And A Partridge and a Pear Pie: Pear Anise Pie

I know that I have been slacking off with my pie blogs. What with my trip to New Orleans, and the holidays, I have not found the time to write about my favorite subject. But that does not mean that I have not been making pies. In fact, I made quite a few old favorites for the holidays, including cranberry sage, salted apple caramel, and key lime. I did manage to venture into new territory with one pie, however, that I made for a family Hanakkuh gathering. This pie is called Pear Anise Pie.

I had been wanting to make this pie for quite some time, as I have already made 2 different pear pies from the Four and Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book, by the Elsen sisters. Both were really good, so I assumed that this one would be as mouth-watering as the others. The recipe for this pie is quite simple. It basically consists of fresh pears, granulated and brown sugars, flour, allspice, bitters and salt. But the key ingredient in this treat is anise seeds. I was a little skeptical about the how the anise would blend with the other flavors in this recipe.

The result of this mixture, which was again spooned into a wonderful butter crust, was perfectly sweet and savory at the same time. The review from the family was overwhelmingly favorable. Although we had previously devoured a tender, succulent brisket made by my husband, everyone gobbled the pear anise pie as if it were the appetizer! Vanilla bean ice cream topped the pie in an exquisite fashion. Unfortunately, the down side was that there was virtually none of the pie left for me to consume the next day! 

In summary, there is no doubt that the pear anise pie will be made again, hopefully for just my husband and myself. It was a total hit with everyone! Speaking of pies, I have enjoyed making all of the pies I have have blogged about this year, and will continue to do so in 2016. There are so many pies to make - so little time. It will be fun to see what tasty pie treats await me next year. In the meantime, I will be wearing the wonderful apron that my sister made for me for Christmas as I cover the kitchen counter and myself with flour!

City of New Orleans

On Sept.7, 2013, at my daughter, Allison's wedding, she and her wife, Megan, promised to give me and Megan's mother, Vicki, an all expense paid  mothers/daughters trip to an unknown destination. This trip was to take place 2 years after their wedding - in 2015. I thought at the time how fun this would be and how exciting it would be to decide on a destination for the four of us. We decided to go to New Orleans, as none of us had ever traveled to this exciting city. So on Nov.29 of this year, we set out for our mothers/daughters adventure!

Our plan for our four nights in  New Orleans was fairly simple: we really had no formal plan! We knew that we had to enjoy all of the things that New Orleans is known for: food, music, bars, and partying! Our cozy little apartment in the French Quarter was convenient to all of these things. Food is an important part of New Orleans culture, with the city often rated as one of the best food cities in the country. We definitely experienced various types of food: gumbo, crab cakes, barbecue, burgers, collard greens, loaded grits, and beignets , among others. Our best meal was probably our last night in NOLA, when we went to Carrollton Market. This aesthetically pleasing spot, located near downtown, had a menu that included everything from scallops to steak to sweetbreads to fried quail. Interestingly, we all ate a different entree, with the veal sweetbread appetizer being perhaps the star of an equally delicious dinner. In addition, my dessert, a chocolate and sweet/salty beignet combination, was heavenly and clearly the best dessert that I experienced in NOLA.

Looking for a good bar in the New Orleans is about as hard as finding a good brewery in Asheville, NC. You can google "best bars in the French Quarter", and get a list of tourist favorites. But we quickly learned that it was just as likely that we would find an enjoyable, lively bar by walking in our French Quarter neighborhood. Since Megan and Allison are huge Patriots fans, we watched Sunday night football at little spot called the Copper Monkey. The owner was nice to us, but did inform us as we left that he disliked Patriots fans, and Panthers from NC! Another day we traveled to what is known as the "oldest bar in America", dating from 1772. This place, called Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop, had a neat atmosphere, and is obviously a hangout for curious tourists. My personal favorite bar was a place called Old Absinthe House, close to our apartment. Obviously a popular spot for locals, this place had friendly staff, happy patrons, and a jukebox. It was pleasant atmosphere in which to converse and party with your own group. (videos made of us singing along with our favorite songs are proof of this)

