let the preserving begin...

Plan was to get some strawberries in June...but well, plans fall through. I knew we wouldn't yet have enough strawberries of our own to preserve, but I'd planned to buy some local organic berries. But yeah, it just didn't happen, and we're stretching the limits of the season now. I'm not going to shed any tears over it...we've got more than enough strawberry jam left from the last time I made it and even have enough sliced frozen ones left from last summer for a few batches of muffins through the coming year.

So my first preservation feat (feat--ha! like there's anything hard about it :P ) of the season was radishes. Rich and I love radishes, but even we couldn't munch our way through this year's harvest. We always tend to overplant them.
(Gray likes to harvest them, but doesn't like to eat them.)

And you know, I've no idea why I never thought about freezing them before. But when we just couldn't keep up with the eating, I decided to look into it. Turns out they're as easy to freeze as kohlrabi.

Wash, slice, blanch 2 minutes, then into the ice water.

And now we've got 4 lovely bags of radishes for future stir frys. Supposedly they stay nice and crisp. The kohlrabi I froze last summer did, so I've got hope for these babies too. :)

Apparently you can also freeze the radish greens, but I've never eaten them before. Have you? Suggestions for using them?

I pinned, and then I did...

I crafted...

*Made my sweetie a card, using blackout poetry. (Sorry for the crappy photo.) Yes, the example of blackout poetry that I pinned was far better, but guys, this is so much freakin' harder than it looks! Or maybe it's just me. Care to guess what book this page came from? (Btw, don't shoot me--I did not purposefully destroy a book; the pages of this were just falling out all over. Figured giving it new life was better than the recycle bin.)

*Here is the image I pinned. It's from a shop called Googly Eye Art. I fell in love, and knew immediately that I wanted to make something like this for Maxidoodle's ornament this year. Every year, the kiddos get a new ornament for their own personal little Christmas trees. Sometimes store bought, sometimes homemade. Obviously, this year I'm going with homemade.





*And on the happy side, I crafted up two other pins as well, but on the sad side, I can't share them because recipients might see this.

And I kitchened...

*Another crappy picture, sorry. But oh my heavens, is this delicious! Pinned from BH&G, it a rice pudding recipe made in the crock pot. (I've made rice pudding many a time in my day, but never in a crock pot before this.) Like I said, so yummy! I think it's the dried cranberries that really have me swooning on this one. And it made such a big batch that we not only had it for dessert, but I had it warmed back up with milk for breakfast several mornings.

*And I finally got around to making homemade vegetable broth from A Year of Slow Cooking. This is so freakin' awesome--I just can't believe I haven't done this before. I will certainly never buy vegetable broth again! So damn easy. And essentially free, except for the electricity used by the crock pot. It just used vegetable ends and peelings destined for the compost pile. And after you make the broth, they can go into the compost pile anyway. The house smelled so good all day when this was cooking! So good that Rich threatened to just drink the broth straight from the slow cooker--ha! this coming from the guy who doubted it would work to start with. :P I froze some of it, and used some of it in my final pin...

*Which was this incredible soup, pinned from here, yep, from none other than Amanda of Fig and Thistle. I changed it up just a bit (to make it work for us vegetarians in the family), by using the veggie broth from above pin instead of the water and chicken bouillon granules and by eliminating the bacon. And as I don't have an immersion blender and I like chunks in my soup anyway, I just put about half of it in the blender and then added it back with the unblended portion. SOOOOOO YUMMY! Even Rich, who isn't a fan of creamy type soups, loved it! Heck, even Max ate some--and he *never* eats soup. Thank you, Amanda!!!

So yes, I'm counting this a successful Pin It and Do It for me--seven pins did (though I could only share five). Thanks again to our lovely hostess, Trish! You are so adored, lady!

Pin It and Do It...one down

So I finally got to the "Do It" part of my first Pin It and Do It entry. I'll get back to that in a sec. First though, I must tell you how utterly pathetic I realized I am. See, I was feeling absolutely giddy over the fact that I'd done something for the challenge. Giddy, just because I actually managed to do a small fraction of a challenge I'd signed up for. At this rate, I might just throw myself a party if I actually meet my goal of 4-7 pins. :P

What makes this oh-so-proud-of-myself-moment even more lame is how ridiculously easy a task I actually tackled. But hey, there were no rules about these pins having to tough, right? So anyway, here's what I did:

Super Easy Whole Wheat Biscuits

Mine don't look as good as hers...I'm pretending it's because hers are round and mine are square. Yeah, whatever. :P Important thing is that they probably taste the same, right?

