For those of you who have never been in a pie off, let me explain...The rules were....hang on there weren't any rules! And that's where I let myself down. So the aim for the day was to create a pie for dinner - simple. I had the added advantage of using Theo the thermomix while my opponent had the luxury of being able to stand at the stove all day. Add that to the fact that she can take a good photo and I was questioning my pie off challenge. I DO NOT LIKE LOSING!
I took a commanding lead early in the day as Theo turned my leftovers in the vege drawer into mince, and then minced some chicken for me. Then while he worked his magic I sat on the couch and texted pics of my flying start to Anna (my opponent).
She was still chopping up lamb and onions at the time but if I'm honest I was feeling uneasy already. Lamb is hands down my favourite and I just wasn't sure my chicken dinner was going to hold up? Time would tell...and speaking of time, I had literally none to spare. It was all very Masterchef like, watching the clock, watching the Theo timer tick down and then the horror of realising I needed a few extra minutes that I just didn't have. Arghhh - time to get in the car and hope I'd get back in time to whip up the pastry.
En route to Bunbury things took a turn for the worse when I received this picture...
And just to rub salt (well OK butter) in my wounds she followed up with this.
I still had to get back from Bunbury, take Lachy back to school, get home and make pastry, then back to pick up three kids, then roll pastry and get the pie in the oven. I resisted the urge to call past Woolies for some Mrs Macs and ploughed on. It was on the way home that I decided to think outside the box (Masterchef style) and make a shepherds pie. Ooooh - I hear you say, chicken shepherds pie...Anna may have the hero lamb but I'm thinking my twist may just get me over the line, especially with the awesome mash Theo prepares. Things were turning in my favour until I got these texts....
Fuck my life - I want to lick the screen and SHE MADE RELISH!! Arghhh - my mash on top of chicken stuff just isn't going to cut it. How can I turn this around again? Even if I get Instragram happening her pics beat mine....I need something more! That's it - we have no judge....I WILL BE JUDGE! (Insert evil laugh)
Finally the pie hit the oven, and it was time to begin clean up. Of course she had already done hers! I was starting to feel like I'd dropped my head, given up before the final siren... I decided to have a beer with the judge and see if I could sway her opinion while the pie baked. Then Anna's self appraisal came through...
Then I sent her mine....
A few other factors that went into the final decision...
Anna - 250g of butter in pastry and one vegetable plus onion.
Miranda - 100g of butter in pastry and five vegetables plus onion.
Anna - fighting fit and healthy
Miranda - bruised and battered after a fall in the bath the previous night
Anna - photographer
Miranda - not a photographer
Hold the applause please, I said Anna, not MIRANDA...I HATE LOSING, not to mention I didn't get to use the phrase winner winner chicken dinner! Oh wait...I just used it. Sweet.
Righto - that's the end of the pie off blog post! Phew I hear you say - that's a few minutes you'll never get back but damn it was fun for us! What will we think of next....
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