I Think I'm Going to Let this Blog Rest for a Bit

Life is lovely, but not all that exciting right now. Cycling, working, having fun, the end!

Really, though, I am very lazy with the writing, and find it easier to microblog via Twitter, and post pictures at Flickr, while social networking it up on Facebook. So if you're interested in keeping a-track of me, here are a couple of links:

• Follow me at Twitter (updates like the ones you're seeing in the left column here)
• Flickr has pictures I upload

I'll probably start blogging again, should anything that I need to share come up!

Substitutions

When I need to get out of my head, I do something physical. I heart the exercising, but act of creating something just isn't inherent to hefting weights or cycling for a bargazillion miles, or even horseback riding.

I used to fulfill my need to create something with my hands by art. 3D collages, which I am promising myself to get back to making, and soon, and later with ceramics. Lately, though, and I'm sure you've already noticed, it's been with cooking and baking and kitchen experiments galore.

This weekend, I tried my hand at candy making, for the first time ever. When I was a child, I loved Kraft's Chocolate Caramels, and decided that that was the place for me to start. Using my new favourite cookbook, Chocolates and Confections by Peter Greweling, I set to work.

Two things that I thought would ruin the batch:

1. The power went out and stayed out for a good minute 2/3 of the way through the process, though since I didn't seemingly loose and heat from the mixture, and kept stirring away until the power came back on, I decided to finish the batch and see how they would turn out.
2. The next morning, I realized that I had used half and half instead of heavy cream, meaning a lower milk fat content in the candy.

That being said, those suckers still turned out! They're just a little softer then I had wanted, due to the accidental half and half substitution, but still tasty and lovely and chewy.

I wrapped 'em on up in wax paper and will be brining them into the office tomorrow.

So, take a look:

A Quick Tiny Mango Pie add-on

A tinyunicorn requested the recipe for the wee jar pies below. Ah, recipe.

Crust: here you go. Okay, so neither Jen or I had ever made a pie crust, and having witnessed the pain that pie crust has cause friends and relatives, and feeling like this project was too cute to allow for failure, we went with pre-made. 3 boxes will cover 24 4 oz jars.

Filling: Mango Pie at MyRecipes.com. This is the only recipe for Mango Pie that I've come across that uses the mango whole, instead of making into some odd cream pie base. In case you'd rather not visit MyRecipes, here's the lowdown for the filling:

• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
  
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 4 1/2 cups (1/2-inch-thick) mango wedges (about 4 medium)
  
• 1 tablespoon chilled butter, cut into small pieces

Now, as a lass who eats a mango a day, I know what possible disappointments can lurk inside a fresh mango. Do yourself a favour, and for this pie filling, buy frozen cut mango - we used the organic Naturally Preferred line from Kroger. 4 packs will give you enough for 24 4 oz jars.

TINY MANGO PIES! But first, some other things.

It's been awhile, no? A lot's been going on. I went back home to visit, and had a final dinner at Susur. And while I am sad his Toronto location is closing (Lee isn't the same, kids), I am excited to see what he opens in NYC.

The Toronto weekend was incredibly fun. I heart being happy like that.

What else? Oh, I'm riding a lot. On my bike. AND ON A HORSE. That's right, Jen, Allison and I started horseback riding lessons yesterday. We all spent hours on horseback as children, but - well, we're children no more. Loving it. LOVE.

And on to the pies.

Because we can't help but fall in love with awesome, tiny food, Jen and I decided to steal this idea from NotMartha and make tiny pies in 4oz jars this afternoon. Jen took the first 3 pictures, and I took the rest.

I give you: Wee Mango Pies