Deep Dish Apple Pie for One

  I made a pie.  I made this pie as an ode to messy young love, long lonely days, and a potential cure for a plummet in appetite.

  I never delved much into the pie world, I've made a couple but they were way back when.  It's silly, because pie wins over cake for me almost every time.  We just tend to build it up into this unobtainable, scary thing that must have the perfect crust, cheese on top, the newest idea for a filling, and so on.  Oh, Ladycakes posted a refreshingly adorable, single-serving pie that wasn't obnoxious.  Simple all-butter pastry, keep everything well chilled and you're pretty much golden.

Ice Cream with Coffee Grounds (Gelato con Fondi di Caffè)

  I did this thing.  I went out and bought really expensive Italian roast coffee, even though I don't drink coffee, and then I got some good ol' Vanilla Swiss Almond Häagen-Dazs.  I sprinkled these pricey Italian grounds on a few generous scoops of ice cream and called it lunch.  Why did I do this?

Blueberry Brie Scones with Lemon Curd

  This week I had dinner with our Italian neighbor, experienced some spectacular Arizona sunsets, got rejected from two jobs, filled out so many applications I could probably recite every detail of my work history, watched a lot of Netflix, made grilled cheese with brie and good cheddar, skyped my sister through making my Nutella cookies, and found that being sunburned in 108 degree F weather is not fun.

Fresh Fig Breakfast Cake and a Road Trip

  If you wish to test the quality of your friendship/relationship with someone, I've figured out that there are two specific ways to do this.  One is to go on a 3-hour tubing route on a river in rural Wisconsin.  No phones, no bathrooms, no stops.  Just you, the other person, two floating tubes tied together with baling twine, and whatever passersby you happen upon.  It works, and it's pretty great when done with the right person.

  The other way is to take a road trip almost across the country in a two-door Cavalier crammed with most of your life's belongings, and only stopping for one night.  That's real.

  Oh, by the way, I'm in Arizona.  That's weird.  There's fresh figs here, some odd trees, cacti, lizards, and a whole lot of heat.  A whole lot.  But I made it, and it's been almost a week since we pulled in and I promptly hit the makeshift bed on the floor and fell asleep.