Adventures and Pie Crusts

December 1, 2009

Yesterday morning was an adventure I could live without. I woke Cowboy at 2 a.m. with racing, irregular heart beat. When I am having it, it is scary! I got it calmed down but had an ache in my left arm... We got in the car at 2:30 and I said I was better and we came back to the house. Now I will do the abbreviated version as we women get pretty wordy. Ha!

Decide to go to emergency room because of arm thing.
Dan, P.A. (he was in M.C.) decided I should be checked out in Miles City.
Ambulance ride.
Convinced Cowboy I wouldn't die, let Candy go with me. (Cowboy was testing the last of the cows.)
Checked out okay with blood test--no heart attack.
Bonnie and Jennifer both offered rides. We had Bonnie bring us back to Jordan. I was released at 8:15.
Thank you God!!

So, waited for Cowboy to call which he did to see if I got home okay. He said they would be here for dinner in an hour and a half and not to worry, he would throw something together. The original plan was to serve some of our canned beef over spuds. I told him I could put the beef on to simmer. (They got bread instead of potatoes and pickled beets.)

I had made a pie crust Sunday night and decided since I wasn't going to my demise immediately, I could get that pie in the oven. I asked Grandma if she could peel apples with me and I could get the pie in the oven faster. She had a hair-do day, but she had a little time before she went.
Grandma is not a big smiler, but Cowboy and I know she was pleased with her "do." She has a big trip to Texas planned to see her latest Great-Grandchild, Rhys William Stanaland. She is going for two months.

Now to Pie Crusts!
It was interesting to read the story and comments about pie crusts. Rosie O'Grady's pies looked simply scrumptious!

I, too, have cried over pie crust making. The first time I was 16 years old and thought my Uncle Irvin was the only Cowboy in the world. I wanted to do something "special" and pretty much all men like pies. So I made him a pie. All I remember is crying over the darned crust and thinking this is a lot of work and not very easy!

My next memory is having to make pies for the Harvest Dinner in the fall when I lived in Jordan the first time. I gritted my teeth when I got "the call" that said I was to bring two pies. Ugh! It was a chore.

Then the family moved to Melstone (I was 34) and we were at a rancher's place visiting. His wife was a ranch cook and we must have been visiting about pies. She said that she had the "best" crust recipe that worked every time. She was a cook that shared, so the rest is history. I have used her pie crust recipe and have had good luck and haven't varied my crusts in all these years. My cousin, Roberta wants me to try her recipe and I will include it too, but it untried at this house as if yet.



Cowboy told me to tell The Farmer's Wife that he has eaten some beautiful looking pies that tasted terrible and some pies that were not the prettiest but were delicious. Take it from the pie expert, Mary.

As you can see, mine is not perfect and it ran over, but they ate it and made muffled words of umm, umm!

Pie Crust

2 cups flour
1 cup shortening
1/2 cup water
(1/2 teaspoon salt added to flour)
You know the drill on mixing and rolling. I use a little flour on the rolling pin if I need it.

The one rule I use is: use a light touch with crust and work as little as necessary.

Roberta Douglas Pie Recipe

3 cups flour
1/2 c. Crisco
1/2 c. cold butter (cut in small pieces)
1/2 t. salt
1/3 to 1/2 cup cold water
Same directions.

If you decide to try it-HAPPY BAKING!