My Pie Quest

So, I have decided that I want to banish my fear of pie making....namely making the crust for pies.  I'm absolutely terrible.  I'm not a bad cook, actually I'm a good bread maker, but as for pies, well.....I stink!

I'm reading a book called American Pie.  In there are some yummy sounding recipes.  I'm going to try them.  I think I'll try a sour cream raisin pie tonight.  Once my rhubarb is big enough I'll try a rhubarb custard pie.

I'll also make savory, dinner type pies.

I've found a bacon, cheddar, tomato pie that I can't wait to make once my garden is producing tomatoes.

I've had a mexican type empanada meat filled pie before.  I want to find a recipe for that and try it again too....but I don't really know what to do with the crust making.

My mom has a great crust recipe using Crisco (only name brand will work), she does a great job but I'm not able to make it flaky like she does.

.......a few hours later
I made the tomato and the sour cream raisin one today.  They tasted good....not great.  The crust wasn't flaky like I want it and the filling didn't set properly....I guess that means I'll just have to make another one next week.

Final Grade:
Crust: C
Filling:  B-
Taste:  B   The family loved it....but they love me and they love sugar, so who really can tell what they thought.

My goal is to make at least two a month, more than that and well have a few problems getting dressed in the morning!

 I found a recipe for the crust from a site called "The Art of Pie".  They swear by the fact that if all the ingredients are cold, then all will be well with the crust....so I did as they suggested and made put all the ingredients and the bowl in the freezer.

 I used canned garden tomatoes for the savory dinner pie.  Bacon was added to the crust....if I could keep Connor from eating it!!

 Mmmm, it was sooo good, but quite rich.  I will try this again except I will add the bacon to the tomatoes, use a regular crust (this one was quite high on real butter) and use fresh tomatoes from the garden.  This filling was sooo good that I may even experiment with using it layer between thin slices of potatoes for a bake.

 It sure makes this one happy

Busy in the Garden

 It's almost July and my peas are still growing and growing....I do believe this year will be the year of the Sugar Snap Peas!!!

We don't get many of these yummy pods in the freezer. Liam and Brianne eat them straight from the garden....dirt and all.

 Corn, pumpkins and winter squash.  I also planted: sweet potatoes, onions, kale, swiss chard, watermelon, cantaloupe, eggplant, a variety of sweet and hot peppers, tomatillos, tomatoes--for canning and small cherry and pear ones. A variety of summer squash, cucumbers, sunflowers, red and white potatoes and of course blue lake green beans.  Today as I was working in the garden I had an aaahaa moment of what to do with some areas between two of the larger garden boxes. I plan to work on them and well see if my idea works....you'll find out later when I blog about it.

 It's not a very pretty garden this year, but after Barry is done with his project of outlining the garden areas with these salvaged boards it should look much better.  I also want to get rid of all grass in the walking paths, wood chips, pine needles will do the trick.

 I got so busy with other things lately that I let the asparagus go to seed.

 Hello Mr. Prying Mantis....I can't wait till you get bigger.  Hopefully this little guy will find all the food he needs in my garden--because it's there!--and will stay around for a while.

 This year I planted more asparagus and rhubarb. They are coming on strong.

 Basil,

 Summer squash,

 Peppers,

 Green beans....oh my, if they all produce well, we'll have a full freezer for winter!

I'm a Stay-at- Home Mom, so I don't do anything!

My sister Cheri called yesterday to say that she's jealous of me because I stay home during the day and don't do anything......really?!!

I understand that she's tired and wants to stay home too. I know I would hate to have to get up and leave my home everyday.   I feel so grateful that I am blessed with the ability to live on what my husband makes without me having to go to work.....yes, we do it only because of tithing blessing, hand-me-downs, no frills foods or meals, rarely go out for "paid type" fun or restaurant food and the great generosity of others sharing their abundance with us...

I understand that I don't go to work like my mom did, --driving a school bus for the local school district all while raising 7 children--and that I only have 6 children......

