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Lovin’ Oven

21 Saturday Apr 2012

Posted by jessica@peace-of-pie in Uncategorized

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

blueberry, key lime

I only wish I’d thought of that ridiculously cute title myself. But alas. They thought of it first.

When I’m in New Jersey, one of the places I like to visit is Frenchtown. Everything about it is cute. Even the laundromat, which is called the “launderette”. See? Cute. In Frenchtown, there is an amazing store called Two Buttons, which is owned by Eat, Pray, Love author Elizabeth Gilbert. I saw her there one time. EEEP!

On my trip out east this month, my friends Maggie and Jen and I made it to Frenchtown. We shopped at Two Buttons, where you are given free red wine and popcorn and you drool over fantastically beautiful things from all over the world. I bought some fossils of extinct squids from Morocco. It’s really a great time.

The NEW and exciting discovery we made on this day was the new business next door to Two Buttons: Lovin’ Oven, the cutest (in keeping with the theme) bakery/cafe that you ever did see.

I’ve kicked around the idea of starting up a bakery someday. Okay, let’s be serious…maybe a farmer’s market stand. Or…maybe a lemonade stand type deal in the front of my house. I honestly don’t know the first thing about being an entrepreneur, but it’s fun to imagine.

My friends Josh and Amber are the ones who have the most fully-formed vision of my future pie-peddling. My company will be called Hipster Pie; I will have a food truck from which I will sell delicious mini pies faster than Sprinkles can sell cupcakes. Another option in my mind is to wait until Levi and I are of retirement age…his plan is to make his own wine and chocolate, so I figure we’ll just move to the country somewhere and have a little shop. Y’all come visit.  If you have any other ideas, I’d love to hear them, no matter how far-fetched.

But none of you are going to come up with a name as cute as “Lovin’ Oven.” And yes, that’s a dare. I dare you to be cuter than Frenchtown, New Jersey.

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12 Thursday Apr 2012

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Posted by jessica@peace-of-pie | Filed under Uncategorized

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What is Pi(e)?

21 Wednesday Mar 2012

Posted by jessica@peace-of-pie in Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

As many of you math-inclined people are already aware, Pi Day was recently celebrated (3.14, March 14th). At my school, we’re a little crazy about math and about Pi(e), so we prolong the celebration quite a bit. In fact, tomorrow we’ll have about 20 kinds of pie that the kids and teachers alike will be devouring at recess and lunchtime. (Did I make one of those pies? Well, naturally…but that’ll be another post. So stick around.)

What I want to share with you right now is an eloquent explanation of what pi(e) is all about. Please keep in mind that nowhere in California K-2 educational standards will you find students required to compute the circumference or area of a circle…hence these kiddos have mainly stuck to the subject of piE rather than its homonym.

I mean, what’s actually the difference, right?

Enjoy.

(Thanks so much to my wonderful husband for editing this video for me.)

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Historical Flashback

13 Tuesday Mar 2012

Posted by jessica@peace-of-pie in Uncategorized

≈ 5 Comments

The other day, I found a special wedding card given to me by my cousin Carly and her husband Andrew. The card, while delightful, was not the part I was most excited to reread…it was the index card that she slipped inside the envelope. On it, Carly had listed all the reasons why her gift (Ken Haedrich’s Pie) simply HAD to be mine. Seventy-some pies into this venture, I’d say her reasoning was sound.

(Just in case it’s easier to read…)

This book had to be yours for these many reasons:

1) You obviously prefer pie with such passion that you served it at your wedding. [True life.]

2. Newlyweds need cookbooks; it’s a lot of meals that you’re responsible for now that you have your own fully equipped kitchen.

3. Ken Haedrich is The Man. His other cookbook, “Soup Makes the Meal,” is every bit as good as this one. If you never actually make a pie [HA], do yourself a favor and read the book.

4. Ken “The Man” Haedrich hearkens from NH, which is up there not too far from some of the Gelineau roots, I hear. [Indeed…Levi was born in Vermont, and I have family there as well.]

5. Jess, we share the very unique “pie thumb” in the family. I think we must be destined for pie greatness. Now you can step up to the proverbial pie plate and become the culinary artist you were born to be. [How badly do you want to see my pie thumb now? So badly. Well…dream on.]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Okay fine.]

