If you need a new winter recipe

Look over here, where I'm guest posting for Jana. 

Yummy Yummy Yummy.

Happy Winter! 

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What do you do with leftover pie crust?

My husband, apparently, loves apple pie.  This is the third one I've made recently.  Read "in the last 2 weeks".  To be fair one was for our friends.  

What do you do with the leftover crust???  

Last time, I just cut out some cute shapes and put them on top, as well as Aaron's name, but I still ended up throwing some away.

Then I cut out the letters and spelled out friends on the other one.

Today I was thinking, "Can I make cinnamon rolls?" 

So to google I went.

People do lots of different things with left over crust:

tarts, cookies, make extra shapes, make cinnamon sugar cookies AH HA!

Although they aren't quite cinnamon rolls, I did end up making little cinnamon sugar cookie type things.  (You caught me I have no idea what to call them.)  

Here is the process I went through.  

What?

I actually went and grabbed my camera?

I know it surprised me too!

Anyway here are the photos! 

Ok, so you actually want yours too look way more cinnamon-sugary than that.  After trying them, I realized there wasn't enough cinnamon sugary goodness.  It's ok, it's a learning process, right??

You can do whatever you'd like with your scraps from the end. 

Me? I popped 'em in my mouth :)

Then, forget to take a picture of the next step (oh wait, sorry that's just me)

I just put them on a piece of parchment paper inside a cake pan because I couldn't find the right size baking sheet for our Toaster oven. 

Then feel like a dummy because your pan doesn't fit in your toaster oven either.  Oh wait, just me again! 

Bake them at 400 for 10 minutes.

Take them out and resist the urge to eat them right away.  You will burn your tongue.  

No, I didn't find that out by experience. Ok, maybe. 

And VOILA

You have some little extra goodies along with your delicious pie! YUM YUM!

So PLEASE don't just throw the extra dough away. Ok? Promise? Great!

Apple Pie: Follower's Fest

Today I baked an apple pie for my wonderful husband.  He has been working very hard this week and for that I'm super thankful!  He has been substitute teaching (yesterday, today and is scheduled again tomorrow).  He had work last night at the dollar store, tonight he had tutoring and tomorrow he's being paid to set up lazer tag at a local university.  Yup, haven't seen him much this week but wanted to reward him with the pie.  So I did =D.   Cause he's the best!

Shall we get started??? 

A few things you should know: 

1. I love to bake

2. I'm by no means a perfect baker (I piece my crusts together, my pies are messy)

3. We have a very small apartment with NO counter space.  Literally there are just 2" sections on either side of the sink.  No joke, and the dish drain gets one and the other houses our water filtration system.  So as a result, I just use our table as my counter. :)  It's small but we love it anyway!

4. I'm super excited you stopped by today!

Ok, here we go.

One Yummy Apple Pie coming up!

Let them enjoy their bath while you get the crust ready! 

I don't have a stand mixer so I just mix it all by spoon/hand.

See no need to be perfect with your pie crust.  Guess what!!! Someone will eat it anyway! 

I know, cider vinegar, in a pie??? That's what I thought too, but it works! Trust me!

Just use your hands for this part!  It's ok to get dirty!

Take a step back, admire your work and then drool wait for your husband to get home so you can share it!

I hope that if you have never made a pie from scratch before this gives you the courage to do it!  What are some of you favorite fall recipes? 

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Today I am linking up with: 

Casey, Ilene, Danielle, and Jess 

for the October Followers Fest.

Want to learn more? Want to jump in on it? Click the button below!

If you stopped by from the follower's fest, please say hello!  I'd love to get to know you more!

I'm also linking up with Laura for

And with Amy here:

The Day I spent baking: Whole Wheat Bread & Apple Pie

Yesterday, my husband informed me that we were out of bread.  That meant today's schedule was pretty much decided for me.  He's also been begging and pleading asking me to make him an apple pie for about 2 weeks.  Well we didn't have our pie pan back until Tuesday.  Yesterday I ran out of time to make it so today it is!

So after having a quiet time this morning, eating some breakfast and catching up on a few blogs, I started to work on the bread.  Our recipe makes 2 loaves at a time.  So today I made 2 loaves of whole wheat bread and 2 loaves of half whole wheat/half white flour bread.  Hubby prefers the former and I prefer the latter.  We cut each loaf in half and freeze what we can't eat right away. 

