Fuck it, Let's Go to Nantucket

Another summer, another New England island checked off the list! After hitting up Provincetown and Martha’s Vineyard over the past two years, Jamie and I couldn’t not visit Nantucket. (It would’ve felt niggling and wrong, like when one ear pops on a plane but not the other.) So back in February, when I was deep in the doldrums of winter and my own annual malaise, I checked the availability of the Nantucket Hostel, found a lone opening in the middle of June, and booked it.

This time around, we vowed not to get stuck in the terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad Cape traffic, and instead opted to drive down mid-day, camping out for the rest of the afternoon at Cape Cod Beer, a local brewery in Hyannis. Highlights included: a veritable cornucopia of quahog menu items and my first taste of oyster stout. Not too shabby.

We hopped on the first evening ferry out and basked in the sunshine and salt spray for an on-the-dot hour-long trip. So relaxing. So full of atmosphere. Can we just travel everywhere by ferry, please?

Here’s how the rest of the weekend shook out.

WHERE WE STAYED: HI Hostel Nantucket

I’ve stayed in a significant number of hostels at this point, several even here in the U.S., and I must say that this is probably my favorite one Stateside. Located off the beaten path from the main downtown drag of Nantucket, this hostel is literally across the street from the beach, has its own fire pit, volleyball court, complimentary beach chairs + towels, and an outdoor shower for those hot summer days. The free breakfast is nothing to write home about, but when you’re staying on Nantucket, any free or even affordable food is a blessing.

Pro tip: In my experience, the female-only dorms are generally quieter and, on the whole, more pleasant. Mixed gender dorms often mean rowdy groups of friends and, just, no thank you. I’m over thirty and like my sleep.

WHAT WE ATE:

The Brotherhood of Thieves: We got off the ferry and decided it was imperative to grab dinner before venturing away from town’s center to get to our hostel. This spot was was within walking distance and seemed the most casual option at our disposal… No complaints! Plus, there’s a patio.

Yummy: This one was a complete surprise. During our walk into town the next morning, we passed a food stand that seemed to come out of nowhere (it’s surrounded by residential homes), and took advantage of the smoothie offerings. They had plenty to choose from, so this would be a great option for gathering provisions for the beach or a future picnic.

Sconcet Market: I knew Nantucket was gonna be bougie, but I didn’t truly feel it until we stopped at this supermarket – the only food option near the beach on the east side of the island. We swallowed the high costs and then proceeded to chow down on a lunch of fancy crackers, prosciutto, cheese, and (of course) seafood dip.

Millie’s: Though this spot is located a bit out-there on the west side of the island, we decided to check it out anyway and biked over one evening. Its fame seemed warranted, because the place was bumping. We opted to eat at the bar and made friends with the staff while we had margaritas, tacos (me), and a po’ boy (Jamie). Highly recommend for a casual atmosphere and delicious food. (Plus, we weren’t alone in preferring it: The team from Cisco was arriving shortly for a private bachelorette party.)

Pro tip: You can take the shuttle out this way from key areas of the island if you don’t feel like biking home in the dark. (We sure didn’t.)

Downyflake: I was dreaming of these donuts after reading all about them before the trip. Unfortunately, I wasn’t the only one with donuts on the brain the morning we went, because they were all out of most varieties when we arrived. Major bummer. Plan accordingly!

Black-Eyed Susan’s: A popular breakfast joint in town, this was worth the wait. (To be fair, it was also Father’s Day, so… let’s just say brunch on most peoples’ schedule that day.) Good portions, delicious food, and a convenient location.

Pro tip: This place is cash-only, so stop at the ATM before going.

The Juice Bar: Despite the name, this is the place to go for ice cream. And it’s right by the docks for the ferry, so you can time it to grab a scoop on your way to or from there.

WHAT WE DID:

Biked around the island. Like, a lot. I brought my bike from home ($14 cost, roundtrip) and Jamie rented one from Cooks Cycles Nantucket. (Bonus: When my bike seat became permanently stuck in the lowest position ever, the guys at Cooks fixed it for me, free of charge.)

BEACH. Obviously. We went to Sconcet Beach, but there are plenty to choose from. We didn’t think it would be warm enough for a beach day while we were there, but lucked out, so bring your suit just in case.

