How to Bake an Apple Pie

Prepare the crust the day before and let chill in the refrigerator until ready.

Thanksgiving morning arrives, wake early and begin peeling Granny Smith apples, a lot of them. Toss with yummy goodness and transfer to pie shell. Sample a few. Smile.

Make crumb topping, place over mound of apples and transfer to hot waiting oven.

20 minutes into baking take a peek, remove protective foil from crust and see juices dripping onto oven floor.

Get baking sheet lined with foil and place under pies. Problem solved.

Right.

15 minutes later notice smoke coming from the oven through the little vent near the back burner. Remark to husband about "smoke". Open oven to see this:


(Fire was much larger but due to current crisis status the photographer did not capture the blaze in all it's glory.)

Mildly freak out. Notice the pie drippings have obviously caught flame and are dancing dangerously large in the middle of the oven. Worry about the integrity of your now smoked apple pies, remove from oven. Grab something metal to pull out the fiery droppings, continue freaking out.

Remove lower oven rack with baking sheet, run it outside.

Return and repeat stupidly "What do I do? What do I do?"

Husband takes over. Mildly caustic remarks are exchanged. Have the "clarity" to grab your camera and document the event as hubby is bravely taking control.

Set off fire alarm. Grab oven mitts and jump wildly in the air waving the mitts at the alarm to shut it up.

Return to "help" hubby.

Succeed in fire extinguishing efforts. Put pies back in oven to finish baking. Fret over smokiness.

Look around the house and realize you cannot see for all the smoke inside. Open every window and door. Turn on all the fans. Go outside to breathe freshly cleansed air thanks to the rain.

Smell yourself outside. You stink. Like you spent the night in a fire pit. Return to the crime scene. Remove pies from the oven. Let cool.

Sigh with relief that they are still gloriously wonderful and oozing thick apple juices, the same juices that started this mess.





Set oven to "Clean" and begin taking care of the aftermath of Thanksgiving baking/fire fighting efforts. Enlist help of husband and tackle the neglected house, especially kitchen. Sweep twice, mop last and finally make yourself presentable for dinner.

Juggle 4 pies in the back seat as you drive to dinner. Arrive safe and sound. Eat. Be thankful.

Pinch Hitter

This past week has been a hairy one for me. Lots of photography shoots and then the hours of editing that comes with it. When this happens my domestic duties take a back seat. Usually the weekend consists of full house cleaning, laundry, preparing good meals and meal planning/shopping for the next week. Didn't happen this week and cereal has been a frequent visitor around these parts. I managed to do the laundry, Phil folded and it is now taking residence not in our drawers and closet but on the couch. At least we have clean clothes, right?

Saturday we are driving home from a shoot and I tell Phil he is in charge of Sunday dinner. He agrees. We had Ranch Rotisserie Chicken Wraps after church, went to more meetings and then Phil whipped up some homemade spaghetti sauce. He brought me a plate of steaming spaghetti and Parmesan complete with a salad where I sat at the computer editing. We ate together in the office and then he went to clean up the kitchen. As he came back to retrieve my plate he said "I feel like your wife!" I laughed agreeing that it was a role reversal. And that was fine by me! It is nice every once in awhile.

Phil can wear many hats and for that I am grateful. He makes a good pinch hitter and a mean spaghetti sauce.

Manly Phil

Domestic Phil

(Taken when we were first married circa 2003, I don't think he's donned an apron while vacuuming since)

Morning Ritual

Phil has a morning ritual. After showering, dressing, and eating in preparation for his daily departure he likes to inspect the "grounds". True, our "grounds" are hardly stately nor majestic. They aren't vast and supreme. But they are ours and Phil lovingly tends them as much sweat and effort have been invested.

Usually while brushing his whites he roams. Wandering from front to back, tree to tree, bush to shrub he casts a meticulous eye over the greenery. And he does this almost every single morning. Me, on the other hand? I usually exit via the garage door in my black chariot and as I shift from reverse into first gear I cast a quick glance to make sure the garage door is closed before I pull away.

On one such morning, Phil was meandering in the back yard and turned his eye to the hopeful navel orange tree. I say hopeful because "someday" this young slip of a tree will produce succulent, juicy citrus, one of Phil's favorites. And hopefully we shall still be here to see that day. But probably not.

Wait! What is this? Something has been feasting on the glossy leaves! Shock & horror!



What the?!



"Heather!! Get out here!"

I, having just arisen from my cozy warm slumber, groggily slip on my glasses and slippers and join the panicked Phil to inspect this interesting specimen.



"Can it be a caterpillar?" we ask ourselves. We lean in for a closer look.

Whatever it is it's not pretty! AND it has eaten the leaves! That alone is grounds for immediate removal. But neither of us make a move to touch it.



Do you see it's eyes and gaping mouth?

