Posts Tagged food

Apple pie, anyone?

June 28, 2009 at 7:10 pm · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged

I made my first from-scratch apple pie for Father’s Day this year. It’s extremely rich, and served with vanilla ice cream, it was pretty freakin’ tasty. latticeWas a bit complicated — took a long while and much assistance with the peeling/coring/slicing of the apples (thanks to Bobby dear). I told our guests that the pies were seasoned with a sprinkling of Bobby’s obscenities :)

First, the crust. Because I was feeling oh-so-ambitious, I did a homemade crust, although I’m sure that one from the freezer section would have worked just as well. This recipe is a tweaked version of Ruth’s Grandma’s Pie Crust. It yields enough for one lattice-top crust (as pictured to the right — and no, that’s not my pie to the right, although I wish mine had been that neat and pretty).

Pie Crust Ingredients:

  • 1 lightly buttered 9-in pie plate
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 3/4 cups butter-flavored shortening
  • 3 tablespoons white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup ice water

Pie Crust Directions:

  1. In a large bowl, combine flour, shortening, sugar & salt. Blend together until crumbly.
  2. In a small bowl, beat egg with water. Blend into flour mixture gradually, tossing with fork until dough forms a ball.
  3. Divide dough in half so that one ball is slightly larger than the other. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  4. With a floured rolling pin or smooth drinking glass, roll out larger ball onto lightly floured wax paper to ~2 in. beyond pie plate. Place greased pie plate upside down on flattened dough, then flip both the plate & dough/wax paper over so that it’s right side up. Carefully peel off wax paper while tucking dough into plate. This is your bottom crust (the top crust will be added after filling).
  5. Trim dough to 1/2 in. beyond edge of pie plate and neatly curl slightly under (as pictured above).
  6. Roll out second, smaller dough ball onto wax paper. If it has softened, refrigerate before cutting lattice strips.
  7. See directions for cutting and weaving lattice top.

Now, for the good part… the filling! This recipe is Apple Pie by Grandma Ople with several modifications based on reviews/feedback/etc.

Filling Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 6-8 apples* — peeled, cored & thinly sliced

* I used Granny Smith apples because I prefer the combination of tart & sweet (yummeh!). But if you want all sweet, go with Red Delicious or some other sweeter option.

Filling Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and let simmer to form a syrup, stirring regularly.
  2. After pie plate has been lined with bottom crust, fill plate with apples, mounding them slightly in the middle. Pour 75% of syrup over the apples. Cover the apples with top crust (see above for directions on how to weave a lattice crust). Gently pour remainder of syrup over top of crust. Pour slowly to prevent the syrup from running off the pie.
  3. Bake ~45 minutes* or until crust is golden brown and crispy. Serve with vanilla ice cream if desired.

* My oven is crazy-hot, so 45 min. worked for me. However, the original recipe calls for 75 min.

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Turkey Week Kickoff

November 23, 2008 at 11:38 am · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , , , , , , , ,

A friend recently wrote “I so wish that I could just turn my brain off sometimes.” Can I get a big AMEN. Wouldn’t it be nice to just say “ok, I need a break… I think I’m just gonna park this thinkbus and go do something else.” And truthfully, at times I’ve been able to do that. I’ve been able to distract myself with projects or new hobbies or Maggie (always a great diversion). But it never lasts and then I end up right back in the Barrel-O-Thoughts.

Jennifer and I had a wonderful interaction today. You know when there’s been something lurking below the surface (or not below the surface, in our case) and it’s a nagging relational hangnail that just won’t go away? Jennifer and I have been there for a while now, and today, we faced it. We’re sisters – it’s so easy to just assume that it’ll all work out because, yep, it probably will. But it feels so much better to just have it all gutted and scrubbed clean… we talked (yelled), we cried, we hugged, we said loveyouloveyouloveyou at the end of the evening. And I do love her so. My sisters – both of them – are priceless.

Thanksgiving dinner is looming… I’ve heard other people talking about it, but haven’t realized just how close it is until this afternoon. Jennifer, Sue and I are doing dinner completely solo this year for the first time. The Great Family Invasion of 2008 has been diverted for another year, so our guest list is holding at about 10 people. Sue and I made a tentative menu this morning based mainly on the traditional “staple” dishes. We’re already starting to veer away from the tried-&-true though… Mama’s not here, we’re not Mama, and there’s no point in pretending. As I was clicking through recipes online this afternoon, the enormity of Mama’s leaving hit me yet again. This is it. This is all there is. This is our second Thanksgiving without her and the first we’ve actually celebrated (last year was a seafood dinner overlooking the Pacific Ocean). And this is what it’s going to be from now on. “Making the best of it” kind of takes on a whole new meaning when you’re facing the holidays sporting a gaping emotional hole placed neatly in the center of your familial unit.

