Birthday Pie

A few days ago was Powman's birthday.  He doesn't care for cake and always asks me to make a pie.  His favorite pie is apple, but since moving back to Michigan, the apples just don't have the same zest after their cross country trip.  I've done lemon meringue in the past, but really wanted to try something different this year.  He wanted an, "in season fruit tart" yup that's not happening. The only thing in season in Michigan is snow.  I decided to make a banana cream pie.  I've never made one before, but I was game.

I don't want you to just think that I can wipe out a pie willy-nilly just by following a recipe.  My journey in pie making has been a long one.  My Grandma was a big pie maker.  Everyone LOVED her pies.  Almost 7 years ago, I decided to perfect the lost art of pie making.  It all started with making the perfect crust.  Obviously, I turned to Martha Stewart for inspiration.  I just played around with her recipe for crust until I got something that worked for me.  Here is her recipe.  Looks simple enough.  Flour, butter, food processor and ice water.  Here is the thing though, which is really hard to describe, the pie crust has a certain look and feel while it's in the food processor before it's ready.  Too little water, or too much water are the downfall.  It just takes practice to figure out what it is.  Once you take it out of the food processor and ball it up, there really isn't any going back.  Yes, there are tricks to make it work, but I find that you just have to get it right in the food processor.  I started off with just pumpkin pies, they don't require a lot of effort for the filling, so you can really focus on the crust.  No one will complain about getting pies to try every few days.

I also do something a little unconventional.  After I've balled up my crust, instead of letting it sit in the fridge for an hour before rolling it, I roll it out right away and put it into the pie pan.  Then, cover it with plastic wrap, and put it right in the freezer.  I find that the crust rolls out better because it's less "worked" and is at room temperature.  The pan goes right into the freezer, so the crust gets the little butter balls (?) nice and cold before baking.  The intact butter that melts is what makes it flaky.  Martha's recipe yields two crusts, so I usually have a spare in the freezer already.

The only problem with Martha's recipe is, it's not how my Grandma did it.  She used Crisco.  I've tried a Crisco crust a few times.  It's never worked out.  It always tastes very rubbery and chemically to me.  Annie, the butter queen, once got a pie off the counter and wouldn't even eat the Crisco crust.  I've decided that since my Grandma grew up in The Depression, she probably didn't have much access to butter. The food processor had not been invented yet.  If she we're alive today, she would be down with making the crust from butter.  I'm sticking to what I know and have thrown the Crisco pie crust out the window.  My Grandma used a book by Aunt Chick (aka Nettie McBirney). She was the Martha Stewart of her time.

For Valentine's Day this year, my Mom got me a copy of the exact book my Grandma used.  It honestly is one of the best gifts I've ever received. I'd like to thank the internet for making this possible.

Aunt Chick is a cheeky lady.  The 40 page book is written how she would talk, at the bottom of every page is a little saying, "Don't tell me you cook your shrimp in 15 to 20 minutes.  What a mistake! Read pages 1 and 3". On pages 1 and 3 is a plug for her new book coming out, "How to Boil Water Without Burning It".  She wrote the book because, "I have come to the conclusion that the cookbooks do not go into enough detail with their directions.  So in my book, there are going to be fewer recipes, but what there will be written in such a manner that you just cannot go wrong".  Great.  Adorable.
Alright, back to the banana cream pie.  I used Martha's recipe and combined that with Aunt Chick's recipe.  That means that I pretty much added vanilla extract and almond extract to the filling.  Martha's online recipe is a little different than the one in her Pie and Tart book, but it's basically the same.  She puts little chocolate shavings on the top of the whip cream that isn't piped on, just spread on.  I added a bit more powdered sugar to the whipped cream because it was not sweet enough.  Andy and I both don't love overly sweet desserts, so this was a gamble.

The pie was a HIT.  I have to say, it really could become a staple in the Powers' household.  It makes a pretty great breakfast pie.  Charlotte keeps saying, "oooooooooo" when she eats it.  Which is so cute, I want to let her eat pie for every meal.

Spring Forward

Every fall and spring, I really start wanting new clothes and makeup.   This spring, it's not exactly warm, but I'm really over my Uggs. I'm SO ready for sneakers, flip flops, and sandals.  A rule I have for myself, is to wear pants with buttons, at least 3 times a week.  As a mom to a toddler it's easy to wear lulu everyday, but you just feel better with real clothes on.  This year, my spring fever all started with a pair of pants I bought Charlotte.

These are from Gap Kids and are super adorable.  I kept reaching for these while I was dressing her and realized they are a very good neutral pant.

 

Even Andy was reaching for them.  Of course, she looks a bit like Fidel Castro here, but, "it all matches, even her socks!"

