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Wednesday, November 26, 2003

pausing for breath

I'm going to sit down and breathe for just a few minutes. I have a pumpkin pie in the oven, and a crust ready and waiting for the pecan pie that will go in after that. For something as sinfully delicious and calorie-laden as it is, pecan pie is alarmingly easy to make. Must forget, must forget.

You know what part of pie-baking I hate the very most? That whole putting-foil-around-the-edge bit. They make it sound so easy, but dang, you've just spent ten minutes making the crust and fluting the edge and then you're trying to wrestle aluminum foil onto it in such a way that it a) doesn't cover the middle of the pie b) doesn't touch the filling of the pie (cause there's nothing like having the foil baked into the pie, oh yummy yummy) c) doesn't squish the neatly fluted edge and d) covers the edge completely so that you don't end up with blackened fluted crust. If you think that's easy and you've never tried it, you're wrong. And if you HAVE tried it and you think it's easy, tell me where you're located and I'll make a big messy raspberry in your direction (but not over my pies, no sirree). C has been "helping" me with the pies. This consists of cracking one egg and playing with the leftover piecrust dough à la playdough.

Things are mostly ready for tomorrow. I have to scour the bathroom a bit, and sweep/mop the kitchen floor, and sweep the rest of the floors, and empty the dishwasher to get it ready for a massive assault tomorrow. The roaster oven is sitting on the counter waiting (must remember not to use the microwave while it's on tomorrow; it throws the breaker in the little power strip it's plugged into), the turkey had darn well better be entirely thawed or I am going to have some SERIOUS issues, my cupboards are crammed with ingredients, and I have three kinds of ice cream (yeah, this weekend is just going to be fantabulous for my diet) in the freezer to have with the cherry Costco pie (hello Emily! You know, the best Costco pies are the pecan ones. I'd have bought one yesterday if I hadn't already bought pecans to make my own. mmm mmm good, and totally freaking enormous). I am as ready as can be expected for this point in time, but I do foresee a bit of a late night with the last-minute cleaning I have to do. At least the turkey doesn't need my attention till 9:30 a.m.

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