

For three solid days I did nothing but drive. I also attended many a fete and gathering during all that road rambling, and let's just say I am attempting to recharge after all that existential awesomness.
Today, well, today I actually felt a bit more alive, and was struck with the need to craft comestibles most sweet. Mainly for the hubs. He has been dealing with some horrid health things as of late and I wanted to make him something delightful.
I also wanted to use this:

A couple weeks ago I made a Guinness chocolate cake with whipped malted cream cheese frosting for a friend's birthday. That malted milk powder changed my life. My tastebuds and overactive hobbit baking brain went into conceptualizing overdrive. The flavor malted milk powder imparts in baked goods is interstellar good!
Another thing I have been wanting to do for a while is try my hand at pastry cream. I had some lovely free range eggs in the fridge, a bunch of whipping cream, and the ubiquitous malted milk powder.
So, the malted milk custard pie initiative was enacted.
I threw together and baked a graham cracker crust. Mise en place'd all my custard ingredients. Pastry cream is both science and a dance, there are quite a few steps and things must be done in sequence, with feel, and just so in order to get it right. But oh yum if you get it right.
I think I got it right.
Right now my pie is chilling in the fridge with a piece of buttered parchment on top so it doesn't form a skin. I am going to whip up a malted milk whipped cream to throw on top of said pie. I might also get really fancy and shave on some chocolate curls. We shall see.

The pie experimentation is much more fun that the corg exasperations. A
couple of kids were fishing on the dock yesterday, I went to walk down to say hi after I weedeated the garden, and as I descended the hill to the dock I saw a massive splash.
The corg had fell in while getting overexcited about the casting of the fishing pole again.
One of the kids almost went into the lake fishing her out before I got there, both of the kids were cackling, they thought it was the funniest thing because swimming is not the corg's forte yet she still seems to have a problem staying out of the lake.
Addiction indeed is a sad thing.
Today, she is lying in her bed looking slightly petulant and maybe a bit remorseful. She probably isn't feeling any of those things and is just disgruntled she isn't chasing a ball, stick, or casted fishing lure.
I swear it's never dull around here.
Next post I will perhaps elaborate about the zombie skunk incident, or the amazing little establishment in the woods we recently ate at, or the impending scape festival that we shall be partaking in as my garlic patch is getting ready to go scapetastic!