Cisco Brewery Tour: Jamie confessed that this trip was her excuse to check Cisco off of her breweries list and, well, I can’t argue with that logic. Cisco is without a doubt one of the major attractions on Nantucket, and the place to be for locals and visitors alike on the weekends. We opted to take their tour, which included information and tastings related to their Triple Eight Distillery and Nantucket Vineyard, as well as the brewery. Tours are $20, which for the number of tastes you get, seemed reasonable. Feel free to bypass the tour and just hang out in the impressive courtyard – there are usually food trucks, and sometimes live music.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

It's been too long, I know. This summer flew by in a flurry of apartment hunting, packing, moving, and traveling, but I made a special effort to plan one very important trip: a visit to the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

For all you non-Michigan natives out there, the Pictured Rocks are located in the Upper Peninsula of my fair home state, a region known for its pasties, smoked fish, taxidermy, and Canadian-esque accents. Also? It's crazy beautiful.

My first visit happened back in 2009, and it remains one of my favorite places in the world (I already want to go back again next year for a longer stay). This year, I managed to convince my two brothers to join me. Here are some tips and things to do and see if you go (which, no question, you should):

Break up the trip.

People in New England are used to being able to drive half a day or less and be in another state, but that ain't how it works in Michigan. Unless you're wildly wealthy (let's be friends) and can afford to fly into one of the small airports in northern Michigan, you'll probably be driving from one of the larger, more southern hubs, like Detroit. My brother, Kevin, lives in Petoskey, Michigan, so we drove up to his place one day (roughly 4.5 hours), hung out around town, and then continued on to Munising (where the Pictured Rocks are) the next morning (another 2.5 hours).

Northern Michigan, whether you're on the Upper or Lower Peninsula, is gorgeous, so it's worth spending time in some of the cities along the way. Though we didn't stop there, Mackinaw City is a popular spot, along with Mackinac Island, which is entirely car-free and accessible only by ferry (that's where all the famous fudge comes from). Traverse City is known for its cherries. And Petoskey and Harbor Springs are cute beach towns that are also close to the major Michigan ski resorts, Boyne and Nub's Nob.

If you're near Harbor Springs, I highly recommend checking out Pond Hill Farm, which has a winery, brewery, and cafe, and is a working farm (there were piglets!). We did a tasting in the winery (the Cottage White and 2013 Chardonnay were my favorites, though the cherry wine was pretty interesting, too) and enjoyed the beautiful view of the grounds. They also have farm-to-table dinners and barn dances, which I really, really wished I could go to. Basically, this would be my regular hangout spot if I was a local.

For dinner, we tried Barrel Back, which was right on the water of nearby Walloon Lake. The food was good, the view was great, and there was randomly a bouncy castle set up right outside. Pretty much the perfect combination.

Book a campsite ahead of time.

I had grand visions of camping in one of the few sites within the park itself, which was foolish on my part since you can't reserve them ahead of time and my brothers are especially slow at getting going in the morning. Unsurprisingly, by the time we got to town, all those sites were full (there are only three major sites)  — and all the surrounding ones outside the park, too. We wasted a lot of time driving around, trying to find an open spot (that far north, there's practically no cell service, so we couldn't call ahead or look up places on the fly).

In the future, I'd book a spot at one of the closest campsites and either be satisfied with that, or try my luck at one of the park sites first thing the next morning. Even then, though, I don't know the likelihood of securing a place, so reserving elsewhere is your best bet. We grabbed the last spot on the grounds at Jack Pine Lodge, which was actually fairly charming in its cheesiness. When I have the choice, though, I prefer sites where there's some brush and trees between you and your neighbor, and no RVs.

Backcountry camping is possible without a permit, but we heard differing rules about building fires in the backcountry (was it allowed? or not?), and we'd been talking about hot dogs and s'mores for days at this point, so that was a dealbreaker. If I ever got a bigger group to go for a longer stay, I'd definitely look into renting a house, too, but I personally enjoy camping and get a kick out of putting all my gear to good use.

Get on the water.

