Monday, September 6, 2010
A Taste of Home
Not too long ago, I asked my kids what they might think of someday when they thought of home.
I was really hoping that they wouldn't say, "Mom yelled a lot" or "Mom was always cleaning" or "Mom never cooked supper."
What they said made me smile..."The smell of just-baked banana bread and coffee."
I smile because it's those same sorts of things that make me think of my childhood home. Those yummy, homey kinds of scents that are way better than even the very best smelling Yankee Candle (which, in my opinion is the Spiced Pumpkin candle).
Those are the scents that can take me back to my childhood in an instant!
One of those very special memory foods is Apple Pizza Pie.
Mom made this one every fall.
For years now, we've made it a tradition to visit our local apple orchard (the very best apple orchard ever--that's just another one of my opinions). Each September when the Jonathan apples fill the trees, we pick a great big bag of those sweet-tart apples, bring them home, and make an Apple Pizza Pie.
It's something that we all look forward to...a very special part of our fall.
"Mommy's Yummy Pie Crust"
(This is copied directly from a recipe card that I must have copied when I was in the fourth grade...maybe 9 years old?)
For an 8 inch Two-Crust Pie
(I use a really big pizza pan, so I double my dough recipe.)
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening
3 tablespoons water
Combine flour and salt in mixing bowl. Cut in shortening. Add water. Mix with fork.
Roll out dough and place in a pizza pan. Trim and flute the edge.
Apple Pizza Pie
I have no idea where this recipe came from. Mom's recipe cards usually give credit to the person who gave her the recipe...but this one, written in someone else's handwriting, has no original baker's name on it.
Arrange the slices from 7 - 8 apples (more or less) close together and neatly over round crust.
Sprinkle apples with 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice.
Combine 3/4 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Sprinkle desired amount over apples. You may also add some nutmeg if you like.
Combine 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar; cut in 1/2 cup butter till crumbly; sprinkle over top.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the crust is brown and the apples are tender.
Now...drizzle with a thin confectioner icing. This is listed as optional on my recipe card, but we don't consider this an option in our house. :)
Yesterday afternoon...a beautiful, sunny, 70 degree day...we visited the apple orchard and picked a bag of Jonathan apples.
My brother, Rob, and his fiance...my soon-to-be sister-in-law (soon meaning three weeks away!)...were with us.
We took those apples home and made them into a taste of home.
Now I know why there is a recipe magazine with that name!
It's amazing how my childhood memories can make a connection to my children's childhood memories.
To me, Rob will always be my little brother, Robbie.
Silly Robbie!
Is it any wonder that I can't lose any weight?!
I'm busy trying to make some memories for my kids!
That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it!
Enjoying the Journey,
I was really hoping that they wouldn't say, "Mom yelled a lot" or "Mom was always cleaning" or "Mom never cooked supper."
What they said made me smile..."The smell of just-baked banana bread and coffee."
I smile because it's those same sorts of things that make me think of my childhood home. Those yummy, homey kinds of scents that are way better than even the very best smelling Yankee Candle (which, in my opinion is the Spiced Pumpkin candle).
Those are the scents that can take me back to my childhood in an instant!
One of those very special memory foods is Apple Pizza Pie.
Mom made this one every fall.
For years now, we've made it a tradition to visit our local apple orchard (the very best apple orchard ever--that's just another one of my opinions). Each September when the Jonathan apples fill the trees, we pick a great big bag of those sweet-tart apples, bring them home, and make an Apple Pizza Pie.
It's something that we all look forward to...a very special part of our fall.
"Mommy's Yummy Pie Crust"
(This is copied directly from a recipe card that I must have copied when I was in the fourth grade...maybe 9 years old?)
For an 8 inch Two-Crust Pie
(I use a really big pizza pan, so I double my dough recipe.)
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening
3 tablespoons water
Combine flour and salt in mixing bowl. Cut in shortening. Add water. Mix with fork.
Roll out dough and place in a pizza pan. Trim and flute the edge.
Apple Pizza Pie
I have no idea where this recipe came from. Mom's recipe cards usually give credit to the person who gave her the recipe...but this one, written in someone else's handwriting, has no original baker's name on it.
Arrange the slices from 7 - 8 apples (more or less) close together and neatly over round crust.
Sprinkle apples with 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice.
Combine 3/4 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Sprinkle desired amount over apples. You may also add some nutmeg if you like.
Combine 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar; cut in 1/2 cup butter till crumbly; sprinkle over top.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the crust is brown and the apples are tender.
Now...drizzle with a thin confectioner icing. This is listed as optional on my recipe card, but we don't consider this an option in our house. :)
Yesterday afternoon...a beautiful, sunny, 70 degree day...we visited the apple orchard and picked a bag of Jonathan apples.
My brother, Rob, and his fiance...my soon-to-be sister-in-law (soon meaning three weeks away!)...were with us.