That was it, I saw Charlotte in them and she looked adorable, so I clearly needed a pair.  First, I went on a crazy internet search and found mostly designer brands for $200+.  Then I found a reasonable pair at Madewell.  I rushed to the store and tried them on.

Try not to look at the mess in the background, shopping with Charlotte is not easy, especially when they have curtains for doors.  I should also note, I do a ton of selfies when I go shopping, and mostly send them to my mom because I constantly second guess myself.  I left the store with these babies and have worn them 4 times since I got them on Wednesday.  SCORE!

I'm not sure what happened, but these pants seemed to open the flood gates of updating my spring wardrobe.  I initially bought 3 pairs of sneakers.  Sneakers are fun, and they are cheap.  Also, easy to chase around Charlotte in.

While I was trying on my cute cargo pants, I tried on a few other things and couldn't stop thinking about them.  So I went back to Madewell to buy them.

 

This little top is thick like a sweatshirt and has cute little zippers on the sides.  Yup I'm wearing it right now. I really like the shorts and will probably buy them when it gets warmer.

I loved this little button down because it was red, white and blue.  It was also on sale with an additional 30% off.  I also have no idea where Charlotte is at this point.  There are gold fish crackers and a dollar in this picture.

Denim jacket? Fashion staple! There's Charlotte

Man, Madewell is killing it with stuff that looks cute on me.

This is the point where I started to feel a bit guilty.  Let's be honest, not return everything guilty, but guilty.  There were two other items I still wanted to buy.  White skinny crops and a military style, light weight jacket.  Forever 21 here we come.

 

This may have been in the plus size section, but it was $44.80.  And it wound up being on clearance.  I got it for $19.99.  Boom.

Still haven't found the white jeans yet.  I mostly get my jeans at Rear Ends, a local boutique in West Bloomfield.  They have crazy end of the year sales $50 for a pair of J Brands, yup! The white jeans might not be bought for some time, unless something comes across my path.  The flood gates have not closed yet either (eep!) I've also decided I need a white pair of chuck taylors, and some ankle booties that seem to be on every model with a crop pair of jeans.

It's really hard for me to pull the trigger on things like this, and it helps to have someone their encouraging, or discouraging me.   Sometimes I look at Charlotte's little outfits, and then look at what I'm wearing and think, this is nuts.  I can be cute and stylish too.  I also really hate buying things full price.  That's half the fun of shopping. I've cleaned my closet out several times since we've moved to Michigan, and wanted to make sure I would really wear these clothes.

I'm excited for warmer weather, and even more excited to rock these outfits this week when we visit the bay area!  Anything else I'm missing? (Besides overalls, but that's for another post.)

Overalls, Go Buy Them

 

Getty-up, Peggy's wearing them, without a shirt.

 

Alexandria Ambrosio, boom in public.

 

My friend Cat, in shortalls, twice in 2014.

 

This month's People Style Watch, I'm all over that.

 

Pinstripe in denim, yup overalls just casually mentioned.

Welp it's safe to say, overalls are in.  Go buy them ASAP.  They are EVERYWHERE.  SJP wore them on Ellen, she's always spot on.  My friend Cat, who'se always is way ahead of me in the game, nailed it.  I mean, twice in 2014 and she did it before February's Style Watch was out.  It's highly likely she went to a fashion week, but I can't confirm or deny this.  People Style Watch just throws it in willy-nilly like everyone owns a pair.  So, I've decided to do it.  If Ann Arbor is ready for anything, it's a 30 year old mom, strutting around town in overalls.  It honestly comes down to very one important question, overalls or shortalls?

Craft Nazi

My older brother got married a few years ago in my parents backyard, with a quick engagement.  Two weeks.  I flew in from CA a week before the wedding, to make help with the preparations.  We were a crafting machine, and I was the director.  Late one night, my youngest brother, a bunch of his friends and I, were making garland for the inside of the tent.

I was yelling at my brother for being sloppy and cut his fish line in protest (wow, that sounds really bad in writing).  My unbelievably witty brother, called me the Craft Nazi and the term stuck.  I know what you're thinking, how could you be so weird about crafting? Well, here is my answer, it has to be done correctly and not look DIY.  I had a vision, and his crappy garland was ruining it.  I don't care if it's 1:30 in the morning, this is how dreams happen. I'd do it myself but I'm on a time crunch.  Get back to work.

I don't know what it is about crafting, but I just love it.  I love being creative and creating something that's beautiful.  It's a good outlet for me.  Like most crafters in the past year or so, I've been obsessed with chalk board art.  I've made a few chalkboard signs when I worked at lululemon for various events and things going on but, before pintrest and chalkboard art became a thing.  My first  chalkboard art for Charlotte's first birthday.

There also happened to be a very large chalk board at my new (at the time) job at Pure Barre.  From the moment I saw it, I was itching to take it over.  This was a bigger, public, permanent chalkboard, and it had to be perfect.  I had skills they'd never seen before.  I wanted to impress, and I wanted to do something creative.

