"B" is for Baking Blackberry-Blueberry Butterfly Pie with Our Besties

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8 cups of berries 
1/2 to 1 cup sugar
3 tbl corn starch 
Pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg
1 tbl lemon juice
Zest from 1 lemon -- optional, but makes it so good!
2 tbl unsalted butter cut in bits
Milk as needed

2 refrigerated prepared pie crusts

Instructions:

1/ Heat oven to 450
2/ Gently toss berries with sugar, cornstarch, salt, spices, lemon juice, and zest.
3/ Pile into rolled out dough -- making the pile a little higher in the center.
4/ Dot with the butter
5/ Cover with the top crust
6/ Seal edges with fork or fingers
7/ Place pie on baking sheet -- to catch drips
8/ Brush top of pie with milk and sprinkle with sugar
9/ Cut 3-4 slits in top of crust -- to allow steam to escape
10/ Bake for 10 minutes at 450
11/ Reduce heat to 350 and bake for another 40-50 minutes or until golden brown
12/ Cool on rack before serving warm or at room temperature

All pictures, the recipe, and the warm afternoon of baking generously and graciously providing by my friend Megan and her daughter Katie. Note, Sarah had three outfit changes during the course of baking pie. Megan is all patience with a girl's need for the perfect dress. In the end, she provided a dress with butterflies!

God willing, I'll be back later with an update to the plans for C week and perhaps a bit more on those 31 Days to Remind Myself of the Mission.

~A~ is for Apple (picking and pies)

First, there is apple picking.

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And then,

 

~Apple Crisp~

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Grain-free, recipe:

In a greased 8X8 pan, toss:

  • 6 - 8 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
  • 1/2 c sugar (substitute  2 TBS maple syrup if you want sugar-free)
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 T arrowroot powder
  • 2 T almond flour
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp grated lemon rind

Toss all ingredients together well and put in greased 8" X 8" pan. 

Mix together in a medium bowl:
  • 1 1/2 cups almond flour
  • 1/2 cup shredded coconut
  • 1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil or unsalted butter
  • 1/3  cup maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt

Crumble over the top of the apple mixture. Bake at 350* for about 45 minutes.

 and

~Apple Pie~

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  • 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
  • 2 1/2 pounds firm, tart apples  peeled, cored, and sliced 
  • 1/2 cup sugar plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in an iron skillet saute pan over medium heat. Add the apple wedges and saute until slightly softened, but holding their shape, just 3 to 4 minutes. Don't overcook. They're going to be baked. Add the 1/2 cup of sugar and stir to combine. Add the sugar and spices and stir.

In a bowl, combine the lemon juice and cornstarch. Stir  into the apple mixture and remove the pan from the heat. Let cool completely.

Use refrigerated pie crusts. They usually come two per pack. For the bottom crust, follow the package directions to put it in the pie pan. Fill with the cooled filling. Dot the top with the other 3 tablespoons of butter, cut into little pieces.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Roll out the other refrigerated crust and help your little learners cut the letter "A" with cookie cutters. Arrange on top and lightly brush with egg wash and sprinkle with about a teaspoon of sugar.  

Put the pie on a cookie sheet to catch any dripping and bubbling. Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 20 minutes.  Rotate the pie 180 degrees to move the front edge of the pie to the back of the oven. Bake until the top is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes more. Watch carefuly throughout to ensure that the crust doesn't burn. Cover loosely with foil if it seems to be browning too quickly.

Remove the pie from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes before slicing and serving. If you slice and serve to soon, it will be runny.

 

~Happy Appling!~

 

Preparing for the Feast of St. Therese

~repost, because that's what we can do with traditions.

