We are currently in Miami!!!
I extended a work trip and dragged Price and Autumn along with me. Totally dragged them along. So while I am working today they get to hang around the pool at the hotel. So tough!
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All about my adventures with cooking, crafts, and travel
We are currently in Miami!!!
I extended a work trip and dragged Price and Autumn along with me. Totally dragged them along. So while I am working today they get to hang around the pool at the hotel. So tough!
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Guys, let’s talk about coke.
Not that coke… jeez I’ve never even had a cigarette.
I’m talking the other addicting form of Coke. Coca-Cola!
Ignoring the fact that I post a pie recipe every Friday, Price and I have been trying to reshape our diets. We have been shifting more and more to the Paleo diet. As a treat, we have a slice of pie at some point during the week, but the rest typically goes to our dog walker or Autumn’s daycare teachers. It’s been going well with some easy swaps- quinoa for rice, zoodles for pasta, and sweet potatoes with everything when all else fails. Cheese is the hardest to give up but at least the adjustments we have been making have been helping curb the cheese and sweets cravings.
Like soda. We stopped buying soda. We get seltzer and add some lemon or lime. Or if I am horrible, I go for my drug of choice… Country Time Lemonade Mix. (At least I only put in about a Tablespoon in my 24 oz waterbottle since I don’t actually like lemonade). Which brings me to the point of this story… I grabbed a Diet Coke at work during a Lunch & Learn.
I only drank half of it and felt so gross.
I couldn’t believe how blah I felt after just half of a soda. I used to feel like I could drink a Big Gulp full and it was refreshing. But now it’s just gross. This actually just makes me happy. Happy that we have been making smart choices to better our diets.Thankfully, as a result we have purged junk from our bodies and have been curbing cravings too.
While I’m glad that we have been curbing our sugary cravings, I’m still glad to crave some fresh pie straight from the oven. And this is a pie worth craving!
The combination of pears and apples goes together to well. This pie has less cinnamon than your typical apple pie and more ginger so there is a nice complexity to the spices used. I don’t normally do an egg wash on pies but I went for it this time, and added a heafty sprinkling of sugar, which gave it a nice look and added crunch to the top.
Yum!!!
Makes a 9″ pie
Ingredients
Crust
Filling
Process
Crust Sourced from Martha Stewart, Pie by I am a Honey Bee
I believe my spirit animal is the Canadian Goose.
They have this whole migration thing down. They are constantly seeking out warmer weather. I, like my brethren, love the warmer weather. I should craft my own plane to ride along side them so I can settle in with them in a prime spot. (Which reminds me of at Anna Paquin movie which makes me ball like a baby.)
Except I can’t do that because are assholes that crap everywhere and eww.
Anyway, in some attempts to embrace in inevitable cold, I’m trying to enjoy every that the season has to offer. I enjoy the things like leaf peeping, pumpkin carving, baking up a storm, eating an unacceptable quantity of hot Apple Cider Donuts, and of course, apple picking.
Basically making pie is a perfect fall activity. We have begun to clear the days/nights when keeping the oven on for 45-60 minutes for a pie was questionable. Like, how much more heat can I have in this house?! But now, the temps are pie perfect.
And pumpkin is such a great pie. A perfect fall pie.
One day I will make it completly from scratch but right now the only squashes in my oven are of the butternut, buttercup, acorn, and spaghetti. I have yet to roast up a sugar pumpkin but the problem with that is that canned pumpkin is so good. Just pop that sucker open and scoop it out. But, hmmm… I used to think that premade pie crusts were ah-maze, but now that I am making my own I have seen the light.
Until I get a sugar pumpkin to roast up, I will be whip up this canned classic. So while it isn’t exactly from scratch (my crust was homemade!!!) it was pretty dang good.
Makes 1 pie, 8 servings
Ingredients
Process
Slightly adapted from Libby’s
I might have had this for breakfast. A slice. Not the whole pie.
And it was gooood. Dang good.