Sightseeing in New Orleans was fun, although our plan for this emerged on a day to day basis. The Lafayette Cemetery was fascinating to me, with graves dating back to 19th century, and interesting statues and urns. Another must see for me is the Sculpture Garden, that is next to the New Orleans Art Museum. This strolling, naturalistic garden, has 64 sculptures, ranging from traditional to modern and different. As I walked along the beautiful paths, I realized that I was constantly being surprised by the next sculpture just around the corner! I would highly recommend this art/garden fusion experience. Our last day took us to a 30 minute bus ride outside of NOLA to a swamp tour. Allison, Megan and Vicki wanted to experience the swamp and the alligators. Since I have seen my share of alligators here in south Florida, this wasn't a must for me. However, the open boat tour was more than worth it because of our guide, Gary, who was a Cajun man born and bred. Gary, in his sometimes difficult to understand Cajun accent, admitted that the bayou was a way of life for him, and he wouldn't have it any other way. He claimed that he had never set foot on Bourbon Street, and told his tales about how he catches and kills alligators. I am really glad that we did the swamp tour,even though the alligators were hibernating on this chilly day!

Last but not least of my NOLA trip memories was the nightly music and dancing. Music in New Orleans is simply wonderful, with jazz bands playing during the day and rhythm and blues, soul, pop, and even the occasional country music all hours of the evening. The fact that I loved to dance almost more than anything made the dance club scene addicting to me. Favorite dance clubs, all located in the French Quarter included Famous Door, Fat Cats, and Bourbon Bandstand. Left to my own devices, I would have probably stayed up most of the night dancing, but unfortunately, the girls either couldn't keep up with my craziness, or were embarrassed by it. (more likely the latter). I would come back to NOLA just for the music and dancing!

So, I would rate New Orleans as a blast.. There were things that we didn't get around to doing, like going to Frenchmen St. at night, with locals claiming that Frenchmen now has the best music scene. This will give me a reason to go back, hopefully with Allison, Megan and Vicki again. I will conclude by saying how truly lucky I am to have a amazing daughter and daugher-in-law who not only agree to spend quality time with their mothers, but also fund the trip! I will never forget our time together!

Zumba Party: Dance Until You Drop

The day after Thanksgiving is a good day to do a blog on exercise. Like most of you, I stuffed my face on T Day and now realize the damage that was done. (totally worth it, though). But in my case, I will be leaving for New Orleans in two days, which means more eating, and maybe just a little drinking. As I have stated many times, exercise is the balance between my being able to eat a little too much, or eat a little unhealthy at times. So it is off to yoga this morning and probably a little walking later in the day. If I had the opportunity, though, I would do what I did several weeks ago: I would dance for three hours at a Zumba party!

In Asheville, Zumba parties are held once a month in a downtown club from 7-10 pm. With a reasonable cover charge, you can dance for three hours, led by zumba instructors from all around town. I had attended these parties a couple of times, but it had been awhile. A couple of Fridays ago, I decided that three hours of Latin and hip-hop music was what I was craving. The club was lively from the first dance, with between 50 and 60 dancers, 6 dance instructors, and spectators! By the way, zumba parties are for fun, but primarily for fitness, so you wear your regular workout or zumba attire. Also, even though the club has a bar with a great selection of alcoholic beverages, there is no way you can drink alcohol and exercise for three hours straight. It was either water or ginger ale all night for me!

The instructors are all experienced dancers who are excellent in helping those who are not used to zumba learn the steps. The good news about the zumba parties is that there is no pressure - everyone is there primarily to dance and have fun. If you have never danced zumba, you can sit out a few dances, observe, and then try it. A lot of new people stand near the back, which works, since the instructors are elevated on a stage. The music is generally a mix between Latin, hip-hop, and even some oldies but goodies. Speaking of a mix, the dancers are the same - some young, hip dancers combined with oldies but goodies like myself. The result is a room full of enthusiasm, laughter, inspiring rhythms, and incredible fitness.

In terms of fitness, zumba ranks high on my list of calorie burning activities. People have often looked surprised when I tell them that I consider zumba to be my most important exercise option. I am not sure that most people realize how many calories one can burn from dancing. I actually brought out my fit bit that night and at the end of the night, after 3 hours of dancing with a few breaks, I had done the equivalent of almost 9 miles and over 17,000 steps! Add to that the fun factor, and you cannot lose.

