leap

banana cake baked from the heart...it tastes even better that way

 Tuna paws at rest

to rise
a sudden or abrupt transition
an act or instance of accepting or trusting in something that cannot be readily seen or proven
 


2.28 to 2.29
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gloomy

monday.

Lots of rain, plus my vacation is officially over.

...

to the lion city...

Twenty four hours after leaving our house we arrived in Singapore! With two days to myself while Case attended a conference I explored the city and found that every single building has a mall inside and an endless eating area with stalls of every possible food. It was exciting and overwhelming. The people are kind and helpful, as everyone had told me it is the safest city you will visit, and yes, it was. I drank milo dinosaurs and fresh watermelon juice and took in the mixture of skyscrapers and jungle wilderness. Found Bread Society and proceeded to visit many more times.

 I wanted to take this little guy and his adorable kneecaps and ears home with me, so cute!!

We visited the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari. They were both magnificent! We walked in an exhibit with free flying fruit bats and marveled at them munching away on fruit right in front of us. Otters squealed at us in a singsongy way. Monkeys played freely above us and I fell in love with slow loris and the popcorn scented binturong. Case and I patiently waited for the giant flying squirrels to fly but alas they just wouldn't when we were watching!



Two days on Bintan Island...a little resort getaway in Indonesia. We were spoiled with homemade pastries, sunny skies, sand dollars and shells along the shore, watermelon rice, sleeping in, pool lounging and plenty of time to rest up for a couple more days in Singapore before heading home.

Back in Singapore we explored Little India, Chinatown, saw more sites, walked, MRTed and found places like Tip Top Puff and the Riverwalk.

 Treasures from Bintan Island. I was very careful to make sure it was okay to take these lovely souvenirs.

Since coming home I have slept, slept some more, done laundry, gone to the movies, ate pancakes and in n out, taken two long afternoon naps, walked Hermie, watched the Oscars with my family, enjoyed Mom's tuna + noodles and started to sort through the many pictures and video we gathered along the way.

So nice to be home. Hermie, Tuna, Ladybug and Tiny Dancer were happy, too, as were my parents who took care of all the kitties and Hermie! Thank you Mom and Dad. ♡♡♡

2.15 to 2.26
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xoxo

happy valentine's day!


2.11 to 2.14

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instaweek

Yep. This popsicle is raspberry, lemon and strawberry all in one.

Tastes a little bit like summer over in my nook of the world.

Usually I would be complaining that it is too soon, not yet!!, but not this time.

Hermie actually left his Monkey on Case's pillow. 

That is the cutest thing in the world.

Then Bug wanted her picture with it. 

Rain and a glowy soft glassy sunset this week. 
Very nice.

2.7 to 2.10

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first sunday in february pie

a flaky buttery crust holding a rich chocolate pudding like filling topped with walnuts and pecans baked right in

First Sunday in February Pie

pie crust, Martha's trusty recipe (you'll just need half for this pie)

3 eggs at room temperature
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
2 t vanilla extract
1/4 t salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 1/2 cups walnuts and walnut halves (keep in large pieces)
3/4 cup pecans, whole or halves

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Roll out and set your dough into a 9 inch pie pan, trim and finish off edges. Place the pie pan in the 'fridge while you prepare the pie filling.

In a large bowl beat eggs until blended. Add corn syrup through butter until evenly mixed. Continue beating mixture and slowly add chocolate and beat until smooth. (To melt this small amount of chocolate I used a low setting on the microwave and patiently checked it so it didn't overheat.) Stir in the walnuts and pecans. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie shell. The nuts will naturally rise to the top, be sure to use a knife edge to separate if they clump in some areas.

Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for 25 minutes longer. After the first 15 minutes if your crust edges are browned nicely you may want to cover edges with foil or a pie crust shield so they don't burn. 

Your pie is ready when the filling has puffed and when moved the center will jiggle slightly. Set out to cool for an hour or more. I recommend overnight, it tasted even better this morning than last night!

Serve with a whipped cream or ice cream.

I am thinking of making this pie for Thanksgiving, a fun twist on a pecan nutty pie. Yum!

...

sunday night post

A little Hermie face in the bed. One of his (and my) very favorite places to be.

February has brought the whispers of tulips growing, tulips we picked out in Holland and shipped here just last Spring. If only the critters don't eat them up.

A new month a new set of goals...a new book to choose, this one was heartbreakingly fascinating, I see there is a whole series of oral histories on different topics so possibly I will work my way through them all.

Yes, another pie..so soon? Well February is awfully short and I was in the mood for chocolate pie. Will post a slice and recipe tomorrow. (twelve pies in 2012!)

Today my family kissed goodbye one of our kitties, a very dear kitty, especially to my mom. He was the one who woke her up with a gentle paw and talked to her throughout the day. When I would call Mom in the morning and ask what she was doing she would often say having a shnug with Wheetie. He loved a catnip cigar and to nestle up in my hair and purr. We were so lucky to have him to love and to love us back. Sweet, Wheetie as he was nicknamed, will always be with us. ♡

2.2 to 2.5

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a little procrastination

In 2012 I have decide to make twelve pies, pies I've never made before, maybe pies made up by me!
So with the last day of January looming over me yesterday I scrambled together a pie. It turned out so delicious that it just might be the best pie I've ever made...which makes me excited for the next 11!

Last Minute Apple Pear Pie

5 pink lady apples
2 asian pears
3/4 cup sugar
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t salt
1 t orange peel zest
juice from 1 lemon
2 T unsalted butter chilled, cut into tiny pieces
1 egg yolk

classic pie crust, I always make Martha's

crumble top, again I used Martha's expertise...I loved the idea of folding up about 2 inches of crust then having crumble in the middle

I prepared the apples and pears as I would for a regular apple pie but cut the pear slices thinner and smaller because I read they may take longer to bake through than apple slices. Stir in lemon juice as needed while cutting to keep the fruit from browning.

Mix together all of the dry ingredients then toss with apples and pears.

Lastly, stir in orange zest. Pile the mixture into the single pie shell, dotting with butter pieces. Mix the egg yolk with 2 T of water and brush onto the pie crust folded up on the edges.

Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Then sprinkle crumb topping in center and bake for another 30 minutes. You may want to cut a circle out of the middle of a folded piece of foil to lay over the outer crust while it bakes for the additional 30 minutes so you don't overbake your beautiful crust.

Be patient and let it cool for at least six hours before cutting into it!! Enjoy.


Leading up to the pie making day I spent a night in Las Vegas, finally got my slippers that were an exchange from Christmas and backordered (but worth the wait!) and cuddled Hermie a little extra since I was gone for those 38 some hours in Vegas.

1.28 to 2.1
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