Valentine's Day Pie

For Valentine's day this year Mark and I made a pie from scratch. (Okay, we made the pie the weekend before Valentine's, but it has hearts on it, so it counts as a Valentine's day pie)

http://picasaweb.google.com/followtheleader/ValentineSDayApplePearPie

Here's the recipe. The only change we made was accidentally using 3 teaspoons of salt instead of 3/4. Whoops. It was salty, but still okay. We'll have to try again with the right amount of salt. And the next time I make pie dough, I'm making a double batch, because it's a lot of work, and a lot of putting stuff in the refrigerator and waiting.

A few gratuitous pie shots:

A good solution to those pesky cords

http://www.oboiler.com/picket/picket.html

I think this is such a neat idea... I only wish I owned a house. I just feel llike this sort of effor is too much for someone who's only renting, and might possibly move in, you know, 5 months or so.

Fall in Pittsburgh

So, Canadian Thanksgiving has come and gone. Mark and I put together a small feast, butterball turkey for him (cook from frozen!) and tofu loaf for me (not as good as my mothers) . It was a nice meal, and was the first time I'd ever made a meal so long and involved with so many pieces that had to be ready at the same time.
To end the meal we had an apple spice cake that turned out very well. I took the leftovers into work to share. It was a strange thanksgiving away from our families, and it was 30 degrees (that's like 87 in American speak). Certainly the warmest thanksgiving I've ever had.

But now... now the weather has turned. It's not even 15 degrees today. A coworker of mine, Matthew, said that Pittsburgh is too poor to afford all 4 seasons, so it just has winter and summer, and to simulate fall, it cycles quickly between winter and summer. :-)

I was sort of hoping the weather would turn. I was getting sick of wearing shorts... believe it or not. Plus I bought a beautiful new wool jacket that I was just itching to wear. And, I guess I got what I wanted... like they say, be careful what you wish for.

Mark's started work at the American Red Cross. This is great news, as he'll get to meet people and participate in the Pittsburgh community. So far it's been a lot of training, but it's cooling down now. Sounds like it will be satisfying work.

I'm going home for Christmas, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing my friends and family then. And visiting my favorite Edmonton restaraunts. I'm starting a list. Cafe mosaics, high level diner, blue plate diner, Oodle noodle (a favorite of Mark and I). Oh, and I guess maybe some christmas dinner at my parent's house.

See y'all then!

Stump this!

Okay okay, I'm going to try blogging again, but to make it feel more manageable I'm going to keep posts short and sweet.

I found this online and think it's a great idea.
http://supernaturale.com/articles.html?id=199

Mark and I have a huge stump in our back yard. It's probably 4 feet around. I wonder what the landlord would think if we applied the techniques above to it. :-)

Overheard in PGH

So, while I'm at a loss for witty things to say on my blog, this one's got no shortage:

http://www.overheardinpittsburgh.com

However, be warned that if you read "Overheard in PGH" you may never want visit Pittsburgh, for fear for becoming stupider. Let me remind you that there are stupid people everywhere; in Pittsburgh we just make fun of them on the internet.

Hooligan at the Phipps Conservatory

And now for something completely different.

Cats Cats Cats

Safe and sound!

The cats arrived on Friday with my lovely mother. They were stuck in Chicago for a couple of hours but made it here eventually. Cats were surprisingly calm considering what they had endured.

Welcome home ladies!