I will say that I was pretty beat at the end of the night, but I plan on doing it again soon. One nice thing about the night I went was that the money was going to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer research. What a great way to be fit and contribute to important research. Another fun fact is that zumba parties take place all over the world, including Hong Kong and Shenzhen, China! I believe that the Asheville party will be called "Fitness in da Club" in the future. If you have thought of trying zumba, I would suggest this- you really can't lose anything except weight!

A Pie Party with Friends: Lemon Chess, Cranberry Sage, and Old Favorites

For the past nine months, I have blogged about pies, specifically pies from the Four and Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book by the Elsen sisters. I have enjoyed making and reviewing various pies from the book. But I decided to try a different challenge of hosting a party of fellow pie lovers. My idea was to prepare several of my favorite pies from the book and try a few for the first time. Most of us (at least, those who are so called "normal") think of eating pie as a dessert, after a regular meal. But my idea was to have an event where everything was about the pies. Fortunately, I have friends who like pie as much as I do, so a pie party was planned!

Hosting a party is enjoyable to me and I usually look forward to the challenge of trying out a new recipe or two. One pie from the Elsen sisters' book that I had been wanting to try was the Lemon Chess pie. Chess pie is an old southern pie that my mother-in-law used to make. But I had not tasted the lemon version. The main ingredient is, of course, lemon juice and plenty of lemon zest. Added to this is sugar, cream, eggs, flour and a little yellow cornmeal. Finally, there is a pinch of orange and vanilla extract. The result was a lemony custard that was really refreshing, according to my guests.I was surprised that this pie turned out well for my first attempt. No whipped cream is needed for this pie - it tastes great all by itself!

The other "new" pie was the Cranberry Sage pie. I had actually made this pie once last winter, but I served it only to my husband and sister-in-law. We liked it very much, so I decided to make it for guests. This pie uses dried and fresh cranberries, sugar, one apple, allspice, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, and arrowroot. The arrowroot is the thickening agent, as opposed to cornstarch. Finally, there is fresh sage, which is a rather unusual combination with the cranberries. The crust was my usual butter crust from the book. This pie is really very lovely, with the red color peeping through the lattice top. It is fairly easy to assemble, compared to other pies in the Elsen pie book. The party guests really loved this pie, with several wanting to  make it for Thanksgiving. To me, it has a flavor similar to cherry pie. I would certainly make this pie again. But I would consider adding a little extra fresh sage, as some said that they couldn't really taste the sage. My friends said that a slice of the cranberry pie followed by a slice of lemon chess was perfect!

The other pies I made were the Bourbon Pear Crumble pie and the Salted Caramel Apple. I still love these tasty pies, particularly the Salted Caramel Apple. The Salted Caramel pie is very labor intensive, but worth the effort, in my opinion. After the pies had been served and my friends had finished stuffing their faces with pie, I took a poll to determine the group favorite. The result: a tie
between the Cranberry Sage and the Lemon Chess (4 votes each), 2 votes for the Salted Caramel Apple, and one vote for the Pear Bourbon. I was torn, but my vote is still for the Salted Caramel Apple, so it technically got 3 votes.  I decided that another Salted Caramel Apple will be served at Thanksgiving.

So, thank you, my friends, for helping me celebrate pie eating, and for giving me a good send-off from Asheville to Florida for a few months! Speaking of which, all of that pie eating necessitates my getting back on my exercise regimen so that I can hang out on the beach. Look for my next blog, in which I will talk about a "zumba party" that was almost as much fun as the pie soiree! Remember my motto when you indulge in your Thanksgiving meal: if you exercise, you can occasionally indulge in eating pie!!

Best of Halloween: Movies and Songs

Halloween wouldn't be the same without the horror movies and catchy songs. Some of my favorite movies of all time are of the horror genre. Of course, horror movies can range from the really spooky to the slightly amusing. I get a kick out of watching both, and have my favorites from the decades in which I have been viewing them. Halloween songs are usually played by the radio stations on the day itself, but one generally doesn't hear most of these songs again until the next Halloween. I actually have a Spotify Halloween list that I will play during October, so that I can listen for the whole month. So, because I am a "best list" type of person, I am going to give lists of my favorite horror movies, and Halloween type songs.

