How to bake a pie in half a day

a. Purchase Martha Stewart pie pan "for inspiration and imminent use"

a1. Break out pan for the first time in an entire calendar year and copy the instructions from bottom as they will be obstructed shortly.

b. Make dough with food processor (easy peasy--10 minutes tops)

c. Form dough into disk and place in fridge for the minimum suggested time--1 hour

d. Take dough out of fridge and wait 20-30 minutes for it to come back to room temperature

d1. Poke at it with rolling pin every ten minutes, just "to check" to see if it's ready

e. Wrestle with rolling pin/floured surface/semi solid dough until desired thickness and roundness is acheived.

f. Place dough in pan, crinckle edges and place in freezer for 15 minutes while simultaneously pre-heating over.

g1. Continue multi-tasking by cleaning floor/counter/self/husband as there is flour EVERYWHERE


h. Retrieve pan from icy tomb and layer with parchement paper + pie weights. Place in oven for 15 minutes.

i. Attempt to make batter. Use expletive of choice as it's evident that pre-made pumpkin pie mix, not pumpkin puree was purchased. (Using the pumpkin pie mix would be a simple subsitution but this would take away from the "from scratch" feel of current endeavor.) No, the mix will not do.

i1. Take pie crust out of oven, remove weights and paper and shove back in, for another 25 minutes.

k. With 2nd baking complete, correct pie mix mistake by rushing back to grocery store.

l. Mix pumpkin puree with eggs, pinches of this, splashes of that.

m. Following instructions, place pie pan in cookie sheet, pour mixture into pan, and set timer to 55 minutes.

m1. Make a mental note of time: 60 minutes before needing to head out to the evening's activity--pumpkin patch and corn maze with friends.

n. Timer goes off. Check pie. Frown. Pie is completely wet and uncooked in the middle. Take cookie sheet out, place pie back in oven and hope for a 5 minute miracle. No such luck. Curse Martha and her home-baked ways.

o. Do the only sensible thing. Turn off oven, leave pie untouched, and hope residual heat will work its magic while heading out the door to enjoy less labour intensive fall activities.

p. 2 hours later. Saunter back into house and place perfectly baked pie in the fridge to cool.



q. 2 hours after that. Enjoy the fruits of labour and search recycle bin for $1 off coupon Costco Pumpkin pie thrown out the day before.

Seeing Green

Upon reading the May addition of Martha Stewart Living in which the concept of "color" was featured, I was inspired to try a small-scale project for the blank space above our mantle. The grand idea was to collect several old picture frames, paint them white, and replace the pictures with different patterns and shades of green fabric.

mantle-before

A combination of trips to Goodwill, JoAnne Fabrics, and Home Depot found me ready to get down to business. Following the instructions on my spray paint can, I thoroughly sanded all the frames and applied the first coat of paint. Peter was a huge help from the beginning and re-painted the frames once the required drying time was up. In the meantime I spent way too much time at JoAnne's, pouring over their vast selection of home decor prints, but finally come away with 5 yards of varying greens.

our open garage was the perfect place for the start of this project

A three week hiatus later (while I hosted several 'showers' at the house), and after some much needed motivation (thank you Peter!) the project came together beautifully. We ironed the fabric, carefully manipulated it into the frames with the help of a random bottle of craft glue, and just tonight, hung them all up above our mantle (okay, Peter measured, nailed, and hung them while I supervised). The next step is to find some "filler" for the actual mantle. I'm thinking a trip to Moe's Furniture and a glassybaby or two will do the trick!

mantle-after

I especially love the floral and horizontal stripes patterns

Next project on the list: backyard garden! We spent our 9 month lunaversary hauling 180 bricks from Home Depot to our yard and I can't wait till we have a nice, sunny, (and free!) weekend to get our hands dirty and start our yard beautification project with the help of the"Edibles" garden book that arrived at the library this week...come on summer!

Growing a Green Thumb

Now that we have a real yard, with real potential, I have plumb run out of excuses for not learning to garden. This weekend was supposed to be the start, with the priceless help of my dear mum who has a fantastic garden of her own, but alas, the wretched rain has foiled our plans. I do however have some transplanted inspiration right on the back porch. Thanks to the same wonderful mum, I have several starter herbs ready for use, including rosemary, sage, basil, parsley, and chives. Peter and I were also given a tomato plant from our friend Steve, which we hope to get into the ground very soon, as well as a potted plant from our other garden goddess mum. While there is still a small window of opportunity on Monday, I'm not keeping my fingers crossed and looking forward to the anticipated June sun. In the meantime, I came across a recommendation in the local paper called "Sunset Western Garden Book of Edibles"that I plan to pick up shortly, along with a somewhat related cooking companion, "Urban Pantry".