And the verdict? Well, Max hated them (but then he's so not a bread person), Gray loved them, and Rich, Annie, and I all thought they were "okay." Not sure if I'll make them again, but I might.

I also get to count this cooking excursion as "another one down" for my 50x50, item 15--Try 50 new recipes. Tonight's supper actually added three to that list, as I made a new super-freakin' yummy recipe for baked ziti *and* a new dessert.

Said dessert, this decadent brownie pie, also made me think of our lovely Pin It and Do It challenge hostess, Trish. Any idea why, Trish? Yep, it's made in a springform pan.

high hopes...

A bit weirded-out by the fact that we're one-third of the way through 2012 already. Guessing I'm not alone in that feeling. But I am happy to see May arrive. I've got high hopes for the month...

*I fully intend to be celebrating the end of the super-cleaning/unpacking before the end of the month. Cannot even put into words how happy that will make me.

*This month will finally see my much-loved dear friend Chris starting the next chapter of his life, where he'll actually get to spend his days and nights with his beloved.

*The lovely Trish's Pin It and Do It challenge starts today and runs through the month. I thoroughly plan to have fun with this!

*I'm starting a class, 31 Things, in mid-May. It's sort of a scrapbooking class, but not really. It's more of a writing your personal stories sort of workshop. It runs for 31 straight days, and I've no idea how the hell I'm going to make the time for it, but I *am* determined. And excited.

*At the end of the month, we will finally have reached garden planting time. I suspect it won't be as big and elaborate as I'd been dreaming of for this year, as everything's just taken so much more time than I anticipated. But it will be good just to have our tomatoes and jalapenos and whatever else we get around to in the ground. There's always next summer to expand, right?

*Hoping to get much more read this month than last. Shouldn't be hard, as I only finished four books in April. :P

*****
On a different note, I was trying to update my sadly ignored 50x50, and was very surprised to see that I've got a huge dent in a few of my goals. Like #15-Try 50 new recipes--just yesterday, I made it to 42! And I made it on a very yummy note. :)

Spicy Chocolate Applesauce Cake

2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 Tbsp baking cocoa
1 1/2 baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 cups applesauce
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In large mixing bowl, combine first nine ingredients. Add shortening, eggs, and applesauce; beat until well mixed. Stir in walnuts and 3/4 cup of chocolate chips.

Pour into greased 9x13 baking pan. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips on top.

Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Thoughts: Definitely a keeper. Moist and delicious. Makes me happy that we still have a lot of applesauce left from last fall's canning spree.

projects progress...more on the 50x50

#7. Make a donation to 50 different charities (monetary or otherwise).

Item 6. Crocheted two hats for the hat and mitten tree that Max's school puts up every year. Had hoped to get more done than that--but well, when you wait until the last minute, that's what happens. Perhaps for next year, I will try to make one each month so I'll be way ahead of the game.

#11. Watch 50 documentaries.

Item 7. Gray and I watched Planet in Peril for school. And we both thought it was really good. Though I think we'll watch Strange Days on Planet Earth soon, because I think it's even better.

#16. Bake 50 different kinds of cookies.

Mmmmmm...these cookies are so incredibly yummy. (Of course non-cranberry fans likely wouldn't agree.) I used the not-freezing-dough-ahead-of-time method. (And they're scrumptious without the chocolate and nuts, too...not that I snuck any before the dipping phase or anything...)

#37. Read 50 books I never heard of before buying/borrowing from the library.

Item 4. The Red Market: On the Trail of the World's Organ Brokers, Bone Thieves, Blood Farmers, and Child Traffickers by Scott Carney. A total impulse grab off the "new non-fiction" shelves at the library a few weeks back.

My random thoughts:

*This is one of those books where I'm tempted to say "I really enjoyed it" except that "enjoy" just isn't quite the most accurate word. It was utterly fascinating. And horrifying. And eye-opening.

