Firm Foundations, and a recipe

Our house is finally above ground level! They are going to lay the plumbing, then pour the concrete that will actually be the floor of the house, then it will be inspected by the city (county?) inspectors. We also plan to hire our own inspector, just like you would if you were buying a "used" house.

So, why are we spending hundreds of dollars to have someone inspect a brand new home? One reason is because neither Derek nor I know diddly-squat (that's a technical term) about houses, so if something is missed or done wrong, we wouldn't know until the house blew down. Another reason is because we are both very risk-adverse personalities. We are the LAST people in the world to go to Vegas to gamble, and we don't like to do that with any other part of our lives, either. We feel that having the home inspected is a way of reducing the risks of buying a home, because we will know if something is wrong. Using an inspector is not a criticism of our builder. We wouldn't buy a house from them if we didn't trust them. But building a house is amazingly complex, involving dozens of people, and they are building multiple houses at the same time. It would be easy to miss a little something, like hooking up a wire.

Another advantage to hiring a home inspector is that he (sorry, but every single one we have found is a man) will also educate us about our house: where things are, how they work, how to maintain them, and problems to watch out for in the future. Why isn't it enough that the county inspectors look at our house? Won't they make sure it is all up to code? Yes, but that is a MINIMUM requirement for safety. They are not looking for quality or to make sure that we get everything we ordered (and paid for!) Their job is not to look out for us, it is to make sure the house meets codes established for safe occupation. We have been told, repeatedly, that Bloomington has the strictest building codes in the area. I guess those crazy liberals in college towns just like to try to fix everything by passing laws.

Now that the foundation is all laid out, the house seems awfully small. I keep reminding myself that it will be twice as big as where we live now. I think it is a good thing we will have more space, we were really outgrowing our apartment. We have gotten rid of a lot of things in preparation for the move, too. We have taken two carloads of stuff to Goodwill, and I have a stack of things to donate to other places. It is much easier for me to get rid of stuff if I know it will go to a good cause. For example, we have a new charity here in Bloomington called My Sisters Closet. It helps provide interview and starting work clothes to unemployed women, along with advice and other help with getting and keeping a job. They also sell clothes in a small store to help fund their activities. Despite getting rid of a lot of things, we are still up to 46 boxes! Mostly books, holiday decorations, and out of season clothes.

I think we will plan to eat out for Thanksgiving this year, so I can pack some of the fancy dishes and big pans I only use two or three times a year. There are several area restaurants that offer an all you can eat buffet on Thanksgiving Day. If we move in November, as I anticipate, we probably won't be up to doing the full Thanksgiving feast at our house. And it always seems silly to cook a mountain of food for just two people. Loyal friends, do not despair: this does NOT mean that we won't have our traditional day-after Thanksgiving pie party. I still hope to have it and then you can come and see our new house (and, probably, see the piles of boxes left to unpack!) Maybe we will even figure out how to use the fireplace by then! For those of you who are not local, the Pie Party is becoming an annual tradition. The day after Thanksgiving we get together to spend the evening eating pie and talking. After all, everyone loves pie, but is always too full to really enjoy it on Thursday.

My mother's pie crust recipe is wonderful and easy, too. It is surely to her credit that a man once asked me to marry him after eating a piece of my cherry pie at a pot luck. I'm entirely sure he was kidding! Since it is almost cherry season, here is the recipe:

Never Fail Pie Crust, from Nancy Patterson (Emilie's Mommy)

1 heaping cup Crisco (a bit less than one and a quarter cups)
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 Tablespoon vinegar
5 Tablespoons water

Mix Crisco, salt, and flour with a pastry cutter or cut with 2 knives until only small lumps remain. Stir in egg, vinegar, and water. May need an extra Tablespoon or two of water. Mix all into a soft ball of dough. This makes enough for three pie crusts (the cherry pie will take two of the three.) Divide into three balls and roll out or pat one into a pie pan with your fingers. Don't worry about over working the dough, it will not become tough.

*Will refrigerate for several days or freeze for several months. Just allow to come to room temperature before rolling out.

*If desired, you can use half butter flavor Crisco, which gives a nice golden color. Do not use all butter flavor Crisco, it will be too salty.

*Don't worry, this will not taste like vinegar when you are done. The vinegar helps to prevent the formation of gluten strands in the crust, so the crust stays tender and never tough. It also makes it much easier to roll out the dough.

*To make a top crust look pretty, you can brush it with beaten egg white to make it look shiny, or beaten whole egg to help it turn a nice golden brown. I like to brush the top with egg and then sprinkle Demerara sugar on top (this is the fancy sugar they have in brown packets at some coffee shops, it is in big shiny crystals with a golden color.) Add any of these toppings BEFORE baking.

Lazy Cherry Pie Filling, Emilie Johnson

1 can cherry pie filling (not light), 15 or 16 oz.
1 can or jar sour cherries (often next to the pie fillings in the store), 16 or 18 oz.
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon sugar, optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drain sour cherries. The juice is nice for homemade popsicles, but you don't need it for this recipe. Mix all ingredients in large bowl, stirring gently so as not to break up the cherries. Dump into a raw pie crust in a 9 inch or deep dish pie plate. (The cheap foil ones from the Dollar Store are too small. But you could just eat the extra cherries on top of ice cream if that's all you have.) Cover with a top crust, crimp edges. Bake until top is golden brown, about 40 minutes at 400 degrees.

*The pie pan will be quite full. To avoid bubbling over in the oven (and, then, having to clean the bottom of the oven) cut small holes in the top crust. I like little hearts, you can use a tiny cookie cutter if you have one. Slashes with a knife or pricks with a fork are not adequate. For extra insurance, put a cookie sheet under the pie plate to catch any drips. A cookie sheet can also provide extra support to a flimsy foil pain. Actually, just go ahead buy a real pie pan. Baker's Joy or Wilton, $5.99 at Target! Pyrex is also nice, $9.99.

*Why do you add almond extract? Cherries are botanically related to almonds (look at the cherry pits sometime, but don't eat them.) Much of the flavor and smell of cherries is similar to that of almonds, so this just boosts the cherry flavor.

*Why do you use sour cherries? They haven't been bred for sweetness, color, or sturdiness for shipping. They are just bred for taste. They have a stronger cherry taste but less sugar. And you can get them in a can and avoid pitting any cherries!

*Why lemon juice? Many fruit pies call for lemon juice, to add tartness to a very sweet dessert. Tartness is an important part of the flavor of fruit, even if we don't notice it while eating.

I have already veered off topic into history, you knew I would eventually start talking about food. Now, I will have to decide on a recipe to use that third pie crust . . . Stay tuned.