My top movies are not listed in any order. I tend to prefer the older ones in black and white, but here goes the list.

Halloween (1978, 2007)- The slasher movies about psycho Michael Myers are now a Halloween staple. I like the original because it introduces a young Jamie Lee Curtis. The fact that you never hear Michael Myers' voice gives the movie a terrifying realism not seen in most horror movies.

Phantom of the Opera (1925) - Speaking of not hearing the villain's voice, that certainly is the case with this first version of the movie, starring Lon Chaney. This is a silent movie, but Chaney's make up is so good, that you don't even miss the sound. I recently saw the re-mastered version in a silent film class, and it was amazing for its time. One interesting fact is that Chaney's parents were deaf mutes. This helps to explain his being able to act with his hands and facial expressions so well.

The Invisible Man (1933), and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) - I put these two early classics about scientists gone mad together because both were made in the "pre-code" Hollywood era. The censorship guidelines were developed in 1934, so that prior to that, there was actually more violent and sexually suggestive material than in movies from 1934 to 1960's. Claude Rains is great as the scientist who terrorizes a town by being invisible.  Fredric March won an Oscar for his performance in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and this movie is surprisingly difficult to watch in places because of Hyde's violence toward the female character.

Psycho (1960)- Alfred Hitchcock, Norman Bates, shower scene. And Jamie Lee Curtis's mother, Janet Leigh.

Night of the Living Dead (1968) - This movie really creeped me out the first time that I saw it as a college student at UNC. I remember being rather scared walking back to my dorm in the dark. The movie about zombies was controversial for its time because of the "explicit gore" noted by film critics. It is black and white, but even so, seeing a 13 year girl eating a mutilated arm is some pretty gross stuff. Everyone who likes horror should see this movie once. (did not see the re-make)

Honorable mentions: Carrie (1976) - Sissy Spacek in prom that goes bad and House of Wax (1953), with Vincent Price at his best.

Songs- Of course Michael Jackson's "Thriller" wins hands down for best ever Halloween song and amazing video. But there are a few other good ones.
"Season of the Witch" - Donovan - good song any time of the year
"Werewolves of London" - Warren Zevon - absolutely perfect Halloween song
"I Wanna do Bad Things With You" - Brian 'Hacksaw" Williams - theme song from vampire television show True Blood- great Halloween and my favorite TV theme song of all time
 "Ghosterbusters" - best goofy Halloween song

Halloween Thriller

Yesterday may have been my most fun Halloween experience ever. My Zumba class, led by the great Natalie at the Reuter YMCA, did a flash mob version of Michael Jackson's Thriller in the lobby. Saying that dancing in a Halloween costume to Thriller with one of my dance groups had been a life long dream is an understatement. Every time that I watch the Thriller video, I have been obsessed with dancing it myself. So when Natalie announced last week that our class was going to do this, I was beside myself. I practiced all last week to the video that was taken in class last week. We were encouraged to wear costumes for our performance so I also spent some time deciding what to wear. I had wanted to put on my last year's flip flop dress from the movie The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Unfortunately, this was not going to work, as I could not dance very well in it. I figured that if I was finally getting my chance to dance to MJ, I certainly wanted to dance my best, so my old flapper costume worked much better.

When I arrived for class yesterday, it was evident that all class members had gotten into the spirit of performing Thriller. Everyone was decked out in their favorite costume. There was a bat, a Daisy Duke type with boots, Davy Crockett, Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, and many colorful Halloween shirts and skirts. Our fearless leader wore a cat costume with whiskers and a tail. It was great to see such enthusiasm! While waiting for class to start, I talked to a class member who said the dancing in a Thriller flash mob had always been on her bucket list. I echoed that sentiment, and overheard other dance mates saying similar things. If you dance, you just want to try to dance like MJ one time!

When we finally arrived in the lobby for our performance, I noticed that there were a number of spectators, several of them holding cameras or phones to make a video of our dance routine. My husband was one of them, as I had bribed him to come along and take pictures and video on his phone. Once the music started, it was evident that everyone was having a fantastic time dancing to this Halloween classic, in true MJ style. I enjoyed every minute, and loved seeing all the zumba lovers laughing out loud with the moves. What a "thrill"!