[Isn’t it cute? In a weird way?]

6. This book is deliciously comprehensive, from Apple, Banoffee, and Chess to Zapple!

[Thanks C & A! xo]

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Tie Dye Pie

06 Tuesday Mar 2012

Posted by jessica@peace-of-pie in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

almond, coconut

But not really, cause that would be gross.

If you have read my previous posts, think back to the aforementioned group of ladies I get together with once or twice a month and do fun things with. They feature again in this post. This time, we didn’t make mini pies together, but we did make something. And then ate pie. Almost the same story. (I can hear the jealous whispers…why do these girls get to eat so many pies? Right place, right time, my friends.)

So we had a lovely dinner together and then my friend Mimi stirred up some large smelly pots of Shibori dye and we had at it with dishtowels and white shirts from the Salvation Army. I claimed this tiny child-size shirt as my own.

And now presenting…Almond-Coconut Pie! A few quick comments about this one. First of all, as Ken had mentioned in his notes, this is a very cakey pie. I’d say almost about as cakey as a pie can get. But think coffeecake, not birthday cake. Second thing: It’s totally justifiable to eat the leftovers of this one for breakfast. I know this from personal experience.

Pie Features: whipped cream on top (the real deal, of course), All-Butter pastry, easy to make (all in the food processor, baby!)

Pie Feedback: texture surprisingly reminiscent of…cornbread? Yet not in a bad way. (Don’t take this the wrong way, little pie!) Also surprising, one friend who isn’t into coconut or almonds really liked it. Unless she’s lying. Or maybe she just loves cornbread. Ah, the mystery.

Here’s a badly-composed picture of the Almond-Coconut pie hovering mysteriously, UFO-like, over someone’s tie-dyed dishtowel, drying on a bush. In the night. Under a full moon. (Okay okay, maybe not that last part.)

If mystery isn’t your thing, how about history? Because my friend April send me this great link the other day with fun/shocking facts about pies in the olden days. Did you know that pie birds(decorative funnels used to let steam out of pies) are shaped like pies because bakers used to set full-on BIRDS on top of their pies to identify the contents? That song about four and twenty blackbirds wasn’t a joke. Ugh. Give me almonds and coconuts inside my pie any day over peacocks.

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Chess Pie?

21 Tuesday Feb 2012

Posted by jessica@peace-of-pie in Uncategorized

≈ 7 Comments

Be honest…do YOU know what a chess pie is?

Before I made my first one, I didn’t either. I thought (without vocalizing it, because I think if I’d gotten that far I would have realized this made no sense) that it was a pie with a marbled top, vaguely resembling a chessboard with dark and light parts. My father-in-law, who just had a birthday and got to choose this pie from the book, guessed that it was like a cheesecake pie. Chess/cheese, pretty close.

There are several theories given in the cookbook to explain the whole situation. One of them is that a chess pie is a pie that holds up well in a pie chest (as you might guess, a cupboard for safely storing pies in.) Chess/chest. Even closer.

If you asked me now what a chess pie is, I would say that this is my general assessment.

1. It has eggs in it.

2. It’s so easy to make. Not even funny.

3. It’s incredibly delicious.

Ticket to Ride is a good game. Starbucks Vanilla Bean Frappucino is a good ice cream.

Angus Barn Chocolate Chess Pie is a good pie. There you have it, folks.

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Good Things

16 Thursday Feb 2012

Posted by jessica@peace-of-pie in Uncategorized

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Tags

chocolate chips, pecan, whiskey

Here are some Good Things.

1. I have a lovely new banner adorning the top of this blog, as you may have noticed. My talented friend April created it for me. (Thanks again! You’re simply the best.)

2. Chocolate Chips.

3. Jack Daniel’s.

4. Pecans.

5. The above-mentioned three items combined to make one incredible pie. (Named, simply, Jack Daniel’s Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie.) No problems there, folks.

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6. The fact that my friend Maggie flew out from Virginia to surprise me that weekend (sneaky husband was in on the secret as well). We hadn’t seen each other since August.

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Take note of the Good Things that happen to you today!

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I’m running out of berry pies.

