Happy Pi Day - Let's Have Some Mixed Berry Pie

Pie was a big thing for my mom's side of the family when I was growing up. 

Although we often called it "cobbler".  Now though, when I see recipes for cobblers, they usually call for some sort of biscuity dough dropped in clumps on top of the fruit mixture.  That is definitely not what we ate.  Cobblers in my family were just pies baked in 13 x 9" pans. 

My grandma would make strawberry rhubarb cobbler (my favorite), peach cobbler, blueberry cobbler, even blueberry rhubarb cobbler. 
Then there was traditional apple pie, grated apple pie (another favorite), the usual pumpkin and pecan pies during the holidays, lemon meringue pie, and another of the top favorites of everyone in the family, chocolate pie (with meringue on top). 

Everything was made from scratch.  No mixes, no frozen pie crusts, none of that.

And it was all so delicious.

My granddad used to say, "I only like two kinds of pie.  Hot and cold."

I tend to agree.  Although I can definitely eliminate mincemeat pie from those that I like.

Grant, on the other hand, isn't a huge fan of pies.  He'd pick just about any kind of dessert over than pie, except for anything pudding related.  He's a little lot pickier than me in that regard.

There is one kind of pie, however, that Grant admits to liking.  Mixed Berry Pie. 

I can't recall ever eating a mixed berry pie as a kid.....seems my family wasn't too big into blackberries and raspberries. 

Grant's family would buy the Marie Callendar Mixed Berry Pies for special occasions and he has fond memories of them, so when I was debating what kind of pie to make for Pi Day, it was really a no-brainer to pick something that my dear husband would enjoy.

Making the pie crust is always the intimidating part.  I've had a few major flops in that department and not had much motivation to try again.  The Pioneer Woman featured a really nice tutorial on her blog awhile back that I followed - use that for reference if you're crust-ignorant like me. Although I have to say, following her directions to a "T" didn't exactly work for me.  I ended up having to add more water, not sure how much.....and I still had difficulties rolling out the crust to the right size and shape, despite the parchment paper trick. 

Well, it all came together in the end.

The pie was superb.  Really.

Grant said, "You can make this every day."  Um, sorry, that's not gonna happen.
And then, "You didn't by chance make two of them, did you?"  No. I did not. At least we only ate half for dinner!  We can have more tomorrow!

Recipe: adapted slightly from Cooking Lessons

Pie dough for 2 layer crust, unbaked
Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
3/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
2-1/2 T. granulated, quick-cooking tapioca
5 heaping cups mixed berries, (blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries) fresh or frozen - I used frozen
2 T. unsalted butter (I omitted)
1 egg, beaten with 1 T. water (for brushing on crust)

Heat oven to 400°F.

Roll out the bottom crust and fit it into a 9 or 10 inch pie pan.Trim the edges so they are even with the outer rim of the pie pan.  Refrigerate while you make the filling and roll out the top crust.

In a large bowl, rub the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingers.  The lemon oil will soak into the sugar to provide you with extra-zesty lemon flavor.  Stir in the salt and tabioca. Add the berries and gently fold them into the sugar with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.  (If you are using frozen berries, don't defrost them; just mix them in now).

Roll out the top crust and with a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut it into 3/4 inch wide strips for the top of the pie.  You can mkae skinnier strips and use more of them if you prefer. 

Take the pie shell out of the fridge and fill it with the berry mixture.  Dot with butter if desired.

Use a pastry brush to coat the rim of the dough with water.  Lay 5-6 strips of dough evenly across the top of the pie.  Lay the other strips perpendicular to the first ones, weaving them in if you like.
Lay 2-3 strips of dough around the rim of the pie to cover the ends of the lattice top.  Crimp.  Brush the edges and all the lattice strips with the beaten egg.

Set the pie on a baking sheet to avoid oven disasters if the filling bubbles over.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Decrease the oven heat to 350° F. and bake for another 45 min. to 1 hour, until the filling bubbles in the center.  Total baking time is 1 to 1-1/4 hours, longer if you have used frozen berries. 
Check every once in awhile to make sure the crust isn't getting too dark.  Place a piece of foil loosely over the pie if it looks like it might burn before the pie is done.

