Fixing up a pair of shoes

Before

I was about to toss these shoes that I haven't worn in several weeks because I scuffed the toe against something and scraped off the pink snythetic outer later.  It was bright white underneath and really stood out.  I wondered if some paint carefully matched to the color of the shoe would work- just regular acrylic craft paint- and surprisingly it did!  Its still noticeable, but the point is its a lot better than before- enough so that I think I'll wear them again. 

After

Black Raspberry Pie

Black raspberry pie

 

 

 

 

 Sorry for such a long lapse in blog posts!  Its been a busy last month or two for me.  The state park nearby has many patches of black raspberries growing in the forest, and we've been taking advantage of that in our household.  I believe we've picked at least sixteen quarts this summer, and froze about 12 of them.  They freeze wonderfully for up to a year or so.  We're actually still finishing up some frozen ones from last summer!  Its great to have berries-free ones at that- all year long.  If you haven't tried black raspberries before (also called black caps) they are very similar to raspberries, but with a slightly different flavor.  They are also less likely to crush into a sticky juicy mess compared to regular wild red raspberries.  They are delightfully sweet, and although they look like blackberries, they aren't as sour.  They are loaded with antioxidants, fiber, and vitamin C.  For this pie, I used my mother's pie crust recipe.
Pie Crust:
Combine 3 cups flour, 2 tsps salt, and 2 tsps sugar in a bowl.  Using a pastry cutter or fork, blend in 1 cup crisco and 3 tbsps cold butter until it resembles coarse crumbs.  Sprinkle in ice cold water by the tablespoon, using as little as possible (around 6-8) until the crust comes together.  Pat into two patties, wrap in wax paper, and chill in the fridge while you prepare the berries and preheat the oven.
Pie:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Pour five cups frozen black raspberries (you can also use fresh) into a large bowl.  Sprinkle in 3 tablespoons of cornstarch and 1/2 cup of sugar, gently toss until berries are coated.  Next, roll our pie crust and assemble pie.  Cut slits on top to let the steam out, and wrap edges of crust with tin foil to prevent over browning.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then decrease heat to 350 and cook for another 45 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and pie crust is golden brown.    Enjoy!