Grandma Ople's Apple Pie

I am on a roll! Two different pies in one week. Call me the pie master. I originally wanted to bake a pumpkin pie AND apple pie for Thanksgiving, but decided not to be a hero. Since I bought all the goods to bake an apple pie and I didn't want it to go to waste, I baked one this morning.

This recipe had over 6,200 5 star reviews on it! How could you NOT try this, right? Grandma Ople's granddaughter posted this recipe. What warmed my heart was reading her words on how thankful she is for all the positive feedback and that her grandmother lives on through this recipe. Doesn't that give you the fuzzies?

 

Grandma Ople's Apple Pie

Recipe cred Grandma Ople's Apple Pie (Posted by her Granddaughter)

Ingredients:

8 Granny Smith apples (peeled, cored and sliced)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
3 Tablespoons of flour
1/2 cup of unsalted butter (1 stick of butter)
1/4 cup of water
Pastry for 9 inch double crust pie

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.

Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.

Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F. Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.

Julia's Notes: Prep the lattice ahead of time, so you can pour the sauce immediately and avoid it hardening. Place pie in the bottom rack to avoid it burning. I think 425 was too hot. There were a few burnt marks on the pie. I think 350 the entire time will suffice. Next time, I'm going to add cinnamon and I will try another apple variety. Granny Smith apples are too tart for my taste. This pie was delish, but I wished the apples were sweeter. I leave you with three words... A LA MODE!

BEST Pumpkin Pie Recipe

I am so sad. I baked pumpkin pie for the first time ever and I forgot to take a picture of it. It was delicious! Everyone said so. I hope they weren't lying. I know it was good because even my brother-in-law, Ryan, loved it and he's not a fan of cheese. Blasphemy, right? Not a lover of cheese? My sister, Eunice, is slowly bringing him to the dark side. First, cheese pizza and now this delicious pumpkin pie, which has cream cheese in it.

When my family asked where I got this recipe from and I said Paula Deen, they all said, "BUTTER!". Yes, Paula Deen uses butter in everything but but but there's not a ton of butter in this one. I promise.
Other pumpkin pie recipes use heavy cream, so really, this one is kinda sorta maybe healthy? Who cares about healthy on Thanksgiving, right? 

Pumpkin Pie

Recipe cred Paula Deen

Ingredients:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups canned pumpkin, mashed
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, optional
1 piece pre-made pie dough
Whipped cream, for topping

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place 1 piece of pre-made pie dough down into a (9-inch) pie pan and press down along the bottom and all sides. Pinch and crimp the edges together to make a pretty pattern. Put the pie shell back into the freezer for 1 hour to firm up. Fit a piece of aluminum foil to cover the inside of the shell completely. Fill the shell up to the edges with pie weights or dried beans (about 2 pounds) and place it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the foil and pie weights and bake for another 10 minutes or until the crust is dried out and beginning to color.

For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger, if using, and beat until incorporated.

Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crust and bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and top each piece with a generous amount of whipped cream.

Julia's Notes: This recipe really makes 2 pies. I read through the reviews before making this and they all said they had so much batter leftover. Good thing I prepared 2 pie crusts because that part takes the longest. I really appreciated the flakiness of the crust and I attribute it to baking the crust first. I didn't follow the video because it doesn't follow the recipe!

I'm Thankful For...

I AM THANKFUL FOR:

MY HEALTH - can I get an amen?! I don't know if it's because I'm getting older or because people are getting sick more (probably due to processed foods), but I swear, I feel like SO many people I know are affected by illnesses, cancers, diseases, conditions and ailments. I'm truly sad by all this, but at the same time motivated to make healthy choices each day for myself and my family.

MY HUBBY -  CJ is the calm to my storm and the sunshine to my rainy days. I used to think it was so corny when people would say, my husband is my best friend. Guys cannot offer what girls can in friendships. It's true and I still believe that, but I also believe that your spouse is your #1 companion. They are also your confidant, cheerleader, constructive criticizer and caretaker when you are sick.

MY SON - I know moms are supposed to play it cool, but this is my blog and I don't care. I love my son more than anything in this world. More than ANYTHING. I could literally stare at him all day and not be bored. If he let me, I would probably kiss him non-stop. His every move is amazing and clap-worthy for me. From the day he was born, I have prayed every single night thanking God. My prayer starts like this, "Heavenly Father, thank you for another beautiful day with my perfect boy. He is a blessing. Thank you...".

MY FAMILY - My family...we're loud. We play the nose game to get out of doing dishes each time we're together. I'm usually the slowest one, so I despise that game. We have 5 different conversations going on at any given time. I remember one of us yelling whenever dinner was ready. Thanksgiving was our time to throw the best parties whilst our parents were away for the weekend. Four kids times four groups of friends...crazy fun time and a ton of trash. When I think of Thanksgiving, I think of my family and our craziness and I wouldn't change it for the world.

