Turnovers...

Turnovers...  

I wish I was talking about the hot, flaky kind, 

oozing with crimson juice 

and plump, warm cherries...  

Add vanilla ice cream 

and now you are talking ala' mode heaven...  

Nope, this is about friends turning over...  

Time and again we have made new friends, 

only to learn they are moving away...  

"Hey!  

 We just met!  

 You can't just up and leave!  

 We haven't grilled out together yet..."  

Oh, it can be frustrating when a budding couple friendship 

fizzles as they load the Mayflower truck 

and speed off to the suburbs or further...  

What's worse, though, is when long-time, 

reliable and comfortable as a cozy sweater kind of friends 

decide to move away...  

Without your permission...  

Whaaa?  

How can they do this?

What about Wine Fridays where we laugh 

and drink while the kids destroy the house?  

No more catching up between CCD carpools, 

sitting on the front steps,
cocktail in hand, 

watching the kids zoom down the sidewalk...   

We have history here! 

Three of our friends are moving out of state... 

They will leave holes of varying sizes...  

We will sorely miss all of them,
but our neighbors, 

who are moving back to their original home out east, 

will leave the largest void...  

We have watched our babies grow up, 

we have spent major holidays together, 

 we have shed tears and laughed until we cried...

My friend was one of those who got me,
warts and all, and still, she liked me!

She and I could talk for hours about anything...



When I miscarried, she was there
 with the best, most comforting hug...

My friend had a gift for flowers
that grew into a business
and yet she always had time
to help make my flower pots spectacular...

Her parties were lively, bursting with delicious food
and always memorable...

But most of all, my dear friend was
as real as it gets
and was truly lovely in all ways...

Yesterday was the day their house was emptied...

I couldn't watch the moving truck pull away...



My heart is breaking to see our friends leave our street...

It will take a while to get over their absence, 

but in time, they will settle in their new home 

and we will fill that hole, too, I guess....  

It won't be the same, 

but it will be okay...  

The only constant in life is change, 

and embracing upheaval

can be rough sometimes...  

But I can choose to be miserable 

about what life slings my way 

or I can laugh and open my arms

 to what may come... 

Turnovers...  

Maybe the UAE will call us sooner than later 

and our next move will be to Abu Dhabi...

We are hopeful our kids will experience a distant culture...

The difference is that, at some point,
we will return
to our familiar street ...

Turnovers can be so good, 

even if they are tinged with sadness...  

So, to bring back some sweetness, 

here is a tantalizing turnover recipe for you...

Bye, dear Friends ...We love you all...

Sweet Cherry Hand Pies, courtesy of Wives with Knives

: July Issue ~ Bon Appetit Magazine

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 cups fresh cherries, stemmed and pitted, or about 12 ounces frozen pitted cherries, unthawed
• ⅔ cups dried cherries
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 14-ounce package puff pastry
• Flour for dusting
• 1 large egg white
• 2 teaspoons sanding sugar

Instructions

1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Stir constarch and 1-1/2 tablespoons cold water in a small bowl to blend. Combine fresh cherries and next 5 ingredients in a large saucepan. Cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until cherry juices are released, about 5 minutes. Add cornstarch mixture, bring to a boil, stirring often. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
3. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface to an 18″x15″ rectangle. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut dough into nine 6″x5″ rectangles. Whisk egg white with 1 tablespoon water in another small bowl for egg wash.
4. Working with one pastry rectangle at a time, place on a work surface and brush edges with egg wash. Scoop 3 tablespoons cherry mixture onto one side, fold dough over filling so that short ends meet, forming a 5″x3″ packet. Crimp edges with a fork to seal. Using a sharp knife cut a few slits in top of pastry to vent. Place on prepared baking sheet, repeat with remaining dough and filling.
5. Brush tops with egg wash, then sprinkle with sugar. Chill for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake pastries until tops and bottoms are golden brown, 30-35 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes on baking sheet. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.