So today was interesting as I tried to take photos as I was baking.  I didn't get pictures of everything because well, my hands were sticky/covered in flour/gross sometimes. :) 

Here we go: 

Operation Whole Wheat Bread

And here's the actual recipe (since I didn't get everything photographed):

Homemade Whole Wheat Bread

2 3/4 cup hot water

1/3 c olive oil

1/3 c honey

2 tbs molasses

1 tbs salt

up to 7.5 cups 100% whole wheat flour

2 tbs dry active yeast

1. Place the first five ingredients in a huge bowl and mix.

2. Add 2 cups of flour (to cool water and end up with a warm dough).  Mix.  Add 2 tbs yeast. Mix again.

3. Add 2 cups of flour and mix.  Add 2 more cups of flour and mix.

4. Mix until consistency is somewhat even.  

5. Continue to add flour 1/2 cup at a tie until dough quits sticking to the side of the bowl.  (Should be tacky to the touch). I usually add 6 cups total.

6. Don't over mix or bread will be tough.

7. Leave in bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray.  Let it rise 30-45 min. Dough will be larger but not necessarily doubled.

8. Grease & flour 2 bread pans.

9. Mix dough again to knock back down to about the original size.

10. Drop dough onto a floured surface.  Shape it with your hands to make a nice ball, getting enough flour on it so it's not sticky.

11. Divide the ball in half and repeat.

12. Shape loaves by turning dough under itself over and over.  When dough is shaped, the sides and ends will be sealed and dough will be oblong-shaped with smooth sides and top. 

13. Drop loaves in bread pans and let rise until doubled or almost doubled (cover with same plastic wrap as before).

14. Bake in preheated oven at 350 F for 36 min, 41 min if you forgot to preheat.

15. When finished turn bread onto a rack to cool.  Don't wrap until completely cooled.  Put in plastic wrap and tin foil and store on the counter.  Do not refrigerate. (However can be frozen)

***If you'd prefer you can use half wheat/half white flour to get a softer bread.  100% whole wheat is QUITE hearty.  

I hope you enjoy the bread recipe.  Let me know if you try it out.  I'll try and post the apple pie recipe/pictures soon! 

Hooray for fall! What are some of your favorite fall recipes?

**Oh, btw, we don't have counter space. Like at all.  2 ft on either side of the sink but that is occupied by other things and has ridges in it so our kitchen table is our counter.  Carry on***

Apple Recipes

While being on Twitter (when I should have been working), I saw that the lovely Leonora from Yellow Heart Art asked for some apple recipes.  YUM.  I love apples and I've been meaning to post more recipes lately anyway.  So here are 3 recipes that are fairly easy and great for using up apples you may have! 

Apple Pie

*I don't remember where I actually got the recipe for these. 

DOUBLE PIE CRUST

2 1/4 c all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 c shortening, chilled

1/2 cold butter, cut into slices

6-8 tbsp ice water

***When making pie crust, it's helpful to have all of your ingredients and bowls chilled***

In a large bowl, mix the flour & salt together.

Cut in the chilled shortening & butter using 2 knives (I never actually do this, I always just use a spoon). 

Work only until course crumbs (resembling peas) form.

Sprinkle with 4 tbsp ice water & gently mix together.

If dough seems dry, add more water 1 tbsp at a time. (Only add enough water to make it hold together between pinched fingers).

Divide dough in half and roll out first half and place in pie pan.  (Place second half in freezer until ready to use)

Apple Pie Filling

5-7 peeled apples

1 c sugar

2 tbsp flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp cider vinegar

1 tbs lemon juice

Peel and slice apples.  Soak in water with lemon juice to prevent turning colors.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt and vinegar.

Drain water from apples and mix with coating.

Poke holes in bottom pie crust to release air. 

Pour apples into pie crust and dot with butter.

Roll out second pie crust and place on top.  Pinch edges together (mine never looks pretty, however they're always eaten =D ).

Place tin foil around the edges.

Bake at 400 for 50-60 minutes.  Remove foil 10 min before pie is done.

Enjoy!

Apple tree in Aaron's dad's yard! :) 

Apple Bars 

From the kitchen of my friend Sally 

1 c sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt (she probably doesn't add this, but I do) 

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 c oil

1 tsp baking powder

3 c flour

2 apples, peeled & chopped (I use 3) 

(Can add optional nuts, raisins, crushed pineapple)

Mix all ingredients well.

Spread in a 9 x 13 pan. 

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. 

Let cool.  Can cover with thin frosting or eat as is.

So simple, right???

Perhaps there will be more recipes later this week.