Our first edibles

Books to add to the reading list.

Home Sweet Home

Dear loyal readers,
Since our last post, there have been some changes--some large and some small. The obvious is that we've switched blog servers from WordPress to blogger. I'm hoping that the ease of use of this platform will result in more frequent and up-to-date blogging on my end. But I'm not making any promises and reserve the right to use the term "daily" loosely. (Not that I have the authority to use it this loosely)

The second bit of news, perhaps old news to most, is that Peter and I made the big leap and purchased our first home last month--and we couldn't be happier. I was more apprehensive than he and afraid that I would feel 'homesick' for my 45 sec walk to work, the two coffee shops blocks away from one another, and the option for a quick bus trip downtown when jonesing for a bit of market and metropolitan shopping. To my surprise and delight, the transition has been very smooth. I love that I can take the train with Peter in the mornings and have a solid block of morning coffee/Bible reading time before work each day. (We even managed to squeeze in a quick trip through Pike Place market and coffee at Le Panier before work one morning--a treat we look forward to indulging in more often during the summer months!) And while the commute back can some days be long (especially when I sleep through my stop), the permanency and stability of what it now means to "come home" is worth it. As is the responsibility. In the few short weeks that we've been here, Peter has made numerous trips to Home Depot, replaced several light switches, and installed bathroom hardware in both bathrooms (yes, we have two!). As for my part in this operation, I've attempted to find the proper place for all of our belongings, am continuing to unpack the last 10% of our boxes/bags and am working on some projects of beautification, including art work for the space above our fireplace and gardening--much more to come on both these fronts.

I'll end the post with a picture of one of my favorite areas of the house thus far: the "breakfast nook"--which also serves as our lunch/dinner/snack nook.

"The Spirit of Poulsbo"

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A few months back Peter and I drove to Poulsbo to pick up what is now one of our favorite pieces of furniture--a solid wood rolltop desk. This beauty comes with over 1/2 a dozen mini drawers and enough storage space to meet my need for everything to be tidy and Peter's need to not throw anything away. But that's not what this blog is about. This is about our mini-adventure in this fair Viking city. A city that is nowhere near Tacoma, as the giant "Poulsbo RV" sign clearly seemed to indicate, but rather a ferry ride away. With my parents' van gutted of seats in preparation for our new arrival and  two undisturbed hours at our disposal we  went on a photo safari through the few square blocks of town. We visited a local bakery with its famous emoticookies and endless selection of baked goods. We stopped at the pier and later the vintage boutique shop with its enticing wardrobe selection. We found a picnic table and took turns picking at a cinnamon roll that didn't seem to end. And everywhere we went, "The Spirit of Poulsbo" coffeetable book, with its glossy cover and historic references was staring back at us. Apparently it didn't want to leave.  The drizzle that met us as we drove into the city quickly turned into a full blow winter storm and sadly we had to cut our walk short. But we did promise the man in the Poulsbohemian Coffeehouse to return with the summer and watch the Vikings as they walk the streets in their annual parade--they with their clubs, we with our cameras.

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Relationship Experts Agree...

Finding a common interest is sure to keep both the friendship and romance in a marriage growing. While a gym membership is not in Peter's near future and reading about mathematical theory and technical anything doesn't make a blip on my radar, geocaching is where x marks the spot for our seemingly unrelated interests (pun fully intended). For those of you unfamiliar with this modern day treasure-hunt, check out the following website: www.geocaching.com.  Per the website: "Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online." In essence all you need is a hand-held GPS, good shoes, and a sense of adventure. Our first geocache find was in Fremont on Dec. 24th and since then we've explored areas of Madrona, Samish Island, and most recently Portland, OR .  I know what you're thinking...way to go out of your zip code!! We're working on it and hope to get to Canada, (Vancouver and Victoria) , California, and Hawaii within the next year and a half and pick up/drop off  'bugs' from all of those ares (trackable devices that are placed in the containers by fellow GCs).  

Below are some pictures from our Madrona adventure with my little brother, Michael. Samish Island pics will be up soon! 

