Things I like #11

Last Thursday I skipped this Things I like business. Sorry about that. My husband has a new school schedule and I'm still adapting. Anyway, onward and um...well, just onward really.

This sort of is a Wednesday thing, since I had it yesterday, but since I'll be having leftovers today, rest assured that I will be liking them: Quiche. I made a really great one yesterday with homemade pie crust, real cream, some ham, onions, and swiss cheese. That's it really. I think I might have even completely forgot to salt and pepper it, but the salt from the ham and the cheese made up for it. It didn't need the pepper and you should know that pepper is a thing I like. This was a really good quiche. It was good enough for me to choose seconds of it over a piece of a chocolate orange(also a thing I really really like). It is my opinion that for a quiche to be really good (or most things with cheese on top really) you have to bake it till the cheese gets nice and toasty brown. And I did. And I'm glad. It was perfect.

Now, as for the pie crust: I don't like making pie crust, but I do like the idea of someday mastering the darn thing, so I keep plowing on ahead. This last time I found myself humming "They all Laughed" while rolling it out, the most loathed of the process, which I thought was sort of appropriate. And it reminded me how much I like that song, and how much I like Ella and Louis together. In fact that entire album is stellar-tastic. (as an aside: my girl seems to also like this. She is sitting in a little pink basket with her baby doll and dancing it up while youtube graces our ears with this tune)

This may also sort of qualify as a Wednesday thing, but since I'm writing in the morning today I suppose I'm working with what's on my mind. Anyhow, yesterday was playgroup, which we haven't been to for a while due to holidays and traveling, and the Mister being out of school. Family time trumps playgroup. But I went yesterday and I realized how much I really do like having a routine. Playgroup on Wednesdays. Make bread on....whatever day. Obviously it's been a while since I've had one. I used to do bread on Thursdays. I find that when I have planned for certain things certain days and those things stay the same from week to week, they are far more likely to get done. Like cleaning the bathroom. It helps when there is something fun in the middle of it all too.

Oh yeah and then there's the pie.

I also like my green plates even though they make this picture look all 70's-y.

I made a pumpkin pie from scratch....like from the pumpkin. It turns out it's pretty easy and delicious. I just hacked my little sugar pumpkin in half (why yes, this is the sugar pumpkin I purchased in October. They keep amazingly well. Even without a root cellar.) scooped out the stringy bits and seeds and popped it in a 350 degree oven for a while. I know...super accurate. I just left it in there till I could smell it and then some more. It was probably something like an hour. Possibly an hour and a half. When it's done it will be soft and scoopable. The cut edges of mine were a bit dark and tough from roasting, but I just left them with the peel and the rest of the pumpkin was perfect. After you scoop it out (let it cool and you won't even burn your fingers), just make your favorite pie*. Pumpkin, of course. Easy as....well, you know. Anway, I like that I have pumpkin pie in my fridge. I like that I made it myself. I like that I was all thrifty and made it out of expired decor. Important to note: the pumpkin itself hadn't expired although it may have soon if I hadn't acted now. The decor expired because...well it's January. Not really pumpkin season. Which reminds me. all this may not be any use to you right now, but it's a thing I like, so too bad. Also, if you really need to get your hands on some homey-made kind of pie, and you don't happen to have a punkin hanging around, go make some sweet potato pie. They taste quite similar. Or I think they do anyway. Also, did you know you can use butternut squash in just about any application you would use pumpkin. I've never done it with pie, but I've done it with pumpkin bread and soups and things with no ill results. They are remarkably alike.
(It is also worth noting that if you make your pie without a can of pumpkin, a 15 oz can is roughly equivalent to 1 and 3/4 cup pumpkin puree.)

Oh yeah. And this other song too. I heard it a long time ago and loved it. Then I forgot about it for a while and then Twenty-Two Pleasant (another thing I like) reminded me of it's existence. Sweet.

Well I guess that's it for now. Happy Thursday. (also, what do you like today? I seriously love hearing this stuff, so even if it's just your deodorant or something tell me. Maybe I need to know about some really stellar deodorant....wait....are you trying to tell me something? Ok, but seriously. What do you like?)


* you thought that was going to be the pie recipe I used didn't you? well it wasn't. It was another thing I like. But I just used the Better Homes and Gardens recipe. It's a good one. It turns out, I can't find the one from the book on their website though. But this one appears to be the most similar. Also, it's worth looking through their pumpkin recipes. They look phenomenal.