*I'd never even heard the term "red market" before this book. The red market refers to the market in human bodies, living and dead, and human body parts. After an introduction to the whole concept of the red market, Carney begins the book with a personal story from his life, the death of one of his students. It was her death and what happened in the immediate aftermath that led to his interest in the red market. Each subsequent chapter focuses on a different sub-market--blood, bones, eggs, children, and much more.

*He admits right from the start that he's focused on the problems that crop up in the red market.

By and large, I have not focused on the millions of red market transactions that go right every day. There is no doubt that without transplant technology, blood collection, and adoption programs there would be terrible human fallout. We don't need to follow the stories of people living happy lives because of something they bought on the red market. That is the story of tissue demand. It is far more important to understand how tissue makes it to the market than how it is used. This book is an exploration of the supply side of the economic equation...

*In some ways, it might seem unfair to only look at the problematic. But he makes what to me is a very convincing argument overall. Part of what he has to say:

If we want to live in a world where human lives are priceless and in some ways equal, then the market cannot be the best decider of which people have the right to other people's bodies. Inevitably even the best systems of donation break down at some point and let in criminal elements. Even if most of the time it works without people being exploited, the crimes, when they happen, are so extreme that they undermine the benefits of the entire system to society at large.

And extreme they are. Some of the stories are just mind-boggling. If I'd seen them in a movie, I'd have found them unbelievable...and yet these things are happening. And of course, they're happening to those most vulnerable, the world's poor.

*On the lighter side, I did want to kick the author at one point. He gave away what I can only assume is a major spoiler for Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go, a book I was hoping to read very soon.

project progress...a 50x50 update

Not a lot, but every little bit helps.

#9. Give away 50 books.

Item 4: In a box of miscellaneous goodies I *finally* got in the mail to my much-loved friend Ana, I stuck a book I read a little while back called Pixerina Witcherina. Much of the book featured the artwork from a show about female roles in fairy tales. And it also contained three essays, one of which was written by Maria Tatar. It very much made me think of Ana. :)


#16. Bake 50 different kinds of cookies.

Well, with Christmas season here, lots and lots of cookie baking is going on. And I've been busy trying out some new additions to the repertoire this year.

Item 21: Cinnamon Crackle Cookies (Not my new favorite cookie or anything, but different enough that I will definitely be making them again. They're reminiscent of ginger cookies, but these have nutmeg as the predominant spice.)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
2 tsps. baking soda
2 tsps. cream of tartar
2 tsps. nutmeg
2 tsps. grated orange peel
1 tsp. grated lemon peel

Cream butter, shortening, and sugars. Add egg and extracts; mix well.

In a separate bowl, combine the next eight ingredients. Gradually add to the creamed mixture.

Shape into 1" balls; roll in sugar. Place 2" apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes (or until lightly browned).

Item 22: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (Good, but nothing amazing.)

Item 23: Double-Chip Cookies (Again, nothing fancy. But seriously yummy.)

Item 24: Nutty Orange Snowballs (Seriously good. Not too sweet with a subtle citrus flavor.)

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, divided
1 tsp. grated orange peel
1/2 tsp. orange extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup finely chopped hazelnuts

Cream butter and 3/4 cup powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in orange peel and extracts.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in nuts.

Shape into 3/4" balls. Place one inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Removed to wire racks to cool completely.

Place remaining powdered sugar in a bag. Add cookies to the bags, a few at a time, and shake to coat.

Item 25: Chocolate Espresso Oatmeal Cookies (Oh. My. God. Amazing. The recipe came from the latest issue of Vegetarian Times.)


#20. Buy 50 fair trade gifts.

Again, this one's pretty easy, being the Christmas season and all.

Item 7: A handful of ornaments for various people.

Item 8: Java drops for Tony.

Item 9: Coffee beans for a few coffee lovers on our Christmas list.


#23. Give 50 "happy something unexpected" gifts.

Sent my dear friend Ana a box of assorted goodies...but I can't say just what because it hasn't made it across the pond yet. :)


#43. Read 50 award-winning books.

Item 5: I reread Ender's Game. I "reviewed" it when I first read it. Absolutely loved it when I first read it. And you know, I can honestly say I still loved it. (I worried that I would let my very strong differences of opinion with its author affect my reading--differences I knew nothing about during my first reading--but luckily that didn't happen.)


