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Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day

January 31, 2011 by Shanna Hatfield

In case you didn’t hear the earth-shattering news – today is National Bubble Wrap® Appreciation Day!

(Yes you read that correctly, and no, I have not gone off the deep end).

Honest to goodness, that is what today is all about. There is a really fun website here called BWAD (Bubble Wrap® Appreciation Day).

Check it out if you want to be entertained, enlightened and possibly unsettled. There are some fun photos posted from people who were really creative with the bubbly stuff making everything from a mouse to a dress.

I know for a fact that I appreciate Bubble Wrap® especially when I’m trying to pack up something that is breakable. It is one of the handiest things. There is also the fact that Hubby loves to pop the bubbles – loudly – right behind me when I didn’t hear him coming. It provides him with unbelievable levels of amusement.

Have fun and Happy Bubble Wrap® Day!

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Vodka Pie Crust

January 28, 2011 by Shanna Hatfield

My mother and grandmother could roll out pie dough like nobody’s business. Light, flaky, perfectly delicious. This pie-dough-making gene was not one they passed along to me.

I can make pie dough that would probably score a B+, but it requires a lot of work and effort and I hate doing it. So I don’t.

The other day I happened across a recipe for pie crust and had to try it. It called out to me, screaming “Make me, Make me!”

So I invited my BFF, Miz Sunshine, over for a day of pie baking and laughs. She was new to the whole pie baking from scratch scenario and I was a bit out of practice, so it proved to be a good learning experience for us both. And we laughed – a lot – which is always, always a good thing.

The pie dough turned out marvelously light and flaky with a wonderful taste and texture. And… here is the best part, hold on to your hats… it wasn’t hard to make or roll out and get into the pan.

The secret to this simple and delicious crust is vodka. That’s right … a bottle of booze makes all the difference in the world. (Please note, there is no consuming the vodka as a beverage involved in this recipe!). For those concerned about consuming alcohol, the vodka evaporates in the oven. That is what makes the crust so light and flaky while making it easy to handle. The extra moisture while you are rolling out the dough makes it pliable and no problem to get into the pan. Then Poof! the vodka disappears while baking to leave behind a very tasty crust.

Ingredients for the best pie dough ever!

Combine dry ingredients until coarse and crumbly.

After adding liquid, let the dough rest covered in the fridge for 45 minutes. Then roll out on a well-floured surface.

 

Ready for a pan.

I was nearly giddy at this point in the game because the crust was so easy to handle. Mine would have been in about 10 pieces of flaky messiness at this point with my old stand-by pie crust recipe.

 

Here's what the bottom layer looks like with a beautiful berry filling. Did I mention we made three pies?

And the top crust goes on so easily. Yes, I am a big believer that a little butter is good and another pat or two is even better! There are no finished photos of the berry pie because Miz Sunshine grabbed it hot out of the oven and ran off to pick up little Miss Sunshine!

 

 

Vodka Pie Crust

2 1/2 cups  flour

1 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. sugar

1 1/2 sticks cold butter, cut into 1/4 inch slices

1/2 cup vegetable shortening, cut into 4 pieces

1/4 cup cold vodka

1/4 cup cold water

Process 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about 2 one-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 15 seconds (dough will resemble coarse crumbs ). Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.

If, like me, you do not have a food processor, get ready to apply some arm muscle and work the dough together with either a fork or pastry cutter until all flour is mixed in and it is crumbly.

Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

Generously flour a clean, flat surface and your rolling pin. Divide dough in half and roll out one half, turning dough over between rolls to keep from sticking to counter or surface. Place in a pie pan and fill with favorite filling or prick with a fork and bake shell until golden brown then fill.

Enjoy!

Happy Entertaining!

From the no-longer pie-crust challenged baker

Posted in Entertaining at Home | 4 Comments »

Stinky and Poochie

January 27, 2011 by Shanna Hatfield

Meet Stinky. She lives next door to us and has got to be the biggest tease on the planet.

