Thursday, October 27, 2011

My purpose was PIES

This day my purpose was all about PIES... Yummy goodness of all types stuffed between flakey buttery pastry crust.  I really wanted chicken pie...with gravy.  My favorite friend was having it...I should too ...right?????  LOL

I was so excited to find in my recipe box my grandmothers recipe for pie crust.  It was always there I'm sure, but did I ever make it...nooooo (smacks head).   It was delicious!
Now I have to give credit to my mom, who still out piecrusts me anyday, but I have to practice sometime.



(Above...all baked and yummmy)
Authentic Homemade Moravian Chicken Pie


With or without Gravy??? Isn't the choice obvious?
Gravy of course :)


Now Pie day isn't complete without pie for dessert. For some reason my Rhubarb really decided to just keep on giving and giving....Remember the Rhubarb Meringue Pie?? Well this time I decided to use some of the delish pie crust and make a traditional rhubarb pie....Since I have a LARGE family...I had to add a couple of Cortland apples, so we have LOTs of filling ! So my new creation...Voila, Rhubarb Apple Pie


And yes it was soooo yummy!.. I was very excited, I have had a lot of trouble with pies in past ....this has become a LOOONG standing joke in my family. So I was acting like a total nerdy girl getting excited about a successful pie...hahahahaha


Now what to do what to do with the extra pie crust pastry????  This choice was EASY... Stickies! (also known as little canoes of sugar)...Now obviously since this isn't my own recipe, I cannot share the recipe, but they are a delightful treat...almost worth making the pastry just for them :)

Course you could also do the Cinnamon sugar crust tooo... you know where you spread the dough out and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.


Hope you enjoyed PIE DAY....I know I did!

Applesauce is supposed to be PINK!


 I LOVE fall. I may have said that before, but I can't help it...I do!!!  Fall means apples and pumpkins and fairs and HOMEMADE APPLESAUCE!!!  Now I have to admit, I am not an applesauce fan. You know the applesauce that is a yellow white color and comes in a jar....BLEH.  Now if we are talking about HOMEMADE applesauce, now that is a different story!  Look at those beautiful apples, all ready to cook, almost 20 pounds....BE YeW TEE FUL! 

Making applesauce is so very easy and fun!!!  Basically its three easy steps.  Cook the apples until soft... it doesn't take alot of water either.  Then hook this handy dandy (and very old food grinder) on the side of a big bowl and turn the handle.  Now if you told me to make this without that tool...I couldn't do it! It would just be Impossible!  Well just hang on and you'll see.  So start scooping those cooked apples and turn turn turn that handle.


So now add the secret incredient!  RED HOTS!  This has been a key ingredient in applesauce making for generations in my family.  (and yes it contributes to the lovely coloring :) )  These tasty little candies add cinnamony zip and sweetness and depending on the type of apple that you use ...keep you from adding too much sugar. ( I used the Cortlands for this round...they have a tartness, so yes that means a little more sugar.)  OH and KEEP GRINDING and Adding more Apples and grinding and grinding and grinding!


Now look below ........apple peelings for all twenty pounds of apples!...Great Grandma would be sooooo proud!!!! ( My sons helped me with this batch)

That is sooo important, squeezing the very last bit of apple pulp outta these babies! ...okay now dip into the big bowl with a spoon and taste.....maybe a little brown sugar (or white is okay too) and a few dashes of cinnamon....'

UMMMMMM ..warm thick and PINK
APPLESAUCE!...Enjoy...or freeze, it freezes great!
Perfect for Thanksgiving morning!