Sweetie Pies

Another Dish & Serve post I am so excited about! My good friend, Casandra, made these delicious-looking pies. So many of us bake/ cook things and take them to someone in need, someone we love, or someone we randomly thought about. I love the whole idea of Dish & Serve, it can be as easy or complex as we have time for. Serving others can be fun and delicious!

Casandra's words:

 I took them to my family because they have done so much for Michael and I and also to my visiting teachers. I am just trying to get to know them so I thought a treat would be a good way to go over there and start to build a relationship with them. I took one to Sam because she loves Apple Pie and is pretty busy this semester so I just thought I would let her know that someone is thinking about her and that someone loves her. 

By way of explanation, Michael is Casandra's husband and they have been married for about 4 months. Visiting teachers are friends from church, and Sam is another good friend of mine and Casandra's. What a girl! She took them to 3 different groups of people. That is a convenient thing about baked goodies, they can be divvied up and taken to many different people.

Now for this recipe and a great picture, I want to try these!

Sweetie Pies

 

Recipe is slightly adapted from the one found at www.ourbestbites.com

Pie Crust

2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup and 2 TBS Crisco shortening

4-6 TBS ice-cold water (or more if needed)

1 tsp salt

Apple Pie Filling (combine all ingredients below):

2 medium tart green apple, peeled and grated

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tablespoon packed brown sugar

2 tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoon cold butter, grated

Glaze (Whisk all ingredients until smooth):

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1-3 tsp milk (Add milk until desired consistency is reached)

2 drops of food coloring

Mix flour and salt together in a mixing bowl. Cut in shortening using a pastry blender until the pieces are pea sized. Sprinkle 2 TBS of water over part of the mixture and gently toss with a fork. Push to side of bowl and repeat until all is moistened. Form into two bowls and put in fridge to cool. While dough chills make the apple pie filling.

After it’s made take the dough out of fridge and flatten dough with hands on a lightly floured surface. Roll dough out until about 1/8 inch thick. Preheat over to 375 and line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Cut the dough with a heart shaped cookie cutter. Place filling in the middle, keeping it at least ¼ inch away from the edges. Wet your finger with water and wet the edge of the pie dough shape. Wet the edges of the 2nd pie dough shape (one without filling) and place on top of the other.  Press them together gently with your fingers to seal the pieces together.  Use a fork to crimp edges, being careful to seal edges around the stick.  Poke a fork into top of pie one time so steam can vent. Brush with butter and sprinkle with sugar or leave plain and put a glaze on it afterwards.

Bake pies for 15-20 minutes until barely golden. If you use a glaze, spoon over pies while they are still warm. Cool completely and package how desired.

The pie cutter I used was about 4" and made 7 pies.

Hope you all had a fantastic Valentine's Day and weekend!

-Cami

Dish and serve tiered food "cakes" and Tostada recipe

Let's face it, not everyone loves to cook, if they did there wouldn't be restaurants EVERYWHERE. Morena from Morena's corner happens to be one of those people. She also happens to be super sweet, I can imagine her being very optimistic the kind that it rubs off on all those she is around. Though she did not put together a typical Dish & Serve post it does give those who don't fancy themselves "cookers" as my 6 year old would say a great idea on how to use food to show love to others. I got this post in my e-mail the same day I got an e-mail my daughters teacher asking that those of us who are in a position to donate food for Thanksgiving baskets should. It will go to students and their families at the school who are in need of them. Immediately I thought that using Morena's way of jazzing up food to be donated would be a fun way to present the Thanksgiving food, baskets or not. If they are doing something like this at your child's school volunteer with your kids to put them together and jazz the food to be given out. Or organize something like this at your kids school or church or wherever. Here is what she did...



"I was thrilled when DeAnn invited me to participate in her dish and serve series!  I'm a crafter, not a baker, though, so I put my own little spin on things. My family made tiered food "cakes" to donate to our local food bank.  I hope you like this idea!

My goal with this project was to encourage my children to think about the people receiving our donation and the impact it would have on them. We talked about how it must feel to have to go to a food bank to ask for assistance.  It's scary to not know where your next meal will come from. It's stressful to worry about food and bills.  Some people might even feel a little embarrassed to have to ask for help.  What could we do to help them?

We decided that it would be fun to make our food donation look like tiered cakes.  Hopefully making the recipient smile and feel happy for a bit!   Each child made their own "cake".  We started with a silver platter from Dollar Tree.  Arrange the first layer of cans or cereal boxes, and secure with decorative tape.  Arrange the second layer and secure with tape.  Add a third layer if desired.  Wrap the cake with various ribbons and tie into bows.  Attach hand written notes.

 My children wanted these to look like gifts, so after I took these pictures, we wrapped each tower in paper and tied the top with a bow.  We will deliver them to the food bank this weekend.

My kids are happy to be helping someone in our community, and I'm glad that this activity encouraged them to stop and think about how others are feeling.  I hope it was a great learning experience for them!

Thanks for letting me share with you!

