Today was a typical winter day for us. The sky was a beautiful blue, sun shining and the temperature agreeable. We knew this day would arrive, time to pack up the lunch, water for the dogs and off we go looking for animal tracks in the woods. We saw lots of deer prints big and small, one coyote track and where it stopped to mark its territory. A few squirrel and mice trails. Then a beautiful big Red Tail Hawk circling the hill top. Very quiet up there with no noise, not even an airplane rumble. We sat for quite a while just enjoying the hillsides and quiet. I was thinking in about 12 weeks we will be on this same walk digging for leeks. Life is all about full circle.
Last night was baked chicken, by the way the IGA in town as some great meat prices. A full cut up fryer was only and I mean only $3.29, not a pound but the whole package. I mixed a dry rub of brown sugar, cumin, turmeric, curry, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper then baked it at 400 degrees until crispy. That may seen too high of a temperature but it bakes quickly, crispy and tender. Slow baking dries out meat.
With just the two of us we had half of the chicken left which became chicken salad for sandwiches today. Cut up the meat, add cranberries, pecans, sliced green onion and celery chopped fine, a little mayonnaise, honey mustard and the same seasonings used in the dry rub. Oh so good!! A thermos of hot cocoa and pizzelle cookies to top lunch off. Set another while and then time to head to the little house.
Many times I will say........I am just being lazy! My husband always says, you are far from lazy. Just depends but I am many times. This morning was one of those times. I had apples that needed to be used before they turned bad and would only be good for the deer. Apple pie it was. Have you ever taken a short cut to make something? I did today and actually it will be a short cut to use every time I make a double crust pie because I hate and I mean HATE rolling out pie crust. This little idea popped in my head, roll out all of the dough into one big circle, put it in the pie plate with all the extra dough hanging over the sides. Add the apple mixture and then fold the extra dough over the pie filling. Perfect!!! The best part there is no thick outer crust. I guess I shouldn't take the credit for this because I thought of it from an old time pie plate recipe. Rather than use a pie dish the dough is laid out on a flat plate, filling in the middle and dough folded over. I just happened to use the pie plate! It works, now my go to for a double crust pie!
