Apple-Cinnamon Crumb Pie

I like apple pie this time of year; how about you?  In fact, I plan on making one tomorrow to enjoy on Thanksgiving.  There are lots of variations on apple pie, but this is the recipe I make every single time because it’s everything we like in apple pie—a buttery, crisp crust; a cinnamony, sweet-tart filling; and a buttery, crunchy crumb topping.  Hope you enjoy it too.

Crust:

You’ll need one unbaked pie crust in a 9-inch regular (not deep dish) pie plate.  See my pie crust tutorial here.

Filling:

6-8 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced (at least 8 cups)

1 cup sugar

2 T. all-purpose flour

1 T. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest

Crumb Topping:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, chilled and diced

Make pie pastry as directed and place in refrigerator until ready to fill.

Using same food processor bowl, make the crumb topping.  Combine flour, sugar and butter, and pulse until mixture begins to hold together and looks like this.  If you don’t have a food processor, use a pastry blender or a fork or even your fingers.

Refrigerate until ready to sprinkle.

Make the filling.  Toss apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon and lemon zest in large bowl until combined.

Place mixture in pie crust.  Yes, it really will all fit.  Barely.  It will be all mounded up like this.  You want it nice and high because as the apples bake they exude a lot of juice and everything settles down.  If you haven’t mounded up to begin with, you’re left with a little bitty short pie.  And who wants that?

Another variety of apple may be substituted; just make sure it’s one that bakes well without turning into mush.  (Google is your friend.)  You may also need to adjust the amounts of sugar and flour, since apples vary in tartness and the amount of juice they release.  It seems like most other apples I have substituted require less sugar and more flour—like 1/2 – 3/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup flour.  Grannies are my favorite choice, though.

Carefully sprinkle crumb mixture over filling.  Yes, it will really all fit.  Barely.    As I sprinkle with one hand, I position my other hand along the inner edge of the crust so I can catch any crumbs that try to escape.

Oh, yes, and make sure you place the pie plate on a foil-lined baking sheet.  It really saves on clean-up, because the filling will bubble over a little as it bakes.  That’s the price you pay for a nice, thick slice of juicy apple pie, so no complaining—just be sure to use the foil, okay?

Bake pie for 55-60 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is golden.

Mmm, can’t wait.

Blueberry Syrup

I wanted to share this blueberry syrup recipe I’ve been using for the last few years.  I may have found it on Allrecipes, but I can’t say for sure.

This goes great on pancakes, isn’t overly sweet, and is nice and chunky with all the fruit remaining rather than strained out.  Homemade fruit syrups are a bit less viscous than store-bought syrups, so if yours seems a bit runny, it’s probably just right. 

Syrups are really easy to can as well.  This recipe makes 5 pints.

Blueberry Syrup

2 qt. fresh blueberries

5 cups water

2 cups sugar

3 T. fresh lemon juice

Add blueberries, water and sugar to large stockpot.  Stir together and bring to boil, boiling for 5 minutes.  Turn off heat and stir in lemon juice.  Ladle into pint jars and process in waterbath canner for 10 minutes.

~

Be sure to visit Common Sense Homesteading, where I’m sponsoring another Lilla Rose giveaway this week!

Tummy Time!

We try to give Moriah as much tummy time as we can (and as much as she’s happy with), and boy is it paying off.  She’s able to dig in those toes and spin her body around like the hands on a clock, and she can also get her legs cranking and move herself forward inch by inch.  Crawling!  She doesn’t get too far, but she’s moving and definitely has the idea.  It’s so fun to watch her, and she doesn’t lack for cheerleaders around here.

Trying to find that thumb

Our therapist said Moriah needs lots of stimulation for good development.  Um, not a problem with five adoring older siblings!

Visual stimulation?  Constant.

Auditory?  It is never quiet here.  In addition to lots of Bach and Mozart, Moriah is treated to regular performances of The Sound of Music, complete with choreography.  Hannah and Elisabeth (and sometimes Joseph) can put on quite a show.

Tactile?  We’ve got it covered.  And Moriah is covered—covered in lots of hugs and kisses all day long.

Moriah and her tummy-time buddies

Since the weekend, Moriah has also been smiling on purpose sometimes.  How we love that!  Can’t wait to catch it with the camera.