I had such high hopes to whip this pie up last week after we got home from our trip to Raleigh on Tuesday night but it was not in the cards. I was just so zonked after work both Wednesday and Thursday nights from playing catch up and then I was dragging myself out of bed in the morning (as usual) and then it was Friday morning… crap!! So I missed posting a pie recipe last week, which really, really bums me out. But I have to admit that if it means I’ve posted 50 pies instead of 52, I’m still okay with that. 50 pies… wow.
I used the apples from when we went apple picking last weekend with Price’s mom and sister in New Hampshire. It’s a fun activity but it meant more this year as it was Autumn’s first time. She certainly enjoyed herself as she bit right into her apple as it hung on the tree.
If you are going apple picking soon, or just picking up some apples while going grocery shopping, then I strongly suggest that you make a pie. A big deep dish pie. And one with cheddar cheese in the crust definitely doesn’t hurt.
Side note: I used to dread making crusts but now I really enjoy it. I’ve enjoyed all the pies I’ve made this year but my deminished fear related to crusts has been the best part of this whole thing. yay!
We all know that apples and cheddar are a great combination when we are snacking. BUT just because we want dessert we shouldn’t have to miss that combo. So I decided to make a pie using apples and cheddar. I know of some diners that will put a slice of cheddar on top of the slice of pie prior to warming it up when they serve it to you. That’s a fine way to get cheddar to snuggle up to your apple pie, but cheddar IN the crust is so much better than just being on it.
And since we have a rosemary bush on our itty bitty back deck I grabbed some of that to kick up the savory flavors. Kinda like a cheddar rosemary cracker. I think it adds a nice little elements to the crust and pie.
Makes 1 deep dish pie
Ingredients
For The Crust
For the Pie
Process
Crust is adapted from Martha Stewart, Pie from I am a Honey Bee
I’ve been looking forward to Friday all week!!
Sure, it means it’s the end of the work week but what it really meant is that I got to share this recipe for German’s Chocolate Pie. Soo yummy!
Price’s birthday is Monday so I made this pie in honor of that as German’s Chocolate Cake is one of his favorites. I made him a German’s Chocolate Cake (< pardon the old photos!) for his birthday before so I wanted to do that again, but with a twist!
We both loved this pie! It’s such a good combination of chocolate, coconut, and pecans- all elements in German’s Chocolate Cake’s super rich condensed milk based frosting. The pie basically uses the same ingredients as the cake but with a twist.
When I was making this I was thinking it would be pretty dense from the sweetened condensed milk but it ended up being pretty light and fluffy, which is from beating the eggs very well when they are incorporated into the chocolate and butter. It still was really rich but the light texture helped make it feel a little less indulgent.
Anyway, since it’s almost Price’s birthday we are celebrating it this weekend. We always try to do something big and fun for birthdays so we have a trip planned. There has been plenty of research related to all the good things we can eat and things we can see. At least there will be plenty of walking to help work off all the BBQ!
Hope you have a great weekend!
Makes a 9″ Pie
Ingredients
Process
Inspired by Easy Baked
I feel like I’m breaking the rules today.
I’m wearing white pants! And it’s after Labor Day! Whatever, I think that rule is kinda old fashion but still I do feel like I am breaking a rule.
But it’s gonna be 90 today!!! HOT AND HUMID! So it doesn’t feel like summer is ‘over’ so I’ll enjoy my white capri’s today!
It has been hot and humid all week and I’ve loved it. Well, I didn’t love having our cranking away at 375 for an hour and 15 minutes for this pie. But once the pie, and I, cooled off it was all worth it. That first bite was killer.
Anyway, what are you doing this weekend? I have a deadline on Monday so I am going to work tomorrow for a few hours for blissful uninterrupted work. Then our Sunday is pretty open. I’m hoping that we complete the refinishing of our dining table chairs that we started a few weeks ago. Fingers crossed. One thing I do know about the weekend is that we are definitely going to enjoy this apple pie!!
I think you can’t beat 4 1/2 pounds of tart apples that are coated in cinnamon and sugar and piled high in a homemade buttery pie crust. Yep, you read that right… 4 1/2 pounds of apples!! That is how you get a deep dish apple pie! You need lots of apples!!
