Making a pie crust

I cannot make a decent piecrust if my life depended on it. Well, maybe if my life depended on it I could meet the challenge

 My grandma Johnson was an artist. Her pies would have beautiful designs on them. It was almost a shame to cut into them and destroy the work of art. When you did cut into them, they were perfect. The inside was layered just right, picture perfect. In addition, the taste was always perfection.

Maybe it is because I feel I would never live up to her standards. Maybe I do not want to compete with the memories of her pies.  I know she is probable looking down on me saying, do it, I know you can. I cannot, I have a mental block.

Back in the days when women of her generation made pies, they made crust with lard. Of course, people do not use lard anymore. They use shortening.  Shortening is not good for you, so I use butter instead. Of course, that does not make a good piecrust.  It is not as flakey.

I have made crust with lard and it has tasted great. My problem is crimping the crust just right. My designs are also never as good as hers were, so I gave up. I said I have a mental block, I know it is not that hard.  Now I just use Pappy’s piecrust dough. Thaw it and roll it out. Works great.

I also cannot get anything less than a 15 on a par five when I go golfing with the C.O. That too is a mental block. As to why I have no idea.

I stand at the tee and try to talk myself up. First swing and it goes two feet to the left. I go over, start hitting it willy-nilly, and just get through it. Sometime I just stop counting and just swing.

We all have these little issues. I guess it just how you look at it. I do not take it too seriously. I just go on with my day.

 Have a happy fourth of July.

If your up to the challenge

Pie crust
3 cups flour
1 cup lard
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. vinegar
dash of salt
works best if water is hot and lard is cold