 (picture accidentally deleted...)

I've always been meticulous about crafting, and notice things that probably no one will ever notice.  People say all the time, no one will notice that.  Yes, someone will, and that person is me.  I have to tell myself to stop, or I'll be making little changes forever.  I also become obsessed with whatever craft project that I'm doing.  My brain runs wild with thoughts about how I'm going to do the project, how to improve it, where to find inspiration, etc.  I also, hate having things hanging over my head.  I want to get it done and not worry about it.  Go to bed with out a care in the world.  I've taken on the chalkboard on as a monthly project.  A few months may have slipped through the cracks, whoops, but I'm back.

It's March, it's time for a new layout.  I tried to clean the chalk marker off the board.  It is not coming off.  An hour later, I decide that I need to repaint the chalkboard.  What I want to do, is go to Micheal's buy the paint, paint the board and stay up til 1 putting my new vision up.  What I had was plans with the girls for dinner.  I decide to let it go, which is a hard thing for me to do, and finish it the next day. The plan was to come by sometime during the day to paint, then finish up the chalkboard during my shift later on that evening.  This of course did not happen at all.  Charlotte was cranky and cutting a tooth so not napping.  We barley made it through the painting process.  The red chalk marker was leaking everywhere.  It was taking too long.  It's the 6th already, it's almost time to put a new board up.  I'm becoming way to obsessed and putting WAY too much pressure on myself.  I know this, it's making me feel worse.  I had to walk away.  Come back the next day.

I came home to Charlotte screaming.  She looked miserable.  Her little head was red through her wispy hair.  She had a fever.  She was reaching for me from her highchair, stretching her little arms out as far as they could go.  I wrapped her up in my arms and started to cry.  I was stressing out way too much.  I needed to pull it together for her.  After she finally went to sleep, I just decided to chill out in front of the TV and relax.  I knew it would probably be a long night, but I was prepared for it.  I let my mind run blank, tomorrow is another day.  The chalkboard will get done and there is coffee to keep me going. Finally I realized, we're talking about a chalkboard, not world peace.

The Craft Nazi is still alive inside of me, to be honest I'm glad she's still there.  It made me feel like me again.  I just had to adjust her, like everything else in my life, to the new me, the mom.  Kids are a ton of work, and it's really hard sometimes.  But like everything else that's hard, it's always worth the end result.

Afternoon Tea? The new Brunch?

This is my friend Kate's house.  It's amazeballs.  Pretty much my dream home.  Seriously, this is her home.  She lives there.  With her husband and adorable son, Charlie.  She wakes up within these walls.  She has beautiful things that surround her all day.  It's amazing.  Not only is her house amazing, but she's amazing.  Kate and her husband are from Australia and, damn, that girl can host a party.

This was her spread.  Really. With a 7 month old.  She seriously lives in this home and makes this happen. When we walked in she was casually whipping up some scones (recipe linked here).  Then she just made some whipped cream with her hand mixer.  What? She also made this Australian cake Lamingtons.  That's what appears to be a brownie, but is actually a sponge cake covered in chocolate and coconut lovelies.  Of course afternoon tea didn't include tea, but champagne,  obviously. So, so, so good.

 

Charlotte Grace (pinkie) is a pro at the baby line up.

 

Sweet little Charlie

 

This look like maybe she's giving her a hug, but nope, just picking her up and getting her out of "her" chair.

No tea was served at this afternoon tea, only bubbles and lovelies.  Seriously, lovelies.

On our way home, we started talking about the perfect number of kids and what our dream job would be.  My dream job would be naming nail polishes, napping, trying wines and foods, and working out on the clock.  My friend said that her job as a Mom, is her favorite job she's ever had.  I haven't stopped thinking about this.  I still toy with going back to work, but at the end of the day I don't have something I'm super passionate about that would making me totally cool with leaving Charlotte in a day care situation.  I'm over working in a cubical and I like to be my own boss.  Well, that's pretty much being a stay at home mom, except that we all know who the boss is.  Yes, we can go through every emotion in the span of 3 minutes., but how often do people say, "Boom! It's 7 am let's go to work."  I know this **happens**, but how many people actually feel this way? One, maybe, three percent?  I mean there are ups and downs to both situations.  I really think you have to do what's right for you and your family.  Now, that's a whole different blog post.

Charlotte has taken wearing my undies as neck ware to a new level. I'm not kidding ALL of my undies.  It's so funny that I have to post pictures, and therefore, sharing my underwear collection with the internet.

 

Day 1, two pairs and a sports bra

 

Day 2, sports bra goes on first, then the rest of the undies.  She also took a selfie.

 

Day 3, at the source.  Examining what to put on next.

Another day in paradise.