Ever since Ari & Emilie were born, I rarely leave the house after the sun goes down. If I do, my surroundings seem different, more mysterious; especially while I am driving.
I don't remember feeling this way when I was younger, and I chalk it up to the fact that I was out late a whole lot more then than I am now.
I am not afraid to drive at night, it is just a whole other sensation with the streetlights dimly shining down and constant headlights zooming by. Almost surreal. I like it.
We got the ball rolling on our small garden that we are hoping to have this summer. By small, I mean tomatoes and some herbs. Unfortunately, our yard is not big enough for us to grow much more. Plus, this is our first attempt at growing our own food, so we are starting small.
Pie is indeed my favorite dessert. What can I say, the savory, tender, flaky crust, the sweet (but not too sweet) filling makes for a flavor sensation second to none. There is nothing better than a well executed pie, and it has to be homemade, of course, right down to the crust.
I can't say that I had a whole lot of pie growing up. Nonna's apple pie is the earliest memory I have of pie. I have tried to replicate it, but I have not been able to get it just right. Going through an old box of recipes from her house, I found another copy of the recipe that called for minute tapioca. I had only used regular small pearl tapioca and the pearls never softened up enough. So now, armed with this bit of information, I have a new challenge ahead. I can only hope to come close to the original.
Another family recipe that I more recently became aware of is buttermilk pie. It is like a sugar cream pie, but it is not as sweet and has a little tangyness from the buttermilk. It is absolutely delicious. Every time I eat it I am reminded of why it is my favorite pie. Where had it been all my life? It is my great-grandmother's recipe, so I guess she must have not made it all that often when I was a kid. Or, I may not have tried it because to a kid buttermilk pie doesn't sound all that appetizing. If I had only known what I was missing.
Whether it's apple, blueberry, strawberry rhubard, pumpkin, lemon merange, buttermilk, chocolate, or peanut putter, I am a fan of pie, and it is welcome on my plate any night of the week.
Ari and I were outside the other day taking pictures and I noticed something familiar in the shadows. I looked down and I saw that our shadows looked reminiscent to the picture I use for my profile. I quickly took a picture before the boy could move and I think it turned out pretty true to the original; except for the fact that there are two sets of legs instead of one.
The One I Love was R.E.M.'s first Top 10 single in the United States, and is from the 1987 album, Document. It is also one of the first R.E.M. songs I remember listening to on the radio when I was a kid. It was released on Document, R.E.M.'s fifth studio album; the last album with I.R.S. records.
The song's title most likely has caused many to consider The One I Love as a love song. In fact, Michael Stipe has called it one of the most violent songs he has ever written and was surprised that he was even able to write those lyrics. With lyrics like"A simple prop to occupy my time"; and the single word "Fire" as the chorus, Michael Stipe stated that it is clear that the song is about using people over and over again.
The first live versions of the song are more fitting to the theme of the song. Michael practically yells "Fire" during the chorus and the whole feel of the song is more violent overall. I enjoy the early version of the song. There is more passion, and it feels darker and full of angst.
I have included both the early live performance from 1986 and the studio version released in 1987. Enjoy!
An interesting side note, the director of photography for the video of The One I Love was none other than Alton Brown. Alton is my favorite chef, and I owe much of my culinary knowledge to him, but that's another post.