#47. Watch 50 different seasons TV on DVD or Netflix.

Item 9: All the crocheting I've been doing for Christmas gifts has allowed me to zoom right through season 6 of Criminal Minds.


And that's it for now...hopefully I shall be checking off many more an item as the Christmas season progresses.

a good old dose of rambling...

In another of those "It can't possibly be so!" moments, we find ourselves in the month of December. December, already.

I don't know about you, but despite the good intentions of having most of my preparations done before December arrives so I can sit back and just relax during the holiday season, again it just hasn't happened. Not that I haven't been hard at work, just that I put way too much on my Christmas plate once again. But you know, I'm not sure I'd be content to have it any other way. Because, yes, it's stressful to have so many added things on the to-do list, but really these are the things I find such happiness in doing. Making gifts and handmade cards and wrapping paper, baking more than an entire town should probably eat, wrapping, wrapping, and more wrapping, decorating all the nooks and crannies...

There's a monkey wrench in the system this year. A good monkey wrench though! Our house officially went on the market Monday, and thus there's now a necessity to keep the house as immaculate as possible. Hard enough with three kiddos and a multitude of other animal friends, but with so many projects in process...*sigh* it's exhausting.

*****
Our internet has been on the flake for the past couple weeks. That's putting it mildly. It has been driving us freakin' crazy. As in it's out far more often than not. As in it often stays on for only minutes at a time, and that makes it hard to actually do anything, like respond to an email or read an entire blog post or do certain homeschool activities or watch anything on Netflix streaming... I'm simply going to have to use that "mark as read" button, as sad as that makes me. Today, they are delivering a new modem, which they say *must* be the problem as they've tried everything else. How it took them two weeks to come to this conclusion is beyond me, as it's what I, computer moron extraordinaire, suspected from the start. Good news being that hopefully today will finally bring an end to this particular annoyance.

*****
Why, hello again internet connection. Nice of you to pay another visit. (Particular annoyance not yet resolved.)

So...December 1st. Today brings so many fun things with it. The start of our Advent goodies that my Mom prepares for us. She even makes an Advent bowl for Baker. :)

Tonight we shall be putting up our Christmas tree--an event Gray proclaims to enjoy as much as Christmas day itself. (Our traditional drinking of eggnog as we decorate the tree may just have something to do with that. :P )

I'm also hoping that this will be the year that I finally make our first December Daily album. Well, my album itself is already made--I made it back in November of 2008. But December 1st of that year was the day I learned that my dear friend Dewey had died. Needless to say, the album didn't get filled that year. So much didn't get done that December... Anyway, I hope this is the year I finally fill the album with a snapshot of our lives in December.

*****
Cookie baking has begun. Thus far, I have tried two new recipes--one for Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies and one for Cinnamon Crinkles, both of which are yummy but not ones that will break into the favorites list.

I've also baked three batches of the base part of our all-time favorite holiday cookie--Fairy Drops. Our freezer is fast filling up. (I'll share the recipe for these when I get to frosting phase.) These are the cookies that I give to all our neighbors, the library staff, the staff at the kiddos' dentist office, etc. They're both pretty and ridiculously delicious. Anyway, I have several more kinds to whip out over the next week and a half (today is Snickerdoodle day...mmmm...), and then I shall move on to snack mixes, and then candy... December is a busy kitchen month. :)



*****
Okay, I really ought to shut up now... How about a kitty pic instead?

and a second first day of school...

So today was the start of new school year for Max. I can't even quite explain how heartbreaking it was sending him off on that bus this morning. I mean, he's my baby! And yes, he's 8-years-old and starting 4th grade so it's not like this is the first time sending him off. But somehow, having him the only one heading off to public school this year just made it hurt all the more. And it didn't help that he really didn't want to go. At all. See for yourself:

These were the absolute best I could do. Thing is, he doesn't want to be homeschooled, so feeling guilty about that is useless. He's not one of those kiddos who absolutely loves school...but he doesn't hate it nearly as much as he sometimes pretends to. I really think the low spirits this morning had more to do with the end of summer than with an absolute dreading of school. There was no fighting, no tantrums, nothing like I became accustomed to with Gray. It was just plain old sadness.