13 Monday Feb 2012

Posted by jessica@peace-of-pie in Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

Alas, I am afraid that in not too long (read: about half a year) I will not have a single solitary berry pie left to bake. But in the meantime…

I will bake Blueberry-Lime Pie when it’s my turn for Wednesday night Bible class refreshments.

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And I will reluctantly share, but will stand in the kitchen and sneakily eat a healthy slice.

And take purple-tinted Camera+ pictures on my iPhone. WHAT a dork.

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Really though, I’m partial to berry pies. I have a hard time coming up with a concrete answer when people ask me what my favorite has been so far, but I know one thing: it surely contained berries.

One gripe with this pie=having to purchase limeade concentrate. HFCS doesn’t usually make it in my front door. If you ever come across a more natural brand, please let me know, I’d be interested. For very far future reference, as the next take on this guy is waiting in line behind about 230 other new pies. Patience, patience.

Speaking of the day I finish the Pie cookbook, I have been thinking lately about how I’d like to start inventing some of my own pies. My friend Nicole lent me the movie Waitress, which for some reason I had never seen. I am slowly becoming the person everyone mentally associates with pie, so I get lots of pie related gifts, articles, movies, etc. I have no problem with this. Anyway, I thought the names Keri Russell made up for her pies were super funny. Not being in the same life situation, I have no reason to invent a “Baby Screaming its Head Off in the Middle of the Night and Ruining my Life” Pie, but lately I’ve been found making lots of “I Have a Million Papers to Grade and My House is a Mess but I’d Rather be Baking” pies. This was one of them.

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Pies rhymes with Surprise

11 Saturday Feb 2012

Posted by jessica@peace-of-pie in Uncategorized

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For our friend Mike’s birthday a couple weekends ago, his girlfriend (my cousin) Alisa planned an awesome surprise party for him.

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Mike still has no idea that there is a large hangout going on in his living room.

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Realization of the truth slowly settles in.

The theme of the party was sports, which meant that the guys could sit on couches and watch football for hours, and eat. Which is what they would have wanted to do on a Sunday afternoon anyway.

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“Wear my Justin Tuck jersey while I watch the Giants defeat the 49ers en route to the Superbowl? Why yes, I think I shall.”

Once Mike had been sufficiently surprised and had finished changing into his Laker’s jersey, Alisa and I made him guess what kind of pie we picked for him (without seeing said pie). He guessed pumpkin cheesecake. The correct answer was…*deep breath*…Peanut Butter Cheesecake Pie with Brown Sugar-Sour Cream Topping.

I’m going to give seven out of ten points for that one…5 for the cheesecake and 2 for the initial “P” sound.

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Ain’t they cute?! All three of them!

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There’s nothing cuter than mini pies.

09 Thursday Feb 2012

Posted by jessica@peace-of-pie in Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

That’s a fact.

Except for maybe these ladies.

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About once a month, a group of my girlfriends get together to catch up on each other’s lives and participate in fun/uplifting activities. For example, this month we made a scrapbook for our friend Kristen’s almost-here baby girl (!!) and ate lots of snacks, and then made mini pies. Sounds great, right?

Thanks girls for letting me teach my first official pie-making class to you. 😉

The recipe I used was one called “Little Fruit Crumb Pies.” The funniest part was that the recipe talks a lot about how this is a “recipe for the kids” and includes quotes like, “have the children gently press the remaining pastry crumbs into the fruit.” So I got to pretend I had a bunch of children making pies with me.

To accommodate the diverse taste buds of our group, we used apples, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, AND rhubarb! Hooray!

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Here’s what we did:

1. Press in the pastry (aptly named “Press-in Pastry.” It’s a big bunch of crumbs, and you just take some and press them into the pie tin instead of rolling out a crust. Much easier for a large group of children. Or adults.)

2. Select fruit of choice. The final products here ranged from plain apple to blueberry-raspberry-strawberry. To each her own.

3. Add sugar, flour, spices and lemon and mix it all together.

4. Top with more crumbs.

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Then you just figure out how to put eight little pies in the oven so that you’ll be able to retrieve them later without burning yourself…and you’re all set.

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Go, little pies, go!

After much anticipation, we were rewarded with…a whole pie each. There is something so fun about having your own little special pie to eat all by yourself. If you want to. I mean, you’re still allowed to share mini pies. They’re just the only pies that you don’t HAVE to share.

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