mathmom's blog

It is strawberry season here, which means we are required to make at least one pie a week. (I'm sure I read that in the NC residents manual somewhere.) Eleanor has been learning how to make the pies, which is a relief. Yesterday we had guests over, which means that we made two pies. Which, if you watch Vi Hart, means we made tau.  ( See here .)   Here is my recipe for pie crust, based on the better homes and gardens cookbook and the cooks illustrated recipe. 1 1/3 cup flour 1/2 cup butter (or earth balance buttery stick) 1/2 tsp. salt Water and ice Mix the flour and salt thoroughly. Cut in the butter. Add 4 tsp. ice water and toss with two forks.  Get the mixture into a ball-you might need to add a little more water. (You can refrigerate the dough wrapped in plastic for hours or a few days. You could even freeze it.) Roll the dough out. When you put it into the pan, flute the edges so they overhang the edge of the pan, or the crust will shrink in t...

The other day Michael and I were explaining something to Amanda about how things used to be when we grew up.  We may have been talking about the reason I still call books that someone reads aloud "books on tape" or "books on CD," even though the books are now collections of electrons on my phone. Eleanor looked at Amanda and piped up in a crotchety, wavery voice, "When I was your age..."  I expected her to continue with something like, "I walked 5 miles uphill to school. In the snow. Both ways!"  Or, "We liked it!  Because we didn't know any better!"  Or, "When I was a boy, TV was called books!" These are some responses Michael and I use while talking about "the good old days." But Eleanor continued, "When I was your age, I was ten!" It is possible that you had to be there.  I still find it funny.