Freaky is the consensus. Mildly disturbing. But it may turn out to be a beautiful butterfly and it's last meal was our glossy green citrus leaves. Whatever it is, it better be pretty.

An Attitude of Gratitude

In the spirit of Thanksgiving I want to list some things that are important to me and that I am grateful for.

I am grateful I get to work with the Young Women of the Church. I have learned new skills, greatly expanded my speaking abilities and conquered public speaking, made countless new friends and hopefully have served as a good example to these beautiful girls.

I am grateful for my testimony of the gospel.

I am grateful for an education and new found talents.

I am grateful for a healthy, strong body.

I am so grateful I married a wonderful man. He is my best friend.

We have fun together. We travel the world together.

Berlin, Germany

Trevi Fountain, Rome, Italy

He works hard for us, both at home and work.

We mourn together. Work together. Pray together. Hope together.

I am grateful we are an eternal family.

He misses Camden. He will be one incredible father to our future children.

He is kind, patient, compassionate and brave.

I am so grateful he is mine.

Being a Grown-up

Whenever I have school-age patients I always ask about their life, which invariable is consumed by school, homework and the like. As I was cleaning up after one teenage girl this week I thought about how life was so "hard" when you were that age. So many things to worry about...Yeah right!

Things were simple back then with my blessed hindsight and adult perspective. Now there are bills, earning an income to pay those bills, responsibility to so many people and so many things, marriage, work, church, family to worry about. The list goes on.

We are still on the path towards medical school and Phil has backed away from the Obama-induced ledge that threatened to change our life plans. So far we have only heard from Nevada and that is where we will be going if Arizona doesn't want us. Then we can return to the simple student life, right? Hah! Just throw in the absence of income, hopefully children, and a whole lotta responsibility. But love and hope. And plenty of it.

Things I say

I present the following phrases I say every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Open.

Close your lips like a straw. (Patient attempts to close around suction and water spills everywhere.) No! Like a straw! (Patient thinks I am a moron and it is my fault they are wet.) I give up and suction without their "help".

Do you have any concerns with your teeth? (Blank stare often follows) Are any of your teeth hurting? (Comprehension dawns.)

Q: How often are you flossing? (Bloody casualty that is their mouth as evidence of NOT flossing) A: Oh, 3 or 4 times a week. (Me: Psshh, yeah right! Liar, liar...) Proceed to give floss lecture education without sounding condescending and all-knowing. (Patient doesn't listen or nods so I will shut up.)

Spend more time brushing on the insides of your teeth.

Open.

Turn towards me.

Open. Open! Stay OPEN please. (Patience thinning)

Open like this:

When working on kids:

• Open big like an alligator! (We are pretty big on opening your mouth)
• Talk about sugar bugs pooping on their teeth. (Gross? That's the point.)

I love Thursdays

Thursdays mean:

Phil takes a break from his laptop and coding. For 2 whole hours.

We watch The Office and our new favorite, Kitchen Nightmares. Together. No laptops are invited.

We eat Mac & Cheese.

Yes, from the box.

I added broccoli. (I get home at 7:30pm, give me a break!)

I am done working for the week.

Phil resumes coding and will work into the night. Sigh.

I leave the dishes for tomorrow morning.

Did I mention I am done working for the week?

I have 2 fun shoots this weekend.

I don't mind that kind of "work".

Happy Thursday.

Food for Thought

Relief this election is over.

Concern for the future; the country's future, my family's future. But hoping & praying for the best, whatever that may be.

Phil & I have serious concerns with medical school and the future of health care. Is it worth us sacrificing 10 years of our life and plunging into considerable debt when we may be taxed to oblivion and have a harder, longer road to secure our personal future, climb out of debt and make an honest living? We have some pondering and praying to do.

On another note, I elected not to pursue the newborn hospital photography gig. I am keeping busy enough as it is and still have my church and family responsibilities, while I would have liked the experience and opportunity for growth I need to focus on our life plans and goals. And I like my life right now, I feel like I have a nice balance. Thanks for your encouragement and support.

How do you feel about our country's future?

And the date went...

Kevin's date was Saturday. Phil called relentlessly to get the update. You know it's a bad sign when someone is avoiding your calls. And it was. Bad news.

Kevin wasn't feeling it, so this was his first and last date with that amazing girl. We loved her and didn't know the girl from Adam. She owns her own home, has her degree, works at Intel and is in a Master's program at Thunderbird. What the heck is wrong with that boy?!

I hope she finds some amazing man, it just isn't Kevin.

We are officially off the lookout. If he wants a wife, he can find her.

In other news, I did a photo shoot Saturday and love how they turned out. The mom just called me and told me I almost had her in tears as she was looking at the sneak peak on the photo blog. That is why I love photography. I am also pursuing a part-time gig with a photography business that specializes in newborns at local hospitals, I will meet with them tomorrow. Wish me luck!