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If you've ever been to my house, chances are excellent to 100% that you have seen one of these prayer cards laying around. I ordered them in bulk when Karoline Rose was born to include in her birth announcements. And I've ordered more every year since. The rose novena is most definitely how we begin to prepare for the feast of this saint, who is so, so dear to our family. Karoline's name, of course is a tribute to St. Therese's promise to shower roses upon the earth and Karoline tells everyone she knows that she is, indeed, a rose sent from heaven. Katie was baptized Kirsten Therese, so she, too, is named for St. Therese. And there is lots of evidence of her presence on this blog because there is lots of evidence of her presence in our lives as a family.

We will go to Mass, of course, to celebrate with the Universal Church. There will be roses. Michael is Katie's godfather and buys her miniature roses ("Little Flowers") on this day--just as long as I remind him;-). For this year, the girls are all abuzz about this pan, I purchased last summer. So, a rose-shaped cake. But I'm still not sure what the recipe will be. Any suggestions would be most welcomed in my inbox. Extra points if you have a grain freen recipe that works in a pan like this. It's a season for miracles, no?

One of Trish's candles (in that amazing St. Therese rose scent) will be lit before the icon. Mary Beth took Therese as her confirmation name and Patrick's godmother blessed her with this beautiful image.

Sttherese 

I have learned over time that this is one feast I do not overplan, despite the fact that it is huge day in our family. St. Therese has a history of showering us with her love in most unexpected ways.

The novena begins September 23, to prepare for the October 1st feast.

 

*September 23 is the feast of our favorite Capuchin, St. Padre Pio. In our house, that means cappucino all around:-)

God in the Vineyard

Mary at Trinitas

There is a large statue of Our Lady overlooking the vineyard, a chapel on the grounds for daily Mass, and a wine named for Pope Benedict. This is Trinitas. And it is beautiful. Trinitas Cellars has a small vineyard of its own, but sources out for most of its grapes. On the grounds of the Meritage Resort and Spa is the Trinitas Tasting Room, a cave that is home to a beautifully appointed bar. There, we met an incredibly personable (and knowledgeable) young man named Michael, who introduced us to the wines. 

Among the Trinitas wines is one called ratZINger. Every year, the founders of Trinitas travel to Rome to present bottles of the wine to Pope Benedict. Steph and Tim Busch are very active in Catholic ministries and organizations in the United States and this winery truly reflects their authentic Catholic sensibilities.

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A sweet picture book on the shelves amongst the wine bottles captured my attention while Mike was chatting wine and baseball with Michael. The Grapes Grow Sweet is the story of a family bringing in California grapes at harvest time. Beautifully illustrated with rich, watercolor pictures, the book tells the story of Julian and Adrienne Rossi, two children growing up in the fourth generation on a Napa vineyard. The story is tenderly told and every time I read it aloud to my children, I'm drawn into the warmth of this family and the love and respect they have for the people who work with them. The pictures are incredibly detailed and with each reading so far, we've noticed something new. My girls were so inspred by this book that we took off last week for an impromptu visit to some Virginia vineyards, hoping to see the harvest gondolas. 

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But back to Trinitas:-). After we spent a very long time learning ever so much in the tasting room, Mike and I walked the vineyards. We read each of the placards and got to know the grapes a little better. We also introduced ourselves to an impressively large jackrabbit. I was surprised by how large and muscular those rabbits are compared to my Virginia garden bunnies. Alas, no picture. He was much too fast for me!

In a place like Trinitas, it's impossible not to think of the first part of John 15. I was disappointed in my (in)ability to recite it from memory on the spot and have since endeavored to commit it there. 

The Vine and the Branches.

 I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.  Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends,  because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another.

 

This time away with only Mike gave me the space I needed to really consider what God has been trying to prune and how He calls me to lay down my life (and for whom). We don't, of course, need a vineyard and a wine named for the rosary to do that, but I am astonished at the generosity of both God and my husband, who provided them well before I even knew to ask.

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The One Where Napa Valley Wins my Heart

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On our first day in California, we touched down at the San Francisco airport. We'd left home in the dark before dawn and flown across the country. Upon arrival, I checked my trusty iPhone to see if my children missed me yet and discovered that my phone, too, had gone along with the plan to spend the week in California. Everything had shifted to the new time zone. I had arrived. And it was still early in the morning. I've always wanted to gain three hours in a day.

