Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was a lovely day.  Our guests were my in-laws, Barbara and Alan, Alan's parents, Dave and Eula, and grandmothers, Helen and Edna.  This has been the usual Thanksgiving crowd for the past few years.  I wish some of my family could make it, but if I have to holiday without them it's nice to have some lovely company.




Since I was busy with the food, I put the camera on auto and passed it over to Barbara and let her take photos.  I did take the family sitting down to dinner shot that I counted as my 366 and one other shot in the slideshow, but the rest where by Barbara.  Thanks dear!

Apple crisp pie

327:366

This pie is my own invention and I'm pretty proud of it.  Though I'm now seeing them everywhere, a bunch of copycats.

Normally, I'm not a fan of pie crust. It's just too bland for me.  So one time I added a bit of sugar and cinnamon to my apple pie crust and loved it.  You could go the other way for a savory pie crust for pot pie and add some herbs or roasted garlic or garlic butter, etc and that would be good too.  I haven't messed with that one so don't have a recipe for it...yet.

Now as for the changing from a pie crust on top of this pie to the crisp topping: Once, I was making an apple pie and I didn't have enough crust for both a top AND bottom crust...and I didn't want to make another crust.  One of Robert's favorite desserts is apple crisp (which I shared recently here) so I put two and two together - crust on the bottom, apple filling, and crisp topping.  Voila!  I'm awesome.

Pie crust:

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter  (Use the real stuff, trust me.  Not shortening - butter. You want FLAVOR baby!)
1 cup flour
1 tbsp sugar
Sprinkle of cinnamon
Just enough water to bring the dough together

1.  Take the stick of butter and rub it along the bottom and sides of the pie plate, generously. (This step isn't necessary, but I like being sure my pie crust isn't going to stick.)  Cut up rest of the stick into cubes and put in bowl.
2.  Cut the flour, sugar, and cinnamon in the bowl into the butter until pieces are about pea sized.  You can use two butter knives, a pastry cutter, or my favorite (cause it's the fastest method) a stand mixer.
3.  Slowly add water, a teaspoon or so at a time until the mixture comes together into a ball.  You don't want it too sticky.
4.  Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface or between two lightly floured sheets of wax paper.  Transfer to pie plate and smooth from center out. Flute, crimp, or otherwise finish your pie edges as you prefer.

Pie filling or Apple filling:

Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (about 5-7 apples fills a 9 inch pie)
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp flour
sprinkle lemon juice

Peel, core, and thinly slice Granny Smith apples. Tart apples are good. Embrace the tart. Immediately toss with lemon juice.  This will prevent browning and keep the apples looking pretty.  Mix sugar, cinnamon, and flour and sprinkle over apples and mix well.  Pour into pie crust mounding it up to the center.  They will cook down so really mound them in there.

Crisp topping:

1 cup oatmeal
1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/3 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter, melted.

Mix dry ingredients and pour in melted butter and mix until all incorporated and crumbly.  Sprinkle on top of pie.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until crust and crisp are golden brown.

A Thanksgiving reflection

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with good company and plenty of laughs, and tons of good food.

The following prayer was shared through my work and I loved it so much I wanted to share it here.

During this Thanksgiving holiday, let us ponder these beautiful words of Rev. Samuel F. Pugh:

O God, when I have food, help me to remember the hungry

When I have work, help me to remember the jobless

When I have a home, help me to remember those who have no home at all

When I am without pain, help me to remember those who suffer

And remembering, help me to destroy my complacency

Bestir my compassion, and be concerned enough to help

By word and deed, those who cry out for what we take for granted.

Happy Turkey Day!

Otherwise known as get up early on your day off and cook day.

I hope everyone has had a nice, warm, filling, happy, stress free (or mostly stress free) day with good food and good family (and/or friends).

We hosted and had Barb and Alan (Robert's parents) and our new neighbors (that are awesome) over for dinner.  My inlaws inlaws (Alan's parents and his grandma) were supposed to join us, but a surprise snow fall and a surprise flu bug kept them home. 

The turkey cooked faster than it was supposed to so my relax meandering plan for cooking dinner turned into get everything done ASAP! But it all worked out well and everything was soooo good. That's right, I rock Thanksgiving dinner. Booyah!

I'd like to share this poem/prayer that I recieved in a letter from my employer that seems to really fit the holiday.

Acknowledgement.
I wonder if the river ever despairs of its downward destiny,
and harbors a secret desire to flow uphill.
I wonder if winter yearns to be summer,
or if a flower wishes it could bloom out of season.
I wonder if silence would like to shout,
or if the sky wants to fall down and become earth.
I wonder if the bird longs to become a rabbit,
or if the fish ever dreams of walking on the land.
I wonder if the mountains envy the valleys,
or if snow secretly covets the warmth of June.
I wonder if the moon complains that it is not the sun,
or if the stars envy the earth.
I wonder if rain prefers a cloudless sky,
or if grass tires of green and hopes for blue.
I wonder if spring really likes growing,
or if fall rages against its colorful dying.
I wonder if the world ever sighs after more than it is...just like you and I.
Spirit of life, we struggle against our limitations. 

Teach us to accept them.
~Amen

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Just a little slide show of our day. Hope everyone had a great day.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

I made A LOT of food and we all got VERY full. Carus hasn't stopped eating all day. Everyone is a little sleepy (especially me) and relaxing playing games right now.

Terye, Carie, and I have made our plan of attack for the sales tomorrow getting up at 4 am...get in, get stuff, and get home to get to bed :)