We took those apples home and made them into a taste of home.
Now I know why there is a recipe magazine with that name!
It's amazing how my childhood memories can make a connection to my children's childhood memories.
To me, Rob will always be my little brother, Robbie.
Silly Robbie!
Is it any wonder that I can't lose any weight?!
I'm busy trying to make some memories for my kids!
That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it!
Enjoying the Journey,
Friday, September 3, 2010
Things Unscheduled
Of course, there were those things that came this summer that were totally unscheduled. Totally unplanned.
Those sweet surprises of summer...
Planned or unplanned...scheduled or unscheduled...I can say that I feel blessed.
Goodbye Summer of 2010.
Enjoying the Journey,
Those sweet surprises of summer...
Planned or unplanned...scheduled or unscheduled...I can say that I feel blessed.
Goodbye Summer of 2010.
Enjoying the Journey,
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Summer 2010 Recap
Before you begin trying to read this post, I must tell you that this rundown of my summer is the way that I am dealing with the guilt of not blogging about each individual event. It's a quick way to catch up on my family scrapbooking...
Bear with me.
Back in May, it was like I was sitting in my little row boat on the shore, looking out over a body of water...but I couldn't see the other shore.
That's how the summer seemed to me this year.
Big and overwhelming.
Good big and overwhelming.
Fun big and overwhelming!
But still...big and overwhelming.
So...I started paddling, constantly thinking about all the water surrounding me.
June came and so did our vacation to Sheboygan, Wisconsin on the shores of Lake Michigan.
Carrie and William went to church camp.
Vacation Bible School.
Our field trip to the lavender farm.
July came and went as quickly.
The annual Fourth of July party at our house.
My cousin's baby shower up north.
Brandy's (my soon-to-be sister-in-law) bridal shower that Carrie and I hosted up north.
Setting up Carrie's high school schedule and figuring out transcript-keeping.
Joshua's swim lessons.
Then, all of the sudden, it was August!
Carrie and William were fitted for their bridesmaid and groomsman clothes.
The beginning of the new school year for our homeschool group.
Ron and Judy's 50th Wedding Anniversary and party!
Getting ready for Carrie and William's trip to the Grand Canyon with Grandma and Grandpa.
Filing last year's schoolwork away and pulling together the things needed to begin this school year.
Now, here I am, still paddling, but I can see the other shore, with Rob and Brandy waving to us from their wedding day!
I look back at what I thought was one big wave--one that I thought had the power to take me under at times. But now I realize it was really many small currents, steadily pushing me to the other side of the summer.
Enjoyable, calm, warm currents.
Isn't that how life is?
When you look too far ahead, that lake, with its calm currents, looks more like an ocean with hurricane strength winds.
Matthew 6:34
I like how The Message says it...
(emphasis mine)
"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes."
And how many times do I have to read that and remind myself of that?
How much time do I waste in worrying about what is to come rather than enjoying the right now?
Another case of reminding myself that I should be...
Enjoying the Journey,
Bear with me.
Back in May, it was like I was sitting in my little row boat on the shore, looking out over a body of water...but I couldn't see the other shore.
That's how the summer seemed to me this year.
Big and overwhelming.
Good big and overwhelming.
Fun big and overwhelming!
But still...big and overwhelming.
So...I started paddling, constantly thinking about all the water surrounding me.
June came and so did our vacation to Sheboygan, Wisconsin on the shores of Lake Michigan.
Carrie and William went to church camp.
Vacation Bible School.
Our field trip to the lavender farm.
July came and went as quickly.
The annual Fourth of July party at our house.
My cousin's baby shower up north.
Brandy's (my soon-to-be sister-in-law) bridal shower that Carrie and I hosted up north.
Setting up Carrie's high school schedule and figuring out transcript-keeping.
Joshua's swim lessons.
Then, all of the sudden, it was August!
Carrie and William were fitted for their bridesmaid and groomsman clothes.
The beginning of the new school year for our homeschool group.
Ron and Judy's 50th Wedding Anniversary and party!
Getting ready for Carrie and William's trip to the Grand Canyon with Grandma and Grandpa.
Filing last year's schoolwork away and pulling together the things needed to begin this school year.
Now, here I am, still paddling, but I can see the other shore, with Rob and Brandy waving to us from their wedding day!
I look back at what I thought was one big wave--one that I thought had the power to take me under at times. But now I realize it was really many small currents, steadily pushing me to the other side of the summer.
Enjoyable, calm, warm currents.
Isn't that how life is?
When you look too far ahead, that lake, with its calm currents, looks more like an ocean with hurricane strength winds.
Matthew 6:34
I like how The Message says it...
(emphasis mine)
"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes."
And how many times do I have to read that and remind myself of that?
How much time do I waste in worrying about what is to come rather than enjoying the right now?
Another case of reminding myself that I should be...
Enjoying the Journey,
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