Apple Pie with Pie Crust Recipe

Sooooo it's that time of the year again!!

I very VERY much love to bake, and I very, very much love pumpkins (no pumpkins in this blog post, but coming SOON!), so it just makes sense that fall is my favorite time of year!

It was my husbands birthday this weekend and I asked him what he would want me to make him if he had his choice of anything. Without hesitating he asked me to make my apple pie! This is one of my favorite recipes as well! I hope you enjoy!

For any good pie, you need a good crust. To me most crusts are just too bland. If you're in agreement, then you'll love this pie crust recipe! We start with the pie crust because while you're peeling and coring your apples, you'll want your crust chilling in the refrigerator.

(Check out my CUTE smiley face measuring cups and spoons from my sweet friend Sarah!)

Pie Crust: (x2, you'll want to make two of these, one for the bottom of the pie, one for the top)

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 ts. salt
1/3 cup of sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temp. cut into small pieces
2 to 4 tbsp ice water

Combine the flour, salt and sugar. Add butter and mash into the flour until it resembles coarse meal. Add cold water 1 tbsp at a time. Place in a zip lock bag and refrigerate until you're done peeling and coring your apple.

Apple Pie:
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 ts. cinnamon
1/8 ts. nutmeg
1/8 ts. ground cloves
2 tbls. all purpose flour (to thicken the juices when baking)
6 to 7 medium apples- peeled, cored, sliced
2 tbls. butter, cut into small pieces
1 to 2 tbls. milk
1 tbls. sugar

Preheat your oven to 400 and grease your pie dish. Combine sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, flour and apples in a bowl. Next, pull out your pie crusts. Roll your first pie crust out on a floured surface. Once rolled out, fold in half, and then fold that half circle in half again to transfer it to your greased pie dish. Once you have transferred your pie crust to the pie dish, open up the pie crust and line the pie dish with it. You may wish to trim off the access pie crust now, or wait until later. Now, pour your apple mixture into the pie crust that is now in your pie dish. Add your 2 tbls of cut butter all over your pie.

Now, roll out your last pie dough and lay it on top of your apples and butter. To trim off the excess you can take your rolling pin and gently roll along the edges to make the extra fall off. Pinch the edges all pretty, and maybe even carve in a pretty design! If you decide not to carve in a design, cut little slits so that the steam can escape.

 Now grab your 1-2 tbls of milk and a cooking brush and brush the milk all over the top of your pie. Once you're done with the milk, sprinkle sugar on top and bake for 40-50 minutes.

If you try this recipe, please let me know how you like it!!

....but I do EVERYTHING!

It's so easy to get overwhelmed with everything there is to do as a mother, isn't it?! 

We do the dishes.
We do the laundry.
We do the meal planning.
We do the grocery shopping.
We cook all the meals.
We clean all the floors.
We wash all the toilets.
We wipe all the butts.
We do all the dusting.
We.do.everything. EVERYTHING!

As my chiropractor always says, we deserve a reward that says "Supermom", right?! But ever get in that "woe is me" mood? Ever throw yourself a pity party? I sure have! More often than I'm willing to type out! 

I saw this scripture tonight, and it came alive in my soul.

"For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves." Luke 22:27 (KKJV)

Ladies, when we serve our family, we're acting in the likeness of Christ. He was the greatest of all people, without sin. If ANYONE deserved to be served, it would be Him! 

When you're feeling discouraged, overwhelmed, and unappreciated, remember that you are serving, just as the Savior of the world did. You're showing your children Christ through your selflessness and your service to them and your family.

Delicious Moist Banana Muffins (gluten free alternative included!)

For the month of September I'm going to be kicking into high gear as far as weight loss. There are two big reasons why I'm stepping it up. #1 I'm tired of feeling big, fat and bloated. It's not fun and I'm ready to loose this baby weight! #2 I have money on my weight loss! I'm not a gambling woman. I don't go to casino's. I don't gamble online. However, I am willing to take a gamble on my weight loss if it will help me stay accountable and actually stick to it!

I heard of this program through two of my favorite Biggest Loser contestants Hannah and Olivia. It's called DietBet.You bet $25 that you can lose 4% of your weight in 4 weeks. If you DO lose that weight you split the "pot" with the other people who participated in the bet. If you lose, you get nothing and the other winners split the pot.

However, the bet starts on Sept. 9th so I have a little bit of time to still eat some stuff that I won't be able to eat while trying to lose weight, plus, I had some overripe banana's on the counter, so I present to you my fabulous, delicious moist banana muffins!

Ok, so I know that I need to work on my photo skills, but these really are delicious! Take my word on it!

Moist Banana Muffins

1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour **

2/3 cup of sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

1/4 teaspoon of salt

2 or 3 mashed ripe banana's

1 egg

1/2 cup of oil (I used canola oil this last time, but it would also be tasty with coconut oil, vegetable oil, etc.)

1/4 cup of buttermilk (you can also use regular milk)

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 350. 

Mix together your dry ingredients first then add your wet ingredients in with the dry. With your mixer, mix it until smooth. Fill your muffin cups about 3/4 of the way full. I usually double this recipe since our family size is so big, but this recipe will make 1 dozen muffins.

Bake for 20-30 minutes. Start checking it at 20 minutes as all ovens are different. They are finished cooking when a toothpick comes out clean. 

**I have used Jules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour to make these muffins gluten free with success in the past!

Let me know how you like them!! :)