It's Raining

Yesterday was a lovely day with cool breezes and sunshine, but this morning, we woke to gray skies.  I always feel a bit dreary and move more slowly on those days.  I get the urge to sit down in a corner of the couch and read for hours at a time (of course, that is not possible, but that's what I want to do).  I also get the great desire to crochet warm things to wear.  I found a super-easy pattern for a shrug and some lovely flecked yarn on clearance.  I have already used a whole skein ( only three more to go).  Creating beautiful things is something I love to do, but don't have much time for on a regular basis.  Fall is the time for sewing, crocheting, knitting, and crafting.  Yay!  I have big plans for the next few weeks, and I will be posting pictures of several of my projects.

Harvest bounty

 Fall is also the time for apples, and when there are apples, there must be pie - at least that is what my husband thinks!  Last week, we were given a basket of apples. I think they were Wolf River apples, but I cannot be sure.  Anyway, I thought it would be nice to bake a pie for my best beloved.  I never dreamed it would be an undertaking of epic proportions! :)

My workstation on the dryer

I dug out my recipe book and found the pie crust recipe.  Then I gathered all my utensils and measuring devices, bowls and spoons, and took them outside (I have to mix flour outside, due to Josiah's extreme allergy to wheat).  The day was sunny, but cool, so I shivered as I set up my mock kitchen on top of the dryer (another long story).  I realized while gathering my stuff that I had left my pastry blender at home - no big deal, I will just use two knives.  Right.  Not only had I left the pastry blender, but I had left my rolling pin there as well.  No problem - I will utilize the good ol' glass mason jar to roll out my pie crust.  The trouble was, all I had was a pint-sized jar.   Recklessly, I set to work, the wind chilling me and blowing flour from here to kingdom come.  I finally rolled out the crust and tried to pick it up.  It stuck to the top of the dryer and tore into about 15 pieces.  "Rats!" I shrieked.  I heard laughter coming from inside the trailer.  Muttering under my breath, I poked and patched away, trying to piece the crust into the pan.  What seemed like an eternity later, I had the crusts all rolled out, and laid on top of the apples, which by this time were turning brown from extended exposure.  I took the pie into the RV, intending to bake it in my miniscule oven.  Something was wrong - the oven would not light.  I have a healthy fear of propane gas, so after several attempts to light it, I called my husband in to see if he could get the pilot light to work (he has a bigger life insurance policy).  No luck.  After a little bit of

The finished product

 investigation, he found that when our RV tire had blown a few weeks ago, the tire had spun up and hit the gas line that runs through the wheel well, crimping off the gas line.  So now I had a pie, but no way to bake it.  I was in a roaring good mood by this time, as you can imagine! (Sorry, guys, I really am not perfect.)  I decided that I would just bake the pie in the toaster oven, even though I had never tried doing anything that big in the toaster oven before.  I stuck the pie in the oven and closed the door - almost... The pan was about 1/8 " too big for the toaster oven!  I heedlessly stuffed it in, and put another pan over the crack in hopes of retaining the heat and walked away.  I had to turn the pie halfway through the baking process so that it would be evenly baked on the edges.  Amazingly enough, the pie was marvelous!  The crust, though it looked awful, was so tender that it melted in my mouth and I was quite pleased that my perfect pie crust record (several years running now) was yet unbroken.  All in all, it was delicious, and my husband was quick to assure me how wonderful it was, and that next time it would be better.  He even went so far as to buy me another pastry blender and rolling pin.  I think that is a serious hint for another pie!  Perhaps this week I will make another attempt - if it stops raining!