But really? to say that I don't do anything?  ........In truth I think it's quite funny....and I honestly doubt that she meant it the way it came out of her mouth...I know everything that comes out of my mouth certainly isn't the way I want it said (or think I said it.)

Anyway, I'm perching up on my soap box right now to declare that YES!! I do "do something" everyday while I stay home......so for your enlightenment dear sister, don't be jealous of my lovely life.....this is what it would entail......

Yesterday--
made breakfast
somewhat cleaned my room and make bed--somewhat
got dressed and showered (not an everyday occurance, I'm sure my sister gets one every single day!)
got kids onto their chores.....reminded them that I can't and won't do it all..I didn't yell to loudly, just with emotion :)
cleaned the kitchen (from the night before because kids aren't doing their chores)
took girls to Whitten's so they can keep their dog watching job
kids home and did family scriptures
threw in a load of laundry
while Barry and the older three went off to mow for the business, I
worked with Liam on his school work of letters
Delaney with her math
read two books to them on our topic of Africa
started lunch
mow crew came home and fed the masses
put Brianne down for a nap----oops, fell asleep, because I'm tired--we're staying up nearly to midnight these past few days due to birthday celebrations for Ryan after they came home from stake priesthood meetings (and helping the kids feed dogs) that was Sunday
on Saturday I was up this late because Cailin was working her first "real job for someone else" at the Claytor Lake festival for the Hill's food booth) and all that day I ran from here to there while watching 7 extra kids (that would be 13 kids total!) Friday I was up late too...just can't remember why....because my brain is tired!

when I woke up I got Ryan and Cailin onto their testing for the end of the year.
took Ryan to a friends home in Radford
stopped at the library to pick up some more books on Africa and let Liam have a bit of fun with the computer.
tried effortlessly to calm Liam and Delaney's fears after hearing on the radio of a tornado watches and flood warnings that were in affect for our area. (and to keep myself calm and not show signs of exasperation in dealing with this never ending fear)
stopped at Walmart to pick up guinea pig food, wood chips, and a few other things for an African meal that we'll have later this week.
Oh great....no wood chips, now I have to go to Tractor Supply...so on to another store...
back home and Cailin informs me that Melody has a huge lump under her front leg.  I check her out and she has yellow gunk leaking from her nipples too.
call Brother Morgan and see if he can fit us into his schedule....oh dear I hope it's not cancer!
we're at his office for almost an hour.  He doesn't think it's cancerous, but does feel that if should be removed.  He has made a contractual agreement with Cailin--they will trade services.  He will perform the surgery and she will take care of all his animals and mow his yard while they are away on a family vacation to Idaho....what a tender mercy!!
Back home again.....it's now 6 pm and there is no dinner started.  Sister Zander is here for piano lessons and Barry is getting ready to walk out the door for work on an empty stomach....great! :{
gotta deal with an less- than -happy- about- the- organization -of- the- papers- on -the piano- (in fairness to her it's been a mess for a few months now) but she's tired of it and  even though I've told the kids to *gasp* clean it up, because it's their job--they have not done it!  imagine that!! :}