But back to a less depressing matter… the Thanksgiving menu. See? This is me focusing elsewhere.

  • Turkey, of course – to roast or to fry? I’ve heard great things about fried turkey… that it’s moister, juicier, just better. Bobby and I have a huge pot that we use for low-country boil that would work perfectly. And I found this recipe that looks tasty and not too difficult. So maybe we’ll try it?
  • Dressing – traditional or something new? I found a recipe for Cornbread & Oyster Dressing, which sounds quite tasty to me. My dad had some long, long ago and has talked about it since… I’m pretty sure he would be in favor of throwing a few oysters in there.
  • Cranberry Sauce
  • Mashed Potatoes
  • Gravy
  • Sweet Potato Souffle
  • Green Bean Casserole
  • Roasted Asparagus or Spinach Greens
  • Steamed Cabbage
  • Pickled Corn – my grandmother is the only person in the world that makes it (I think) and we only have one jar. One tablespoon for each person.
  • Rolls
  • Pasta Salad
  • Ambrosia
  • Veggies & Dip
  • Pumpkin Pie/Ice Cream
  • Apple Strudel

I’ve always been very into fancy napkin-folding and such, but I haven’t quite decided on the centerpiece/napkin rings/etc for this year. I had all these lofty plans of making a beautiful holiday tablecloth and napkins – even bought the pattern on sale a few months ago. But my sewing flame burned out prematurely, so I’m working with what I already have. We shall see… Is anyone else out there into the whole formal china, crystal, fancy-schmancy napkin-folding thing for Thanksgiving dinner?

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Happy Boo Day!

October 31, 2008 at 2:23 pm · Filed under weight loss ·Tagged , , , , , ,

Just wanted to add a few more WW recipes we’ve tried this week. I’ve been doing better… as Susanna said, she “hasn’t even had to mix things together” to make them edible!

We’ve tried turkey enchilada pie. Tip: it works MUCH better if you don’t forget to put the tortillas in it. Also, we’ve had chicken & dumplings (no, they don’t taste like Grandma’s but they’re still tasty), and chicken teriyaki with broccoli. I’ve been avoiding anything with eggplant – I’m sure it might be good if done correctly, but our first experience made me a little reluctant to give it another go.

But with all this healthy eating, I’m positive that I haven’t lost an ounce this week. It’s annoying. Guess I’m going to have start exercising. Yippee. Not really.

Got a call this morning that made my day. Deb & Flo from Bobby’s company called to let me know that they liked the newsletter that I’ve been working on for VIEW. It’s the first time I’ve attempted document layout since my grad school days…. soooo, since 2003. And they like it! It made me feel really good – like, ok, I guess maybe I’m still decent at this stuff after all. This week has kinda stunk, so it was an up-note to end on.

And about Halloween. Our family didn’t acknowledge it when I was growing up – you know, us being crazy-religious and it being all about ghouls & witches & such. So I never felt any sort of attachment to it. I’m not opposed, necessarily – just not into it. There are a few houses along our street who are taking their Halloween VERY seriously… fully decked out with giant spiders and witches and cobwebs draped off their front porch. Us, not so much. We have a pumpkin & Chester the Scarecrow (his name is compliments of Jennifer), but they’re more of a nod to fall. Sue, on the other hand, loves it… my parents had stopped parenting by the time Sue reached puberty, so she’s never fully grasped the “evilness” of it. Take tonight, for example – she’s dressing up as a Playboy Bunny and going to downtown Clemson to get drunk. Good times, right?

However, as I grow older, I’m starting to understand the allure. For example, Tom (Jen’s husband) LOVES Halloween. Like loves it with a vengeance. He grew up fully embracing jack-o-lanterns, costumes, trick-or-tricking, and all things Halloween-related. His excitement is contagious… So tonight, we’re feeding trick-or-treaters, then going to haunted houses and maybe even a scary movie. Yeah, look at me celebrating Halloween!

So a very Happy Halloween to all you folks out there! :)

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Sue’s "body modification"

October 27, 2008 at 2:54 am · Filed under weight loss ·Tagged , , , , , , , ,

For all you fellow roasters out there, I picked all my green tomatoes and roasted them for dinner last night. YUM!! Roasting things is my new favorite pastime – I tried chickpeas too (thanks, Holly!), and they were fabulous.

WeightWatchers update: Bobby and I maintained this week – no loss, no gain – which was kind of disheartening. I know that I didn’t try as hard as I could have though, so I guess it’s not as discouraging as if I had actually followed all the guidelines to the letter. I’m not drinking my 64 oz. of water per day, and there was some illicit late-night snacking. Not conducive to fast weight loss, apparently.

