Pies, Spring, and Gardening

I will admit that I have been slacking off this month in blogging about my pie making and exercise. Although I have been making a lot of pies and I have been exercising, I have not tried any new pie recipes, nor have I delved into new areas of fitness. Lately, I have been making pies that I have made before, and doing my same old physical activities. I have stuck with the familiar and comfortable.

This month, I have made pies for people and occasions. I made a bourbon pear crumble pie for a dinner with friends. The pear bourbon combination is the ultimate comfort pie, and is always a favorite of friends. Then came a lemon chess pie. This is becoming my pie of choice for friends who have recently had surgery or illness, as it is zesty, refreshing, and cures all ills.  Malted Chocolate Pecan Pie is the pie I made for a friend's birthday, and tends to be a celebratory pie, with its luscious combination of chocolate and malt barley syrup. And finally, I decided to make a pie that I really love more than any pie that I have made - the Lavender Honey Custard Pie. This delicacy, with a texture like creme brulee, has a heavenly taste that I crave in the middle of the night.. Although I shared this pie with others, I really want to eat this pie all in one sitting!

For the past year, I have tried new ways to exercise, including trying a variety of classes at my gym. I highly recommend trying different forms of physical activity. As we all get older, exercise becomes even more important and it is helpful to find ways of exercising that we enjoy, so that we will be more likely do exercise consistently. Also, learning new forms of movement can be good for our aging brains. Having said that, it can be easier to do the same routines to which we are accustomed. In my case, zumba, walking, and gardening are my favorite ways to obtain fitness, and I love doing them! So I have been doing these, with a little yoga thrown in, for the past month since I returned to Asheville. Walking in the spring sunshine in moderate temperatures makes my day. I love the energy of zumba class, and enjoy the companionship of my dancing classmates. What can be wrong with that?

And this brings me to my other top form of physical fitness: gardening. Spring always inspires the gardener in me, as the bulbs pop out and the recently sown seeds sprout. No gardener can dispute the fact that digging holes, lifting bags of mulch, and raking leaves works the muscles. I get more fatigued from gardening than I do from walking or zumba! But gardening is personally the best combination of both physical and mental exercise. For me, gardening serves the same purpose as yoga: it calms me and helps alleviate stress.

So, if you have been doing the same old exercises, or are experiencing good times from hobbies that you have done for years, go ahead and enjoy! You can experience new adventures at another time. While I have been lazy in this area of of trying new things,I have been grounded by the same old pies, zumba, and gardening. I do promise, however, that I will be trying unique pies in the next month, and sharing my eating experiences with you. So stay tuned for Wild Ginger Strawberry Pie!