The first time I was here, I went with two friends and we brought kayaks with us. (Thinking back, the fact that we drove eight hours, on the freeway, with two kayaks tied to the top of my mom's car with nothing but some straps and bumpers is pretty insane.) I highly recommend doing the same if you can, because I loved the freedom of exploring the rocks at my own pace and being able to go into the caves and jump into the water when I felt like it.

Since we didn't have enough kayaks to go around this trip, we chose to book a guided kayak tour along the rocks with a company that seems to be having an identity crisis and is either Paddling Michigan or Uncle Ducky Outdoors. Either way, it was fun and a great way to see the rocks.

There are also pontoon boats available to rent, so if I went back with a larger group, I'd definitely rent one for a day and explore that way, too. Do it all!

Go hiking.

I think my brother Matt would disagree with this one, but half the fun of this place is walking around and exploring. We got in a pretty major loop on our last day, and while I don't think any of us were really prepared for how long it was, it gave us some amazing views along the way.

Above is the route we took, and I would definitely do it again. Next time, however, I'd pack a lunch and towel and take a break at the beach near Chapel Rock to relax in the sand and go for a swim. From there, the hike along the water is the best part; make sure to stop at Grand Portal Point and enjoy the cliffs and clear view they allow. From Mosquito Campground back to the parking lot is just walking through the woods, but the time along the water makes it all worth it.

Hit the beach.

We didn't have time for a dedicated beach day, but on longer trips, there's nothing I love more than laying in the sun, napping, and occasionally dipping your toes into Lake Superior (it's freezing!). The sand here is unlike anything I've experienced else where in the U.S. It's soft, but not powdery. Thick, but not rocky or heavy. The closest thing I could compare it to? Brown sugar.

The beach near Miner's Castle is perfect, and if you're brave enough to go in the water, you can easily swim to some of the caves and climb onto the rocks (and then jump back in!). 

Embrace the quirk.

The Mystery Spot. Moose heads. Puns. Motorcycle gangs. Road-tripping retirees. The Upper Peninsula has it all (except, perhaps, Wi-Fi and cell service). While you're here, embrace the fact that your best food options are pasties and smoked fish, and take in all the weird, cheap, and low-brow treasures that Northern Michigan has to offer.

Pictured Rocks, I love you.

Cookie Swap Parties (or, How to Look Really Impressive While Doing Minimal Work)

Happy 2016, folks!

My end of the year flew by in a whirl of peer-pressured gift-giving, stressed packing and mailing, and blessed 60-degree days. I completely bypassed getting into the Christmas spirit this year — there's something about working in retail and frantically planning for Christmas in October that really burns you out by the time December actually rolls around.

BUT. I did manage to do one thing that was probably my favorite discovery of the season: I participated in a Cookie Swap Party. This isn't a new concept, but I'd never done one before, and in addition to just being a fun excuse to get together with friends and drink and watch Christmas movies, it's also great for another reason. 

My friends, what's more impressive than bringing in a single batch of cookies to your co-workers? Bringing in a batch of FOUR TYPES OF COOKIES. And only having made one of them!

Mind. Blown.

The good news is that none of the cookies we swapped were particularly Christmas-y, so you can still enjoy these recipes now in the dead of winter, a.k.a. this wondrous time period where nothing good happens and there's nothing exciting to look forward to except for — way, waaaaay off in the distance — spring.

Get baking.

COOKIE: Spiced Molasses with Orange Sugar 
NOTES: I've made these for a few years now, but I typically pass them out to people immediately, so it'd been a while since I sampled and really tasted them. Based on this year's batch, I'd recommend dialing up the black pepper and cloves just a tad. If spiciness isn't your thing, following the recipe as-is should produce enjoyable results.

COOKIE: Flourless Fudge (Show your gluten-free friends some love!)
NOTES: The recipes says that the espresso powder is optional, but I'd argue that it's completely necessary and really makes the cookie. 

COOKIE: Maple Nut
NOTES: This recipe came from an actual book. GASP. But they were so good that I'll share it with you here.

Ingredients:
1 cup lightly salted butter at room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons maple extract
2 cups unbleached flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups (8 ounces) coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts [My friend used pecans]

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Cream soft butter and brown sugar.
3. Beat in egg, syrup, and extracts until light and fluffy.
4. Stir in by hand the sifted flour and baking powder.
5. Fold in the nuts.
6. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet.
7. Bake for 12 minutes.