My husband took a video of most of our performance - will try to send a link to this later. What a fabulous zumba class!! Thank you, Natalie, for allowing me to check off one thing on my bucket list! You rock!!

The Halloween Costume Party: Winning is Everything

The Halloween costume party has always been the highlight of Halloween for me. As I stated before, I love dressing up as something or someone else. How amazing that I can play a role that is different from my everyday self. Almost as fun as being in my own special costume is seeing what everyone else has decided to be for a day. Having gone to costume parties for several decades now, I am still surprised every year by the variety of ideas, and how these ideas are executed and turned into awesome costumes.

I like to consider the process of how one comes up with a costume idea. Traditionally, of course, is the horror character, either a Halloween character or one from the scary movies. Speaking of movies, numerous costumes through the years have been characters from movies. Last year for example, 5 different movies were represented. Television and cartoon characters are also big, as well as inanimate objects. Sometimes I have gone as characters that I have always wanted to be, while other times, I get a last minute idea. One important element in wearing a Halloween costume is how practical it is. That is, can you actually get to the front door, can you sit down, or can you drive a car? Some participants have solved these issues by removing their costume after everyone has seen them, and then putting on street clothes for comfort during the rest of the evening. Probably the one costume that I remember for its total impracticality was the year that my brother-in-law, Fred, dressed as the Invisible Man. It was a fantastic costume and he nailed it, except that because of his wrapped up face, he was unable to eat!

And now comes the really important part of the costume party: the prize for best costume. Some people say that winning this prize really doesn't matter to them, as it is simply fun just to be in costume. I would say that this is bull...t, ah, I mean, simply not true. Everyone that puts effort into a Halloween costume wants to win the prize. What the prize is doesn't matter - it is just that you have been voted the best of everyone at the party. And losing does hurt, particularly when you really feel that you had the best costume and didn't win, something that we refer to as being "robbed".  A blood relative of mine, who is not my sister, recently expressed distress at being robbed at the party one year. I had to agree with this family member, who is not my sister, that the costume was particularly good. Unfortunately, this incident left the family member scarred, and this member has never attended another party! Oh yes, excuses were made for not attending but I can't help but think that being robbed that year left a permanent scar. Oh, the pain of losing!

We vote on paper ballots every year, and they are turned in to our hostess, Brenda, who counts the votes, announces the winner, and gives the prize. There have occasionally been concerns of voter irregularity, alliances, and bribes. However, Brenda will not allow herself to get the prize, so we generally trust that she is fair and honest. Actually, it is a shame that Brenda doesn't count herself, as she has had some of the most incredible costumes through the years, excluding, perhaps, her Captain X-ray costume. (will be discussed another time).

So, I am waiting with anticipation at seeing everyone in costume on Saturday. We all keep a secret about what our costumes will be until the party. What will be perpetual great costume team, Elaine and Fred, come up with this year? What creative ideas will be seen for the first time? And most important, who will win the prize? I am going to stick out my neck and go ahead and make a prediction:  I was robbed!

Halloween: The Celebration of Fantasies

Since I started this blog back in February, I have wanted to write about my favorite holiday/celebration: Halloween. And this brings up a question that you may be thinking: what does Halloween have to do with exercise or pie? My answer is: absolutely nothing, but I want to blog about it anyway! I love Halloween and always have. Halloween was a fun event in my family, with trick or treating and costumes always encouraged.

Probably my earliest memory was dressing up like a gypsy and trick or treating in our small neighborhood with my sister and our friend, Lorena. We only went to houses where we knew our neighbors. Eating the candy was certainly great - I always appreciated the candy bars more than the lollipops. And forget healthy snacks like fruit - they simply have no place in a trick or treat bag! As we got a little older, we went to our church Halloween parties and did trick or treating for UNICEF.  We were still allowed to get candy, however. We always wore costumes. Back then, I don't remember really thinking seriously about what costume I would wear; I think we just wore whatever old clothes were around the house. But my Dad loved to wear a scary mask for Halloween. Once he wore a really scary mask and went to his mother's house to surprise her. She did not recognize him, and told us that she thought he was too old to be trick or treating!