And you need to make the pie crust. As I’ve said before, I’m a big fan of pre-made store-bought pie crust but this pie just deserves it. I swear.
I just bought these granny smith apples at the grocery store but I’m telling you I can’t wait to go apple picking. We had a blast last time we went so I’m really looking forward to going this fall. And of course, the best part about apple picking (besides the fresh apple cider donuts!) is the cooking and baking afterwards. Yay! More pies!!
Makes a 9″ Pie
Ingredients
Crust
Filling
Process
Crust Sourced from Martha Stewart
You guys, Labor Day is just a few days away. I can’t even…
How is the unofficial end of summer here already? It’s like a slap to the face I tell you! I just don’t want to believe that the days are getting shorter (you know what I mean), it’s already getting cooler in the mornings, and before I know it I’ll be muttering swears under my breathe as I shovel snow off the walkway in front of our house. Or my favorite, mop up melted snow water that sneaks away from the mat at the front door in hopes that the bamboo floors don’t get water damage there. Seriously, thanks previous owner- it was super smart to put a sensitive wood right at the door in a climate where is snows for like 8 months of the year. dumb. And that’s just the beginning of the crap they didn’t or did do.
Since September is just about here I am making this ‘The Next Best Thing to Robert Redford Pie’ because it’s Price’s favorite pie and his birthday is coming. So let’s pretend this is an early birthday pie. Or is it a late birthday dessert since I never made him the German Chocolate Cake brownies that I owe him for his 2013 birthday. I am the worst.
Speaking of being the worst, I can barely remember to do my time sheet every week before the system closes on Saturday at midnight. And yes we get reminder emails that I just delete because I’m dumb. That means I have to do it manually in excel on Monday mornings, which is bad because it creates more work for a coworkers as he then needs to enter it in the system in some sort of back way sort of way. And when I said Monday mornings I really meant Wednesday morning, which is exactly what happened this week since I was traveling on Tuesday… ugh. how am I not fired yet? So I bought him a breakfast burrito and left a note at his desk asking him not to hate me. Hello, tangent…
Anyway, this pie is great. I had never heard of it before Price asked for it years ago. I did manage to make it for him in a somewhat of a timely manner then. ha! So you should do yourself a favor and make this asap since it’s the bee’s knees.
It’s super quick to make since it uses the good stuff like Cool Whip and instant pudding mix, however it takes several hours to set up. Sooooo plan accordingly. And be sure to tell people that you are not make it for right just now. My mom is visiting and was kinda disappointed to learn that she would have to wait for it. So she just stole some of the cream cheese & Cool Whip layer and went back to watching TV and reading. #multitasking
The first piece kinda has to be scarified since it just doesn’t come out of the pan that nicely so that is the one you get to set aside for a midnight snack. Or you can eat it for breakfast, like what Price did. Now that is not the worst.
Ingredients
Process
Sourced from All Recipes
Streusel or Strudel… I always mix them up. Always.
So when I was going to tell Price I was making a Streusel Topped Peach Pie I practiced it in my head over and over again. AFTER googling it to make sure I was right.
It’s just one of those weird mind farts I have. And I’m okay with it. I do imagine a strudel topped peach pie would be good too… ha!
Anyway, right now peaches are crazy good. I have always loed peaches but I fell head over heels in love with them while I was pregnant last summer. I developed the craziest sweet tooth. Instead of grabbing for donuts and cupcakes I had a bit of restraint and went after fruit, and lots of it! Peaches were my crutch as I ate insane amounts of them. They are hard to resist when they are perfectly ripe, sweet, and juicy late in the summer. Bliss.
Well, I still really love peaches so I wanted to make a peach pie with them. And then I thought I would put some strudel streusel on top. It’s kinda like a weird marriage of peach pie and coffee cake. The crumbs on coffee cake are the best part. The bigger the crumb the better, too.
This pie starts off really high, but falls as it bakes so don’t worry about it being too tall. Or having too much streusel prepared. You do use it all up as you place small mounds on the peaches and then gently even it all out and get the crumbs in the nooks between the peach slices.