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Foodie Phrase: Mise en place

Per Wikipedia  " Mise en place (pronounced [miz ah plas], literally "putting in place") is a French phrase defined by the Culinary Institute of America as "everything in place", as in set up. It is used in professional kitchens to refer to the ingredients that a cook requires for the menu items that he/she expects to prepare during his/her shift... ingredients are measured out, washed, chopped, and placed in individual bowls and ready for use as the recipe requires.

While I have seen this done before (think Rachel Ray stacking EVERYTHING but the kitchen sink in her little prep bowl and bringing it to the main table) I didn't realize it had a real  name nor did I understand its importance. Until, that is,  my 2nd visit to the dentist. To distract me from the seemingly endless barrage of gum-numbing shots I was about to receive, the dentist handed me a radio with headphones. Within seconds (I wanted the distraction to start immediately) I was listening to a piece on KUOW which included the interview of a chef explaining how to use the simple concept of mise en place to make preparing a large or complicated dinner not only manageable, but enjoyable. (Follow this link for complete story: http://www.kuow.org/program.php?id=18887)



This tool has saved many a Davis dinner from being burnt beyond recognition, the kitchen from looking like monkeys were let loose with cans of tomato sauce as ammunition, and most important, my sanity. This very evening's dinner, in fact, went off without a hitch because I took the time to pre-measure and pre-chop my ingredients. The recipe, "Shrimp Fra Diavolo", courtesy of this month's Cooking Light magazine, is not very forgiving when it comes to timing, and having everything ready to go in mini-prep bowls made the cooking enjoyable, the cleaning a breeze, and the final product perfetto! Furthermore, having all of your ingredients before you gives you the sense that regardless of how complicated a recipe may seem (and this was not necessarily such a recipe) you can do it, and you can do it well.

So, next time you're in line at the grocery store wishfully staring at the cover of Gourmet Magazine thinking "I could never do that", do yourself a favor: buy the magazine, a bottle of wine, go home and put on some classic Sinatra, and let old "Blue Eyes" and this little technique help you make some magic!

Till next time!

PS: Here is the link to the Shrimp Fra Diavolo recipe should you wish you try it. And like I said, this is probably a 1 to 2-star in prep difficulty but rewarding none-the-less (oh, and did I mention that it was delish!?) http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1949706

The 12 Days of a Davis Christmas

My oh my how time flies! Peter and I had a great first Christmas together! Below is a little synopsis in the form of a song.

The 12 Days of a Davis Christmas

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On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me --a little red Volkswagen buggy

That's right! We have a new car! It's a Jetta Sportswagen TDI--in 'salsa red'. It has been such a blessing to be able to get around town and run errands that don't take 1/2 day on the bus. Driving stick shift proved to be quite the challenge and after much talking and prayer we decided that buying a car for long-term use (with room for the future Davis dumplings) would be best. I will be forever grateful to Peter for giving up his little zoomzoom--I know how much he liked that car--thankfully this new toy has lots of buttons for him to play with.

On the 2^nd day of Christmas my true love gave to me--two ugly sweaters

I've always wanted to got to an ugly sweater party and this year was it! Finding such treasures was harder than I imagined-out of hundreds of sweaters at Goodwill, I only found one (but it was a beaut!) and Peter walked away with a Christmas tie. We spent a fun evening with friends from community group which included dinner, ice skating and a late run to Molly Moon's for ice cream!

On the 3^rd  day of Christmas my true love gave to me--three Christmas flicks

 Well, technically two. We watched "A Christmas Story" while decorating our tree (which, by the way, is a really funny movie when watched all the way through in one sitting) and "It's a Wonderful Life". This was Peter's first introduction to George and Mary Bailey and as it turned out, not the last. Later in the month we attended "It's a Wonderful Life" Radio Theater at Taproot and watched the movie come to life.

On the 4^th day of Christmas my true love gave to me--four ice skates rented

Nothing says 'winter holiday' like ice skating. In ugly Christmas sweaters. At the Seattle Center Rink. It's  as close to riding in a one-horse open sleigh as it's going to get here in Seattle, and it was a blast. Peter and I sang Christmas carols off key (mostly me) while holding hands and going around in circles. At one point, some guy on the sidelines shouted out "You guys are so cute together". I agree.

On the 5^th day of Christmas my true love gave to me--five lbs of chocolate!

