Sunday, September 16, 2007

Phipps-tastic!

Today we went to Phipps Conservatory to see the Chihuly glass exhibit (finally). It was absolutely incredible. I'd heard a lot of good things about it, and I love glass and I love Phipps, so I was sure I'd enjoy it, but still...it was just breath-taking. I can't wait to go back to see it at night.

JB and I got a household membership to encourage us to go back (and of course to support the gardens). I'm glad we did. I always say I want to support Pittsburgh's arts and museums. Hopefully this will be the beginning of a long career in Philanthropy :). Interestingly enough, this is the first non-political joint-membership JB and I have shared.

My favorite installation was the canoe filled with orbs, but other pieces were really well matched with their surrounding flora to create really striking views. Also, the plants and flowers themselves were gorgeous and the butterfly garden was really active. I'd forgotten how large Phipps is; we spent over two hours walking through. By the time we got to the end we were pretty hungry.

For dinner JB made a mashed red potatoes, broccoli, and cheddar cheese bake (potatoes, broccoli, and cheese all from yesterday's trip to the farmers' market). I also decided that I'm going to try my hand at an apple pie. Such a classic, simple dessert, and yet, so much room for error. I've never made a crust from scratch before, so that alone may foil my good intentions. Luckily, my grandmother recently handed down to me her standing mixer which has seen plenty of pie crusts. Now, she may not be in mint condition, but if only you'd seen her 12 hours ago before I gave her a good scrubbing. I thought that she was not white, but rather that yellowy-taupe color so many kitchen appliances were in the 70s. But no, it was just a generation of pastry splatter, and now she is sparkling and ready to tackle another decade of pies and cookies.

Well I began the crust preparation tonight, and with a lot of chilling (chill the butter, and the water, and the bowl, and the flour, and the mixer paddle...) and butter cutting I now have two discs of dough in the fridge waiting for me. This is the first time I used a standing mixer without parental supervision (although JB was standing by, just in case). Tomorrow I will give it my best shot. Wish me luck.

1 comment:

  1. Anonymous9/16/2007

    i distinctly recall someone else visiting the phipps with you...

    ReplyDelete