I used almond meal in the Streusel to add some more flavor to the crumbs but if you can’t find it then just use flour. I just love the flavors of peaches and almonds together, you know from all the strudels I’ve had. ha!
Enjoy this pie within a day or 2 as the juicy fruit will soften the butter crumbly topping and then it just gets soggy and no one likes soggy streusel.
I suggest serving this pie by warming it slightly and topping it off with some vanilla bean ice cream. And of course you should sit outside with your feet in the grass as you enjoy the evening cool down. Damn, I love summer.
Makes a 9″ Pie
Ingredients
Process
While we were in Maine last weekend, Price made blueberry pancakes for breakfast one day. Of course they were Maine blueberries. On a whim we gave Autumn some. I say ‘on a whim’ because she is not a breakfast person baby. Her morning bottle is eaten in 2 parts and it’s the smallest bottle of the day. So I didn’t think she would be interested in it.
Well, I was wrong. Really wrong. She gobbled it up. And then we made more and saved them for lunch for her and she ate them up too. (Just to clarify there was no syrup involved!)
We had occasionally given her berries prior to this but this has definitely awakened something in her because since then she eaten a lot of blueberries and had some
So I can see that she is going to L-O-V-E this Mixed Berry Rustic Pie when she is older.
There are 4 different kinds of berries in this pie- blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries. It’s loaded up with berry goodness. When Price had his slice (for breakfast- better lighting!) he said it was ‘berry good’. ba-dum-tss!
Because there is not much too it I would really urge you to make homemade crust for it as it adds to much good texture and flavor. Plus, I think it would just look better with its handmade edges vs its factory cut circle-y edge. I am a big fan of store-bought crust, but I think this one needs a handmade one.
As well, I tend to err on the side of caution when it comes to putting in cornstarch to thicken the filling. I think it’s sooo much worse to have a soupy pie than one that is a bit too thick. It affects the bottom of the crust and how you get the slice out of the plate. So if you think you’ve used enough, add some more!
Other than that… this recipe is a piece of cake! 🙂
Makes a 9″ Pie
Ingredients
For the Filling
Process
For the Crust
To make the Pie:
Inspired from Tidy Mom
Hey today is my payday!
Woohoo! Time to pay some bills! Ugh.
Well, it’s your payday as well. I created a PayDay Pie just for you.
Price really likes PayDay bars. I do not. There is no chocolate. So I insist they are a waste of a candy bar. He can eat all the PayDay bars he wants out of Autumn’s Halloween bag when she is still of the age that we get first pass at the goodies. I’ll take the Snickers Thank.You.Very.Much.
So here is a simple pie that you can whip up while trying to pack for a long weekend. Take cans out of the slow cooker – pack bathing suits & sunblock & a hat Autumn will refuse to wear – process the cookies to make the crust – did I pack socks already? – pulse the melted butter into the crumbs – ah, yes, I did pack socks -create the crust and put it into the fridge- wipe down the counters and load the dishwasher – whip together the caramel and cream cheese – pack up the dogs stuff – fill the pie.
While the caramel is super easy to make just be aware you can still burn it. Well, at least over cook it. Just be aware of how your slow cooker runs and you should be set. If your slow cooker is on the low side then cook the caramel for 8-10 hrs. Or if it runs hotter, like mine, then stick closer to the 6-8 hrs.
The cream cheese helps cut some of the sweetness from the caramel, and makes it extra dreamy & creamy. If you want add some vanilla extract. I just believe it can never hurt.
Just like it can never hurt to have a big glass of wine while sitting under a tree. I’ll totally be doing that this weekend while we visit Price’s mom in Maine. And of course trying to keep a hat on Autumn’s head since she hates them. HATES.
But you won’t hate this pie. Nope, not one bit.
Makes a 9″ pie
Ingredients
Process
Process for creating the pie filling was adapted from Beantown Baker
I’ve been in a cooking funk.
I’m currently in a ‘nope don’t wanna cook anything’ phase. Basically, all I make anymore is pies. And that is just to have something to post on Fridays. I guess I could post about making Bacon Egg and Cheese sandwiches since I’m a rock star at at making them. But I should be since that is about all I’ve been making lately- breakfast sandwiches, bowls of cereal, and making calls for take out.
