POTY Stress

Can you feel the tension?

• Tom McMahon ~ 2007
• Lauren Rathbone ~ 2008
• Michael "Murph" Murphy ~ 2009
• Jeremy Johnson  ~ 2010
• Tommy O'Shea  ~ 2011
• Kerry Russell D'Orio  ~  2012
• Brady Boyle  ~  2013
•   ???????   ~  2014

Pie Crust Recipe for Cuisinart

“ This recipe makes ample crust for a 9 to 11 inch regular or deep-dish pie or tart. Leftover pastry may be rolled out and cut into shapes to garnish the pie, or brushed with milk, sprinkled with sugar or cinnamon and sugar, and baked until lightly browned. "

 Ingredients

 3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in ½-inch pieces, well chilled
2 tablespoons shortening (Crisco), cut in ½-inch pieces, well chilled
5 to 8 tablespoons ice water

 Instructions

 Insert the metal blade. Process the flour, salt and baking powder to sift, 10 seconds.

 Add the well chilled butter and shortening. Use short rapid pulses until the mixture resembles coarse corn meal and no pieces of butter larger than a “pea” remain visible, 15 to 20 pulses.

 Sprinkle half the maximum ice water on the flour and butter mixture, then pulse 5 or 6 times. The dough will be crumbly, but should begin to hold together when a small amount is picked up and pressed together.

Sprinkle on more water, a teaspoon (two for the two-crust recipe) at a time, with 2 to 3 quick pulses after each addition, adding just enough water for the dough to hold together easily when pressed into a ball. Add the liquid sparingly so that the dough is not sticky. Do not over process or the pastry will be tough, not tender and flaky.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Press together into a ball, then flatten into a disk about 6 –inches in diameter (two disks for the two-crust recipe). Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour before continuing to allow the glutens in the flour to rest.

 The dough will keep refrigerated for up to 3 days, or may be frozen (double wrapped) for up to a month, thaw at room temperature for an hour before using.

 To bake the pastry blind for a single crust filled pie or tart, roll out pastry 1/8-inch thick to fit pan, crimp and seal edges. Prick bottom all over with a fork. Chill for 30 minutes.

 Preheat the oven to 400º F.

 Line with a sheet of aluminum foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights, dry rice or beans. Bake for 15 minutes. -

See more at: http://www.cuisinart.com/recipes/desserts/405.html

Smartphone Photo Consequense

It was another wonderful Christmas... now in the record books.   Even a Mountain of a Man can take a break from the reveling and frivolity.... but not without bearing the consequences of unforgiving smartphone photos.

Merry Christmas from Henry the Cat

Christmas Eve Excursion

Are you ready for Christmas?
~
With so many raised expectations, it is a time of much planning and not a little stress.
~
Thanks to Amazon, I can generally take care of my relatives in Florida, and leave the grandkids to Joanne.
~
But now that the kids all have significant others that Joanne and I really love, the Christmas Eve. restaurant dinner is threatening to be a break the bank affair.  There will be eight joyous people, festively libating and celebrating the season with uninhibited ordering from the high priced menu.
~
If it wasn't so much fun, I would really be dreading it... but some of these Christmas Eve. Family restaurant excursions have become my favorite holiday memories.... I'm sure another is in store tomorrow night.

PAtriot Game Strategy

Apple Crisp... Antidote for a ton of apples that I bought.

This is on the diet for the Christmas season and well beyond.  I'm doing a telecom lease with a beautiful apple orchard on the NH Seacoast Region and bought a lot of apples in the process.

 

Apple Crisp

 

• 
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 45 mins
• Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 8 apples or 8 peaches, peeled
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup oats
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 cup cold butter

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375°F.
2. Lightly grease a 13x9 glass pan.
3. Cut fruit into slices (removing pit or seeds) and layer in bottom of pan.
4. Mix dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl and then cut in butter with a pastry cutter (cut until crumbly).
5. Sprinkle mixture over fruit.
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
7. Top should be browned.
8. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

The Reason for the Season

A person, whose opinions I value, just posted in Facebook saying,   "Jesus Christ is the only reason for the season."
~
I respectfully disagree.
~
 I almost hate to say this, but the reason for the season is Peace on Earth, Goodwill to All Mankind.
~
Jesus definitely fits in, but what did Jesus have to do with Santa, Elves, Christmas Trees and Rudolph???? 
~
And BTW, I have my own intimate relationship with Jesus, and feel that he and his Blessed Mother have helped me out of more than a few jams during my present Earthly incarnation......so don't be calling me Anti-Christian and stuff. 
~
 I just think that Christmas, which is a national holiday in the United States, has morphed into something for everyone.... not just Christians.  And there is nothing wrong with celebrating Goodwill and Peace on Earth, even if you are Liberal, Muslim, Gay, Red Neck , or my favorite minority .... slightly overweight, middle aged, white guys.

POTY Time

The end of the year is rapidly approaching and that means that it is POTY time.   Yes.... time to select the Nanepashemet Peep of the Year.
~
I know that this pathetic, yet esteemed Blog has lost a bit of its lustre lately.  For the most part, three  factors are to blame.
~
1.  Work at Nanepashemet Project Management, Inc...... at intensive, breakthrough levels..... can't afford to take my hands off the steering wheel for any significant period of time.
2.  Facebook.... this has become my medium of choice lately to blow off steam and aggravate people.
3.  Recent Rental of the 32 Beverly Ave., Marblehead birthplace of Nanepashemet.   Needed to take extra care that we didn't rent to deadbeat whackjobs, so we were particularly due diligent with the tenant selection process.
~
As the new year approaches, and I begin to access resolutions, maybe this will pick up again.  Next year will be breakthrough on many fronts.

Ryan is getting married to Kim Hause (a spectacular choice as a MOAM Daughter-in-Law).

This will shape up as a breakthrough year with Nanepashemet as we have major contracts with two of the four major telecom carriers and other significant prospects.

I intend to intensify efforts to lose weight and get in shape, then possibly embark on a second career as a senior undergarment model.   Daily updates will follow.

And lastly, my philosophy that life is mean't to respond to challenges.... not avoid them.... will manifest in aggressive attention to the little details.... like processing the mail and attacking bills every day.

This Mountain of a Man is gearing up for a huge push in the quality of life next year, and you Peeps are free to chime in during the process.



Course the POTY designation is always a high point.

Duck Dynasty

Duck Dynasty is a reality show.... until reality kicked in.   Seems like the "Thought Police" are right on the job making sure that us sheep can't make up our own minds when some Bearded, Bible Toting, Southern Red Neck decides to lay down his beliefs.

I don't need the liberal media to tell me what beliefs I can listen too.  This country is getting so intolerant... The Duck Dynasty guy is an opinionated whackjob.... but his Liberal critics truly suck.

Like the Lease

The Nanepashemet House rented again to a great family after 20 days and significant interest.   Everytime I showed it, I had a little remorse that Joanne and I didn't still live there, with all of the great memories.
~
But now a new family will experience the magic

HOUSE for RENT