Shinhatsubai!

peach pie

I hate to admit it, but I don't like fresh peaches. There are actually a lot of fruits I don't like fresh, but I'm working on this. Peaches and strawberries are still on the list, but honeydew melons have sort of made it to the other side. 

Anyway, back to peaches. Hideous as it sounds, I'm not against eating canned peaches. And desserts using canned peaches? Okay in my book. So today I made "Speedy Peach Pie", from a recipe I found in a community cookbook my Nana gave me a few years ago.  The recipe's contributor says, "Someone gave me this recipe in 1946 when I was a bride. It never fails."

Speedy Peach Pie
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp butter
2 cups fresh peaches or 1 large can peaches in heavy syrup, drained

Dot bottom of casserole with the butter. Mix together the rest of the ingredients except peaches. Pour into dish and top with peaches.  Bake for 30-45 minutes at 350 until golden on top.

weekend miscellany

craft:

• Indy-style bullwhip made from duct tape. This is so cool, I might need to make my own and play Indiana Jones in the backyard. I'm not too old for games, right? Maybe I'll just pass this on to some kids that I know.

• I've been making pleated bags, getting back in the crafting gig. I bought a ton of corduroy for dirt cheap, in lots of great colors like charcoal and navy and grey. 
  pleated bag links:
  Etsy
  a simple tutorial
  more tutorials at U-handblog

etc:

• Real Simple blogs. I've stopped subscribing to Real Simple, in an effort to curb my magazine addiction. But every so often, I cave in and buy an issue. The blogs (and the website as a whole) are a good online stand-in for the real thing. 


• Speaking of Real Simple, this "How To Fold Anything" feature is awesome.


• Heard of Mygazines? Like I mentioned, I have a weakness for glossies. I think it's brilliant, but I don't know how the publishers feel...

eat:
I made a birthday cake for my boss the other day. I'm quite proud of it, though the photos I took at midnight don't do it any justice. I used a recipe for a devil's food cake with chocolate ganache from Martha's Baking Handbook. Instead of peppermint flavoring for the ganache, I used orange flavoring. It was a delicious triumph. And surprisingly easy, since it was my first officially decorated cake.

I've made some linen napkins. I'm working on a whole batch from my kitchen fabric stash. That way we can stop using paper towels. I already have dozens of dish towels (most from IKEA for 49 cents!) that stand in for cleaning, but now we have something nice to use at the table.