MY EXTENDED FAMILY - This includes my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. I have a special relationship with everyone. I have fond memories with each person. I try my best to call or see them whenever I can. Life gets busy, so you just gotta try a little bit harder.

MY INLAWS - They're a loving bunch, those Changs. Being a part of this family has taught me a lot about patience, love and most importantly, cooking! I've learned some great Korean recipes from my MIL, even kimchi. Never thought I'd ever make my own kimchi, but I've done it three times already. If you can't tell, I'm pretty proud about that!

MY FRIENDS - One day, I need to dedicate one entry specifically for my friends. I genuinely believe that God placed each friend in my life at the time he did for a purpose. Friends are my lifeline. They are the silver lining. They have lifted me up when I was down. My group of girls...we're loud. Really loud. We're the type of friends that will throw each other under the bus because it's fun. We tell it like it is, yet hurt alongside you when one is in pain. Nothing can replace them. Nothing.

Lastly, I am thankful for this blog. I look forward to writing an entry each week and look forward to reading back years from now. Christopher will have a good glimpse into mommy's mind.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Pan con Tomate

CJ and I honeymooned in Barcelona. It was the perfect setting for a pair of lovebirds wanting to explore a beautiful Spanish city. Tapas, sangria, art, architecture, history, culture and friendly people are what I walked away with.

Two things I have brought into our lives back in Maryland are espressos (only me, on occasion) and pan con tomate.

I could eat this every day. Pan con tomate is so simple, yet so flavorful. I can literally eat an entire loaf of french bread this way.

Pan con Tomate

Ingredients:

1 garlic clove
half of a medium tomato
2 slices of french bread
olive oil

Instructions:

Toast french bread.
While it's toasting, crush garlic cloves. I do this with the flat side of a knife.
When bread is ready, take the crushed garlic cloves and rub it on the bread.
Drizzle olive oil.
Halve a tomato and rub it onto the toast.

ENJOY!

Julia's Notes: If you have prosciutto, put a slice on top and it will taste delicious! The recipe calls for just 2 slices, but honestly...good luck having just two. I leave all the ingredients on a cutting board and just nibble on it for the next few hours. It's just that good.

Beautiful

Jessica Alba's Meatballs

There are a ton of meatball recipes out there. They all look tasty. I came across this one and decided to try it because there is one step that makes it so delicious. Jessica Alba's last step involves simmering meatballs in chicken broth. Genius.

Baby bonus: Christopher devoured these and I felt so great about feeding him something nutritious. 

 

Jessica Alba's Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds lean ground turkey
• 1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) OR rolled oats
• 1/4 cup finely chopped carrots
• 1/4 cup finely chopped zucchini
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 cup homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth 

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, mix turkey, panko or rolled oats, carrots, zucchini, onion, eggs, Italian seasoning, and salt until well combined; form into 1-inch balls.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add meatballs and cook, turning, until browned, about 7 minutes.
3. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth; cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until liquid is almost completely absorbed, about 7 minutes. Add remaining 1/4 cup broth and increase heat to medium; cook, uncovered, until liquid is absorbed. Serve. 
    

Julia's Notes:  The original recipe doesn't call for rolled oats. I didn't have panko and substituted with rolled oats. Healthier and the chicken broth ensure it's cooked all the way. YUM! (Also, that is not my picture of meatballs. I've had a situation with my cell phone photos).

 

Skinny Pumpkin Spice Latte

I think it's safe to say everyone loves Starbuck's Pumpkin Spice Lattes. What I don't love is the cost of one of these babies or the calorie count. I found a skinny version of this and I think it tastes so yum. And mind you, I love drinking my coffee black. No sugar, no cream. Black. Something about this latte is soothing to me. I've made it several times and whilst I like my coffee black, I like my lattes sweet. A few extra sprinkles of Stevia made this treat so delectable.

 

Skinny Pumpkin Spice Latte

Recipe cred The Skinny Confidential

 

Ingredients:

 

1/2 cup vanilla almond milk

4 tablespoons pumpkin puree

1 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 drops of liquid stevia

8 ounces of brewed coffee

sprinkle of cinnamon/nutmeg

 

Instructions:

 

In a saucepan, heat up the milk and pumpkin puree on medium heat. Remove from heat and add vanilla, spices and sweetner. Use a blender for 30 seconds. Pour coffee into a mug, then this pumpkin mixture and sprinkle with cinnamon/nutmeg. Enjoy!

 

Julia's Notes: I made this with Dunkin Donuts Pumpkin flavored coffee. So good!