Remove the pie from the oven and place on a rack to cool to room temperature before cutting.  If you cut it sooner, it will be runny, but will still taste great!

And as we all know, there's nothing better with warm pie than homemade vanilla ice cream.
 
(No, my house did not get cleaned today.  And there's still laundry to be folded.  And we had leftovers for dinner.  But boy, did we have dessert!)

Linked to Pi Day Pie Party at Crazy for Crust

Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes

Another fun variation on the normal whole wheat pancakes, these really are reminiscent of oatmeal cookies.

When I just couldn't bear the thought of making oatmeal  for breakfast again, I surprised the kids with making made them one school day last week. They couldn't have been happier and we polished off nearly the whole batch.  I was amazed at how they kept asking for more. 

Grant says he still prefers the Gingerbread Pancakes, but he liked these very much. 

I'm always glad to have another pancake recipe to add to our rotation, and this one is a sure winner.

Recipe: adapted from Joy the Baker

2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk (or 2 cups milk with 1 T. lemon juice or white vinegar)
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
4 tablespoons melted coconut oil or butter, melted
½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups flour (I used white whole wheat)
heaping 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
2 Tbs. brown sugar
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
3/4 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/2 cup raisins
oil or cooking spray (for cooking - I did not use on my non-stick griddle)

In a large bowl beat eggs. Add buttermilk, oil, honey, and vanilla and mix well. Add flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Mix well until mostly smooth. Fold in raisins and let batter set for a few minutes.
Heat griddle or pan over medium heat. Add a teaspoon of oil to the pan or spray with cooking spray. You can test to see if the pan is hot enough by adding a few drops of water,  when the drops start to dance its hot enough.
Pour 2 Tablespoons of batter onto the griddle. Cook on the first side until bubbles that form start to pop. You can also gently lift up the pancake to make sure the bottom is not overcooking, if it is the pan may be too hot and you will need to adjust the heat. Flip the pancake over with a spatula and cook until golden brown. Repeat until all the batter is gone. Let cooked pancakes rest on a heat proof plate in a 200 degree F oven until ready to serve.

Linked to Trick or Treat Tuesday

French Toast Casserole

I've been trying to add some variety to our Saturday morning breakfasts.  Grant was mildly resistant at first, since he would be perfectly happy having pancakes or waffles on Saturdays and eggs, bacon, and English muffin bread on Sundays for all eternity.
 
We're a bit opposite on some things.

Like cars and food.

If it were up to him, he'd get a different vehicle every year, just because there are so many out there that he likes.  As for me, I like to pick a vehicle and keep it forever.  At least until it's either completely broken or we've outgrown it. 

When it comes to food, he likes to have the old stand-by favorites and not worry about trying new things.  (not that he objects to the things I make, but if it were up to him, he'd never go to the trouble.)
I love to search out new recipes and not stick to the same routine every week. 
And many of the new things I make end up becoming family favorites. 

So when I mentioned that I was going to make a French Bread Casserole for our Saturday breakfast a couple of weeks ago, there weren't joyous exclamations of delight.  No complaints, mind you, but I could tell he was skeptical.

But after trying it, he was so glad that I had made it. We all thought it was just terrific.
In fact, I ended up making it again the next week, with homemade French bread that time.

I discovered that you can tinker with the amount of eggs and milk a little and not really notice the difference. 
The following is how I made it the first time; but the second time I only used 8 eggs and increased the milk to 2-1/2 cups, and it tasted nearly the same.
Just be sure to have enough cinnamon and brown sugar on top....when it gets a little browned and crispy, it's really good.

