Friends, Romans, Countrymen - lend me your ears! No wait, just your eyes! I have a small feast for you...
The very touristy town of Bellagio...bellissimo! After an hour train ride, including a missed stop, and a 1 1/2 hour bus ride on treacherous mountain roads, we arrived in Bellagio at my favorite time of day - lunchtime...spaghetti bolognese, caprese salad, and gelato...in a word...fantastico!
And as wondeful as Bellagio was, we loved Varenna even more - hardly any rich Aussies/Germans/Japanese to bump into - only the occasional stupido Americano...which alternated between me and the mister. Two pics just to whet your appetites...I won't bore you with the 19 hour flight(s) from hell...or the body/bag search in Amsterdam - except to say cold hands were involved...and I'll not mention the bus tickets to no-where, the free train ride (which is what you get if you forget to buy tickets and don't get caught), the late-night run to the Supermercato to buy a much needed hair brush after drooling over one ENTIRE AISLE of every kind of pasta imaginable, or sleep deprivation which is only alleviated by eating gelato. Feel free to quote me on that. We're having a great time - together - who'd a thunk it?! Arrividerci!
Please forgive me for name-dropping, but while you're reading this the mister and I will be de-planeing in MILAN...oh, how rude of me, I meant to say MILAN, ITALY in case you thought I was taking about Milan, Idaho! Okay, enough about me - for now - I'll let you in on all the fun if I can take a break from being the Accidental Tourist and stop eating gelato long enough to plug in the computer! In the meantime, I have this incredible recipe for Pear Butter for you...truly divine...did I say I was in ITALY?!?
One of my very favorite sandwiches is a piece of crusty French bread topped with Fontina cheese, prosciutto, and pear jam. Those ingredients meld into the most delightful lunch - and if you toast it, so the cheese melts - well, you've got yourself an E-ticket on the Nirvana Express. Pear Jam is usually pretty easy to find but at $6 to $8 for a little tiny jar, it's dang expensive! I don't just use Pear Jam on sandwiches - it's great on toast/bagels in the morning or when making stuffed French toast and I also like to use it as a filling between cake layers for an extra sweet surprise. I love pears, love pear jam, and when Diane asked if she could pick me up a box (Thanks Diane!) when she went over the mountains to the sunny side of the state I jumped with joy!
The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving is my jam/jelly Bible. Even if you've never canned before, this book will have you addicted and canning like Betty Crocker in no time! You don't need 25 pounds of pears to make pear butter - you can make it with just five individual pears! That's why I love this book - if you want to can a pantry full of something, you can, but if you just want to put up a few jars for yourself or for gifts, this book talks you through every step and takes out all the guess work. And Pear Butter, I must say, is the elixir to all that ails. Trust me.
By the way, the mister has been transformed. Since last May when all of his favorite TV shows ended, the mister has been morose, depressed and downright humorless, yes, more so than usual! All summer long, nothing to watch but reruns - until last week; oh my, he came alive! New shows returned as PREMIER WEEK premiered! And there is a lightness to his step - more pep...less knuckle-dragging. He fairly sprinted through the airport to the gate so he could claim a seat and watch a new episode of his favorite TV show on the computer before our flight left! I had no idea he could move that fast - it's as if the embalming fluid has been replaced with STP!
Pear Butter - From The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving
(I made two batches of Pear Butter. One batch was made with ground nutmeg, giving the Pear Butter a darker appearance. The other batch, made without nutmeg, is lighter in color and taste - both are excellent. No pectin is used in this recipe.)
5 pears, any kind, peeled, cored and sliced
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cinnamon stick, about 4-inches long
4 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
Place pears and water in a miedum stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Bring to a full boil over high heat, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until pears are tender, stirring occastionally.
Place pear mixture in a food processor or blender and process until almost smooth. Return to saucepan and add sugar, stirring well to blend. Put cinnamon stick and cloves into a spice bag and add to saucepan. Return pear mixture to a boil, reduce heat and boil gently, uncovered, until mixture is very thick, stirring frequently. (This took about 40 minutes.)
Discard spice bag; stir in nutmeg (if using). Ladle into hot jars and process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Makes about 3 cups.
With the words of the mister ringing in my head, "Why don't you just go BUY them?" I decided to make luggage tags...even though I had no time for this sort of nonsense, none, but I'd rather make tags than do what I'm supposed to do - which is tying up lose ends before we LEAVE FOR ITALY...did I mention that before? When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's amore...sorry, can't help myself, I'm giddy with excitement and giddy, too, over my new piece of luggage! The mister said he would be embarrassed to be seen with me - whatever, like that's news. But isn't this the most happiest of suitcases? I'll feel like I'm pulling Minnie Mouse around ITALY with me!
I have two dear friends who will be traveling at the same time - one is going to Sri Lanka - I know, who goes to Sri Lanka?!? She has to fly to India and then take some rubber-band-airline to Colombo, the capital - I DO hope she returns what with all the warring and different things that are going on there! (The news said all that is over - whatever!) I felt compelled to make her some luggage tags, even though the odds of her getting her luggage are non-existent.
My other friend is also going to Italy, but she will be on a cruise in the Mediterranean that stops at different Italian cities...and I hope SHE makes it home alive, too! I've warned her about cruises...Legionnaires, Nor-walk Virus, Sharks, Rogue Waves, Tsunami's, Sharks, Torpedoes, Pirates, Coral Reefs, Sharks, Loose railings on the LIdo Deck, Elvis Impersonators, Sharks...but she chose to ignore my advice - which is why SHE needed some of my luggage tags - they are water-proof and will float...just in case there is a leak on the boat of Titanic proportions!
Here's how I made them: I printed out their names and other pertinent information on card-stock. I cut the card down, a little larger than a business card, and then I placed a piece of fabric under the card, cutting it one-inch larger on all sides than the card. (I pieced some of the fabrics but that's just an extra, unnecessary step.) Folding the edges over the top of the card to conceal the raw edge, I top-stitched them down and then on some of them I sewed squiggly lines - I kind of liked the look of it! Run the fabric-backed cards through a laminator, twice, then cut out, leaving a generous 1/2-inch edge of plastic. Punch a hole in the end, add ribbon or plastic ties and that's it.
Bon Voyage Bev! Happy Travels Wendy! Please come home safe!!
Speaking of travel...the mister made our flight arrangements...booked tickets with Continental and then, after paying for the tickets, he emailed me a copy of our itinerary. Well surprise, surprise...he screwed them up! When I gently pointed this out to the mister, he balked and said, "Not to worry, I'm handling it!" Here's the long and short of it...the mister calls Continental and says he wants to change flights - only they do not OFFER what we need - so he gets mad, and I imagine a few "unpleasantries" were said, upon which the mister hangs up. Then, WITHOUT thinking, he calls Delta and books flights with them. Bottom line: We've spent $5,000 and haven't even left the country!
"Who ever heard of an airline not refunding money?" he asked. Aside from the entire traveling public, just him! When a man is raised by wolves with wolf secretaries/nannies to do every little thing, he grows up not buying his own potty pants and not knowing airlines don't refund money.
Mister: So where's your list of what you want to see?
Me: It's all filed away right here (as I point to my noggin.)
Mister: Great, you have no memory, therefore you have no list.
Me: Where's your list?
Mister: I didn't make one because I thought you did!
And so the adventure begins...
Lest you think being an Accidental Tourist is easy, let me remind you that while it takes no skill or talent to be one, it does take expert eye-rolling and the ability to be able to say "Oh well" at the appropriate moment - allow me to illustrate with a scene from our trip to England:
Mister: What do you suppose is going on? (As he looks ahead at the throngs of people all lined up on the street in London)
Me: Have no idea, let's ask someone!
Mister: (To strange man on the street) Why are all these people here?
Strange man on the street: Are you daft? The Queen is coming!
Me: The Queen? Where? I can't see!
Strange man on the street: Not just the Queen but the entire Royal Family, too!
Mister: Quick, over here!
Me: What? Where did you go? Wait? Where are you? Come baaaaaaack!
Strange man on the street: There they are! Look, it's Prince Charles and Lady Di! And the President of France! Wave to Prince Edward! Smile at Princess Anne!
Me: Who? Where? I can't see!
Strange man on the street: There they go - did you see them? Wasn't that great? Bet you came all the way from America to see this!
Mister: That was awesome! Where were you?
Me: Oh well....
This time, I did my research. Oh yeah, I've researched my way into a new size! But it was worth it because I've come to understand Italy and her food (as the mister said, "What's to understand? See, eat, pass the Pepto!") To understand Italian food is to savor it...almost to the point of worship. Amen. And now, because I'm that kind of gal, I'm going to share one of my newest discoveries with you- Cannoli Pie. I came across this little gem at The Sporadic Cook while educating myself for my trip...as the saying goes, "Knowledge is Power" and this pie is powerfully good! It's everything a cannoli is and more. And it's so adaptable - the possibilities are endless!
Cannoli Pie - Adapted fromThe Sporadic Cook(she's got awesome recipes on her blog!)
This recipe makes TWO 9-inch pies!
For the Crust: (Or purchase two pre-made chocolate pie shells)
Make the crust: In the bowl of food processor, put in one package of the cookies and process until crumbly. Pour in half of the melted butter and process until mixture just barely begins to come together. Turn out into a pie plate and press mixture around sides and bottom with fingertips or the back of a spoon. Set aside. Repeat with remaining cookies/butter for the second crust.
Make the filling: In a large bowl, combine Ricotta cheese, sugar and vanilla. Fold in 3/4's of the whipped cream until almost blended. Fold in 1 cup of the mini-chocolate chips until all is blended. Pour half of the filling into each pie shell. Top with remaining whipped cream, chopped pecan pieces and remaining chocolate chips. Refrigerate for two hours. Each pie serves 6.
To be able to post about Quilt Group, when I LEAVE FOR ITALY IN THREE DAYS, is a testament to my will-power...I mean, being able to sit at the computer and NOT check the weather in Rome (75 and sunny!) with every click of the mouse is a monumental feat, given my attention span! But the quilts shown at our meeting were so spectacular they made me forget that it's raining and 66 degrees in Venice!
Stephanie brought a wonderful assortment of Christmas pillowcases she has made for her family for Christmas! Each one was unique - I think more pillowcases are in our future!
To see how Stephanie makes her "tube" pillowcases, click Here to see a quick and easy You Tube video. It's pretty amazing how it's done and at first you'll think it won't work - but it does! You must give it a try!
Claudia brought in these two antique quilt tops. Her friend gave them to her to be quilted - both of them are hand-pieced! There was a note with one of them, it was given to her friend's mom by her neighbor in 1940 - but that's all the information she has! They are both beautiful and in mint condition and both of them are full-size - oh to have a REAL quilt like one of these on my bed!! Perhaps in my next life...
Marsha will soon be on her way to England and she made this quilt to take to the people she'll be staying with - I'd like Marsha to come and stay with me! Only Marsha would give a quilt for a few nights lodging! Now, about those pants and skirt...they are both a very large size and each one was purchased at Talbot's for $10...clever Marsha is going to cut them up and make small purses out of them! They will be a hit in Merry Ol' England as she's making them for gifts for her travel mates so they'll have something nice to hold their pounds in! Have a great trip Marsha!
Lori (new grandma again!) and her daughter Kim made this T-shirt quilt for Kim's husband - he wondered where his T-shirts had disappeared to! It's one of the nicest T-shirt quilts I've ever seen - Terry quilted it for her and she did a GREAT job! Lori used a fusible stabilizer to back the T-shirts with, but even with that, this quilt is soft and definitely wrapable!
Denise made this wonderful wool pillow with yo-yo hearts - and she is making the green and brown baby quilt for a gift - along with the darling little girl's apron - yo-yo hearts on it, too! Denise is heading to Italy in a few weeks Buon viaggio!
Terry whipped up this sweet baby quilt using 9-patch blocks from an exchange a while back - I'm sure her new grandson NOAH will love being cuddled in it! She also brought in her finished circle quilt which is quilted perfectly - as only she can!
Ardith somehow managed to make this quilt top while she was preparing for surgery and in pain and after her surgery while recouperating! It's for her SIL's new granddaughter - love the colors!
The last thing we did at our quilt group was to pack up three boxes for Iraqi Bundles of Love II. This is the 2nd IBOL project - the first one was so successful, (over 3,000 boxes of fabric/sewing notions were delivered to Iraqi women)that they decided to do a sequel. If you'd like more information on how you can donate to IBOL II, click here. This is a great way to help build "bridges"...you can pack any type of fabric, any size too, along with sewing notions, into a flat-rate postage box and for $12.50 it will be delivered to a US base in Iraq where our US troops will then deliver these bundles of love to Iraqi women who are in need of fabric and sewing supplies. (Be sure to read on the website how to wrap up your fabric into a bundle!)
