The pleasures of being home

It's been great to be home for fall break, and my mom has been such a help with my project. Aside from getting me a ton of awesome produce for my arrival, but she has also helped me in the kitchen (both cooking and cleaning!).

My mom has a knack for cooking meat perfectly - a skill I have yet to master. With her help, my lamb shank turned out just right the other night, and today she was kind enough to roast my chicken for me. She has a certain way of doing it that I've always loved, and it was fun to learn the tricks of her trade.

On the other hand, my mom has never been much of a baker. She marvelled at me today as I prepared and baked my apple pie, and it was funny to me because it seems so simple and easy. I've enjoyed having her company in the kitchen, and she is also very conscious of my feelings and does everything she can to make me feel included with family meals. I'm very grateful for her sweetness - it will make it all the harder to go back to school!

Here's how my apple pie turned out. I added more butter to the crust this time and it's flakier, tastier, and not as dry. I also chopped my apples in the food processor and added honey and a little water, which made the filling turn out a lot better.