Bear & Honey

My bio-grandfather supposedly had two favorite kinds of pie:  Hot and Cold.   It’s good to know that taste buds have genetic legacies, too.  Thanks to my friend Tracy, I was directed to  the  Craftzine.com blog today, where I discovered the glory that is…The CherPumpPle.

According to its creator, Charles Phoenix, this prodigious pastry is a three layer cake with an entire pie baked into each layer.  That’s a different flavor of pie and cake in each layer. Dowhutnow?!

I am an avid (some might say rabid) fan of pie,  so this is definitely a cake I’d be willing to dig in to.  I would probably only get a couple of bites in before freaking out from the sugar content (and conflicting flavors) but I would totally try it.

What about you?  Would you try it?   Check out the fun test kitchen video below.

I’ve always been surprised that I’m not an Autumn baby, because it is my favorite time of year.   My heart skips a beat on the first day that pumpkins are displayed at grocery stores and farmer’s markets.

This picture is an actual candid reaction my friend S.C. got on the first day Whole Foods put pumpkins in front of the store a couple of years ago.  I jumped out of the car, ran up to the pile, and hugged one before turning around and *click* he got a picture. <— This is some genuine pumpkin glee right here.

It was with similar glee, then, that I approached Halloween and the start of November this year.   I was really excited to decorate our front door for the kids, especially because we’re new to the neighborhood and haven’t met many people yet.   We had a great turnout and my jack-o-lantern was a hit.   He’s a cannibal:

Earlier this week, a few coworkers and I organized Pumpkin Palooza!  Several of us brought in all sorts of pumpkin treats.  We had ice cream, muffins, cupcakes, and pie.  I wanted to make sure we had a pumpkin pie there, since it seems the obvious choice, but I also wanted to try something I’d never done before.  Behold,  my Pumpkin Meringue Pie:

I used a graham cracker crust and made a meringue to put on top of the pie.  I wasn’t quite sure how it would turn out since I’d never had a pumpkin pie with a meringue, but it went over really well.   I liked that it was a little lighter than most pumpkin pies, and the graham cracker crust added a little spice to it.

There is still one piece of it leftover in the office fridge, so I’m going to break with convention and eat some pie for breakfast.

What is your favorite thing to do with a pumpkin?

It’s official, I am (mostly) a grownup.

How do I know?  It wasn’t becoming financially independent, living on my own, moving in with a boyfriend, having a job with an office, getting engaged, moving into a house that requires lots of TLC… none of those things are what tipped me off.

Last night I had to do something only a grownup ever has to do:

I made homemade, healing, cure-all chicken soup – for myself.    Historically, every time I’ve even so much as sniffled in front of my mother, she has rushed off to make a giant pot of chicken soup for me.   Even when I lived on my own or with roommates, she would make a pot of soup at home and bring it to me.  Just last year, Greg went to their house and picked some up for me when I was sick.

The past couple of days I’ve felt a little bit “off”.   Since I have an important gig on Thursday, I am determined to stave off whatever this bit of ick is until the weekend.  I’m drinking lots of tea and water, taking my vitamins as usual, and trying to do less and rest more.     Last night, I asked Greg to pick up the stuff to make chicken soup on his way home.
And so, instead of having soup brought to me and being pampered by my mommy, I spent part of my evening chopping vegetables and shredding a bird, putting in all the effort required to heal myself.   It did make me feel “old” for a few minutes… but the Monty Python-A-Thon on IFC cleared that up real quick.

What has made you feel like a grownup lately?