{bits & pieces}

The regular “little of this, little of that” feature from Like Mother, Like Daughter!

I’ve been on a blueberry kick.

It started because The Artist went to help our friends Dan and Kelly move some furniture. When he came home, he brought me a piece of pie that Kelly had sent with him, and which he was touting as the best pie that he has ever had. (Fortunately for me, I’m not a big pie person in general, so I didn’t need to take offense at this. And he probably qualified the statement for me by saying it was his favorite fruit pie – and I have never made him a fruit pie, because I’m just not into the genre [I know, I know. You can put your eyebrows down now.]).

Well, I had the piece of this pie, and he was right. It was amazing, and obviously enhanced by the freshness of the blueberries. So blueberry picking was clearly in order.

A field trip was made to celebrate Finnabee’s birthday (and some – you guessed it – blueberry pie that evening), and then a follow-up trip was in order because we weren’t focused enough on the first trip and didn’t get a sufficient haul.

We headed off a third time, on a recent trip to MA, but that farm turned out to have no blueberries in season. I had already talked up this pie so much to my family that I felt I had to do something, so it was a peach pie that day. And… that was tasty; it was fine. But it wasn’t this blueberry pie.

For me, this is a game-changer, because it’s a chilled pie rather than baked. With a few exceptions, I’m just not a big fan of baked fruit. I like my fruit fresh. In this recipe, half the blueberries (or peaches, or what have you) are cooked down and then the other half are folded in, fresh. Then all are put into a pre-baked crust and topped with whipped cream. Brilliant! It’s not far from strawberry shortcake, one of my favorite desserts and the best summer treats possible.

This week’s links!

• The recipe for our new favorite blueberry pie. Now that I’ve described it for you, I need to make it again soon. You can thank my friend Kelly! She told me that she reduced the sugar down to 1/2 cup when she made it.

• Ayn Rand Reviews Children’s Movies. I think we need a name for this genre (that is, the genre of writing in Ayn Rand’s voice), which seems to be taking off – and rightly so.

• Speaking of children: Children’s Literature and the Spirited Element, from The Imaginative Conservative. Did you know that ages 8-10 are the ‘golden years’ of reading for most?

• If you or someone you know is going to be reading any philosophy anytime soon, you/he/she will probably find this helpful: 10 Tips on How to Read Philosophy, guided by the principles from Mortimer Adler’s How to Read a Book (which I still need to read). Pass this article along to any college students you may know or be responsible for – I often wish that I had approached my own major in Philosophy a bit differently!

• Are you up for something clever, thought-provoking, humorous, and deep? If so, here’s the full bit of G.K. Chesterton that was briefly referenced in the previous link: The Revival of Philosophy – Why?
  “Some people fear that philosophy will bore or bewilder them; because they think it is not only a string of long words, but a tangle of complicated notions. These people miss the whole point of the modern situation…. The political and social relations are already hopelessly complicated. They are far more complicated than any page of medieval metaphysics; the only difference is that the medievalist could trace out the tangle and follow the complications; and the moderns cannot.”

• Unplugged but Connected: a Rhode Island teacher reflects on the increasing pressure to streamline classrooms with the latest screen technologies, and how Catholic educators should respond.

• If you haven’t been able to keep up with the latest Planned Parenthood scandal, this video gives a very quick introduction and overview. I recommend following The Federalist for commentary.

• Have you entered to win the promotion on the CatholicMarriagePrep course? While wrapping up my {pretty, happy, real weddings} series, we’re offering $50 off of this course, which normally costs $175 (it’s a small, family-run business, so that discount is a big offer!). Consider what a great wedding gift it could be for an engaged or recently married couple, or for you and your new (or not so new!) marriage. Don’t forget to enter!

• Are you grappling with the question of whether to enroll your kids in sports this fall? Some guidance: Ask Auntie Leila: Should my kids play sports? and when?
• Ask Auntie Leila: What’s up with soy? (This is an older post, so there is more recent research on this since 2009, of course. But it’s a helpful intro to the question.)
• Before and After: Pippo’s High Chair.
• Ask Auntie Leila: Dating Rules for Teenagers?
• Sewing Chitchat.
• The Secret of How to Braid Bread without lopsidedness!
• Did you see that we now have a Popular Posts page?