How To Endure The Cold...And Make A Piecrust

Strong gusty winds ushered in a warm front...melting most of the ice,
and then evaporating the moisture.
The tail end of the winds brought bitter cold once again.
Today's forecast is snow.


Such is winter in this part of the country...
changeable, at times cruel, at times perfectly lovely!

The key to surviving and even enjoying the winter rests in the ability to stay warm.
For some...eating provides warmth...


For others...
the warm glow of a heat lamp over a bed of hay.


For me, it all depends upon the winter gear.
I have learned much about staying warm, over the years here on the farm.
I was asked yesterday what gloves I rely upon for chores.
I wear these...


but have learned that what is most important is that your gloves are about 2 sizes too big.
Having room inside your gloves (and your boots) for air circulation...
trapping warm air in the space around your hands or feet...
is crucial for warmth.

**********************************

This weekend's ice storm  helped me accomplish some of my indoor goals.
One of them was to make a piecrust tutorial.
Sunday I made a chicken pie, while Amanda made a gooseberry pie from gooseberries
we had grown, harvested and frozen this summer.
Many thanks to Hubbs for being our camera man!!



The chicken pie was scrumptious and very easy.
I adapted it from this recipe.
I roasted one of our local free range whole chickens in the oven,
and used the drippings to make a sauce.
(enough juice cooked out of the chicken so that I could omit the chicken broth in the recipe.)
(the dark meat, alone, was enough to make this pie....
while the large breast will be used in another meal)
I added onions and frozen organic mixed veggies and herbs to the chicken and sauce.


Winner, winner, chicken dinner!!

Dessert?
Amanda's beautiful gooseberry pie (with fresh whipped cream).


No, we don't eat this rich food often,
but on a rainy, icy weekend... it was a wonderful treat!

Comments

colleen said…
Thank you, thank you , thank you. Looks scrumptious!! Will def be my next crust! I think you and Amanda have found a new calling...and Hubbs too!!
jaz@octoberfarm said…
i couldn't get the video to work but your pies sure look good. my husband loves pot pies!
Country Gal said…
Awesome video I loved it and yes that is a chicken pot pie to us to looks wonderful great job ! It is cold here to and our weather is all over the place as well that's Canadian weather for ya lol ! Thanks for sharing , Have a good day and stay cozy. P.S awesome job with camera hubs !
Candice said…
The pies look so beautiful and delicious. Good job, Bev & Amanda. Very nice tutorial. And thanks to Jack for being the camera man. Stay warm....
Suz said…
Oh my those were pics of delight such a beautiful looking pie crust
This N That said…
You two are cooking fools!! Looks yummy...I prefer mittens. They keep my hands warmer..My feet are always cold but I don't feel it..Good job with the camera Hubs!!!
This morning out at the barn my fingers began that slow burn that says my gloves aren't warm enough. And I said to myself.. "WHAT?.. these are the thickest gloves I could find in the basket!!"... and now I see the reason. They were TIGHT. I bet if they were bigger they would have worked better because they are certainly THICK.

daisy g said…
Ooooh, yummy pie crusts! Good advice regarding the gloves and boots. I wouldn't have figured on that!
Lynne said…
Excellent . . . You make it look so easy!
I am going to try to capture your ease and make a pie crust.
(I tried one at Thanksgiving . . . not good!)
Susannah said…
Great video! My Mom taught me many, many years ago to make pie crust. She said - "My girls are going to know how to make pies!" So when my daughter was old enough, I taught her how to make pies, too. Now, my granddaughter knows how. It is getting to be a dying art. Thank you for this video! I really enjoyed it.