In the year-and-half since our neighbor brought her home, she has nearly broken my poor ol’ heart. She stands at our fence looking just like this, begging for attention. We of course, heed the call and nearly pull a hamstring running to the fence to fawn over her. As soon as our hands, ready to bestow loving pats on her scruffy head, are just mere centimeters from making contact, she will jump back, bark and yip and then run around the yard like an energizer bunny on steroids.

Which is all fine and dandy… unless you really wanted to pet the dog.

She also fancies herself in love with The Heinous Cat. Unfortunately it is a one-sided affair. The cat absolutely, without a doubt hates her. He practically hissed himself dry the other day in his attempts to make his feeling for her perfectly clear.

I don’t think it phased her a bit.

If she wasn’t causing enough damage to my dog-petting psyche, our neighbor had to go and bring home another dog.

This is Poochie. Who could resist this face? No one, I tell you! No one! And certainly not this sappy, mushy-hearted girlie-girl.

He is even worse than Stinky. He starts his freak-out-show before we even reach the fence and drags Stinky right along with him.

The last time it snowed, Hubby put birdseed out on top of the pump house roof. We heard a noise coming from outside only to discover Stinky on top of the pump house gobbling up the birdseed. We were both shocked and surprised that she would 1. eat birdseed and 2. be in our yard.

We still didn’t get to pet her, though. She barked and ran and teased, staying just out of arms-reach.

She figured out how to escape her confines and dash into our yard the other day. She’s made many trips back and has not always come alone.

She brings this wild animal with her.

 

They run and roll and chase and chew.

I realize the photos are blurry but that would be because the two canines are a blur as they whip through our yard, unmercifully teasing us.

 

Could someone please tell our neighbor he needs to train these two to sit still for five seconds so someone can pet them and pat them on the head and call them George?

That hands are just itching to rub these two big heads. Please.

Drooley (aka) The Heinous Cat

Oh, and The Heinous Cat would like me to add a request that the dogs never come into his yard, bark at him or even think about looking his direction. They frighten him so.

If you have a dog you can pet, give it an extra rub for me today.

From She Who Just Wants to Pet the Dogs

 

Posted in Entertaining at Home, Musings | Tagged , | 1 Comment »

Weighing In

January 26, 2011 by Shanna Hatfield

Just the other day I was flipping through the pile of junk mail that arrived at home and what should I come across but one of my favorite home catalogs. It is filled with beautiful bedding ensembles, breezy curtains, lovely linens.

And then… right there… in the smack-dab middle of the catalog was a section of weight loss equipment and tools.

I couldn’t get over the shock of seeing all the chrome and black equipment in the midst of the charming home decor. Seriously, it just doesn’t work. Doesn’t make sense. Has the whole world gone mad?

There was one entire section devoted to home scales. That had me laughing, I have to tell you.

The first one to make me giggle was a talking scale with a 440 pound capacity. I can only imagine the conversations I’d have with it.

“Hello, Scale, tell me something great today.”

“Sure, fatso, step right up.”

Yep, I do not need a sassy backtalking scale. I’ve already got a GPS system for that.

The next scale that was a bit much was one that had a 550 pound capacity and projected your weight in bright red laser numbers on the wall – no bending to read the number required. Are people insane? Who wants their weight number broadcast in 6 inch bright red illuminated numbers on the wall for any and all to see?

There was the scale that looked more like  a slab of home siding that featured a hand-held LCD display. You step on the slab and hold the reader in your hand. That would be a great place for it to be. It makes throwing it across the room so much easier when you don’t like what it had to say.

The final scale that I found utterly ridiculous was one that had a 1,000 pound capacity. It looked like a platform for parking small vehicles or large bovine. If you want to run your kid’s 4-h Steer project across it for a quick weight check, no problem!

I think I’ll stick with my plain ol’ non-digital scale that is buried somewhere in the garage, deep enough that I’m not tempted to go dig it out at all.

Now if someone could invent a scale that would permanently stay on your ideal weight and would magically suck off the pounds until you actually hit it, I could go for that!

Happy Tuesday!

From She Who Thinks Ignorance is Bliss

Posted in Home and Garden, Home Decor, Musings | Tagged , , | Leave a Comment »

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