PIE!

Over the last couple weeks I have been on a bit of a pie kick. The first pie I made was for our annual get away with friends, "Nate Fest". I was slow to choose a meal to make for the gang, and everyone volunteered before me. I decided to bring beverages and desserts, which is honestly the two things I love most in this world!

I found this delicious and easy recipe on the blog Huckleberry Prairie. It is a blueberry cherry pie... and one pie was NOT enough for our large queue. Note to self....make twice as much as next year!

Blueberry Cherry Pie
Crust ingredients needed:
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp milk
2/3 cup vegetable oil
Mix together until ball of dough forms. Pat out into pan. Make additional crust for pie top.

I cheated and used ready-made pie crust! Shhhhh.....

Pie Filling:
1/2 cup sugar2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling
1 1/2 cup frozen blueberries

Mix sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon.Add cherry pie filling and blueberries. Mix.Pour into prepared crust.Roll out second crust on floured wax paper.Cut out star shapes with small star cookie cutter.

Egg white mixture:
1 egg white
1 tsp of water
2 tsp sugar
Mix egg white and water. Brush on stars and sprinkle with sugar.

Cover pie crust edges with foil and bake in preheated oven at 425 degrees for 35 minutes WITHOUT star crust top.

After 35 minutes, remove foil edges and add stars in any pattern you desire.

Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until stars and crust are golden brown.

The next Pie was made for a very pregnant co-worker who craves banana flavored foods... not bananas! For this reason, I had to make some slight modifications to the recipe. Link to the original recipe listed below. This time I wised up and made TWO! It received rave reviews, several declaring it the best banana cream pie they have every had. It came to me courtesy of Country Living Magazine (May 2009 issue).


Banana Pudding Pie

The original recipe can be found here.

Here were my modifications:

Crust:
2 c Vanilla wafers, crushed
2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
5 Tbsp butter, melted
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together and press mixture into a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Filling:
1 Large box Instant Banana Pudding, prepared according to box directions
1 cup fresh whipped cream
5 Tbsp of Caramel Sauce/ice cream topping, plus extra for garnish
2-3 Bananas, sliced

Gently fold whip cream into prepared and cooled banana pudding, set aside. Layer sliced bananas over cooled crust. Drizzle the caramel over the bananas and top with pudding mixture. Chill for 2 hours, or overnight. Decorate with remaining banana slices and caramel (and maybe some chopped pecans!).

The 4th of July

Happy Fourth of July! We have had a great one so far! We have the rare treat of high temperatures and clear skies for this glorious 3 day weekend. I am trying to relax and enjoy as much of it as I can. We had friends over last night, and excuse to make some onion straws to top burgers...they have been demanded for all future gatherings to follow! I found some perfectly red, white and blue ribbons for some roses in my little antique milk jars. I wanted to mix some little flags in with the roses, but ran out of time to hunt some down! Next year, maybe.



I also was able to finally use my newly hung homemade chalkboard! It is looking a little bare on our kitchen wall, but no fear... I have some ideas for friends to keep him company. Just a matter of time...



I had seen similar chalkboards in boutiques for $200+ dollars (it is a large one!) and decided to just make one myself. It has been a slow project, but with hubby's help we finally got it done! We picked out a frame (16x24) and a piece of sheet metal from the hardware store. I primed it, and painted it with chalkboard paint... we plugged it into the frame, and backed it with some foamcore board to keep it steady. Then viola! I love it. It makes me happy! I will be sure to take pics once the wall is more "done".

Independence Day Party

I have been aching to make this mouthwatering Strawberry Coconut Cake I saw on the Daisy Cottage blog. I tried to convince hubby we should have a birthday party, just so I could make it... but he wasn't interested! So... we had an impomptu "3rd of July" BBQ with a few friends who were quite happy to help me enjoy it!

Look at those babies! Freshly picked and washed... almost worth crying tears of joy over.

This is what happiness is... for me at least. Let it also be known, this three layer cake was so tall, I wasn't able to put the lid of my cake stand on!

Oh divinity.

Project: Dining Chairs

I recently decided that what I really needed was some new adorable dining chairs. I knew I could find some chairs easily and cheaply someplace. I wanted some that could be painted white, and have the seat cushions re-covered with my favorite Heather Bailey fabrics. Within a few weeks of deciding this... on a drive home, I found some. Right in my own neighborhood! As we drove by I saw them with a box sitting atop shouting at me "FREE". It was a nice evening, so after dinner I buckled the 2 year old into his stroller, and away we walked... time to check out the chairs. As I got to the chairs, I realized the box atop declaring "FREE" actually contained lots of mason jars. Hmmmm. Is it the chairs or the mason jars that are free? Well, I could see somebody sitting in the living room and decided, instead of just assuming and taking items from my neighbors, I would just inquire. I knocked at the door and could almost immediately see the mistake I made. A man's voice gruffly yelled from inside "Get back, get back" while a little dog barking could be heard. Oh. He opened the door, and no sooner did I begin to ask him then a little dog snuck between his legs and ran past me into the yard. "Oh goddammit" he yelled. Oops. Several minutes of chaos ensued, causing his wife to emerge and assist. Finally the dog was corralled and calm again.
"So sorry... just wondering about the chairs" I asked.

"Honey, do you want the chairs?" the woman asked me, slightly exasperated.

"Yes, Please" I reply.

"Go ahead and take the chairs".

"OK"

I get back home and hubby asks, "So, how were they". Great... then I tell him the story.

"I don't think I can go back for them, I am SO embarrassed"

"You had BETTER go get them!"

So I did... and I am glad I did because I think they turned out pretty nice. I sanded them down, primed them, painted them white and every so slightly "shabbied" them with some sanding paper, then covered them with some new fabric. I can't convince hubby that we should paint the dining table white to match (opposites attract... I love painted wood, he loves natural wood) so, instead I invested in a white tablecloth (Shabby Chic line from Target).

Before:

In Progress: