To those we knew and lost… and with grateful thanks to all those who work to break Al-Qaeda ( القاعدة “the foundation”) and it’s movement.
Anniversary Cooking
Pies are very simple desserts, but enormously satisfying to make from scratch. If you use your own apples , you may find that they really do taste better; afterall, if you care for your orchard or one tree, the apples will always be more flavorful!
I have had far too many pies filled with raw apples and no more seasonings except one : cinnamon. If you make it yourself, you can make it your way…. and your way is usually best! 😉 BTW, the topping requires 1/2 cup of butter which I didn’t list…. funny, my grandmother did that a lot ,to!
Years ago, Laura and I would drive over to South Pasadena to a place called ‘House Of Pies.’ They carried a wide variety and my favorite of their fruit pies was cherry. For years I tried to duplicate their simple sweet and deliciously thick filling. Mine reminds me so much of theirs.
These two go into the freezer until Sunday.
40 years ago
Sometimes, we look back and we are truly surprised by the things that have happened… and after 41 years this shouldn’t be too surprising. I am amazed at how much I have changed and how much Laura is still so much like the young woman I remember.
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Today, Laura and I spent a romantic morning cleaning out here office and preparing her for school! There was much interesting stuff enough to keep the most determined cultural anthropologist busy for years! However, this afternoon , I began preparing a number of pies for Sunday ( our 38th wedding anniversary).
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Sometimes, it goes by all too fast.
Special Gingerbread
Maybe I have seen the ‘Count of Monte Cristo’ one too many times, but I wanted to make some gingerbread (in the shape of coins) for shipment to someone stationed in a modern day Chateau D’If far away from home.
The nice thing about gingerbread is that it lasts for a very long time and will withstand the most abusive of baggage handlers, plus my daughter Kristin said it was one of the things she was most fond of recieving from home.
I tinkered with the recipe a bit adding more spices ( which is to my liking) and some honey to the molasses.
1/2 cup butter
1 cup molasses
1/2 cup honey
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
7 cups flour
approx 1 cup water
2 teaspoons baking soda
10 teaspoons of my spice blend*
*( 8 parts ginger, 4 parts cinnamon, 1 part cardamon, 1 part allspice, 1 part cloves, 1 part nutmeg, 1 part mace, 4 parts orange zenst, 3 parts lemon zest)
bake: 350 degrees for 13 minutes
Oh Yes, it is very good… and time only makes it better!
“And I had but one penny in the world. Thou should’st have it to buy gingerbread.” – William Shakespeare
enjoy!
remembering Labor Day
Karla contributed this wonderful drawing of her sisters ( alter egos) and her celebrating Labor Day! For those who you might not now the complete history of Labor Day , here is a link to the Department of Labor’s summary: CLICK HERE!
What do I remember most about Labor Day? I remember how I joined Local 93 of the Teamsters Union while working through college, the fun of Labor Day Picnics and the unwavering support of Labor in running for elective offices… I enjoyed winning, but when I lost it was not their fault.
Remember Labor Day! Have an enjoyable time.
Roger