Apple Pie

AMAZING APPLE PIE
p. 142 HIAV
Prepared 12/27/09


We knew our friends were coming and so we baked them a pie! They love pie, or so they tell me. I've never actually made apple pie (I don't eat it, so...), and in truth I didn't do all that much with this one, other than oooh and aaah at our Christmas-gift apple slicer/peeler doohickey as the males busted it out of its box and put it to good use. Magical contraption, that.

Our friends' comments included, "Full of cinnamon flavor and just sweet enough!" and "The apples were just right." My candid partner said, "This would be a lot better with better apples."

The apples in this recipe are boiled prior to adding spices and whatnot-- I'd never heard of this before. Everyone seemed to like it and some people even had a slice for breakfast the next morning. Store-bought crust; Christmasy and dog bone shapes on top complements of a five year old.

At The End Of Summer, A Girl's Thoughts Turn To Soup

CREAM OF TOMATO & BASIL SOUP p. 114 LDV Prepared 9/15/09

It was super hot in our third-floor walk up this summer, but as soon as the mercury dipped below 85, I whipped out this recipe. In our humble garden, we had basil (home to a preying mantis for much of the summer) and tomatoes galore and my son loved both making and eating this. It is extremely simple.

We made this soup multiple times per week for at least a month. We substituted 3 (sometimes more, sometimes less) large fresh tomatoes for the can of tomatoes and as I made this over and over I began to use some coconut milk - about a half of a can -to add more depth and spiced it up with tumeric, cumin and Braggs.

Back Atcha

Gentle, gentle readers...I didn't mean to leave you in the lurch for so long. I have been busy, oh so busy, for the past year or so. Not that I stopped cooking or baking, just that the recipe review project fell somewhat by the wayside in the face of more pressing concerns. I'll be back soon, I have some updating to do. I'm looking forward to it. It feels nice to be getting back into the swing of things. In the meantime, have a look at the handsome lad who has come to live with us. We love him so. xoxo