 

Food banks are in desperate need of donations. The demand is going up while donations are shrinking and altogether drying up, a nasty catch 22. Can't donate?  Then donate your time.

I saw that Morena's daughter was making a tired canned bean "cake" and it made me think of one of my favorite bean recipes that is super fast and healthy.

 

I got this recipe out of Cooking Light magazine, I think. I can't remember what they called it so I think I will re-name it Tostada New Mexicana Stick To Your Ribs Deliciousness, Haha.

If I eat two of these bad girls fully loaded I am FULL! So one per kid and 1-2 for adults.

Pre-heat oven to 400. Take 6-9 corn tortillas and spray with cooking spray on each side or olive oil or butter. Place on cookie sheet if you use 9 corn tortillas you will have to overlap them a bit. Place them in the oven for 3-5 mins. When done take them out of the oven and flip the tortillas.Then place your beans and cheese on the tortillas and place them back in the oven for another 5-8 mins or until the cheese is melted. While they are cooking in the oven cook your eggs (two per tortilla was my preference). When done cooking in the oven plate your food and then place the eggs and avocado over the melted cheese. Of course you can add green chile or red chile or both as is my preference :)


Thanks for stopping by and be sure and check out Morena's blog.

Much love :)

Dish & Serve - Raisin Pie & giveaway

The lovely Jane from Adventures in Dinner is here today to Dish & Serve. I launched Dish & Serve on her blog to see the original post and to see why I started Dish & Serve check out this link.

I'm beyond happy to be guesting today at DeAnn's amazing blog and to be a part of 'Dish and Serve'.

DeAnn is so inspiring and to be honest I struggled to decide what to do.

I finally decided after WAY too long (thanks for being patient DeAnn) to pull out a recipe of my Grandma Kelly's for Raisin Pie.

This recipe is really the height of old fashioned pies. You just don't see them anymore and to be honest I've only seen this version in my area of Canada (Ottawa Valley).

If any of you have seen it elsewhere I'd love to know.

My neighbour (across the street) lost his wife a year ago very abruptly and he had a large group of relatives over recently to plant a tree in the backyard in her honour.

A beautiful Magnolia as gracious as Vivian was.

Not really knowing what to say I offered my support through food.

Pour boiling water over 1 1/2 cups of raisins.

Let stand until cool and drain, saving the water.

Get your pie crust ready or use prepared.

In a bowl combine; 3/4 cup sugar, 2 T. flour and the zest of a lemon (yes, in my bowl is a LOT more-I made three).

Add in your raisins with the juice of one lemon and 1/2 cup of your raisin water.

Place in 9 inch pie crust.

Dot with butter and top with pastry.

Poke with a knife to release the steam.

Bake (on a tray unless you'd like to clean your oven) at 350 for 40 minutes or until the bottom is browned.

Share.

If you would like to do a Dish & Serve post just let me know! I would love for you to do one :) Hint, hint, nudge, nudge.

I am going to do a giveaway, right now...well you can enter right now. 

For what you say, hows about a $30 gift card to Target?! Sound good?!

(and if you don't live by a Target a gift card to another store will be arranged)

What you have to do to enter:

1. Pin two different things from my blog onto Pinterest

2. Like my Facebook page if you haven't already

3. Leave a comment saying that you did both and boom you're entered. 

easy peezy lemon squeezey...now get to it!

Starts today, ends Sunday night the 10th winner will be announced Monday the 11th

No small acts of kindness

I read this quote on Pinterest and it got me thinking about how my family was the recipient of two acts of kindness this past week. We have been sick here for like two weeks...it's ridiculous...pink eye, croup, stomach flu...I am done for the year...DONE. So a friend called one night and asked if I had started dinner yet and I hadn't so she said I am bringing dinner over. Yeah, totally made my week :) Was this a small thing? No it was huge, and I can't put into words how grateful I am for her thoughtfulness. The second was that me and my family had signed up months ago to help clean the church last Saturday with another family. Well I and my husband were still not feeling tip top and wouldn't be able to make it to the church to clean until 1pm. The other family did it all, when I asked why they didn't leave some for us to do she said she knew I was getting over being sick. Another small thing?!...NO, not to me. It may seem like a small thing to the person giving the service but not to the person receiving it!

The quote I saw on Pinterest. (Crappy link but you can follow if you want)

I have to admit that when I first started using Pinterest I was annoyed by all the quotes (now I am contributing to quotes being pinned...right?!). I felt like I don't want to see this...give me the good stuff, partly because when I see signs or pinned quotes I HAVE to read them...I'm compulsive like that. Now I rather enjoy reading 90% of them. There are the few that REALLY hit me and those I really appreciate. The ones that make me think well after I am off Pinterest while I am doing the dishes or driving somewhere they pop in my head and give me something good to chew on for a bit and I appreciate that.

