Finally, the Fourth

We rolled back into town a few days before the fourth and didn't have any plans, so we and the Bonds tagged along with the Schlegels to their ward party at Golfland. Miniature golf, arcade, water slides. What more could a group of six boys under the age of seven and one little girl (who happens to love mini golf) have asked for?





That night we all headed over to Santa Clara's Central Park for fireworks and the First Annual Pie Off between me and Liz. Kim and Alisa graciously judged, with Rich and Stephen chiming in, the two pies baked from the same recipe with different apples. Liz maintained that only baking apples (tart and traditionally green) should be used in an apple pie recipe, while I thought that red apples wouldn't really be all that different. Sure, tart apples are ideal, but if you're in a pinch a red apple will do. Thus, the pie off. The results? Well, the apples didn't end up mattering as much as baking time did. It came down to preference of soft, fully-baked apples vs. firmer, a little under-baked apples. The flavor of the apples didn't matter as much as their texture.