Nick Offerman approves.

COOKIE: Toffee Chocolate Chip (I forgot to take an individual picture of these, but they're in the lower left corner above)
NOTES: Another printed recipe, this time from Cook's Illustrated. Leela notes that she melted the butter and browned it slightly before letting it cool and adding it to the other ingredients (fancy!); she also added 1/2 cup chopped Heath bars and 1 cup Choice chips; used a regular cookie scoop to divide the batter; and found that they only needed to bake for 12 minutes to get brown on the edges.

Ingredients:
2 and 1/8 cups bleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-2 cups chocolate chips or chunks (semi or bittersweet)

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
2. Either by hand or with electric mixer, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Mix in egg, yolk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients; mix until just combined. Stir in chips.
3. [A complicated diagram followed about how to form the individual cookies. I say skip that nonsense and use a cookie scoop!]
4. Place cookies onto one of two parchment paper-lined 20-by-14-inch lipless cookie sheets, about nine dough balls per sheet. (Dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen up to one month.)
5. Bake, reversing cookie sheets' positions halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy, about 15 to 18 minutes (start checking at 13 minutes).

Doesn't that last one sound complicated? Again, the genius of the Cookie Swap is that I DIDN'T HAVE TO MAKE THOSE.

Another expert tip: Invite friends who are super-ambitious bakers.

Enjoy!

Summer Checklist: Accomplished

Oh, hi there. Been a while, I know, but I promise it's because I've been busy doing actual things and not because I've been re-watching every episode of Parks & Recreation (that part has only been just recently).

This summer coincided with some big changes, some terrifying revelations, and some venturing outside of my comfort zone (spoiler: I now own a maxi dress). In my attempt to cope with it all, I made it my mission to do as much as possible with my weekends so I could enjoy my summer to the fullest.

It may not have reached Summer of George-level epicness (Adrienne: it is very important to me that you learn this reference), but I think I did pretty good.
 

HOW I SPENT MY SUMMER VACATION
By Lisa Lombardi, age 28

1. Went to the Beach (a lot, actually). It seems like everyone in Boston and the New England area in general has their own opinion regarding which beach is the best — and there are plenty to choose from. North Shore, South Shore, Revere Beach. (Just kidding. No one thinks Revere Beach is the best.) Personally, I always head north to Manchester-by-the-Sea and camp out at Singing Beach. You can get there by car or via the Commuter Rail, it's a beautiful beach, and the town is pretty cute — perfect for walking around when you're done baking in the sun. Parking can be tough; your best bet is to shell out the $25 to park at the train station and walk to the beach. (Go with a group of friends to split the cost.) A daily beach pass is $5, but if you think you'll go multiple times during the summer, spring for a season pass. No, it's not free, but it's worth it. And coming from a cheapskate like me, that means something.
 

2. Saw an Outdoor Concert. Outside the Box is an annual six-day free festival that takes place on the Boston Common, and before this year, I'd never heard of it. Surprisingly, no one I talked to had heard of it, either — but everyone probably should, because it's a pretty sweet deal. In addition to showcasing local performers and putting on family-friendly shows with magicians and dancers, it draws some major acts. This year's big names included Kasey Musgraves, the Gin Blossoms (I KNOW), and, most importantly, Guster. Guster is a Boston-favorite because they started at Tufts, but they're a Lisa-favorite because they were essentially the soundtrack for drives to and from high school with my brother, Kevin. I've loved them ever since and they are AMAZING live. One word: bongos.

3. Got Dressed Up. In addition to seeing one of my good friends get married at the historic Whittemore-Robbins House in Arlington, I scored an impromptu invite to a July 4th wedding that took place at the Boston Tea Party Museum. The best part? I actually had some decent dresses already that were ready to wear. My fellow ladies will understand what a score this is. (Oh, also there was an amazing, patriotic drag queen performance. NBD.)
 

