National Pie Day!

Today is National Pie Day.  I couldn't let this day pass without baking a pie. I tried a new recipe, Warm Apple-Buttermilk Custard Pie! Doesn't that sound good? Here is the recipe!


1/2 (15-ounce) package refrigerated piecrusts (I made mine because I love home made ones)

1/2 cup butter or margarine, divided

2 Granny smith apples, peeled and sliced

3/4 cup sugar, divided

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided

1 1/3 cups sugar

4 large eggs

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2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup buttermilk

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Preparation

1. Fit piecrust into a 9-inch pieplate according to package directions; fold edges under, and crimp. Prick bottom and sides of piecrust with a fork.
2. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add apple, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Cook, sitrring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes or until apple is tender; set aside.
3. Beat 1/4 cup butter and 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. A eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears. Add 2 tablespoons flour and vanilla, beating until blended. Add buttermilk, beating until smooth.
4. Spoon apple mixture into piecrust; pour buttermilk mixture over apple mixture.
5. Bake at 300º for 30 minutes. Stir 3 tablespoons butter, remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon until crumbly. Sprinkle over pie. Bake 40 more minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 1 hour before serving.

Enjoy!

New Year...Old Letters

 

 

 

2013...a new year. We started our morning with coffee, homemade cinnamon rolls, and Jim's scrambled eggs. 

 

After breakfast we sat at the kitchen table and read

cards and letters

 my mother in law had saved over the years.

 

Jim handed me one of the letters and it was from his aunt. Reading her letter was like hearing her talk. I was holding in my hand a letter telling about her day, her family, the weather, her friends she had been with and ending with asking about my mother in law and her family. There were other letters and cards and two touched my heart as they were written by my two daughters, Stacy and Amy. The thing that was very meaningful to Jim was a large brown envelope addressed to his mom from his Uncle Jim, the uncle he is named after. His uncle was in the Army and had sent his mom a linen handkerchief as her Christmas gift in 1943, four years before he was born.

 

I began to think about how we have lost the art of letter writing. Holding a letter written by a loved one, seeing their writing, being blessed again by their encouraging words, or laughing at something funny they wrote is something we miss with text messages, facebook status', and email. These forms of communication are great but I am thankful for cards and letters that I can read over and over... and remember.