Broccoli, Bacon and Cheese Salad

When I first saw this recipe at Common Sense Homesteading, I knew it was a keeper.  I have been making it for weeks and weeks now, and it’s definitely my favorite way of eating raw broccoli.

I follow the recipe loosely (meaning I don’t measure plus I substitute here and there,) and I’ll often make a big batch with half broccoli and half cauliflower.

It’s a delicious salad for summer.  Try it!

Real Food, No-Sugar Vanilla Ice Cream

We are thrilled that Roberts’ Farm, our seasonal, all-grass-fed dairy, is back in milk!  With calving season in full swing, there is an abundance of cream in this early spring milk, and we like to enjoy its delicious, nutritious richness in a variety of uses—and yesterday I made ice cream.

You’ll only need four ingredients for this real food recipe, which is another of my kitchen experiments.  Don’t be afraid of the raw dairy (or eggs,) provided you have a trusted source—preferably pastured.  Raw cream contains many nutrients that are otherwise inactivated, damaged, or destroyed during pasteurization, such as folic acid, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, lipase, lactase, phosphatase, various immune-boosting factors, milk proteins, omega-3 fats and more.

And of the omega-6s found in milk, arachidonic acid (ARA) is one of the most significant fats necessary to fuel rapid brain growth in third trimester babies.  So if you happen to be in your third trimester as I am . . . well, go ahead and eat up. 

REAL FOOD, NO SUGAR VANILLA ICE CREAM

3 1/2 cups fresh, raw cream, preferably from pastured cows

3 fresh egg yolks, preferably from pastured poultry

1/2 cup raw, local honey

1 T. pure vanilla extract

Whisk together all ingredients and pour into electric ice cream maker.  Mine is a Cuisinart, and this recipe fills it just right.

Freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions, and you’ll end up with this.

I transfer it to an airtight container and place in the freezer for it to firm up for at least a few hours before serving.

Yum, yum, yum.  Delicious and creamy, not too sweet, and a hint of honey flavor—and good for you!

Edited to Add:  For my delicious honey-chocolate syrup recipe which is great in milk or on ice cream, click here.

Crock Pot Mexican Chicken

Here’s a tasty dinner that’s simple to throw together and takes just a few ingredients.  You’ll need boneless, skinless chicken breasts, black beans and salsa to start with.  Layer them in the crock pot in that order.  The amounts and proportions are flexible, so do what works for however many you’re feeding.  Here, I used 6 chicken breasts.

Brining the chicken first keeps it juicy and evenly seasoned, but if I’m in a hurry I skip the brine and simply season it with salt.

Also, if you plan on using both canned black beans and canned salsa (both of which have lot of added salt), I’d recommend skipping the brine/salt at this stage, or you may end up with too salty of a finished product.

Next, I add the black beans—about 4 cups of unseasoned beans which I’d previously cooked and frozen in a ziploc bag (and this time forgot to thaw.)  No problem, though.  A quick whack on the counter separates the beans, and frozen beans do not significantly increase cooking time.

Next, dump in the salsa.  Next to homemade, we like Tostitos brand.  Here, I used 1 1/2  jars of the 15.5 oz. size.

Cover, turn the crock on low, and cook for 4-5 hours.  Depending on how full your crock is, you may need more time.

When I’m getting closer to serving time, I stir in a bag of frozen corn.  Some people add corn from the get-go, but I prefer the taste and texture of corn that hasn’t been cooked for hours; so I don’t add it until later—about 20 minutes to 1 hour before serving.

When you’re ready to serve, plate it up with some delicious brown rice, sour cream and tortilla chips.

Alternatively, in lieu of sour cream, I’ll sometimes throw in a brick of cream cheese when I add the corn.  As it melts, it makes the whole thing nice and creamy.  Enjoy!

~

I’m sponsoring a Lilla Rose giveaway over at Long Days, Short Years, so hop on over to Wendy’s blog for a chance at winning a beautiful hair accessory!

The Perfect Hard-Boiled Egg (Re-Post)

I should have re-posted this several days ago; nonetheless, here are some tips for achieving perfect hard-boiled eggs—yes, even with fresh farm eggs, which are notoriously difficult to peel.

Read here for the how and the why.

 

 

In the Mood for Chocolate Milk?

I’m guest posting today over at In the Nursery of the Nation, my friend Bambi’s blog.  So in case you missed my recent “Healthy Homemade Chocolate Milk” post, join me there for my yummy chocolate syrup recipe.