The good news though--he came home happy and even admitted that it wasn't as bad as he thought it was going to be. (Though he wasn't thrilled to get both math and reading homework on the first night. :P )

And it was not only Gray's first day of school, but it was his first day of homeschooling ever. Obvious from these first-day-of-school photos, he was not nearly as upset as his little brother:

To be perfectly honest, as happy and excited as I was to be starting this journey with him, I was also more than a bit apprehensive. Gray can be...well, how shall I put this...obstinate...and argumentative...and horrendously pessimistic. But I needn't have worried, as we had absolutely the best day imaginable! He was upbeat and hard-working and fun to be around. (Having one's beagle and one's blanket surely doesn't hurt.)

I'm not silly enough to think every day will go this well, but it was wonderful to get off on the right foot!

*****
And in other news...Gray got his stitches removed today. One would think this would be good news, but I'm sorry to say Gray came out of there feeling worse about his leg than he has in days. :( His doc told him that it was nowhere near healed yet and that he was going to have to remain on alert taking great care not to have anything hit that spot or it would burst right open as if it had never been stitched to start with. He glued it and put on some steri-strips, hoping that will get him another four or five days worth of healing in. I understand that he wanted to make sure that Gray was careful, but oh my. The poor kid is practically back to being as upset about it as he was when he first got home from the hospital.

*****
Also managed to turn this lovely goodness from our garden (with the addition of an onion, some cilantro, and limes)

...into two pints of canned salsa plus a nice size bowl to eat fresh.

So all in all, a busy productive day. And overall, a pretty good one.

the power of doing...

Maxidoodle is a self-proclaimed soup hater. Matters not that there are hundreds of varieties of soup out there all with their own unique tastes, if it's soup he hates it. Period.

Well, on Thursday I needed to whip up a big batch of minestrone soup. (Rich's Mom is having her other hip replaced on Monday, and we'd been trying to prepare a bunch of frozen meals to help her a wee bit through her recovery. Rich is away delivering them this weekend.) Anyway...I asked Max if he wanted to help me make the minestrone. He was all over that! He loves to help in the kitchen, and the fact that this involved using sharp knives just sweetened the situation in his eyes.

He patiently peeled carrots, chopped onion, sliced celery, and tore baby spinach. And wow, he turned out to be a natural at mincing garlic. (Probably because it was the biggest knife yet.)

He measured and stirred and learned the old adage, "A watched pot never boils."

And when it was done, he *voluntarily* tried it!

His verdict:

Okay, truth be told, he only ate about ten bites of it. But hey, that's nine bites more than he would have eaten otherwise.

Today I'm going to have him help me make soap...maybe then he'll voluntarily use it. :)

tidbits of a very random nature...

Holy crap...and now the first week of August is gone, too. Please slow down summer--you're moving way too fast! It was another week of home improvements around here, but we managed to slip in some moments of fun as well.

*Thank you, thank you, thank you Mom and Dad for coming up and working your butts off again! We wouldn't have gotten half as much done around here this summer if not for both of you! Really, there just are no words adequate enough to expression our gratitude. Love you!

*Thank you, thank you, thank you Ana. You know why. No, I don't have it all figured out...but I actually feel like I'm on the way to happier me now. I love you!

*The biggest project during the past week was getting the living room and hall painted. And it looks fabulous, if I do say so myself. (Unless you look at the baseboards, that is. We did not repaint them because we're going to have the carpet replaced in the spring and would just have had to paint them again. So we'll do it when we pull the carpet out, but before the new carpet goes in.) The walls are a very subtle shade of sage green--but they look anywhere from beige to green to taupe depending on the light. And all the wood trim and the closet and hallway doors are now a crisp white. And damn was there a lot of wood trim! My hand pretty much gave up on me holding a paintbrush before we finished. Now we just have to put the room back together. Will be ever so nice to get all these boxes out of our bedroom, Max's room, the kitchen...

