Istanbul, important projects and impossible pie crusts

First off!  We bought tickets for Istanbul!  Hoorah!!

So!  Two weeks of pure backpacking.  We've made a deal to not obsess/plan/purchase too much ahead of time to avoid getting stuck and keep our options open on arrival.  Yes....it's always a fear of potentially getting screwed by not planning ahead, but we both miss the feeling of freedom we used to feel with absolutely nothing weighing us down.  No shoulds or woulds, just the potential of the moment!!!   So, to that, we read and read and read and stare at maps and look at photos to our hearts contents, but besides the plane tickets and perhaps the first few nights, we leave the trip up to fate with not even a lonely planet in hand upon arrival!

It's something to look forward to!  Something to keep my internal furnace running as the skies grow darker longer and something to inspire my cooking!

Second off!  I've gotten the baking bug once again!
Every day is slightly different.  I was planning to attack Julia Childs cookbook...but reading thru has made me realize...if I do this, I'm going to become very very fat!  So instead, I started pilates and have been cruising allrecipes.com and my pantry for inspiration!  My last day off I delved into a delicious fennel squash soup, a spot on hummus and made my first ever homemade crackers!  and Lastly, my first ever...embaressingly enough....pie crust!

Leading to my last experiment/announcement in my blog title of I's!
The impossible pie crust...
Pie crust is baking 101.  It's the very first thing a professional baker needs to do right.
You don't know this yet, but I ...this very week....have decided to give myself that extra little push in the baking world, not to only work my tookus off in the field, but to grow and learn at home!  I need to learn this stuff and pronto!  I have all of these incredible bakers all around me willing to answer questions, try my experiments, and give great advice from their years in the field!  Now is the time!  If I want to truly grow in my education of how/what/why and make really gooooood stuff! True learning will happen in my kitchen..yes...in those hours in the evening when I'm exhausted and tired and all I want to do is cuddle up on the sofa and watch a movie....after baking/cleaning/wiping/flouring/washing/beathing/scooping all day, if I want to grow, I need to do it all night as well!

Soooo.....
Pie crust!
3 parts flour
2 parts butter
1 part water
a pinch of salt...

rubbed all together until a ball and then thrown into the freeezer with multiple layers of plastic wrap.

I have this accomplished.  Now, all I need to do is roll it flat lay it out and make a pie!

Up to now, I've cheated making pat in the pan, vegetable oil based pie crusts believing it didn't matter...but people...it does!  Really good baked goods taste good because there's A SHIT LOAD OF BUTTER!!!!  I hate to admit, but it's the truth.

My butter purchasing this coming winter is about to sky rocket!

Let me know if you'd be a willing volunteer to adopt any of my creations as I'm sure R man and I will be at our limit soon enough!