And while you’re visiting, check out Bambi’s inspirational posts on marriage, motherhood, homeschooling and so much more.

Cheesy Beef, Bean and Rice Burritos

Last week I made up a big batch of burritos because I wanted to have some quick meals ready in the freezer.

Remember my favorite brown rice recipe I shared last week?  It goes great in burritos.

That, along with some black beans I cooked up in the crock pot and had frozen for future use, plus some cooked ground beef, and there’s the base of my filling.

You can be flexible with this recipe.  I think some chopped cilantro along with sauteed onions and peppers would be a great addition to the filling, but I was looking for a quick and easy throw-together, plus I’m the only one in my family who doesn’t gag on appreciates cilantro.

And if you want a saucy filling, add some liquid or sauce of your choice.  But with young children in the house, we prefer a drier filling, which has significantly less mess-potential.  This is a mom-friendly recipe.    Anyway, feel free to improvise.

CHEESY BEEF, BEAN AND RICE BURRITOS

1 recipe The Best Brown Rice Ever, prepared

6 – 8 cups cooked black beans

2 lb. browned ground beef

Your choice of seasoning.  For this amount of filling, I used about 3/4 cup of Penzey’s taco seasoning

Burrito-size flour tortillas

Shredded cheddar, monterey jack or cheese of your choice

Mix all filling ingredients.

Spoon about 1/2 cup filling on each tortilla, top with as much cheese as you like, and roll up.  I can’t remember how many I made—at least 30, I think, with filling left over since I ran out of tortillas.  The filling itself made a great meal too, served with shredded cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips.

Then wrap each burrito in foil and place in gallon-size ziploc bags (I got 7 to fit) and put in the freezer.  (Or bake now—375 degree oven for about 30 minutes.)

When you need a planning-free meal, pull these from the freezer and bake in preheated 375 degree oven for about an hour.  Serve with a salad, and dinner’s done.

The Best Brown Rice Ever

I am indebted to Cook’s Illustrated / America’s Test Kitchen for the wealth of excellent culinary tips they have given me over the years, with their unique way of pairing two passions of mine—cooking and science.  I have learned so much from them!

Their brown rice recipe is a favorite and a weekly staple at our house.  Not only does this method require little labor on the cook’s part (throw it in the oven and forget about it until it’s done), it also yields the best-tasting brown rice I’ve ever had—evenly cooked, fluffy, separate, delicious grains, and all with no mess to scape off the bottom of a pan.

I never cared much for brown rice (mainly because of the sodden, dense texture) until I tried making it this way.  Everyone in our family loves it.

My recipe is adapted from the Cook’s Illustrated recipe entitled Fool-Proof Oven-Baked Brown Rice.  I haven’t changed things so much as I’ve streamlined some of the steps to make it simpler yet just as tasty.  I’ve also doubled their recipe to fill a 9 x 13-inch pan.

FOOL-PROOF OVEN-BAKED BROWN RICE

3 cups long-grain brown rice (I like Lundberg long-grain or jasmine brown, which I buy in bulk)

4 3/4 – 5 cups boiling water (I often substitute homemade chicken stock—adjust salt as necessary if your stock is seasoned)

1 T. butter, chicken fat or coconut oil

1 tsp. salt (I like Real Salt)

Spread rice in 9 x 13-inch glass baking pan.  Add salt and your choice of fat, and pour in the boiling water or chicken stock.

Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour in preheated 375 degree oven.

Remove rice from oven, remove foil, fluff with fork and serve.  So simple and so delicious!

Here’s a tasty variation (also from Cook’s Illustrated):

BROWN RICE WITH PARMESAN, LEMON AND HERBS

This is similar to the above recipe, using the same amounts of rice and water.  To the rice in the baking pan, add the water, reduce salt to 1/4 tsp., and add 2 small chopped onions which have been sauteed in 4 T. butter.

Cover tightly with foil and bake as above.

After baking, toss in 1/4 tsp. black pepper, 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley, 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 2 tsp. grated lemon zest and 1 tsp. lemon juice.

You must use freshly chopped fresh herbs (not dried) and real, freshly-squeezed lemon juice and zest.  Oh, yummy!  It’s worth every ounce of extra effort, and I’m reminding myself that I need to make it this way again very soon!