4. Spent Time with the Fam. Summer is the time when the whole clan on my mom's side gets together for a week in New Jersey at my grandparents' house. It typically involves up to six of us — myself, my brothers, and my cousins — camping out in one room on foam sleeping mats, and we spend the week eating, watching way too much pointless TV, and going to the Jersey Shore. Frank Bruni recently wrote a piece in the NY Times that sounded a lot like our annual trip and pretty perfectly summed up its worth.

5. Kayaked on the Charles. Despite its reputation for being pretty filthy and disgusting, I kind of love the Charles River. I've even swam in it. But up until recently, I'd never taken advantage of the rental services offered by Charles River Canoe & Kayak (they have SUPs now, too). The rate for a single kayak is $15 an hour, and you can explore a LOT of the river in that time. Afterward, maybe head to the Cambridge Brewing Company for a late brunch and rehydrate properly with delicious, delicious beer.
 

6. Had a little too much fun. Public Service Announcement: Deep Eddy's Lemon Vodka is dangerous. Also, trying a fish bowl for the first time in my life was probably enough to last me until my mid-life crisis. If anyone knows of good places to dance in Boston where the floor won't still be empty at 10 p.m., let me know, because I'm officially too old to get started any later than that. Remember, the best way to recover the day after is with plenty of water and the Parks & Recreation episode "The Fight."

7. Explored Massachusetts. My lack of car means that I don't really get out of the city much, and when I do, it's because I'm leaving the state. Thanks to Leela, I spent a weekend in the Berkshires region, which essentially boils down to the Massachusetts equivalent of a Michigander's Up North: it's where a bunch of people have vacation homes and a lot of the area is in the middle of nowhere with tons of forests and lakes around. It was beautiful; we ate some great food, explored local attractions, and I scored some choice finds at the local yard sales. Word on the street is that I need to go back in the fall for some quality leaf peeping, though I remain skeptical that New England autumns are really prettier than ours in the Midwest.

8. Returned to my roots. I typically head back to Michigan maaaaaybe twice a year, sometimes for Thanksgiving and always at Christmas — which is sad, because the best time to be in Michigan is definitely the summer. So, this year I made it a priority to get there, and it worked out that I got to see the whole family while I was there. The trip included a jaunt up north to see where my brother Kevin now lives and, because my dad flew us there in his tiny Cessna four-seater, four hours of me desperately trying to focus on my book and squeaking every time we hit some turbulence. Family time!

9. FINALLY went to Brimfield. For the less decor-obsessed than I, allow me to explain: the Brimfield Flea is a massive market of antiques that takes place three times a year in Brimfield, Massachusetts. It's like, the holy grail of flea markets — bloggers, professional interior designers, and editors from shelter mags all flock to it every year, and I've wanted to go since before I even lived in the state. And last Saturday, I DID. It was unbelievably overwhelming and more massive than I ever could have imagined, but it was also really, really fun. No major finds to share with you, because it's really not my scene for shopping (too many options, no time to really think over a decision, prices higher than I'm used to for impulse-buying), but it was so cool just to wander and see all the different things, including: one giant, furry rabbit costume (head only); way too many baby doll/robot hybrids; a full-size covered wagon. Yay, Brimfield!

Reliving My Model Days

This is my absolute favorite picture of myself.

This Lisa is silly, snarky, adorable, and unbelievably confident. She doesn't worry about wrinkles or zits or fitting into that new pair of jeans. She doesn't brush her hair — more importantly, she doesn't do anything to her hair. And good luck to anyone who tries to come near her with a comb.

She wears butterflies without a hint of irony.

She is my hero.

If it were up to me, this would be the headshot used for my driver's license, work profile, and online dating account. Alas, we live in a world of national security, professionalism, and creepers, so I'm stuck relying on contemporary photos of myself. Lame.

Confession: Despite a short-lived career as a Little Tikes model*, I hate getting my picture taken. I curse the inventors who integrated cameras into our phones and made it that much easier for relatives and friends to take crappy, red-eyed snapshots of me looking my worst. Yep, I'm that stereotypical girl who's overly critical of her appearance — it's terrible, I know, but it's also a really hard habit to break.

So I thought maybe a good first step would be to get some legitimately decent photos taken. I work on my confidence and get some acceptable headshots at the same time? Win-win. Ample preparation, carefully planned conditions, and — most importantly — a professional photographer seemed like a recipe for photo success, so I not-so-subtly reached out to my old co-worker Leela Briggs and shamelessly offered my services as a model if she ever wanted to add some more portraits to her portfolio.

