It's not you, it's the crust

I LOVE to make pies, but I've decided that my pie making skills are really only mediocre and my crust making skills are the only thing that saves it. This recipe is not too flaky, or dry, and you always wish there was more of it!

2 pie crust:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup crisco butter shortening

1 tsp salt

1 egg

1 tablespoon vinegar

1/4 cup cold water

Beat egg, add vinegar & water. Mix (with pastry cutter) flour, salt, and shortening separately (will be crumbly). Add all together and continue mixing with a pastry cutter (will get thick). Work with hands a little bit and mold into a ball. Divide dough in half, roll out onto floured surface and place in a 9" pie dish.

You can either make two pies, or one with the crust on top and on bottom.

ENJOY!

Hint: make sure your working surface is cool.

Potatoes for a real man!

For my brother-in-laws birthday, I decided to make a meal that fit his "meat and potatoes" personality / appetite. We had steak, corn on the cob, salad, and these awesome potatoes:

Red Potato Salad with Bacon-Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

4 pounds red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
1/4 cup olive oil, plus 1/4 cup
3/4 pound hickory smoked bacon
1 large red onion, finely sliced
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
parsley (to your liking)
1 cup crumble blue cheese

In a baking dish toss potatoes with 1/4 cup olive oil, parsley, salt and pepper. Brown the bacon and crumble. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pan and add the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup olive oil, vinegar, and sugar and cook until sugar is dissolved. Pour the onion mixture over the potatoes, add the crumbled bacon and toss to combine. Bake at 400 deg. for around 1 hour (until potatoes are soft). Before serving, sprinkle blue cheese on top of potatoes.

They're a big hit!