The Chemistry of Pie




I don't have a lot of experience making pies from scratch. Crusts are hard for me; not only making one that is light, flaky, and tastes great, but that also looks nice. This was my most recent attempt at making an apple pie. The crust still needs a little work, but it didn't come out too bad. Most importantly it was fun to make. Maybe not great for the waist line, but definitely good for the spirit.

I have always liked dabbling in cooking. Recently, I have become more passionate about it. Not only is it great stress relief by allowing my a creative outlet of sorts, but it fills in a missing gap for me. In college I loved and excelled in chemistry labs; be it inorganic, organic, or biochemistry it didn't matter I loved it all. I miss those days of discovery, where precision was rewarded by successful identification of an unknown substance or solution. Long hours in the lab sometimes resulted in frustration and the need to begin anew, but most often that wasn't the case. I enjoyed the work and even liked writing up detailed reports explaining the steps I took, the results I achieved, and what it all meant. Someday, I might enjoy doing lab work for a living, but until then I will continue my work in the kitchen making tasty comestibles.

Now as in days gone past I grab my trusty glass flask with the name Pyrex etched on the side, add my universal solvent with a keen eye on the meniscus, and then slowly titrate in the necessary solutions. Finally, I heat the resultant solution over my bunsen burner (ok so it's really my circa 1970's gas stove, but we can pretend). Sometimes I cook very precisely wanting to have repeatable results (that's the scientist in me) and sometimes I throw caution to the wind and be creative. Most often I like having a base to work from and then create changes from there so that subtle hints of flavor differences are easily noticed. Spaghetti sauce is one of my favorite mediums for this.

I don't always have the time to be as creative in the kitchen as I might like, but I try even if in small ways like adding a hint of fresh mint or asian pear to a salad. I am also learning ways to have more time to cook. I have discovered the magic of a few stainless steel bowls, a couple of spoons, and some plastic cups. The kids will stay occupied for at least twenty minutes! One day I would love to take a cooking class for fun, but until then I will have to continue experimenting in my laboratory like the mad kitchen scientist that I am.

Ugh Teething!



Let me just say teething is no fun and times two is how should I say? Hellacious! Yeah that works. This week the kids cut their second tooth and life as been really, really hard. There is a light at the end of this immediate tunnel as each one's new tooth is finally through the skin. I am now convinced that the reason we can't remember our first year of life is that it is so damn painful most of the time. Between the actual birth experience, growing pains, shots, incoming teeth, and assorted other maladies, evolution has stepped in to protect us from the memories of it all.

I give lots of cuddles, hugs, and kisses but still can't make the pain go away. That has been very hard to handle. It rips my heart out and sometimes my soul leaves for a little while just so I can endure as a parent. For me, it has been yet another lesson in letting go of control. However, as I write this I think to myself how thankful I am that thus far I have only needed to go through the normal trials of raising children. A quick reality check is all that is needed to imagine what it's like for the parents of chronic or terminally ill children (or other loved ones). For they are the ones that really have to learn how to relinquish personal control.

Well, there you go... I was sitting down to write a simple paragraph about our teething experiences as of late and I waxed philosophic in the end. The nature of the beast we call the blog!

A Winter Stroll



Last week I took the kids to Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden . We strolled underneath the mighty oak canopy, visited the native cacti, and took a brief respite in the shade of the palm oasis. Mommy got some much needed exercise; nothing beats pushing two kids in a double stroller up a steep incline!
Here are some pictures from our day:

Watch out here we come!


Sure the hat looks good on, but it's so much fun to take off!


Touching a pine cone for the very first time.




We stopped to visit the ducks at the pond.




It's time to go home, Peach is tired! (Peach has been our nickname for Lorelai since she was born)