Search the cupboard for meal ideas....oh chow mien noodles...we'll have  Hawaiian haystacks.  start the rice. (In my abundance of time I really do need to get a menu planned so this won't happen again.)
deal with a fight between Delaney and Connor concerning walking the dogs.  Connor walks on with out Delaney, try and sooth her hurt feelings because Connor was being a turkey with her.
Brianne is losing it because dinner is soooo late--put on Signing Time or Barney--that will give us more time.
I have this intense feeling that I need to catch up with Connor and spend some time with him--he must be hurting somehow too.
get Cailin onto the meal prep and feed the littles.....and finish de-stemming the snap peas from the garden for dinner too.
Walk the route Connor takes for the dogs going backwards (not physically) to meet up with him.  Chat and talk about nothing and everything...he seems okay.  Let him know that he really hurt his sisters feelings with his insensitive comments.
Get back home
I hear him apologize.  He really is a great youth!
Eat dinner.  Make plans with fellow mom of youth that Ryan is spending time with as to when we'll  meet up and I pick up Ryan again.
Eat a bite of dinner...mmmmm yummy the snap peas are amazingly good!
Brianne's a mess, get her in the bathtub and clean up the kitchen...just a bit.
it's time to get the girls over to the Whitten's to take care of the dogs again.
....on to pick up Ryan.  Chat with Takara about good websites for high school and other school needs.
home again....it's monday night. FHE ...make peanut butter popcorm and a movie...we'll watch Ramona and Beezus, but it's 9 pm.  Great  This day isn't going as planned.  It's too late to start the movie but I'll never hear the end of it--how can a dare not have FHE.

I let them start the movie but once I get Brianne down they'll have to go to bed --however, the movie is great. We are all engrossed in it....we watch and enjoy the popcorn....even Brianne.  it's over by 11;30 pm Liam fell asleep at the computer watching his own movie (he doesn't like Ramona--I've been reading the books of Ramona to Liam and Laney and Liam's decided he doesn't like them, so he won't watch the movie)

Move Liam
Get Brianne down with me...Barry's working so it's another night of Laney (and now Brianne) in bed with me...not going to be a great sleeping night for me.
I should read the scriptures but I'm so tired, it's just going to be a prayer and then down for bed....whew,  why do I feel so tired when I don't do anything during the day?

today's been just as busy......more dogs,
guinea pig drop off and pick up at the vet's office for a surgery....it's a good thing we did get the tumor out, it looked quite ugly.
deal with an insurance agent/company who are not stellar or honest
prepare strawberries and rhubarb for making jam
get the cherries picked
get boys onto the yard duties
go to Dollar tree to get 'summer reading program" because the local library's one is in cohorts with lawmakers and DOE....really?! what a creative way to slowly give our constitutional rights away...in a so seemingly benign way.
More testing for Ryan and Cailin
math, journaling and more Africa reading for Liam and Laney.
look into cloth diapers for Brianne.
Blog 2 book 20% deadline is today....get the blog book 2010 uploaded to printer.
get Connor on to finishing his history.....I'm done with TJEd, I don't care, I will require!!
help Connor with his cooking class, he wants to make peanut butter noodles
After dinner, go to Mattson's and clean out their garden beds....they are coming home on Friday from China!
make a strawberry and rhubarb pie for Barry.
Yep, I'm tired again....but I don't know why, I don't do anything?!!

***okay, okay, so she says, that she doesn't want to do anything....not necessarily that I don't do anything...but that's what I heard, and I'm sticking with it!!!

Before and After....our front yard.

Before:

After:

 Oh, how my body did ache after pulling all those weeds....but it looks so much better now.

The Boy's Trip to Fredricksburg Battlefield

Earlier this month Ryan, Connor and I took off to Fredericksburg battlefield. We did this to keep a promise I had made to them both about two years ago. I never intended it to take this long to take our field trip. There just never seemed to be enough money or time. Finally Vicki told me that we were going and we just needed to do it. We had a grand time. We did not stay over night like we had first planned, but still all in all it was a good trip. We are going to attempt another visit sometime this fall back to the Chancellorsville and Wilderness area. There is just so much to see and do there. This is a car that belongs to the Battle Field Park Service in Fredericksburg. The paint job is extremely detailed. We were very impressed with it.

At the time of the Civil War, Fredericksburg was a prosperous and charming town that lay on the banks of the Rappahannock River. In November of 1862 the Union Army, under the command of General Burnside assembled on the far bank of the river. The plan was to cross the river, move through Fredericksburg and force his way between the Confederates and Richmond. However the pontoon boats that he needed to cross the river did not arrive until December. By that time General Lee was entrenched on the hills that surrounded the town waiting on Burnside to make the next move.

