We are in the midst of cooking and preparing for our Thanksgiving feast and I have to step back and just SMILE... how lucky we are to have love, health and family! I know how much work it is and how stressful it can be to prepare such a feast, but what I try to remember is that my children will remember the mood, the feeling, THE LOVE of the day - so make sure you enjoy your day - only kind words and actions !
God Bless!
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I have always prided myself on hosting great dinner parties and serving yummy food. My husband and I are a great team and work quite well together in the kitchen. He is the chef and I am the helper. Sometimes that is a little hard to swallow, the old ego gets in the way. But then reality sets in and I bow down to the king. Ha!
So every year we buy two types of pies (bakery fresh), pecan and pumpkin. I thought this would be a good area for me to focus on. Not to interfer with the King and his menu. I really wanted to try something new, so I have decided to bake my own pie. Oh boy, kind of scary!! Just to be safe I bought all the ingredients earlier this week and prepared my "sample" pie last night. My family the guinea pigs... They loved it! YESSSS! Feels really good! So I am comfortable sharing this with you. Good luck and let me know if it was good!
Apple-Cranberry Crisp Pie ala Mode
Prep time: 30 minutes - Ready in about 1 1/2 hours
Serves 8
CRUST - (dummy proof)
1 Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crust (softened as directed on package)
FILLING
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon ( I put a dash more)
1/4 teaspoon salt
5-6 cups thinly sliced, peeled medium size apples ( I used my apple peeler/corer - very easy)
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries ( I used fresh)
TOPPING
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup margarine or softened butter ( I used real butter)
1. Heat oven to 425 F. Prepare pie crust as directed on package for one-crust filled pie. Use a 9 inch pan
2. In a large bowl, combine sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Spoon into pie crust.
3. In a small bowl, combine all topping ingredients; mix with fork or pastry blender until crumbly. Sprinkle over filling. ( I used a fork)
4. Bake at 425F for 35-45 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is golden brown. Cover edges with strips of foil after 15 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning.
5. Serve with VANILLA ICE CREAM or HEAVY CREAM on top. (we tried it both ways- both excellent)
One of my favorite parts of the holidays are all those naughty foods that taste so good. The only problem I used to run into was trying to make too many "involved recipes". Like anything you have to bring a little balance into play so you don't end up with a bunch of plates of half finished yuck that everyone gives that same little smile about before they dump it. lol.
So, remember to blend a few easy to make dishes in with the more complicated ones.
Here is one of my favorites that is suited for a party of 12 or below.
This can be an appetizer or great dessert with coffee.
Peel and halve 4 Bosc pears. (ripe but still firm)
Place in a round or square baking dish.
Pour Vanilla flavored olive oil over pears slightly covering bottom of dish.
Cover and put in the fridge, (couple hours or overnight is fine)
Pour 3 tablespoons of flavored oil into skillet, turn on med heat, let oil heat then place pears in skillet, when it starts to sizzle, cover and turn off heat.
Place on appropriate serving plate and use garnish of your choice. I like cherries.
Super simple to make appetizer dip.
8 oz cream cheese
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
3 cloves of garlic chopped or 2 tablespoons of the diced from a jar
10-2 oz bag of frozen spinach, (thawed and drained)
1 can quartered artichokes
1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese
Dump it all into crock pot, stir every once in a while and serve with chips or favorite bread.
Wanna get crazy with it, substitute the spinach with shrimpr or crab. Yum.
I have always been a working Mom until now... like many of us talented women out there, I have been sucked into the "Corporate Downsizing Fad". Sounds quite ugly, but in reality, it has given me the opportunity to step back, evaluate my life and explore new opportunities. It IS time for a change! While working, I often thought about, talked about and strategized about work/life balance and how I could make it better for other Moms. So now I have the opportunity to hopefully touch a few lives and make it a bit easier for the "working Mom". I am dedicating my time (while the girls are at school) researching the internet to find great deals, tips, ideas, etc. I look forward to building relationships with new people and would love your feedback and great ideas to share. Beth
