The Peachiest Pie

One of my favorite pies this summer has been peach pie,  and we've enjoyed a few because the season has just stretched out this year.

So, I thought I would share my recipe.

Crust for 1 double crust pie:

1 2/3 cups flour

2/3 cups Tenderflake lard

1 teaspoon salt

4 Tablespoons cold water

1 egg separated

Filling:

7 - 8 peaches

1/2 cup sugar

3 Tablespoons minute tapioca

3 Tablespoons flour 

2 Tablespoons lemon juice 

• Cut lard into dry ingredients with pastry cutter.  
• Mix yolk into water and pour over crumbly mix. 
• Stir with a fork, until dough comes together and there is no more loose flour in the bowl. Do not add more water, just keep stirring. =)
• Press into a ball and cut in half. 
• Roll out bottom crust. 
• Beat egg white with a fork, and brush some on the bottom crust to seal. Cover with damp paper towel while it sits, so it remains moist.
• Roll out top crust. Cut a number of slits or a hole in the center. Cover with damp paper towel while it sits. 
• Mix peeled and sliced peaches with lemon juice and combined sugar and thickener. Fill bottom crust, then cover with top crust. 
• Fold top crust over bottom crust and flute. You can also to the reverse, folding the bottom crust over the top crust. Brush with remaining egg wash. 
• Bake in lower third of oven at 400 F for 15 minutes. Turn temerature down to 350 F and bake another 50-60 minutes, or until bubbles come out of the slits/hole. 

tip: if it looks like juices will be dripping over the side of the pie, you can place a cookie sheet underneath, but it's best not to bake it that way from the beginning because it may keep the bottom crust from baking well. 

As I'm writing this out, I realize that the amounts in this recipe do not allow for any waste. If you prefer to have room to play, or are using a deep dish pie plate, use 3/4 cup lard and 1 3/4 cup flour. Same amounts for the rest. If needed, add an extra tablespoon of water but no more. 

For a lattice top, roll out a circle the size of the pie and cut strips. Taking every other one, lay them across the fruit going in one direction. 

Lay the rest of the strips the other way, lifting the bottom ones to braid or weave them in. This does not take long at all.

Fold strip ends into the side. Cut longer ends and fill where needed to create a good edge to flute. A small 'trench' will help keep the juices from running over. 

Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with a dusting of sugar.

At this point you can freeze the pie, (uncovered until frozen)

and have ready to bake another day, from freezer to oven. 

(Increase baking time by about 10 minutes.) 

Pie is done when it bubbles in the center. 

Allow to sit about 1 hour before serving. 

🤍🤍🤍

Aufwiedersehen and Lingering Memories

 

Once again we have said our goodbyes, the number leaving, down to three. 

This may be easier for us, but more difficult for them,

knowing there is no shortcut to Indonesia or back.

As parents we have felt the emotions of letting go, 

and now we see our kids going through the same. 

On September 3 Paeton moved into the dorm at Columbia Bible College nearby

and on September 11 Tehya moved into housing with Lifeteams.

Meanwhile, the rest were in moving mode as well,

joking that our place looked like a refugee camp. 

The scene of bins, suitcases and hockeybags spread out 

always sets off some emotional triggers, as it shows the reality of what will be,

a process that one could compare to labor,

giving birth to new life yet again. 

But before we head into what will be, 

I want to go back to some special moments this summer.

We celebrated Julene's birthday at Revive Social House,

a dreamy setting for a special occasion.

At this moment I'm so thankful for any and every opportunity we took 

for a quick walk around the block,

for a trip to HomeSense or Ikea and a simple lunch out that includes scones. 

She also loves her coffee. 

One day we went to the cemetery

where we visited both sets of grandparents' graves. 

Missing Oma's celebration of life this past January was hard. 

Makenna ... what can I say, but that it's been the best summer with her ever!

We have loved getting to know her as a teen!

My first memory is of when we snuck off to the mall, almost immediately,

and how much fun she had selecting a few things at Ardene's.

I enjoyed seeing her express how we have so much available to us,

feeling it strange to hear people speak English,

and especially not to know everyone who is white. 

I loved seeing how she quickly became good friends with cousins closest to her age.

There is something about family. So much fun they had! 

One Sunday afternoon we took her to the local sunflower fields.

This too, was another way of just seeing who she was.

It seemed like she took in everything with the thought in mind 

that soon we cannot do this, so we will just enjoy everything while we can. 

This girl is also a wonderful baker, always eager to help!

She's a painter, plays the guitar and has a beautiful voice,

You'll see her doing cartwheels almost any time she runs out the back door. 

She and Papa had fun going for bike rides.

She and I got our nails done together

and enjoyed episodes of Downton Abbey whenever we could. 

These memories are like a take home bouquett

that will not fade too soon.

A favorite meal is Sunday afternoon Faspa. 

On this Sunday we made it more of a casual charcuterie style dinner on the porch.

A special memory now. 

We celebrated more birthdays

and a taste of Thanksgiving just before they left. 

My view here filled me with so much joy and gratefulness,

sitting with all of our grown kids around the table

while taking peeks at what was going on at the next. 

After dinner the adults went to sit outside, partly because it really was loud inside.

Wouldn't you know it ... the kids soon followed us out,

figuring they would 'surround' us with a rap/song they had just made up.

The photos are blurry because I took screenshots from a video, posted here 

but the memory is another one I laugh about and cherish for all it tells me. 

Furloughs have become a part of life for us,

 a time when we are happy to put some of normal life on hold,

to be intentional, seizing the days.

It's a time for them to get in their medical appointments,

and restock on items they can't get where they live,

to renew relationships, 

to share with their sending churches and supporters,

and to rest from the stress that comes from living in a foreign culture.

 

Despite goodbye tears,

I'm learning just how blessed we are

to be able to share in this venture as a family

and to experience God's amazing grace in all of it. 

Hello September

 

I'm always a bit sad when long summer nights get shorter by the day

and the sunrays begin to have a fall feeling, 

even knowing that I love fall with all it's vibrant colors.

But before I say goodbye to summer,

I want to show you how my golden rudbeckias have grown in these two years.

They bring a lot of joy to me. 

I've enjoyed switching up arrangements from the garden every week.

The globe thistle is one that lasts a long time in a vase and sometimes

I see the stems are not even in water anymore 

and they have turned into beautiful dried flowers. 

This sedum and hydraengea arrangement brightened up my table for a while. 

My mom's rose bush, which we call, Oma's roses, has had it's best season ever!

And the scent is amazing!  If only it could be bottled.

I cut several bunches of panickle hydraengeas and they usually didn't last long

but they sure were fun to photograph! 

The globe thistle again, with some whispery daisies that I don't know the name of. 

Okay, I looked them up, but the name is not one I'll remember. 

It took a long time for my mix of wild flower seeds to sprout among my lavender 

and,  even when they did it was hard to tell if they might just be weeds,

but eventually they came up. Mostly gangly poppies. 

And here I am back to the black eyed susans, 

almost crawling into my bedroom. 

I will miss their cheery good morning,

but it's so good to know they will come up again next year.