Recipe: Inspired by Examiner dot com

1 loaf French bread, cut into 1" cubes
1T. sugar mixed with 1 t. cinnamon and 1/4 t. nutmeg
2-1/4 c. milk
10 eggs
1 t. vanilla
4 t. sugar
1/4 t. salt
Topping:
2 T. butter, cut into tiny squares
3 T. brown sugar
2 t. cinnamon

• Place bread cubes in a greased 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon/sugar mixture and toss to distribute evenly.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and salt until well blended and frothy.
• Pour over egg mixture over bread in baking dish. Gently toss to coat; make sure each bread cube is soaked with egg mixture.
• Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking and dot the top of the French toast casserole with butter.
• Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over the top.
• Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 35 minutes
• Remove the foil and let it bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out clean.
• Let stand 5 minutes. Cut into squares to serve. Top with maple syrup, honey and/or fruit.
• Yield: 8 to 9 squares

Crispy Baked Zucchini Fries

I don't know about you guys, but we're pretty hum-drum around here when it comes to side dishes.
Let's face it. 
Life is busy, getting an entree on the table can be hard enough, and there just isn't time for being fancy about our veggies.
I mainly resort to steaming them, although roasting or boiling or sauteing are occasionally an option I choose.
I only really get fancy for holiday meals or sometimes company.

Crispy baked zucchini fries are definitely worth the extra effort, though. 

The panko adds a wonderful crunch to the tender zucchini strips inside and the seasoning takes a rather plain veggie to something really tasty. 

Grant declared them a new favorite for sure. 

Recipe: from Confections of a Foodie Bride

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

2 eggs

2 T. water

2 cups Panko breadcrumbs

Salt

Pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 lb zucchini, cut into 4-5-inch sticks

Preheat oven to 425° and line a baking sheet with parchment (or whatever non-stick method you prefer).
Place flour in a large zipper bag.
Whisk eggs with 2 Tbsp water and place in a shallow dish.
Place Panko, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper in a shallow dish and mix to combine.
Place zucchini in the bag with the flour and shake until well coated. Dip the zucchini into the egg and then into the panko, turning to coat well.
Place breaded zucchini on the baking sheet.
Bake 18-20 minutes, until golden brown.

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce (ranch, marinara, or barbecue sauce)

They're best the first day, but to store leftovers, store in a single layer on a plate, wrapped with plastic wrap.  Reheat at 375° for 5-7 minutes, until heated through.

Of 2-Year-Olds and Clothes

Ellia has become quite opinionated about what she wears.
It's almost funny, but not really.
It can be incredibly frustrating to try to get a two-year old dressed when she critiques each clothing item you
bring out and says, "Nope, not that one".

We had settled on a darling outfit today, a purple flowery casual dress with matching leggings.  She wore it all morning, completely happy.
As I was putting her in a diaper for nap time, she decided it was time to change clothes.

Unlike all of my other kids at this age, she loves jeans.I had to fight tooth and nail to get jeans on either of the older girls until they were at least 4.  Not Ellia.  She adores denim.

So anyways, she had laid out a pair of jeans and a light pink turtleneck to change into.

Me: "No, Ellie, you don't need to change now."
Ellie: "But Mom, it's so cute!"
Me: "You really want to wear this outfit?"
Ellie: "Yes, I like it.".
Me: "Okay, okay."

We proceed to change her...


Ellie (looking down and admiring herself): "See, it's so cute!"

Then she realizes that she's wearing a turtleneck, which apparently she doesn't like.


Ellie: "Mom, I don't like it. I take it off.  It's not that cute."  

Family Update - February Edition

Miranda started rolling over from back to front during the last week of January, a full week and a

half before she turned 4 months old.  I'm not sure (because I've been terrible not so efficient at keeping

records of such things), but I think that she's our earliest roller. 

She can roll from stomach to back also, but she doesn't do it nearly as much.

Now she's nearly 5 months old. She does mini-push-ups and is incredibly strong. 

She is such a happy baby and while she's not the best sleeper, she makes up for it

by melting our hearts with her laughs and huge smiles. 

Ellia has reached 2 (very important) milestones this past month. 

First, she is now "Tah Tee" free.

Huh?

Oh, "Tah Tee" is her coined term for pacifier.  No idea where she got it. 

Anyways, for many, many months she has insisted on having two pacifiers with her in bed,

one to suck on and one to hold in her hand. 

She would flip out if one of them got lost in the middle of the night.

She has never developed a "lovey" or special stuffed animal, blanket, or dolly - her lovey was

her pacifiers.  Although she was only allowed to have them in her bed, we were dreading taking them away from her for good for months.