Never underestimate the power of a thinly veiled request.

Together, with the help of our friends Molly (photographer's assistant extraordinaire) and Jamie (stylist and fashion expert), we somehow cobbled together an afternoon photo shoot at the Arnold Arboretum — followed by food and copious amounts of wine as a reward to myself for enduring several hours of awkward posing.

Leela's a total professional, so she came armed with a rolling arsenal of gear and tools. We started by testing the color settings. (That's probably a lie. I have no idea what purpose the color card served. Someone told me to hold it, so I did.)

People riding their bikes and walking through the Arboretum were pretty curious about what was going on until they realized that I was just a random girl and not Barbara Streisand or Sarah Jessica Parker (the only two celebrities I've ever been compared to — it took a while for me to grow into my nose).

I may have had a hard time taking things seriously at first.

My default reaction to getting my picture taken is to make silly face. That way, if I look weird, at least it's on purpose.

Luckily, Leela waited me out.

A few tips if you're nervous about getting your picture taken:

• Wear an outfit you're comfortable in (I was wishing for my jeans and flannel shirt by the end of this)
• Don't smile all the time (give your face a break!)
• Accept the fact that it's going to feel awkward at the beginning, and that it might take a while to get some good shots
• Choose a location that you love or that relates to your personality and interests
• Despite popular belief, a cloudy day is perfect for taking photos outside (skip those overly bright, sunny days)
• If there's anything you're self-conscious about, let your photographer know — they can work magic
• Have FUN (any time I started to feel a little wooden, I'd just start dancing. It made for some amazing gifs later on!)

Of course, despite all of Leela's hard work, my favorite shot from that day is this one:

Yeah. Some things never change.

*Oh, what's that? You thought I was lying? BAM:

Date Night Win: Pie Hard

A little over a year ago, I successfully guilted my boyfriend into dating me. I was pretty pleased with myself until I realized that we couldn't just spend all of our time watching episodes of Project Runway or debating the pros and cons of mayonnaise (don't worry, we still do that a lot). 

So, for those of you as inexperienced with this thing called "dating" as I am, I present to you this series of awesome date ideas. First up?

One amazing movie. One delicious pie. Just the way I like it.

"Lisa," some of you might be saying, "Baking pie and watching Die Hard isn't romantic." And to that, I'd ask, "But it's awesome, isn't it?"

Some of you may reply, "No." And to those, I'd ask you to kindly leave and never read my blog again.

I have very strong feelings about a handful of things in life: Listening to Journey will never not cheer me up. Moms love Michael McDonald (it's a proven fact). Bread should be its own legitimate food group. The only way time-tested action movies can be improved is by puns and baked goods.

Luckily, my boyfriend shares that last belief with me. So, for one random Friday night, we did Pie Hard: Die Hard & Buttermilk pie.
 

Tim's Mom's Southern Buttermilk Pie (Makes 1 pie)

2 eggs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons lemon juice (or more, if you'd like)
1 teaspoons lemon zest
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (room temperature)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

1. Separate the egg whites and beat until stiff. Set aside.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar until soft and fluffy.
3. Mix in the egg yolks, one at a time, and the flour. 
4. Continue beating and slowly add the buttermilk.
5. Stir in the lemon juice and zest.
6. Gently fold the egg whites into the mixture and pour into a pie shell.
7. Place the pie on the bottom shelf of the oven and bake at 425 for fifteen minutes. Reduce the temperature to 325 and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until filling is set and doesn't jiggle.

They say lightning never strikes twice...They were wrong!

Valentine's Day was Pie Hard 2: Pie Harder, in which we enjoyed a viewing of Die Hard 2 paired with chicken pot pie and buttermilk pie.

This time, it's delicious.

Our one-year anniversary was the most ambitious effort yet: Pie Hard with a Vengeance. Die Hard 3, a variety of mini quiche, steak & ale pie, and coconut key lime pie.

It goes without saying, but don't plan on doing anything more vigorous than going to bed after celebrating in this manner. Enjoy!