Thursday, November 23, 2006

Happy Thanksgiving...A pie disaster...and some pictures

Wanna feel good about your cooking....

Yesterday, Parker and I gathered all of our supplies and began to make my FAMOUS caramel pie. Okay, this pie isn't so famous, but I love(d) it. We carefully cut out leaves and acorns to adorn the outter crust of our pie. It was a great memory of me Parker working together. Parker went down for his nap, so I began to make the caramel part of the pie. I poured in the 2 cups of sugar into the heavy skillet for it to brown and melt. Brown it got. Let's just say that I burned it. During this time Emaline woke up...so if you get distracted a minute or two...You get burned sugar.

Pie number 3 and 4: yes 3 and 4...the recipe actually makes 2 pies. I am very careful browning my sugar this time. SO careful. Perfect. Just the way it should be. I continue on. I add in my flour...and the egg. Did you know that scrambled egg doesn't go well with pie? So, I think I have that under control and continue on with my recipe (I really should have stopped here, but thought no one would notice the scrambled egg pieces because the caramel was SO good). I was so distracted by the egg, that I read the recipe wrong and put a full cup of butter in the skillet. Well, it should have only been a fourth of a cup. So I quickly began to scoop the butter of the skillet. DISASTER! Stacey gets home during this part. I explain the egg thing. He tells me I can't serve it.

I need to go to a photo shoot, so I leave the mess. I call KQ and explain that I was planning on surprising her with my FAMOUS caramel pie for her Thanksgiving only for it become a very buttery scrambled egg mess, so I hope that she has dessert. Not sure why she wouldn't because she didn't know my pie was coming.

We eat dinner at home and Stacey takes me out for HOT caramel apple cider. My favorite. I tell him we need to stop by the store and get a bag of sugar, because I AM going to make my famous caramel pie.

Pie number 5 and 6: Going perfect. Browned sugar, eggs and milk, butter, doing great. I finally get to the meringue part of the pie. YES! It was a truly beautiful pie. I slip it into the fridge at about 1:00 am this THanksgiving morning. It was time to leave today and I go to get the pie....my beautiful meringue...I noticed was sailing. It was sailing through the caramel. Floating. WHAT!? Not sure what happened, other than I was tired and maybe didn't let the pie thicken enough. I actually tried to drain the pie. That didn't work. So...what did I take for Thanksgiving? Kellogg's chocolate rice krispie treats! Thanks Ryan! I think I shall always keep a box in the pantry.

Next year, I think I should bring brown and serve rolls! No more caramel pie for me. I think I will actually return the cook book and not even copy the recipe. A thanksgiving disaster. Feel better about your cooking? Enjoy the pictures!



I really missed you Cagle cousins. This is the first year EVER I have not been in Paris during Thanksgiving. It wasn't the same. I love you!

7 comments:

Susan @ Blessed Assurances said...

I missed everyone too!! J and I got into a HUGE fight right before we were to leave for his family's house. I could not stop crying as I drove to his aunts house. Je tried to apologize for the fight HE started but it hurt too bad. Anyway...it was NOT the same! I so look forward to next year when we can all be together. (Can you tell I am still a little upset from yesterday-yeah well! I missed you sweet couz and all the others in our posse)

The Timberframer's Wife said...

I am so sleepy from two days of turkey in two states, but I am determined to stay up to post in a minute. Your pie story is a sad reminder of too many of my cooking adventures. Rice crispy treats are hard to top, anyway. But, hey, great example of not giving up without a fight! Only 30 days and 1 hour till Christmas!!!!

Margaret K said...

So funny, Paige. Sounds like the first time I made mousse. I got distracted and scrambled mine, too. It took three times. Glad you had a good turkey day, anyways.

1literatimommy said...

Sorry about your pie disaster. I think there must have been a gremlin running around at thanksgiving, because my yummy cinammon rolls never did rise the second time. don't give up on the carmel pie, though. i love it. it tastes awesome. the pics are cute!

Mary said...

Don't you just love how exciting cooking can be! My mother-in-law recruited me this year to help her make the famous Panhandle Yum-Yum, as we call it, or 4-Layer Delight or Church of Christ dessert. Anyway, let's just say that there should have been four distinct layers. Mine turned into about 5 1/2 or so. As I was spreading the top layer of whipped cream, and the chocolate pudding layer beneath started peaking through, my mother-in-law says to me, "I've never had this happen when I make it!" I turned to her and said, "Well, you've never asked me to make it before." Anyway, it was still yummy and we just called it Panhandle Yum Yum Swirl this year! Hope you have a great weekend!

jenny biz said...

So sorry about your pie!:( But it did make me giggle:)
Hope there is a trip to Paris in the plans soon!! Sounds like there is a cousin reunion due to happen! :)

Jodi said...

I loved that pie story. I have had plenty of cooking disaster stories, so I am thankful I am not the only one! Don't have any stories this T-giving since I didn't have to do anything but show up! Nice! :) Great pics too.