This weekend, Sue drank absinthe (anyone seen “Moulin Rouge”? Think Green Fairy) and got her nose pierced… good times! It’s still a bit tender in the pic to the left – apparently this was taken immediately afterward. To put this “body modification” (yes, this is how it was described by Darby the piercing ninja) into perspective, my family pierces NOTHING. Like, we’re talking crazy conservative. Like, I didn’t get my ears pierced until last fall in a show of rebellion. Like, Jennifer & Sue STILL don’t have their ears pierced. But hell, Susanna has her nose pierced, so I guess that trumps the ears, right? She has a snazzy little diamond stud… Her head has definitely gotten more interesting during the last few months. First the hair got chopped, now the nose got pierced. And she has sequined All-Star tennis shoes. Oh my.

I’ve been realizing… Sue’s moving out. I’ve known it for a while – after all, her acceptance to the College of Charleston was official on September 17th. But I’m really just realizing the implications for our home. It’s going to be so. f-ing. quiet. I mean, wow. Sue and I were ranting at CNN the other night and I realized…. I’m gonna be ranting to myself in just two months. Two months. I cook dinner, and I know that there are two more people I’m cooking for. I justify fixing things that Bobby doesn’t like because I know that Sue & I have the same taste (in food, at least). I’ve gotten accustomed to the sound of thumping music and slamming doors and random conversational tidbits thrown at me from the hallway door. There’s life beyond Bobby and me. There’s always a little scuffle of some sort happening in her end of the house. It’s gonna be weird without her here. Weird and lonely. She’s lived with us for almost a year now… it’ll be a year on Thanksgiving. There were times I thought Bobby was gonna string her up by her sparkly All-Stars. But we’re both gonna miss her. It’s been almost like having a kid, except we skipped all the cute, cuddly stages and went straight to post-adolescent/pre-adulthood angst. But it’s also been nice having a friend. A sister nearby. Yep, I’m gonna miss her.

There’s been a huge family drama that I haven’t written about, and now it’s pretty much resolved… but ripple effects are ongoing and probably will be for a while (think “nose piercing”). Daddy seemed to totally support Sue going back to school. That is, right up until it was time to pony up and sign her student loan paperwork, and then he refused. Just plain, point-blank said “no.” There have been many reasons listed – he doesn’t think she’ll pay it back and he’ll be saddled with it. He hates debt and feels that he would be doing Sue a disservice by signing for her. He thinks that she should work until she can pay for college in cash (um, yeah, that’s the voice of guy who had his parents writing a check for his college education). And last but definitely not least, he just doesn’t want her to move to Charleston. He wants her to stay local, he doesn’t think she’ll make it down there by herself (it’s approximately a 4-hr drive from here), and ultimately, he just likes knowing that she’s close by.

But she’s going. I’m co-signing for her. I’m not letting student loans – which, although it IS debt, is the cheapest money you’ll ever borrow – stand between her and her next step. Mama wanted her in college. When Mama died, all of our lives were disrupted, but Sue’s was probably the most outward disruption. She cracked, fell apart, withdrew from school, withdrew from everything. I think we would be exacerbating the tragedy of Mama’s death if we stood by and allowed that horrible, shattering event to define Susanna’s path from here. I think Mama would be totally with me on this.

But shitdamnhell, I’m gonna miss her.

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WeightWatchers, Week 4

October 21, 2008 at 5:01 pm · Filed under weight loss ·Tagged , ,

My grumpiness from the last post has abated somewhat… had lunch, which always helps.

And speaking of lunch, I had leftovers from one of my recent WeightWatcher meal attempts. Whole-Wheat Chili Mac (from Sunday night)… YUUMMM. Also tried Shepherd’s Pie (Saturday night) and Southwestern Brown Rice (last night). Would recommend all of them.

This is kinda random, but while I’m talking food… I tried roasting brussel sprouts, but Sue & Bobby just weren’t big fans. Brussel sprouts have never been my favorite either, but I was struck by the realization that I hadn’t had them in years, and my taste buds might have changed. I actually liked them last night – didn’t realize that they’re in the cabbage family, and that realization made me like them better for some reason. They’re much better roasted than steamed or boiled – but I don’t think I left them in the oven long enough. Bobby & Sue agreed that they would probably have like them if they had been a smidge crunchy.

