Makes six hand pies

These came out light, flaky, and delicious, with just the right filling consistency (not too oozy, but not too dry). The crust recipe makes enough for a single pie crust (just omit 1 T. of maple syrup).

Filling:
6 apples, peeled and cut into chunks
6 tbsp. maple syrup
1 tbsp. cinnamon
pinch of cloves
1-2 tbsp. ghee
juice of one small lemon

Saute gently until nearly cooked (wide frying pan, uncovered, is perfect); sprinkle with 2 tbsp. quick cooking tapioca granules and stir well. Let cool.

Dear Family,

“This is a good sign, having a broken heart. It means we have tried for something.”
― Elizabeth Gilbert

Ivyisms:

“Everybody else went out. But it’s not lonely, cuz I’m with you and you’re with me!”

Overheard - a voice from the bathroom: “Ewiza? I have the funnest idea in the WORLD! I could take off my pants and pee into the toilet like a HE!”

Concerning her outfit for the day: “I got very useful fings on me: cuz I got shorts on under HERE, and a tee shirt on under HERE!”

Dear Family,

“Time went by so fast these days. There was some sort of malfunction going on with how fast the earth was spinning. Decades went by as quick as years once did.”
—Liane Moriarty, “Nine Perfect Strangers”

“And the moral of the story is that you don’t remember what happened. What you remember becomes what happened.”
—John Greene, “An Abundance of Katherines”

——

Ivyisms:

Dear Family

I have come across a fascinating new rabbit hole in the realm of health, potentially relevant to those with gut issues, eye and skin problems, autoimmunity, eating disorders, excessive inflammation, or elevated triglycerides, cholesterol, and/or blood sugar.

Dear Family,

“Sometimes I think the difference between what we want and what we're afraid of is about the width of an eyelash.”
― Jay McInerney

——

Eliza: Dragons need HUGE caves.

Ivy: Why?

Eliza: I dunno…I guess cuz they need to fit.

——

Ivyisms:

“Mama? I wuv you more than myself AN my flip flops.”

“I’m hoppin’ around like an Eastern Bunny!”

An Ivy Ditty: “…Because I’m an edible nut, I wish someone could eat me, pew pew pew pewie pewie pew...”

“I want NORMAL shorts, wif no skirt and only legs!”

Dear Family,

Amidst the Chaos and The Election and So Much Troubling News (not to mention my family’s first-world-style personal housing insecurity), I spent this week mustering gratitude.

Dear Family,

“It’s difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary is dependent upon him not understanding it.”
—Upton Sinclair

“Though the problems of the world are increasingly complex, the solutions remain embarrassingly simple.”
—Bill Mollison

“The present moment is the only moment available to us, and it is the door to all moments.”
—Thich Nhat Hanh

——

Ivyisms:

Dear Family,

“The unacceptable does not become more acceptable if it is accepted by increments.”
— David Frum

“No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.”
—H.L. Mencken (paraphrased)

“Gold didn’t help the Jews or Germans under Hitler. It was just confiscated. As was their real estate before it was bombed to dust. The only thing that helped people survive these kinds of extreme events was extreme perseverance and flexibility.”
—J Collins

——

Ivyisms:

Dear Family,

After I sent my last update, some alert readers pointed out that maybe I might have made some of my readership feel bad by proclaiming, “When we fail to speak out against the act of eating ‘food’ that is addictive and nutrient poor, we fail our children, and our future children’s children - if they are someday able to conceive them.”

Since it was absolutely the opposite of my intention to make any individual feel blamed for the current public health crisis in our country, I want to briefly clarify my opinion:

I read about the Florida shooting while sitting in a playground on this bright sun shiny day.

The shooter is described as having significant depression, some kind of assault weapon that is easier to obtain in this country than a handgun, and as being "probably autistic or having a learning disability." He moved in with an acquaintance after his mother died. He is nineteen. His public defender describes him as a Broken Human Being.

Democrats push for renewed focus on gun control and "red flag laws." Republicans urge prayer.