Shouldn’t I be super inspired to make some great meals now since some much is in season and we love summer time grilling? It be great for some BBQ chicken breasts with some grilled veggies. Or some of these pork kabobs? What about a juicy steak? Or skip the grill and at least make a great fresh salad, no?
But truthfully, we’re beat. Autumn hasn’t been sleeping that well. Thanks teething. And whatever else is going on. Blah.
And I recently got a Fitbit Flex so I’m all about walking while it’s still nice (I shudder thinking about winter already) and before Autumn’s bedtime so getting out of the house for a 2 1/2- 3 1/2 mile walk at night it my top priority. It’s sooo nice to be able to get out to stretch our legs. But it just means something has to give and that has been making a real dinner.
At least all that walking has helped balance things out when I shovel mouthfuls of warm ooey gooey pie into my mouth. RIGHT?!? That’s what I figure when I walk over 15,000-18,000 steps in a day.
When I was taking photos of this pie in front of our house (best lighting) my neighbor started to say hi and ask what I was doing. He doesn’t know English that well, so instead of trying to explain what blogging is to him I told him to go back inside and get a plate. He then came over with this plate and I slapped a piece of warm pie right on it. I think his eyes bugged out of his head a bit when he really saw this baby.
And then a guy driving by in a truck slowed down and stopped saying “You taking a picture of a pie?” I shouted back “Yep!” He still looked a bit confused but went with it “Okay…” and then drove on.
That’s right, this pie is attention getting!!
How could anyone ignore this Reese’s Cup Marshmallow Peanut Butter Cookie Pie?!?! I mean, come on, a peanut butter cookie crust, chocolate chips, Reese’s Cups, and mini marshmallows. Ridiculous.
The crust is easy to make but if you find a roll of refrigerated peanut butter cookies at your grocery store then feel free to give that a try. Then it’s all about raiding the candy aisle and dumping that into this pie. The candy make the filling ooey gooey so just accept some sloppy slices, but it’s worth the mess. I swear.
Make a 9″ deep dish pie
Ingredients
For the Crust
For the Filling
Process
Crust adapted from I am a Honey Bee, filling from Oh Sweet Basil
No-Bake Snickers Pie – A rich creamy peanut butter pie with Snickers candy bar dessert and caramel topping. Perfect for warm Summer nights!
We’re going camping tomorrow. Wish us luck!
Yeah, we might be a bit crazy to tackle that with a dog and a 7 month old but we are up for the challenge. Plus we are approaching it cautiously by only going 1 night and going to Pillsbury State Park, a campsite that we have already been to so we know exactly what to expect there.
One of the things that I am really looking forward to is being able to walk all around the camp grounds with Autumn and get to show her the lake, streams, and a waterfall too. We did a hike there last year when I was 6 months pregnant so it will be fun to do it now with Autumn. Hoping to be much faster this time!
While we’re roughing it this weekend, you should be cutting yourself a slice of this pie. You can easily whip it up while not turning your oven on in this summer heat! Isn’t that just the best thing ever? Pie and you don’t even need to get your kitchen hot!!
Plus, it’s LOADED up with pieces of Snickers. SNICKERS!!!
When I was at summer sleep away camp we could buy treats in the afternoon at the general store. Occasionally Every day I would get a Snickers bar to take out to the four square court. As I waited in line I’d eat my melting Snickers and right before it was my turn I’d shove that wrapper into my shorts pocket before I dominated played the game.
Since then I’ve loved Snickers. I can’t keep them in the house because they call to me from the refrigerator. Which is exactly why after Price and I each enjoyed a slice of this pie I emailed our dog walker telling her that there was a pie in our freezer for her to take. I had to hit send on that email quickly before I thought twice and considered eating it all myself. I hope her family enjoys it just as much as we did. And I hope you do too!
Make 1 9″ Pie Ingredients
For the crust
For the filling
For the ganache topping
Process
Insprired from Not Quiet Nigella
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