When I went away to college, I attended Halloween parties held in my ex-husband's (then boyfriend's) dorm. We were space aliens at our first party, using aluminum foil for antennas! Out of these experiences came annual parties with friends from college and our families. The location of our parties changed from Chapel Hill, then to Charlotte, and now to Shelby, NC, where it has been held for a number of years at the home of my college friend, Brenda. The party now includes our children as well. (who are now adults).

Although I always enjoyed the scary movies, jack- o- lanterns and the sugary treats of Halloween, my favorite part by far is the costumes. How fun is it to be absolutely anything that you want to be for one day of the year? Former costumes of mine have included Wonder Woman, Tonto, a chicken (Kentucky Fried), and King Kong (the monster, not the girl), among numerous others. To me, Halloween is the chance to become something or someone that is different from myself, and to really enjoy being that character. I get to be in my fantasy world for one day each year.

This week being "Halloween week", with the real day occurring this Saturday, Oct. 31, I will write about some of my favorite Halloween costumes, movies, songs, parties, and activities. I will share a lot of "scary" photos as well. So, if you are as excited about Halloween as I am, you may want to check into my blog this week. Maybe you will see a fantasy costume that you want to experience in your future Halloweens. So stay tuned for some fun!

Walks and Destinations

It is Fall in the mountains and everyone wants to go on a hike. Nothing is quite so lovely as the golds, reds, and oranges of the trees against a bright blue sky. It is one of those special seasonal treats that you only get to experience a few weeks out of every year. I find it intriguing that there are so many people on the hiking trails - all types of people. There are the folks that walk regularly, trail runners, the leaf season tourists, hiking groups, and people who never consider doing exercise except for hikes during autumn. I am always excited about seeing this mixture of people.

I have written before about exercise and motivation. Whether it is a passion that one has for a certain physical activity, a desire to be healthier, or vanity, almost everyone has to be motivated to make exercise a priority in their everyday lives. I believe one of the appealing things about hiking is that you can get a good workout and also reach a beautiful destination. If you are going to sweat, experience aching muscles, or miss the football game, there better be something that you can look forward to while hiking up that steep mountain trail. Few people are disappointed when they reach the top and look out at those spectacular views, or hear that roaring waterfall.

I believe that walking is one of the best, if not the best, lifetime exercise. It is not generally considered a dangerous sport in which you can seriously hurt yourself. But it helps keep your heart healthy, and is great for emotional and mental health. If just taking a walk in your neighborhood is boring to you, and you can't make yourself do it regularly, try taking walks where you will reach a desirable destination. Whether it be a scenic view, a cafe for lunch, or a cup of coffee, you will have something to keep you walking toward that goal, and to look forward to.

I took several hikes with my husband recently, and enjoyed the leaf colors, rushing river, and peacefulness of the woods. These hikes brought me to great destinations. I also went on a solo walk to my downtown hair cut appointment this week. It was great exercise, and I didn't have to find a parking place, since I walked from my house. I walked a total of 7 miles, and my destination also included grabbing lunch at Tupelo Honey. The thought of mac and cheese certainly motivated me to keep walking. The next time you are having trouble taking a walk or hike, just try to anticipate the amazing sights you will see. And keep walking to the end, particularly if the end includes an unforgettable mountain sight or a doughnut!

The Joy of Hip Hop

Although I enjoy many forms of exercise, my favorite is still dancing. The combination of music and movement does wonders for my body and soul. I honestly love a variety of dance rhythms, including Latin, blues, and swing. But I have begun to really enjoy dancing to hip hop music. I appreciate the energy of the music and the freedom of movement that I have when I dance to hip hop. My love for hip hop prompted me to get up early last Saturday to attend a "hip hop burn" class at a gym on the other side of town. Not only was it on the other side of town, but it was a gym that I had never been to.

Looking forward to this new experience, I walked into the class and recognized the instructor as my favorite zumba instructor at my regular gym! I was thrilled, and happy that I knew at least one person. I have been doing zumba for almost 6 years, all over town, and did not recognize one person in the class. One important point, if you have never been to a fitness dance class, is to know that regular dancers have their specific "spot" in the class. Mine is the front row, far left, in every class I attend. I can't explain why- that is just my spot. Class members get testy if a new person stands in their favorite position, so I stood in the next to last row, which is often where new people stand. The music was all hip hop, and I quickly became lost in the upbeat music and intense rhythms. I cannot help but move to hip hop - it is just so much fun!

