somebody's favorite truck to play in the dirt, etc.; and 4.  there is no admission fee.  We're also fans of Great Country Farms and Butler's Orchard but you usually need to take a wagon on those farms and Great Country also charges admission unless you belong to the farm, which we do but I'll review it later.

We usually get carried away with the quantity we pick.  It's pretty addictive when you get on a roll, especially if you tend to be a little OCD about things (ahem).  Looking at a couple of flats of berries can be daunting, so I like to can jam and also prep batches for the freezer to use later in desserts.

This year I wanted to try a pectin-free jam recipe and turned to Ina Garten.  You will soon see that I have a thing for Ina.  I made her Easy Strawberry Jam, which uses granny smith apples in lieu of pectin to firm things up--though you will never get a firm, firm set (but that's okay because I don't like gummy jam).  For canning, I get most of my info from a website called Pick Your Own.  

It's basically the end of strawberry picking in our area.  Next up, blueberries and peaches so go forth and pick! 

Banana Blueberry Bread. Yum.

            Have you ever been to an Amy's Bread shop in New York?  If not, you should know that the promise--the potential--of a home cook turning out treats like theirs is pretty amazing.  And since my sister-in-law's name is Amy, I decided I had to get her The Sweeter Side of Amy's Bread cookbook for Christmas.  And because I don't know of any fabulous "Sandra" bakery cookbooks, I went ahead and stuck one under the tree for little 'ole me as well. 

Since Will, our 15 month-old, usually loves bananas, I have not laid hands on any overripe ones for quite some time.  But now, out of the blue, he won't eat them.  He will mash them, fling them, poke them, and sculpt them, but nary a bit will get past his lips.  I've tried.  Of course, I'm more than a little vexed that without warning, my go-to, easy to transport--yet healthy--snack is out of favor with him.  But at least now we can enjoy banana bread again. 

Know that this is no ordinary banana bread--it's neither achingly sweet (yippee!) nor cinnamon-y.  It's flavorful and moist and, well, it's really, really good.  We ate both loaves within days.  I will force restraint next time by freezing one.  Better yet, I'll give away a loaf as a gift and spread the goodness.  I hope you'll try it. 

      

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Old Fashioned Meatloaf

My mom is from Thailand, so we didn't get a lot of meatloaf growing up in our house.  Actually, I don't think my mother has ever made a meatloaf (but her Thai recipes--stay tuned--are incredible).  So when our neighbor recently gave me this recipe, I was happy to try it.  It turns out exactly what I suspected I was always missing--a nice, traditional, and yummy meatloaf.  An added bonus is it sneaks in a healthy dose of veggies.  This generously serves our family of 5.  It's about 40 minutes of prep work so go ahead and plan to make two as it freezes beautifully (freezing instructions below).  Directions here are for one large loaf but I also like making it in lined muffin tins, reducing the bake time to about 45 minutes.

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