Literally. I don't know how it happened, but at the end of several white elephant exchanges we came away with TONS of chocolate. Oh, and I can't forget about the smorgasbord of chocolate that both sets of parents bestowed upon us. Not that I'm complaining--we've made a healthy dent in the Lindt Truffle collection. Mmm..white chocolate creaminess!

 On the 6th day of Christmas my true love gave to me--six fun tree bobbles 

One of the Christmas traditions that Peter and I started was to purchase an ornament for each other each Christmas--one that represents the past year. This being our first year, we purchased several: 1) Jesus in the manger 2) Couples ornament (cheesy yes, adorable, also yes 3) Lighthouse (for our Maine Honeymoon) and 4) Stockings as tree-toppers. I also had the pleasure of being witness to Peter's handyman skills as he sawed off a bit of the bottom of the Christmas tree while still in the stand. This is what happens when one forgets to water a fresh tree... 

 On the 7^th day of Christmas my true love gave to me--seven soapy snowflakes

 

Snowflake Lane is an annual tradition in downtown Bellevue where the streets are decorated with giant snowflakes and the holiday tunes and peppermint mochas are never-ending.  Every evening in December high school kids dressed up as toy soldiers participate in a drum line and play all the favorites. The finale is a blizzard of foamy 'snowflakes' blown about to the delight of all the little kids---and some of the older kids too. The best part was the older couple standing next to us. This was clearly not their first attendance, and by the look on the husband's face, unfortunately, not their last. It was a small glimpse  into our future---60 years old and still attending Snowflake Lane just because the wifey likes to do Christmasythings ad nauseam--now THAT'S love!

 On the 8^th day of Christmas my true love gave to me --eight different coordinates

Christmas Eve was my first time geocaching, and ohmygoodness, where has this fun treasure hunt been all my life?! Peter and I were meeting a couple of good friends for dinner that evening in Fremont anddecided to spend the whole day in the city. The first adventure led us to the famous troll under the bridge where we located our first mini-cache. Our second cache was found by collecting several clues in the city that led to the final destination--a tree on the Burke-Gilman trail. More on this in the next post!

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On the 9^thday of Christmas my true love gave to me--nine Zarembas munching

The holiday swap has started! Since we spent Thanksgiving with Peter's parents, Christmas day was at the Zarembas(followed by the rest of the Christmas weekend with the Davis family). The morning began with a quick run to Safeway to pick up ingredients for the french toast casserole I was supposed to have assembled the night before. (Now I know that things shut down by 6pm on Christmas eve). Upon arriving in Kent, the flurry of last minute prep for the evening's dinner began, and by 11:30 we were ready for presents. The fun lasted till around 1pm at which time cooking ensued...and I do believe nap time occurred sometime between 2 and 4pm (for me). Dinner was fantastic, as always, and the evening concluded with a family picture in the living room and hugs and kisses all around.

On the 10^th day of Christmas my true  love gave to me--ten friends from youth group

Since I cannot recall when, my old group leaders from junior high school have graciously hosted a YAC Reunion party (Youth at Church) at their home on the 23rd of December. This is the first year that I've gone in the last 4 or 5, and it was really nice to see everyone and catch up. Most people are married and with little children of their own. The board games with small pieces have been replaced by giant plastic toys (this year,it was Mr.and Mrs. Potato Head with dozens of accessories) and conversations revolve around home remodeling, kids and all their little antics, and reflections on the past year. Several of us ended the evening with a 10pm viewing of Avatar in 3D with promises to see one another next year.

On the 11th day of Christmas my true love gave to me--eleven desserts for sampling

 December started with the Expeditor's Christmas soiree at the Sheraton in Downtown Seattle. We mingled, enjoyed fancy little hour d oeuvres, and a bit of bubbly. After cocktail hour we were treated to a delicious holiday spread followed by  an unbelievable selection of desserts. It was so hard to choose just one or two or three...so we divided and conquered and took bites of each other's picks. Yum!

On the 12^th  day of Christmas my true love gave to me--twelve crazy chickens

Thanks to my sister Diana, our new year calendar is entitled "Extraordinary Chickens". Each month we have the pleasure of staring at a new chicken---fluffy, colorful, crazy-eyed--the fun just doesn't end. January's poultry sensation is a Silkie Bearded Buff Pullet which resembles a very puffy ball with little chicken legs.

Below are a few more pictures. Click on the thumbnail to see the full-sized image.

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