I have attended other classes with a combination of pop music and hip hop. One time the instructors at my gym did a survey of class members to determine whether they preferred to have more pop routines or hip hop dances. The results showed that there was a 50/50 split, with the younger classmates choosing hip hop and the older choosing pop or retro music. Even though I am definitely in the older age group, I actually like a combination of both, with a slight leaning toward hip hop. (My dream dance class would be half MJ, half hip hop). I think some older folks are bothered by the rough lyrics of hip hop, and the fact that there is more jumping in the dance routines. I will admit that I usually don't hear the words of the songs when I am in class, as I am so busy trying to learn the dance moves and keep from falling down. When I hear these songs on my Spotify lists, I am a little surprised by the "explicit" lyrics. But I am not personally offended, and the beat of the music is so infectious that I get past the words. After all, I am old enough to have heard these words before.

So, my hip hop burn class rocked, and I will keep going to this class, as well as seeking out other such classes in town. The way I see it, there are really no negatives, if you enjoy pure, uninhibited fun with other like minded people. Everyone in this class looked happy, even at 9:00 on a Saturday morning. The baggy clothing is super comfortable, the workout fantastic and the exercise feels like a party. And there is nothing like dancing to Big Sean's "Naked" on a Sunday morning - try it, you will like it!

Pie for Breakfast, Anyone?: Salt Pork Apple Pie

Those of you who read this blog on a regular basis may notice that I alternate blogs about pies with exercise blogs, and throw in an occasional blog about something else, such as gardening. Since I had written about two pies in my last blog, I had planned to write about something other than food this week. But in all honesty, I am so excited about the latest pie that I made, I could not wait another week to write about it. So exercise will have to wait. Let me introduce the Salt Pork Apple Pie to you!

The first time I saw this pie and its description in the Four and Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book, I had trouble conceiving of the pig meets apple combination in a pie. It just seemed too weird, and I resisted trying this recipe because of all of the other mouth watering recipes in the book. But I was fascinated by the idea, and finally decided to go for it, mainly because of the excited look on my husband's face when I mentioned it. The pie has the usual apples, sugar, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, allspice, cinnamon, flour, and Angostura bitters. (those Elsen sisters love to use liquor in their recipes!). But the salt pork is the key ingredient in this recipe. The recipe says that you cut it into small pieces, cook, and then drain the fat. But, in an interesting twist, you are supposed to add 4 tablespoons of the fat to the apple mixture, as well as the cooked salt pork! Being a Southerner, I was raised on pork fat added to everything, but have learned healthier habits in recent years. So, I could not in good conscience add the pork fat grease. I stuck with only the cooked salt port, which was added in two layers with the apples. By the way, I used three different kinds of apples, as I find a mix of fruit varieties works well. The crust was the usual butter crust, and I sprinkled extra demerara sugar on top to contrast with the salt pork.

I had to have a small sliver of this pie when we returned home after a late evening out. This pie was surprisingly awesome and luscious, with the salt pork, apples, and sugar complementing each other perfectly. I shared the sliver with my husband, who was also blown away with the flavor. We both agreed that it rivals the Salted Caramel Apple Pie from the pie book as our favorite pie. (closely followed by the Lavender Honey Custard). The next morning, I passed by the pie when I poured my morning coffee, and had to have a slice, My husband did the same. What an incredible way to start my morning, and every morning that week, by the way! (in my mind, it is the same idea as eating a bacon doughnut!)  And you manage to get your protein and carbs in as well. (good rationalization, I thought). The truth is, I could not pass by this pie and not cut a slice. I finally hid it in the fridge to try and control my addiction. But this pie is like none other I have made - it is seductive!

This morning, I had the last slice. I thought about sharing it with my husband, but it was a rather small piece, so I thought I might as well finish it off. I apologized to Rich, and told him that I would make him any pie in the Elsens' pie book that he wanted. (there are 58 pie recipes). His response:  he wants the salt pork apple pie next week. Need I say more?