Crusty Things

For the third weekend in a row, I have experimented with foods-in-pie-form (my favorite kind).

Last week's chicken-pot-pie didn't quite work out (too liquidy, which I found with this quiche recipe as well, and the puff-pastry in the chicken pie recipe was a hot mess - literally: it sunk into the chicken pie juice and burnt on the upside edges).

Anyway, I started the weekend-o-baking yesterday with a cheese, onion, mushroom, bacon quiche in my new 'bottom release' pie pan. With the exception of the flurry of curse words that followed my quiche leaking through a hole in my crust, and then through the 'removable bottom' of the pie plate and all over the counter, this was a successful baking venture.

mmm..bubbly cheesy porky goodness!

Given all the cream and cheese, I did do the horrible, unthinkable thing and balance my quiche lunch with a healthy portion of bok choy and bacon...

see? green stuff = healthy balanced meal. right?

As long as I was making a big mess in the kitchen, I made two more balls of dough to play with today (another embassy warning has me staying close to home this weekend and I'm going stir crazy - I guess you can blame my new obsession with baking with the continuing protests).

The outcome of my first pre-bake today for another key lime pie was a disaster that would have had me packing my knives if not for the back-up mini-pie shells I made from left-over dough. I just pre-baked those (successfully) and filled them with key lime filling. This time I was smart and used the electric beaters for the meringue and got the proper 'stiff peaks' you are supposed to get.

I also made apple pie with crumbly walnut topping.

why bake one pie when you can bake 6 for only twice the mess?

And I made ratatouille.

And a salad with homemade dressing.

Um, I need to be able to get out more...