Sunday was my and Bobby’s weigh-in. Over the last two weeks, I’ve only lost 1.4 lbs… I’m sure it had something to do with gorging myself last weekend. But whatever, a loss is a loss – my total is now 8.8 lbs. And Bobby did GREAT…. lost 5.4 lbs in the last two weeks for a total of 10.6 lbs! Sunday evening, he and I completely depressed ourselves by looking up our ideal weights, BMI, etc. We still have a long way to go, but it’s nice to know that we’ve already made some progress. Makes it a little less overwhelming…

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WeightWatchers, Week 2

October 7, 2008 at 11:52 pm · Filed under weight loss ·Tagged ,

WeightWatcher recipes… some good, some not so good. Here’s the breakdown:

Eggplant Rollatini with Tomato-Basil Sauce – 3 stars. Similar to lasagna, in that it has lots of ricotta cheese. Takes a while to prepare (lots of steps), but pretty tasty… if you like eggplant, that is. Bobby doesn’t so much – don’t think he was a big fan of this one.

Pork with Grapefruit-Mint Salsa – 1 star. Ick. I rarely meet a meal I don’t like, but this was just bad. I overcooked the pork, so it was horribly dry – I’m sure that had something to do with it – but the pork rub was too strong. And the salsa was bitter… maybe needed more sugar? I dunno… but this particular recipe landed in the garbage, never to be attempted again.

Chicken Pot Pie – 5 stars! Great stuff. Sue, Bobby & I vacuumed that sucker up in record time – I just wish that I had made two.

As of this past Sunday, I’ve lost 7.4 lbs. I’m making a concerted effort to not get fixated… I want to stick to this, but I don’t want to feel deprived or psychotic when having dinner out or at someone’s house. Even if the loss is slow & gradual, I’m trying to be ok with that…

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Mid-afternoon break

October 1, 2008 at 6:17 pm · Filed under miscarriage, weight loss ·Tagged , , , , , ,

Have been attacking the office/former nursery/guest bedroom with a vengeance today… I’m determined to have it in a semi-reasonable state before returning to the working world. It’s a flipping disaster – crap leftover from the yard sale, the crib (we still haven’t broken it down), CDs & DVDs randomly strewn about, and collectibles that we brought from Townville. Holy crap.

After 5ish hours, I can now see the floor. Sort of.

And Bobby’s coming home this evening – he’s been in Beaufort for work since early Monday am. Tonight’s menu includes sweet & sour pork, brown rice, and broccoli. I love sweet & sour from the Chinese restaurants… don’t know if the WeightWatcher version is going to even resemble the “real thing.” We’ll see…

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My Very Productive Day

September 25, 2008 at 3:49 pm · Filed under weight loss ·Tagged , , , , ,

Yesterday, I was productive. I know… shocker. Took the Chins to Petsmart for grooming, which takes about 3 hrs, thus carving out the perfect amount of time to get crap done on that end of town.

Headed to Belk and returned the last of my maternity clothes…. was glad to get rid of that little reminder. Then went to Ross and exchanged a couple of things from my last shopping spree that didn’t quite work once I got them home. I added up the dollar amount of my exchange before going in, and then was brutal with myself… stuck to the exchange amount to the dollar. Ended up being within $3 of the original amount… woohoo.

Then went to Wood You, an unfinished furniture store to talk about my dining room chairs. See, I have these chairs. And they were an excellent deal, but they look like they’ve had a rough life. So I had the thought that I may want to have them refinished. After getting a quote, though, I decided that maybe I’d rather attempt it myself.

Thus, a DIY project is born. Went to my favorite furniture consignment store and asked the owner (who actually knows my name… I’m a frequent flyer, apparently) what she uses on her furniture before reselling it. She sold me a little bottle of Restor-A-Finish and sent me on my way. Then, Home Depot for chain pull extensions for the living room ceiling fan (enough of this climbing on the sofa) and then wandered through the paint dept and pondered colors for our bedroom until Petsmart called.

Yep, an unusually productive day.

And I’ve gone back to the WW Flex plan. The Core plan is a really great concept, but I think that it takes more self-awareness and self-discipline than I have. It’s all about “knowing your body” and “eating to satisfaction and not beyond”…. I may work up to it, but during these first few months, I want to have more structure. So the Points System it is.

Cooked WW meals for the last two nights…. Bobby and Sue are a little bit leery of my new-found creativity in the kitchen, but I’m pretty freakin’ excited with myself. Monday night we had lean teriyaki pork loins with fresh pineapple, spinach greens, and couscous. Couscous is a new thing for us – I’ve never eaten it, much less cooked it, but it was actually kinda good in an earthy, whole-wheaty kinda way. And then last night, we had turkey & mango picadillo with brown rice and roasted zucchini. The turkey & mango dish was a little odd, but I liked it and Sue and Bobby had seconds. Either they liked it or they were just really hungry… I’m gonna assume they liked it.

Tonight’s menu is corn & potato chowder with canadian bacon and greek salad. Yuuuuummm :)

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