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Before I left, I'd set up a very private Instagram account for just my children and three friends. It was really the only social media/phone/computer I used all week. And I'm so glad I did it. Instagram was a very convenient way to take pictures, tag them with locations, and stay in touch with the people I loved. One of the friends was Beka, who lives in northern California. She was able to follow our journey in real time and offer so very many useful suggestions along the way. It was a deliberate and well-considered decision to leave the fancy Nikon at home. I didn't want to get so caught up in the perfect shot that it got in the way of the perfect moment. And I really didn't want to have to protect and carry my camera everywhere. So, the net photo result is "Northern California in Lo-Fi."

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After landing, we drove the short distance across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito. There, we had lunch at a charming waterfront restaurant called Scoma's. Lunch was delicious and the service wonderful--and sometime in that restaurant, I really started to believe I was on the trip of a lifetime. All the anxiety (and there was so very much of it) ebbed away into that bay. 

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{view from our table in Sausalito}

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From Sausalito, we drove to Napa. Initially, as we approached Napa, I was disappointed. Everything seemed so brown. Dusty brown hills. I even dared to speak aloud that Virginia was far more beautiful. As we drove further into wine country, the color deepened a bit and somehow the brown hills became a lovely green. Not a Virginia green, not at all, but a different gray-green, beautiful in its own right. I had hoped to conquer jetlag and keep chugging along until bedtime, but by the time we got to the hotel, I was truly grateful for the suggestion of a nap.

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Our evening began with a reception in the hotel lobby. Wine, veggies and dip, and some lovely black swans welcomed us to Napa Valley. We had dinner that night at a restaurant called Fish Story. I promise not to bore you with the details of every meal, but this meal was worth noting. Amazing. I had trout with figs and hazelnuts on a bed of greens. I cannot do it justice (clearly, I'm no food critic). I assure you though, I'm on a mission to replicate that recipe. Our server was so nice and I quickly learned that everyone we met had a story; all the stories were love stories. The people of Napa Valley truly love where they work and live. We got to know several of them. I was sorry to say goodbye.

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We went to three wineries the next day. Each one had its own distinct character. The first was a large winery whose wine is readily available in east coast supermarkets. We took a skytram up to the winery, where we had an automated tour. The views were breathtaking--literally. I was just plain astonished by how beautiful it all was. And I thought to myself how silly my comments of the day before sounded now. On the way down in the tram I remarked to Mike that the tour was just exactly what I'd hoped it would be. I had seen a lot and learned a lot and tasted a bit, too. He remarked that the views were exceptional, but that he had hoped for a more personal perspective than the one offered by the automated tours. He also commented about the odd lack of bugs and birds. Turned out his comments were the perfect segue to the next place.

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Beka had suggested Grgich Hills Estate, a small biodynamic and organic farm and winery. Oh, I'm so glad we took her suggestion! At Grgich, we were treated to a personal tour given by a very knowledgeable and enthusiastic woman named Nicky. She introduced us to "Mike" Grgich, the 89-year-old Croatian immigrant who put Napa wines on the map by beating the best of the best in a 1976 Paris tasting. Mike Grgich was the youngest of eleven children who left Yugoslavia with wine knowledge, a love of freedom, and $39.00 in the soles of his shoe. And he has created a dream come true in Napa Valley.

When I expressed an interest in biodynamic farming and mentioned Rudolf Steiner, Nicky's eyes lit up.  Grgich Hills Estate uses biodynamic farming practices pioneered by Steiner. They sound a little crazy, but they produce amazing fruit! My Mike is ever the skeptic when I get too crunchy, but he enthusiastically conceded that this was some amazing wine. And he promptly invested in a plan to ensure we'd remember our time at Grgich with wine for... I don't know...ever?

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We went to a third tasting that day, but I think perhaps I've gone on long enough and that place deserves a post of its own.