I am thinking I should find out where John Boehner lives - I'm guessing it's some gated community in the deep suburbs - and go stand in front of his house with torches and pitchforks. You're with me, right, Teppy?

ROADTRIP!

all the CI fruit pie recipes other than apples (which I guess bring their own pectin) use highly starchy thickeners.

Is tapioca really starchy? That's what I've used for my peach pie, based on CI (The Best Recipe), and it's pretty successful. Doesn't change the flavor of the pie like flour or cornstarch does, and isn't too noticeable.

My favorite pie might be my maple-walnut pie, which is basically a pecan pie but with a maple-and-cream custard instead of the Karo-syrup base of a pecan pie. So. Good. But very rich.

Of course, I won't turn down pumpkin. My sister & I are seriously considering not hosting any holiday functions this year, which would be kind of nice. We could go to the ski club for Thanksgiving, and we're thinking of going to my brother's farm for Christmas. The down side is that I would have fewer reasons to bake, especially if I'm still unemployed at that point.

Speaking of which: c'mon, recruiter, call me back! Tell me I'm awesome for this position!

Zenkitty, not to add to your worries, but in the short term we will have bigger things to worry about than the stock market if this shit doesn't get handled.

Yeah, but those things I can't do anything about. My stock portfolio, at least, I can. Though I probably shouldn't.

I'm a strawberry-rhubarb fan. Or just plain rhubarb, even.

This is the pumpkin pie I made last Thanksgiving, and it instantly became my favorite. It's like halfway between a standard pumpkin pie and a pumpkin cheesecake, and it is DIVINE.

Can you share the maple walnut pie recipe, Consuela?

OK, here's another baking question: what can I make with a lot of apples that you can eat with your hands? This cake wouldn't work so well as a bring-to-the-office item.

This is the pumpkin pie I made last Thanksgiving, and it instantly became my favorite. It's like halfway between a standard pumpkin pie and a pumpkin cheesecake, and it is DIVINE.

Oooh. Instead of canned condensed milk, you use cream cheese? YUM. The pumpkin pie recipe I make uses canned coconut milk instead of condensed milk, but I think I want to try this cream cheese one.

I wish I had management of my stocks, I'd diversify out of company stock a little. Though my company is doing well. Maybe I'll cash out that annuity that's getting 1% or so, take the penalty hit, and see what I can do on my own with it. I'll have to see if inflation is wiping out interest gains.

The pumpkin pie recipe I make uses canned coconut milk instead of condensed milk

The lactose-intolerant section of the crowd would love to hear more!

OK. I just saw an ad where a mom says "The backseat of my Subaru is where she grew up." Do people not Do It in the backseat of cars anymore??? That is NOT what they meant.