I know what kinds of quotes touch my heart and get me thinking but I want to know what lights the fires of your heart. How would you feel about sending me a link to a quote that gave you pause to think...or laugh. Send me a link and a few lines of your own thoughts about the quote your sending me and I will do a post about it in 2 weeks. I will take 5 peoples quotes and thoughts to make one post. If there is more interest in doing these kinds of posts I will continue them. Don't leave me hanging...please :) I really do want this to be a place where you hopefully feel inspired and feel comfortable leaving your thoughts. I WANT TO HEAR THEM :) ANYONE???  (you can always be anonymous too) Send them to paynelessphoto@gmail.com

I could go on and on I am good at that but I will leave it at this... I appreciate the feelings that came over me as me and my family were given service I felt uplifted, I felt that people cared about me and my family. I want to make others feel that way too. If you need some ideas on how you can make others feel loved through service check out this post I did during the Christmas season it applies all year long. It has some great service ideas.


Much love! 


DeAnn

Plant some flowers guerrilla style-Hello Hydrangea guest post

I love (this word gets thrown around a lot in blog land but I really mean it) Lindsey's blog Hello Hydrangea (Go to her 'about' section to find out how she choose the name for her blog) I just love truly creative individuals like Lindsey. Enough jabbering...don't take my word for it, check out this post and then hop on over to her blog. She had an AWESOME post on cinematography...wow that's a mouthful...

I am so glad to be here at The SIP project blog! Service has always been important in my life. I remember waking up early on a Saturday to clean and weed a widow's yard with my dad - he has been a great example to me of service because he follows Christ's example. It was a great challenge to combine my love of design with a service project from DeAnn! An artist I admire came to mind as I was pondering a project.

Ashley Mae Hoiland inspired me to use this idea and do a 'service project' for the world. I created a custom flower packet and left it in areas where passer-bys would find them. This service allows others to continue the service by planting wildflowers in places that need a little more beauty.

Anyone can download the flower packet template here. All you have to do is print them out, glue the sides together and fill them with your flowers of choice. Then leave them in areas for others to find! There are a few ways you can attach them to fences, trees or benches - just be courteous and make them easy to take without leaving anything behind. Here are a few ways:

Thank you again, DeAnn! I love being involved in uplifting blogs!

I can't wait to make these with my kids! I know they will love it! This would be super fun to give to all the kids in my daughters kindergarten class...hmmm...wheels turning. 

Where are you going to leave your packets of seeds??? Oh...and what kinds of seeds are you going to put in yours...I'm thinking Holly Hock seeds, one of my faves!

                                                               You might also like:

Rock photo holder DIY project

Cumorah's Vogue portraits

Mullen family portraits and service project

"It rained money"

My kiddos recently spent some time at Papou's and Yiayia's (grandpa & grandma in Greek) house. My dad is so much fun with my kids, his imagination doesn't quit he is a story teller extraordinaire. During their last visit he made it "rain money" I wasn't there for this event but this is what I was told took place by my daughter. Which is better then what I remember happening as a kid, he would through a 20 bucks in the pool and watch us all try and get to it...anyway. So he made it rain money and my daughter came home with a little plastic container full of change. On our way home last week from school she surprised me by saying that she wanted to put her money in the service jar (the post I did on it I called it the Giving Jar). Well she was super excited to put her money in it and I responded with enthusiasm which made her even more excited, she was beaming, it was adorable. The reason I write the post is because I made the Giving Jar post on December 7th and I remember talking to her about what it was for and I distinctly remember feeling like she wasn't hearing me. BUT SHE DID apparently! She remembered it 3 months later and we haven't talked about but that once. So I am here to remind you not to be discouraged if you feel like your kids aren't listening. Somehow in their busy little state of constant motion they absorb a ton. Let me tell you I was super duper excited when she asked to put her money in the "service jar" even if in the picture she doesn't look very happy. I wish I could have snapped a picture of her while t Don't give up hope parents your children are watching, listening and learning from you!

If  you missed that post here is a link to it. Also I did these other service oriented posts in December which could be adapted to fit in your life anytime of the year. (click on the picture to follow the links)

     

     








Thanks for stopping by! Do you have any instances where your kids surprised you listening?

Cookie party!!!

oh...and I forgot to add M&M's to the list.

I had the paper plates for them to take cookies on to whoever they were going to drop them off to. 

I also had cute plates for them to put their cookies on to take home as their party favor.

We had a good time watching the kids decorate their cookies. Especially my niece Emma her cookie is the one pictured at the top. Most of the kids decorated quite a few cookies and I think she did 3 but with enough frosting for a dozen cookies. I wish I would have taken a group shot of them all decorating cookies but I was too busy talking it up with the other moms. There were just a few stragglers when I finally started taking pictures the rest were off playing.

My tired little two almost three year old Russel
(yes it's spelled with one L. We couldn't afford the other L ;)
He was exhausted and upset about everything. He dumped a whole jar of sprinkles on two of his cookies which made him really cry and then I gave him another jar of sprinkles and then he was content. He totally crashed hard about 30 minutes later. Cute little crazy boy.

The kids had a blast and the moms had a good time chatting. An all around good time and an easy way to fit in a little service.