Kayaking on the Shenandoah

Isaac and I had a wonderful weekend relaxing and enjoying some time off.  We went kayaking on the Shenandoah river.  It was a beautiful day to be outside; sunny, 80 degrees, and a slight breeze.

We enjoyed a 7 mile trip from Elkton to Shenandoah.  Along the way we saw a turtle sunbathing on a log

and a heron stalking for prey.

He was quite entertaining to watch as he stealthily stepped along the rocks to catch fish.  We enjoyed trying to catch a photograph of him in action.  Isaac even took his turn, and the images turned out quite nicely. 

It took us about 3 hours to complete our trip, mostly due to my adventurous photographing excursions, but I think we created a few fun photographs. 

It is a bit challenging paddling up river to get in a good photographing position and then being careful not to crash while drifting aimlessly due to a camera covering your eyes. 

Nevertheless, we made a great day of it.  

You would think we would be burnt to a crisp from all that sun exposure since this was the first time this year we've made it out to play, but with Isaac's handy SPF 70, our invisible shirts kept us white as ever!  What a fun day!

Peach Pie

Okay, this summer has been, shall we say, on the hot side. One way Isaac and I have been enjoying the summer is experimenting in the kitchen. We made this delicious peach pie a few times and I find myself wanting more every time so I wanted to share it with all of you. I hope you enjoy it like we have.

Graham Cracker Crust

1. In a small saucepan or the microwave, melt 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter.
2. Place about 24 graham crackers in a plastic bag. Roll with a rolling pin until finely crushed. This may be done in small batches. (We use a food processor because it is awesome and takes seconds to crush the graham crackers.)
   
3. Measure 1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs into a medium bowl.
4. Add 1/4 cup of sugar to the graham crackers.
5. Add a little (till it tastes good) cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice to the crumbs for a spiced flavor. (This is what makes the crust perfect for peach pie.)
6. Add the melted butter.
7. Stir or blend together with your hands.
8. Press into the pie plate or other pan.
9. To pre-bake the pie crust, bake for 8 to 10 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F. oven.

Filling

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 6 fresh peaches - pitted, skinned, and sliced (let peaches drain so pie isn't as soupy. When the peaches are perfectly ripe you can even collect the juice and drink it later. Mmm.)
  

Directions

1. Cream sugar and butter or margarine together. Add flour and nutmeg; mix until mealy. Spread 1/2 of mixture in pie crust. Arrange peaches on top of crumb mixture. Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture on top of peaches.
2. Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for ten minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking for 40 minutes, or until brown.

Enjoy your delicious peach pie!