I have to tell you, this weekend was great! It was low key and mostly spent at home and it was just what the doctor ordered.
We started Friday evening in the usual way. It was warm enough to be outside, not just for cocktail hour, but right up until bedtime. Warm nights like that are numbered at this point so we’re making the most of them while they last.
Also, I baked a pie for our town’s Apple Pie Contest. I mostly followed my usual apple pie routine but I did make the crust with butter and shortening instead of all shortening. And instead of using all Cortland apples, as my mom always did, I used a mix of Cortland and Gala.
Those extra details must have made the difference because my pie came in 2nd place! The way this contest works is that after the pies have all been judged the remaining pieces are sliced and sold. Dale bought a piece of my pie and I remembered to take this picture before he gobbled it up entirely. I was very pleased with how the fruit filling held together.
First place went to Sean’s pie and I bought a slice of that one. It was delicious! He used lard and butter in the crust and a mixture of Braeburn and Honey Crisp apples, I believe. The fruit was cooked perfectly, not mushy but still firm. He totally deserved 1st place!
We had things we were going to do in the afternoon and evening but when we got home from the events on the Town Common we didn’t have a lot of motivation. Well. I didn’t have a lot of motivation. Dale actually mowed the lawn. I did get up off the couch eventually and I planted these succulents from Jessica’s baby shower. That exhausted me, though, and I was done for the day!
Cocktail hour was on the deck again.
And then we came inside to play Mexican Train. As you can see, Mason was quite interested in the game. Heh. Dale kicked my ass this time but I think it’s because Mason was acting as his spy.
On Sunday we went to visit Jack. It was a great visit and it’s wonderful to see him really improving. Yesterday he was just like his old self and that made me so happy. I just can’t wait for him to come home!
We spent the rest of the day watching football (yay for a Pats win!) and hanging out. I knit, Dale napped, we had a little time on the deck, and then we watched Outlander.
It was a really really good weekend. Hope yours was, too.
Congratulations to both of you on your award-winning pies! I actually have some succulents to plant today but will guard against exhaustion while doing so. 🙂 I’m so glad Jack continues to improve and hope he’ll be home soon.
That pie looks fabulous. I think apple desserts are always better with a combination of varieties, you get more interesting flavor notes. I mean, if there were self-peeling apples I’d go with those since there aren’t, might as well go for max flavor.
I suspect Mason would not feel being labeled a spy hurts his street cred.
Jack is looking great! I’m so happy for his excellent recovery. 🙂 And congratulations – to you and to Sean – on your award-winning pies. Mmmmmm. I’d have to buy a slice of each . . . and then you’d need to roll me home. Sounds like a great weekend, Carole! XO
Poor Fergus; having read the books, I’d been waiting for that to happen.
I love that you and Sean took 1st and 2nd! And, Jack looks so wonderful! Here is to him being home soon!
Congratulations Carole and Sean! So fun. Sounds like a perfect weekend, especially to see Jack on the mend!
Great looking pies (I’m drooling…). Congratulations to you and Sean! Jack looks great – hoping he is home very, very soon. Glad your weekend was so perfect.
Congrats on your pie! Sounds like you had a fantastic weekend.
The pie looks yummy-well done. Glad Jack is continuing to improve.
Congratulations on the pie!
I make a lot of apple pies this time of the year and freeze them. I am totally devoted to Jonathon apples for pies, but they are rare down here. When I find them, I have to make a lot of pies before they disappear. Your pie looks wonderful, Carole! Nothing is better than my pie except one I didn’t have to cook – LOL! I’m glad Jack is coming along!
So great. Jack looks terrific!! How much longer before he’s sprung?
Sounds like you had a weekend that was packed with everything including relaxing and resting. Congrats on your pin win and if you had to lose, at least it was a friend, one who really knows what he’s doing. Last night I had the great fun of being with an MA friend (I think you can guess who).