Then one of them got broken.  The nipple part was cracked terribly.  She refused to suck on that one

for a few nights, then eventually told me that it was broken and should go in the garbage. 

I agreed and threw it away.

Not long after that, the second one suffered the same fate.  I was so afraid to throw it away,

anticipating huge fits at bedtime because she didn't even have one to hold anymore. 

Nope.

She was very matter-of-fact about it and has never asked for another one. 

Whew. 

Sooooooo glad that's over and was so easy.

Second, and even better, she's now Potty-Trained!!!!

We've been taking her to the potty for months, trying all sorts of training methods,

nothing working.  She liked the potty just fine, would even ask to go, but nothing would ever happen.

Then one day a week and a half ago, she just started going. 

She's had a few accidents, mostly in the first few days, and still wears a pull-up for naps and bedtime,

but other than that, she's thrilled to go to the potty and is even more thrilled

to wear "big girl panties". 

Oh, and she doesn't complain about getting little candies (conversation hearts or m&m's) everytime

she goes.  Now to just wean her off the reward expectation......

Annika was officially invited by Marissa's ballet teacher to join the class for the last 5 sessions.  She was participating on the side-lines anyways.  Now she got her own ballet shoes and gets to dance with 6-9 year olds.  And we didn't even have to pay.  She (and Marissa) couldn't have been happier. 

She does very well, but being 4 years old, she doesn't have quite the coordination of the other girls.....

fortunately she doesn't seem to notice or mind.  She's just happy to be involved. 

Marissa got to go shooting with Grant and Corban for the first time. 

She proved to be quite a good shot and absolutely loved it. 

As for Corban, there weren't any significant events for him last month (ie, I hardly got any pictures of him at all!) but he's been working hard in school and piano, still practices basketball often, rough-houses with anyone and everyone he can talk into it as often as possible, loves taking care of his baby sister, and is a good shoulder to sleep on. 

We had to get a photo of them all asleep in the van....we had a really late night out visiting with some friends and they all were knocked out within minutes of driving....in fact, Grant carried them all to bed in their clothes and not a one of them woke up.  But this is the sort of thing they like to deny....."I never fell asleep", they'll emphatically declare. 

Now we have proof. 

Chocolate Covered Fluffernutter Hearts

Even though it's slightly embarrassing to be posting about Valentine's Treats

when it's already the first week of March, I refuse to wait till next year to post

about these little treats. 

I'm stubborn like that. 

And please try to ignore the fact that they're decorated with Christmas sprinkles.

I had brilliantly thought that the red and white decorating sugars I had on hand would look darling, not taking into account that they would just disappear into the chocolate. 

These were the only acceptable sprinkles I had.

And Christmas sprinkles are better than no sprinkles. 

My kids didn't notice anyways. 

They were too busy munching and wiping chocolate off their fingers and asking for more.

When I first saw this recipe, I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of it myself.  I've posted before about Chocolate Peanut Sweeties, which have a creamy peanut butter confection dipped in chocolate on top of a pretzel.  They're amazing.  These are essentially the same thing, but in a different form.

A little pretzel sandwich with a peanut butter filling, dipped in chocolate. Why had I never even noticed that mini-twist pretzels are shaped like hearts?  And that when totally dipped in chocolate, you wouldn't even know that it's a pretzel?

Well, I know now.  And I love them.  So so cute.  And yummy. 

Recipe: from Home Grown Beanes

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 T. softened butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup marshmallow fluff

Mini twist Pretzels
2-3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 T. shortening or oil

 With a hand held mixer or electric mixing bowl, combine peanut butter, butter, sugars, and marshmallow fluff.  Beat until creamy and smooth.

Scoop out some of the mixture onto a pretzel. Top with another pretzel to make a sandwich.  Press down slightly so you are sure it will stick together.  Wipe off any squished out peanut butter mixture.
Continue until you have used up all of your "Fluffernutter".  I got about 65 pretzel sandwiches. 
Melt chocolate chips with the shortening or oil in microwave (or double boiler). 
Stir until completely smooth.

Dip each pretzel sandwich in the chocolate and tap off the excess.  Lay on wax paper to set up
Decorate with sprinkles if you want.