Rueberry

So the pie was experimented upon, and the honey wasn't the best idea. The blueberries were fine, and a welcome addition, but the honey was just too complicated a taste and brought a smoky molasses flavor that didn't work. One unintended effect was the highlighting of the crust. I've never been disappointed in this crust recipe. It always succeeds in being flaky and light. So now I will share it with the weblog world:

3 C. sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 C. shortening (Crisco's sticks are my favorite)
1 tsp. salt

1 beaten egg
6 Tbsp. ice water
1 Tbsp. vinegar or lemon juice

Cut the first three ingredients together with a fork or pastry blender until pebble size, making sure to not overwork the dough. Then mix the last three ingredients and add to the first three.

The yield could be three 9" pie crust flats, but I normally make two and freeze the leftover.

I put the shortening, water and vinegar in the fridge before assembling. It is also good to refridgerate the dough between one and twelve hours before rolling it out. This keeps the fats resilient allowing them to keep the flakes of dough separate. Plus, it won't fall apart when you transfer it to the pie dish.

My belief is that the secret component is vinegar/lemon juice. It is really the only ingredient that separates it from so many other crust recipes.

As for testimonials, my parents like to tell the story of when one of my stepfather's trustys that he was supervising for the state got the crust out of the garbage that another trusty had discarded. So it is approved by work release prisoners everywhere.

An Email Forward I Appreciated

How much chalk could a woodchuck chalk if his name were Julian Beever?

It is mainly a bunch of sidewalk chalk drawings done in three dimensional perspective. The Batman and Robin is my favorite.

I'm doing well. I've been running again, at least three miles on Friday, Monday, and Wednesday. I've been eating healthier--ice cream only once or twice in the last couple weeks. And I'm making my second pie in seven days. This one will be a blue-barb (unless you prefer rhuberry) pie with honey instead of sugar. I went with honey instead of sugar, because my normal rhubarb custard recipe is too sweet. Sure you want sweet, but you also want the tartness of the rhubarb, so I'm making some adjustments. We'll (me and those joining me tomorrow for Thursday Night) see how it goes.

Not Fit for Human Consumption.

Lacking Human Growth Hormone. Contains artificial additives, including but not limited to minutia, prejudices, preconceptions, and procrastination tendencies.

I think this sums me up a bit now.

Everyonce inawhile, I think that it might be nice to be in a more serious relationship, even a marriage. And then I think some more and realize I'm not ready for one, and I don't really know when I will be. I'm fairly juvenile, not a mature adult. I am secure in admitting this, better to be a bit honest than a bit deluded.

Granted it is difficult to observe my own maturity objectively, and I really haven't been in a lot of situations (or at least I don't think I have) that have tested my maturity. Still, I think I have plenty of arranging and identifying to do in my own life before I bother sharing it with someone else.

Arcana of the Day

I was watching a video of Conan O'Brien interviewing Tom Hanks, because the musical guest that show was Wolfmother, and Hanks was talking about filming the DaVinci Code in Paris. He wanted to see the city, so, instead of providing him a driver and car, the studio gave him a scooter. Previously Hanks had not understood the pout he always saw on Frenchmen riding scooters, but, once on the scooter, he had the pout, and the beret, and he always had a baguette sticking out of his back pack, and for good measure he had an accordion player on the back.

The tune Hanks hummed was the theme from the Third Man. I was very pleased that I recognized it, and to think if I had seen the interview when it initially aired in April (before I saw the Third Man), I would have not been able to appreciate it. I'll forgive Tom the mistake of using a song by an Austrian used in a movie filmed in Vienna for his Paris soundtrack.

Thursday morning I was watching the World Series of Pop Culture on VH1. One category was Live from New York, questions about Saturday Night Live. The two contestants, each with a chance to answer the question if the first one missed, got only two of the six questions right. I can't remember the sixth question, but of the five questions I remember, I knew the answer to four of them. I thought it odd that these people who entered a contest challenging their knowledge of pop culture, couldn't answer even half of the questions on a subject that prides itself on its immersion in pop culture. Here is your opportunity. I'll give you the questions and put the answers in the comments. I didn't know the answer to the fifth.

1. What popular Eddie Murphy character recorded an album that includes the songs "Wookin' Pa Nub" and "Fee Tines a Mady"? They got this one right.

2. What is the name of the fake NPR show on which Alec Baldwin plays Pete Schweddy, who touts his Schweddy Balls?

3. In a memorable Celebrity Jeopardy skit, Norm MacDonald plays which actor who insists that Alex Trebec call him Turd Ferguson?

4. In the SNL Digital Short "Lazy Sunday" with Chris Parnell and Andy Samberg, which two snacks equal "crazy delicious"? The girl had even recently seen this, but couldn't recall.

5. Which song do Patrick Swayze and Chris Farley dance to in their tryouts for the Chippendales?

[6. The first question which I forgot (thank goodness for re-runs), but both they and I knew was: In 1991 Rev. Jesse Jackson read which Dr. Seuss book on Weekend Update in a tribute to the author.]

Good luck.

My Summer Vacation, Vol. 2

Where were wee? Oh yes.

July 3: Today I left for West Bend Recreational Area on the Missouri River at 7:30 am from Brighton, CO. Wyoming has a lot of nothing, and I got to see most of it. Then I entered the beautiful Black Hills and Hot Springs, where I visited my grandpa for a while. I also got to stop for an hour in Wall, SD, home of Wall Drug. There I purchased the rest of my shaving kit, a mug, a brush, and some shaving soap, to go with my straight razor and strop. Now all I need is the gumption to use them all. I arrived at West Bend very close to 8:30 pm. Just in time for supper.

July 4: Anniversaire of our nation's Declaration of Independence. This day was spent reading, eating, sleeping, and playing bean bags, not necessarily in that order.

July 5: More of the same.

July 6: More of the same, this time with two small bean bag tournaments with 6 and 5 teams of two respectively. I managed to be one half of each winning team for both of them. This belies the fact that my sister beat me for the first time in what she says is 12 years, I don't think she's been playing that long though. We also had /flysh keek-luh/, spiced meat (in this case an 80/20 deer/beef mix) wrapped in dough and deep fried.I also did some swimming in the river today too.

July 7: Today we, the Dickhaut family and affiliates, fried some of the 150 some walleye caught at that point for brunch. Then at 1:30 I left to come back to Lincoln. On my way back I went through Burke, SD, hometown of an old friend Tyann nee Jeffries. Nothink else of note.

July 8: Today I went to the Farmer's Market with Ellen, before we went and visited Amy's place in Iowa. Then we scuttled back to go to Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest with Karen. I liked it. I knew going into it that the ending was a bit open ended, which I expected, and was fine with.

July 9: This day was a barbecue at Karen's with a viewing of the first Pirates movie. Then some more bean bags.

Thus concludes my summer vacation, estivation if you will.

My Summer Vacation Volume One

Friday June 30: Today I left Lincoln at 3:30 for my aunt's home in Brighton, CO. The first hundred miles heading west on I-80 looks the same as the second hundred miles, which happens to look the same as the third hundred miles. After travelling many times "on that long and lonesome highway east of Omaha," allll the way across Iowa and up to Chicago. I can say that it is one of the most boring stretches of road. Ever.

July 1: Rabbit, Rabbit. I started today with a light 3 mile walk with my aunt around her neighborhood. I then watched a soccer match, England v. Portugal, while she had her hair cut appointment, and then we both went to Greeley to visit my cousin, her son. After a pleasantly delicious meal at Outback Steakhouse, we did some shopping. My treasure from the shopping was a meat thermometer. That evening was relaxing in the cool of the evening and watching Running Scared (fine maybe a 2.5 outta 5).

July 2 (the happiest day of someone else's life): Morning was waffles and Johnny Cash and cd collection organizing. Then I went to Ben and Ashley's Wedding. It was my first time driving in the mountains, to Estes Park, but I enjoyed it and can see why one would enjoy living there.

I thoroughly enjoyed the wedding. I appreciated every choice they made--from the service and reception being held in the same room to a group sing of If.

The drive back in the mountains was a bit more harrowing, but new and exciting nonetheless.

July 3: I left for West Bend Recreation Area on the Missouri River from Brighton at 7:30 am.