It's a great way to clean out your stash and help another quilter!
Okay, that's it...time for me to get some hand-work ready for the long flight to ITALY!!
Happy Birthday to my dear, sweet Dad - he's 79 years young today! If you're lucky enough to know my dad then you know what a truly gentle man he is - he is kind and generous (to a fault) and would give you the shirt of his back and probably his pants, too! He is always busy fixing something and loves to play golf - although, if you saw his swing you would think he was a contortionist. He's always up for a run to the grocery store/Sams/Costco, or a drive to see the grandkids, and while he could host his own right-wing-republican talk show where he could talk in depth about history or religion or politics, I believe his real talent is visible when he talks baby talk to his dog, Sadie-Ann-Marie. Only a real man can pull that off! So happy birthday Dad, you're the best man I know!
Million Dollar Potatoes...that's what the mister calls them, because they taste like a million bucks, but really, they should be called Million Calorie Potatoes because they are LOADED with calories...is that bad? I don't think so, let me remind you of what Julia Child said - which is my mantra:
Okay, this is not something you're going to make and eat every day, even though you'll want to - this is a once a year (or twice) kind of treat - something you'll make when you celebrate booking the last of your hotel rooms in ROME! (Some people wait until the last minute - I'm certainly NOT one of THOSE people...I only wait until the last WEEK because by then all of the moderately priced hotels rooms are book and I'm FORCED to stay in a nicer hotel!)
These could not be easier...potatoes are sliced, sprinkled with shredded Parmesan, then doused with cream...when they come out of the oven they are incredibly rich and decadent - creamy and cheesy - they will melt in your mouth!
The cream thickens and mixes with the Parmesan into one glorious sauce - which, if it helps, you can think of as gravy - you'll be hooked once you try potatoes this way - they are heart-stopping good!
Potatoes in Cream - Pots and Pins
3 to 4 yellow potatoes, scrubbed clean (I prefer these over russet potatoes because their skin is thinner and they tend to soak up a bit more of the cream)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup heavy cream
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Slice potatoes, almost all the way through, into 1/4-inch slices. Put potatoes into a glass pie pan or baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper - spreading open the slices as you go. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Pour cream over all. Cover baking dish with foil and bake for one hour. Remove foil and place baking dish under broiler for about 2 minutes, just until potato tops are nice and crispy. To serve, spoon some of the cream over tops of potatoes ala gravy.
“I come from a family where gravy is considered a beverage.” ~ Erma Bombeck
You know what they say about meeting people on-line...they're serial killers, or gypsies who will steal you blind or pervs who've appeared on Dateline at least 20 times...well, I have to say that is not always the case...I met someone on-line...she came to my house...we cooked pasta...and now she's my new best friend! Oh, she's not a serial killer, nor a gypsy and she's never been on Dateline...she's just a wonderful, friendly, regular Italian gal who knows her way around the kitchen AND a pasta machine!
Julie arrived with her arms loaded - she brought two freshly baked loaves of the best crusty Italian bread I've ever tasted - plus all the makin's for lunch! She also brought me a treat - an enamel dish with a glass lid filled with Peanut M&M's - my favorite food! And she brought her Kitchenaid Pasta Maker attachment...to say I was ecstatic would be down-playing things! (Dear Santa, please put a Kitchenaid Pasta Maker in my stocking this year!)
Julie and her sister make ravioli every year - the Saturday after Thanksgiving they spend the day in the kitchen and make about 500 ravioli that they freeze and then give as Christmas gifts. So Julie knows her ravs - plus it's in her DNA - her mom is Italian and her dad is Sicilian! I've made ravioli before, and they were good, but a bit thick - Julie gave me tons of tips and now I can pass them along to you!
Ravioli is much easier to make than you would think, all you really need is a pastry wheel to cut it, no fancy ravioli stamps, and of course, it does help tremendously to have a pasta maker but if you have muscles you can roll the dough out by hand - (pasta makers are cheap - well, not the Kitchenaid attachment, but you can get a good pasta maker for under $50). I had three fillings ready to go - roasted butternut squash, spinach and cheese, and a sausage and cheese. After making about a hundred ravioli, Julie prepared a very simple browned butter sauce with sage (Julie told us about Penzey's Spices, which is where she buys her spices - she said they are opening a shop at Pike Place Market so watch for them soon!) to top the butternut squash ravioli - it was incredible...we had quite a feast after our hard work!
Just look at all of those brown-butter bits - one of the best meals I've ever eaten in my house! After lunch we made more ravioli - about 200 or so total - it was a very good day! I don't remember when I've had more fun - it doesn't get any better than good friends and good food.
Julie's Tips for Perfect Pasta ~
1. Start with a good pasta recipe:
2 cups flour
2 eggs
2 to 4 tablespoons water
rice flour for kneading/preventing dough from sticking
Mix ingredients together in a food processor, starting with 2 tablespoons of water and adding one or two more if necessary. Dough should come together in a ball, then pulse a few times to knead the dough. Remove dough and knead gently for 1 to 2 minutes on a very lightly floured surface. Dough should feel like a baby's bottom...that's the official line - a baby's bottom is now a cooking term. Shape dough into a ball and cut the ball into fourths.
2. To keep dough fresh/from drying out, turn a bowl upside down and put it over the dough - no need to mess with plastic wrap.
3. As you cut the ravioli, the extra dough that is not used (scraps that are cut away), stick under a bowl to keep for making spaghetti later, Once the dough has been rolled (on top of a bit of rice flour) you can't reroll it - it would be too tough for ravioli but will still make an excellent spaghetti, linguini, fettucine. Stiff pasta can be grated to make little pasta shapes to add to soup!
4. Using 1/4 piece of dough at a time, roll each through the pasta maker, dust dough with a bit of flour, if necessary, to keep it from sticking. Start with pasta maker on the lowest setting (which will yield the widest pasta) and roll on that setting 5 times, folding the pasta into thirds after rolling and dusting with a bit of flour. After 5 rolls, adjust the setting, moving it to the next number, and rolling once per number but not folding - just keep it going - one roll per number as you move to the last number. By this time your dough will be quite long and thing...ready to cut!
5. Lay a sheet of pasta on top of a cutting board that has been very lightly sprinkled with rice flour - space fillings about 1 1/2-inches apart on half of the pasta. Only use a shy teaspoonful of filling per ravioli.
6. Mix an egg-white with 1 tablespoon of water and using a pastry brush, brush the egg white between the fillings and down the edge of the pasta - this will act like glue so the raviolis will seal.
7. Fold the pasta over, on top of the fillings, and using your fingers, press out the air, working in one direction as you go.
8. Use a pastry wheel to cut the ravioli into shapes - squares are easy but you can cut circles, too!
9. Sprinkle a rimmed baking sheet with rice flour and place the cut raviolis on the sheet to dry a bit before cooking and/or freezing.
10. Fresh pasta cooks much faster than store-bought pasta - about 3 to 4 minutes total cooking time when added to boiling water so don't over cook it! You want it to be al dente - firm to the bite!
11. Don't add salt until the water is boiling - and then add more than you would think you should - like a tablespoon or so as salt is not added to the dough. Stir the pasta as you are adding it to boiling water, but then don't stir again.
Making pasta is fun and easy - I hope you'll give it a try - even if you don't have an expert to help you like I did! Thanks Julie - I had such a great time!
Notice that lovely Chocolate and Pear Tart? Recipe coming soon...it'll make your eyes roll back into your head!
Just look at that face - doesn't it just melt your heart? Yes, The Girl is beautiful, too, but Max...oh Max...I miss you so! On this last day of summer I did a bit a sewing for Max, making him some halloween shirts so I can get them in the mail before I leave for ITALY...let me say that again...LEAVE FOR ITALY! One week from today we'll be flying over the Atlantic, I'll be drugged so I won't have to think about the sharks swimming in the waters below and the mister will be sitting, staring straight ahead because that is what he does - he does not read, he does not watch movies, he does not work, he does not play Solitaire - he sits and stares at the seat in front of him. Which, of course, is the real reason I'll be drugged...I'll avoid 9 hours of staring at him (in case he actually does something) staring at the seat.