*One night after all the brushes had been washed, we sat down at the kitchen table and played a rousing game of Apples to Apples. So much fun. :)

*Blackberries are my most favoritest berries in the world, and I've been dying to make blackberry jam but haven't been able to get any at the farmer's market. But last Monday as Rich was driving home from work he saw a elderly man sitting by the side of the road selling them. He came and got me and we went and bought the gentlemen out. :D So instead of finishing up the packing of the living room, I spent Monday afternoon making and canning blackberry jam. Six pints of jam with enough left over for a cobbler. :D

*The ridiculously wet summer followed by this ridiculously dry summer has not been kind to many of our plants. Everything from brown rot for our cherry tree to blossom end rot for our tomatoes. (Though I do think hope like hell that we nipped the blossom end rot in the bud and only lost about a dozen tomatoes to it.) Anyway, we've still been enjoying a few fruits of our labor. Lots and lots of jalapenos. And there's a handful of green peppers ready to pick. And if the rest of the tomatoes make it, we'll have plenty for fresh eating and for canning. Can't wait till they start ripening! Made some fresh salsa the other night. The onion, garlic, cilantro, and jalapenos all came from our yard. :) In a few weeks, the tomatoes will, too...and the only thing I'll have to buy will be the lime.

*Before we painted, I let Max have one last day of climbing the walls. ;)

*I am trying very, very hard not to panic over how unbelievably much school planning and prep I have to do over the next few weeks. As I said earlier, please slow down summer!

*We've got this really pretty fungus growing on our compost pile.

*I still haven't gotten much blog reading and catching up done, but I'm trying.

*I've yet to finish a single book this month. *sigh*

*And last, but by no freakin' means least--I am so over-the-top giddy thinking about next week. Why? Because that's when Chris will be here. The only down side--he's not staying nearly long enough!

Yep, that was pretty random.

over the weekend...

I took my dear friend Jean's advice and took the whole weekend off from school stuff. And I'm glad I did. I feel ready to jump back into today, as opposed to feeling resentful about it.

I wasn't a total slacker over the weekend though--just focused on other things. Spent a good deal of time both days working in the travesty I call my scrapbook area. Seriously, I can't even figure out how it's possible for that "room" to have gotten in the state it's in. But slowly, slowly I hope to whip it back into usable shape so I can actually have some fun in there again.

Saturday evening we took Annie out to supper to celebrate her finishing up her school year. And then we hit B&N...where I was a very bad girl and bought books. I'd been doing pretty well lately, but I just broke down. I'm calling it a reward for surviving the school year. Yes, I am pathetic in my rationalization attempts, aren't I? (Picked up Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol, The Old Man and the Swamp by John Sellers, and Bees by Candace Savage.)

And yesterday, we hit the farmers market. Gray asked to join us, which was a treat. He needed to resupply his honey stash. :)

And I made blueberry jam. Six pints canned with a little left over in the fridge.

And the Maxidoodle finally got a new bike...he had long ago outgrown his old one.

So all in all I'd say it was a fairly relaxing, and yet not totally unproductive, weekend. Here's to lots more of that this summer!

why am I posting about pie?

Seriously. Posting about pie is *not* one of the 18 items still left on today's to do list. Nor is it one of the 32 things already listed on tomorrow's to do list. Posting about pie just isn't high on my list of priorities here. And yet here I am posting about pie.

But it's a damn good pie! Like blueberries? Then you really need to try this fruity little delight. Not kidding one bit here.

I made this for Rich for Daddy's Day. He *loves loves loves* blueberries. Like the rest of the crew. Except for me, that is. I can take them or leave them. But I can't leave this pie.

Added bonus #1--super duper easy! Added bonus #2--does not require having the oven on for long periods of time in the summer heat.

First, put 30 gingersnaps and 2 tablespoons of sugar in the blender. Blend until you've got fine crumbs.

Put the crumbs into a 9" pie plate. Melt 5 tablespoons of butter. Pour it into the crumbs and stir until the crumbs are moistened. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides.

Bake crust for 8 minutes at 375 degrees. Cool on wire rack.

Meanwhile, dissolve 2 tablespoons of corn starch in 2 tablespoons of cold water in a large heavy saucepan. Add 3 cups of fresh blueberries and 1/2 cup of sugar.

Heat over medium high heat, mashing your blueberries against the side of the pan with your spoon (or cheat and just use a potato masher like I did). Bring to a boil, then continuously stir while it boils for a full minute. Remove from heat.

Stir in three additional cups of fresh blueberries. (Don't crush these ones.)

Pour into your crust and chill for several hours.

Eat a huge slice of it, and don't even bother feeling guilty.



















On a side note: Is it even possible to see the word "pie" and not think of the lovely Care?