Eat Like a Rabbit

I'm sorry to say this is not the best photograph I can take. Moreover, I'm sorry to say I didn't think about taking a picture of it when we first made it. It was a huge pile of covered fruit in the middle of a glass 9 x 13 pan, and I wondered if it would all stay in there. But it did, and it was magnificent.

This dessert followed gumbo for a large family gathering just after Christmas. My mom and I used flash frozen cranberries (which I was slightly nervous about at first) and the flash frozen apples I had laboriously peeled and cut myself back in October. The great thing was how the recipe focused on the natural flavors of the fruit and had exceptionally less sugar than you would expect from a dessert of this nature. I suppose it made a difference that we used my mom's pie crust recipe--that is generally more salty--instead of the one in the magazine. We were already making the crust for another project and just decided to keep on with the same recipe for the crumble. We doubled the recipe to fit the 9 x 13 pan and ate on it two more times after the big meal.

Last Friday, I pulled out one Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheet to defrost for apple turnovers. But, by the time I was done making the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip muffins, I realized I had over a cup of pumpkin puree left. So, I decided to use the sheet for a mini-pie instead. There wasn't enough filling to fill a normal pie, but a 6-7 inch pie was perfect. My only mistake was not greasing the bottom of the pan before cooking because the crust stuck pretty well to the glass. Perhaps had I used a foil pan, it would have gone better, too.

I didn't have much time and had no idea where to find a good pumpkin pie recipe quickly. So, I used the ingredients in the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe and threw in a handful of oatmeal for texture. Then, I prayed that it wouldn't be a botch. Yes, God does even answer prayers in the kitchen because the pie turned out exactly how I imagined it (minus the crust sticking to the bottom.)

Cost to Make Pumpkin Pie

• $1.02 Pumpkin Puree (Freshfields Farm)
• Free Oats (Mom bought the wrong ones and gave them to us.)
• Free Vanilla (Gift)
• $0.16 Cinnamon (Publix)
• $0.14 Brown Sugar (Costco)
• $1.50 Puff Pastry (Pepperidge Farm Thrift Store)
• $2.82 Total for 6 slices

Pumpkin Pie Recipe

• 1 cup pumpkin puree (homemade instructions here.)
• 1 Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheet, defrosted (They come two to a box.)
• 1/2 cup Oats
• 1 t Vanilla Flavoring
• 2 t Cinnamon
• 2 cups brown sugar

Grease 6-7 inch pie plate. Open puff pastry sheet flat and lay inside plate. Shape crust and cut off corners as you wish. In bowl, mix remainder of ingredients together and pour into the pie plate.

Bake on center rack according to Puff Pastry package directions (400 degrees about 12 minutes) until top of crust is golden brown. You may need to cover the top of the pie once it is cooked with aluminum foil to keep it from burning while the bottom of the crust cooks. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Last week we ordered two cases, the equivalent of 114, apples to be delivered in the near future. I purchased the items for a number of reasons. First, we bought some from the same Washington source to support the local church school two years ago, and they were wonderful. We were disappointed they didn't have them last year. Second, when I purchase apples at Costco or Target a few pounds at a time, some come out yummy and some are mealy. I want consistency and the apples two years ago seemed to fit the bill. Third, they were significantly cheaper than buying them from local grocery stores--especially for the variety: Jonagold! Fourth, I love getting in the kitchen with Paul and my folks cause they got some, too, and having a family activity of preserving the apples in a variety of ways.

I found a great post about what Utah Deal Diva did with apples that were given to her. I intend to use some of her recipes and make some of my own. If you have recommendations, let me know soon so I can make a clear plan of attack cause that's a lot of apples!

Pot pie is another recipe that falls under the Mom and Me group. Every time my mom asks me what I want for my birthday dinner, you can bet she already knows and has secretly stashed away the ingredients for this incredible one-dish meal. It is time consuming and requires lots of vegetables and seasonings; so, it is a rare treat. I am always grateful when I can get it. The pie crust recipe is definitely not original. My mom has seen it in a number of cookbooks and collected it from a friend of hers about the time I was born. Not sweet at all, the crust is fabulous for savory recipes, but can easily be adapted to sweet recipes. I have even used it as a crust for apple pie that was amazing. By all means, pot pie falls under fantastic winter comfort food. And my mom's is the best! (This I know for a fact because we have tried the miniature store-bought vegetarian pies. You likely won't see a review of those on ELAR. Believe me the love put into this dish is well worth it.)