Max loves pumpkins and all things halloween...I wanted him to have his new shirts by the 1st of October so he'll be prepared for any impromptu visits to the pumpkin patch! I cut off part of a border from a Moda halloween fabric from last year and machine-appliqued it onto a Target shirt - same with the pumpkin, stash fabric machine-appliqued onto a Target T-shirt. He's going to love them!
Target also had some fun halloween socks in their "One-Spot" for a buck - how great is that?!? I LOVE Target! Now to get it all in the mail for Max - so much to do before I LEAVE FOR ITALY!!!
Even though it's probably too late, because I think I bought the last two TURKEY HATS that Target had, you might get lucky and be able to snag yourself some of these priceless Thanksgiving Hats!
The Boy let me photograph him wearing the hats but only after I promised not to show his face or disturb him while he was playing some computer game...so you get to see the hats - which are fabulous - AND his lovely desk! The Boy already has dibbs on the "cooked turkey" hat for our T-Day feast - which leaves the full-body turkey hat for the mister! For $2.50 each I definitely got my money's worth!! They are really going to class up the T-Day Feast, don't you think?
We're right smack dab in the middle of peach season - at least we're supposed to be - but on our weekly Saturday night date to the grocery store we found the most pitiful peaches! I bought them though, because I'm making this pie again today...and even though the peaches are less than desirable, I know they'll still make one heckova pie! (As we walked past the frozen food section the mister spied a frozen peach pie, reached in, pulled it out and said, "Look at this? Why don't you just buy this and save yourself the trouble - it only takes 30 minutes to bake!" He was giddy - 30 minutes to peach pie - but no where on the box did it say FRESH PEACH PIE - and that's what I wanted, a FRESH PEACH PIE, even if the peaches are not the best, they're FRESH! (Before you go thinking how sweet it was of the mister to try to save me time in the kitchen...know this, that would only be true if the TV was on so I would have more time to sit by him to witness his skill with the remote!) This one is truly worth making and eating, and definitely worth whatever walking/running, not eating for two days afterwards kind of thing you have to suffer through.
There are three parts to this pie - the crust, which is made with ground up almonds so it tastes like an almond-shortbread-cookie - dang good. The second part is made with cream cheese, sour cream, and heavy cream...I know, it's enough to make one weep! Three creams in ONE pie! And then, because it's a peach pie, there are fresh peaches, coated with a very light glaze made with peach nectar...or, as I like to say, nectar of the Gods.
This recipe makes two 9-inch peach pies (regular size, not deep dish), when I first made it for my family I should have doubled the recipe and made FOUR pies because even with two there wasn't a crumb left over and everyone wanted seconds!
It's truly as good as it looks - truly - don't let my pathetic photography scare you away - because you can ring the ol' meter 5 times and then once more just in case no one is counting...this pie is dang, dang, dang, dang, dang, DANG good!
Fresh Peach Cream Pie - Pots and Pins
For the Crust:
3/4 cup whole almonds with skins, toasted and cooled
2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 1/4 sticks unsalted buter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Filling: (Note: If you are a fan of creamy-cheesy fillings, then double the amounts for the filling and you're filling will be much thicker - since the filling is for two pies, these amounts just provide for a very thin layer of cream - still, most excellent.)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
For the peaches:
10 to 12 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and thinly sliced
1 can (12 oz.) Peach Nectar (sold in individual cans in the juice section of the grocery store)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons corn starch
3/4 cup sugar
For an Extra Almond Zip: 1 tube of Almond Paste, optional but oh so worth the expense!
Make the crust: Pulse almonds with 1/4 cup flour in a food processor until finely ground, being careful not to grind to a paste. Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat egg into butter mixture. Beat in vanilla and almond extracts. At low speed, mix in almond mixture, salt, and remaining 1 3/4 cups flour until dough just forms. Halve dough and form each half into a 5 to 6 inch disk. Wrap disks separately in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees with rack in middle position. Generously butter two 9-inch pie tins. Roll out 1 piece of dough (keep other piece chilled) between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap, into a 12-inch round (dough will be very tender). Remove top sheet of parchment and invert dough into pie tin. (Dough will tear easily, patch it with your fingers.) Press dough over bottom and sides of pan, trimming excess. Repeat with remaining dough. Chill until firm, 30 to 45 minutes (don't skip this part, chilling prevents the crusts from shrinking during baking). Bake pie crusts until bottom is slightly golden and edges are golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool crusts on a rack, about 30 minutes.
