August 2011 – Page 3 – Eat, Play, Love

And countless memories! This is our summer 2011 road trip. Yes – we are road warriors. It all started with my parents. As a child every summer vacation we took was a road trip (usually to the Western U.S.). I treasure the memories of each and every one of those trips, the good and the “challenging.” (I was a teenager for lots of those trips. Enough said.)

A rare teenage smile caught on film. RMNP 1994.

Fast forward to adulthood. I met Mike and together he and I kept the tradition going beginning early in our relationship.

“Standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona. Such a fine sight to see.”

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While it always feels good to return home after a vacation, it also takes a few days to get back into the swing of things. We’ve got laundry to catch up on, groceries to shop for, friends and family to catch up with, sleep schedules to readjust, cats to clean up after (apparently they were having quite the party without us) and loads of work and bills to catch up on. Fortunately we have some good memories to get us through – that and pie crust.

Pie crusts, for me, are therapy. I’m not sure what it is about rolling out a fresh crust, but it’s something I’ve enjoyed since we were first married. My first crust was a butter and shortening crust, but once I started making my Grandma’s blackberry cobbler, I began working with the double shortening crust. Pie crusts challenge me every time, give a true sense of accomplishment and most importantly, make for amazing desserts. They are also something that I like to tackle alone. Just me and the pie crust.

I start by sifting together the flour, salt and sugar and slicing in chunks of vegetable shortening.