On December 12, Burnside forced the crossing. The Confederates posted sharpshooters throughout  the town that defied the Union and played havoc with the engineers setting up the pontoon bridges. Burnside ordered the town shelled, which destroyed much of it. It however, did not drive out the snipers, it just made it harder to find them.
Burnside landed troops by boat and a fierce battle raged throughout the day. Finally, the confederates withdrew from the town. The occupying Yankees ransacked the town and completed the destruction of homes and shops. By the time of the Yankee landing, most of the townspeople had fled their homes. It would take 100 years before Fredericksburg would reach its prewar population.

The park provides a self paced walking tour that covers Lee's battle line. Much of it covers the bottom of Marye's heights. In this area, the union troops moved through the town and attempted to take the hillside known as Marye's heights. At the bottom of the hill, as seen then and now, lay the sunken road. This roadway was the main route in and out of the town. A stone wall ran down both sides of the road, with several residences and shops located there as well.
The confederates established a battle line at the base of Marye's heights. The stonewall and the natural depression of the roadway formed a very strong fortification from which the rebels could not be driven. Waves after waves of union soldiers would die attempting to gain Marye's Heights. Eyewitnesses of the battle claimed that a person could walk from the base of Marye's Heights to the river bank on the bodies of the union dead, without touching the ground. It was a huge disaster for Burnside, which would end his career.







Above and below are pictures of the sunken road. As you can see it is a bit different then it was on December 13 1862. This road was a major road that led into and out of the town. The stone walls that you see were actually on both sides. On the bottom picture, on the left side, is the beginnings of Marye's Heights..

Today the Sunken Road is a very pleasant walk for the part of the battle field that overlooks the then small town of Fredericksburg.

I had really wanted to be able to walk through this house. It is the Innis home. During the battle, the family had to flee. The Union line broke around this house like waves of the sea. The confederates used the house to place sharp shooters in the top. The inside wall of the front room still bares all the scars of the battle. It is full of holes from rifle and cannon shot.

The picture above is of the Kirkland memorial. Kirkland was a young confederate soldier from South Carolina that was serving at the sunken road the day of battle. As the battle unfolded, wave after wave of Union solders hit that wall. They were all repulsed with great loss.  Kirkland was well within ear shot of the Union wounded and their cries for water. On his own, he gathered up canteens and went over the wall into the wounded enemies and administered to them. The union army cheered him for his efforts. It does not really say if his buddies did. Kirkland would be killed later in the war. He is a great example of compassion.

This cannon is one of several that marks the area that the Confederates used on top of Mary's heights for their artillery.

This is a family cemetery that existed on top of the heights. The brick walls that you see were rebuilt after the war. During the battle the graveyard was used by Confederates as a makeshift hospital site. It was shelled so badly that the walls were destroyed. This is not the greatest picture, but the marks you see on the gate post are Minnie ball holes. Many of the grave stones were turned red from dust of the brick walls.

The markers that are pictured here above and below are found in the large soldier's cemetery at the top of Marye's Heights. This area had four major battles fought here, Fredericksburg I and II, Chancellorsville and the Wilderness. Fifteen thousand union soldiers are buried here, a program of the government during the years following the close of the war. Of these 15,000 soldiers who rest here, only about 3,000 of them are identified. The upper number on the stone, 1175, denotes the burial lot number, the lower number notes how many soldiers who are buried here.

This monument is in honor of the 5th Corp of General Butterfield. This Corp bleed a great deal on this battle field and those that are adjacent areas.

The area that is shown in these pictures are of what has become to be known as Lee's Hill. Lee had so much time to prepare for Burnside's arrival that he had large caliber navy cannons brought up and placed. These guns had a devastating effect on the lines of union troops.

The trench lines that mark the right flank of Lee's lines are still very visible. It is a very peaceful place now. It is hard to think that in this area thousands of troops were engaged in deadly work so long ago.