Make the Filling: While crust is cooling, make the filling: In the bowl of an electric mixer combine sour cream, whipping cream and softened cream cheese and beat until smooth. Add brown sugar and almond extract and continue beating until mixture has thickened, about 5 minutes. Chill.
Make the Peaches/Glaze: Prepare peaches and put in a large bowl. Set aside. In a saucepan, whisk together sugar and cornstarch and then set over medium heat and slowly add peach nectar and lemon juice. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until mixture just barely begins to boil and has thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and pour over sliced peaches, stirring until all are coated. Let sit on countertop until ready to assemble pie (unless it's going to be more than an hour, then refrigerate).
Assemble pie: (If using the almond paste, roll out paste between two sheets of plastic wrap to fit hte bottom only of the pie crust. Place almond paste on top of cooled crust. One tube is enough for both crusts - you'll be rolling it very thin. If you're not using the almond paste, proceed with the assembly directions.) When crusts are cooled to room temperature, spoon half of the filling into each pie crust, smoothing all around bottom and sides of pie. Spoon half of the peaches into pie crusts, gently spreading over the creamy filling. Refrigerate until well chilled, about 2 hours. Each pie serves 8. Makes two pies.
"I am not a glutton - I am an explorer of food." ~ Erma Bombeck
My friend Joni, winner of beauty pageants, model, talk show host, radio host, gifted speaker, talented and published writer, gardener, cooking contest winner and super mother of 4...has now added another talent to her long, long list...painter of shoes!
Joni sent me these hand-painted, customized-just-for-me shoes for my birthday - which is 4 months away! They are so great - and comfy, too! Just look at all that detail! Joni recently launched her new custom-painted shoe business...Oh Shoes Anna- you need to go to her website to see the dozens and dozens of different designs she can paint for you! Bird shoes, patriotic shoes, Christmas shoes, Halloween shoes...you name it and she paints it! Works of ART for your FEET!! And, as I can attest, they make the perfect gift! Thanks Joni - I love them!
Speaking of Joni...hopefully today the mailman will deliver HER birthday present (mine came 4 months early, hers is arriving one week late which by my standards is the equivilent of 4 months early!)
I love doing hand-work while watching TV - unless the mister enters the room, picks up the remote and turns off my show in favor of the military channel...then something happens...the relaxed feeling I get from hand-work disappears as my blood-pressure rises resulting in me accidentally pricking my finger with the needle, and before I know it someone is screaming, in a voice that is eerily similar Regan's in The Exorcist, "For the love of all that is holy can I just watch MY SHOW because I don't give a rip about the 10 most popular assault rifles!"
As a drop of blood appeared on my finger I realized that voice came from me! But more importantly, the mister, shocked at my spinning head, immediately turned the channel back to Grey's Anatomy just in time for me to see Dr. Shepherd take a bullet to the chest. And then, wanting to make conversation, to see if I'd returned from the dark side, the mister said, "Looks like he used a .45 - wouldn't be my weapon of choice!" And I think to myself...Oh really? Really? That's all you can say?!?! Dr. Shepherd is blasted to the ground, blood gurgling out of his chest, his thick, dark mane tossled ever so come-hither-ish, and you comment on the GUN?!?
Dr. Shepherd lives. The mister takes control of the remote in time to see the two top assault rifles in the world. I make pear butter. It's all good.
Being a quilter for over 30 years, I've learned one thing that's for sure (as my good friend Ops - short for Oprah - would say) and that's this: You can't go wrong if you buy too much! You will never be forced to have a "close enough" fabric in a quilt again! I've always said that I make 30-foot quilts - or put another way, quilts that look good from 30 feet away! One day I hope to make "inchers." In the meantime, as I struggle to make points match, I'm happily trying to cover every bed, sofa, and chair in my house with a quilt - that's normal, right?
Ahhhh....food....
We may live without poetry, music and art;
We may live without conscience and
live without heart;
We may live without friends;
we may live without books;
But civilized man cannot live without cooks.
He may live without books,
what is knowledge but grieving?
He may live without hope,
What is hope but deceiving?
He may live without love,
What is passion but pining?
But where is the man that can live without dining?
Owen Meredith...or as I like to call him....
The Earl of Sandwich
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