Butter pie crust

I found this recipe a couple of years ago while looking for a good pie crust recipe for Thanksgiving. I have the same feelings about shortening that I have about spam: I know I ate it my whole life in various recipes, but I can't bear to buy it or use it myself.. Strange. But I digress. This crust is so delicious and so simple....

So just in time for Thanksgiving:

Butter pie crust

1 1/4 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c butter
1/4c ice water

Mix flour and salt. Cut in butter. Add water a tablespoon at a time and mix until soft dough forms. Form into a ball and refrigerate overnight.

I never remember to refrigerate overnight. I just roll it out between two pieces of saran wrap and try to work fast before it gets too soft :) OH! and this is a single pie crust recipe, which tricks me every time. Don't forget to double it for a pie that needs a top!

It's sooo yummy and I use it for everything from regular pies to pot pies to homemade pop tarts....

which we made this morning. Just spread jelly between two pieces of dough, cut out with cookie cutters and, like my boys informed me this morning, "if you're a nice mom you'll put sprinkles on top."

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Pumpkin Baked French Toast

I am posting tonight for 2 reasons:

1. My boys went absolutely nuts over this recipe. Like 3 helpings...

2. For my dear Grandma Goodwin (technically Dan's grandma, but I claim her, too). This comes out very soft and is so delicious with real maple syrup on top. I think it could make her happy.

Pumpkin Baked French Toast

(Serves 4-6)

• 3 1/2 cups cubed bread (I used Ezekiel, but other types are fine. French bread would be really good in this recipe, as would cinnamon-raisin. Depending on the type of bread, you might need more or less than 3.5 cups. You want enough to fill an 8×8 pan.) (175g) (I (Melissa) used day-old homemade bread)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or just add a little extra cinnamon)
• sweetener of choice (If you want to top the casserole with syrup post-baking, use 3 nunaturals stevia packs or 3 tbsp sugar. If you’d prefer a sweeter breakfast casserole that needs no topping, increase the amount to 5-6 tbsp)
• 1 1/4 cups milk of choice (300g)
• optional: 2 tbsp butter-type spread of choice (for a more buttery result) (30g)
• 1 cup MoriNu silken-firm tofu, or 1 cup yogurt of choice (240g)
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (I used canned pumpkin) (120g) 
• optional: handful of raisins

In a very large bowl, combine first 5 ingredients and stir well. In a separate bowl, combine all remaining ingredients and stir very well. (If using the tofu, you should blend liquid ingredients. Otherwise, just stir by hand.) Grease an 8×8-in baking pan, and pour dry ingredients into pan. Cover evenly with the wet mixture, then cover the entire dish with a lid or saran wrap and fridge overnight. The next morning, preheat oven to 400 F and cook about 30 minutes. Top with maple syrup or your favorite French toast topping (or eat plain, if you opt to use the extra dry sweetener pre-baking.)

from http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/11/04/pumpkin-baked-french-toast/ (this website is AMAZING.)

Election day memories...

I do not have time to write this tonight, but it popped into my head tonight and I wanted to make sure I wrote it down.

I feel all sorts of nervous about the election tomorrow. I'm probably not going to turn the TV on all day long, then turn it on the morning of my birthday and see which president I get for my birthday. My birthday is always right around or on election day, and I have gotten a president or two.

 Today I got a birthday card from my Mother-in-law. It's probably the only birthday card I'll get  since mostly people resort to the facebook birthday salute these days (which I'm guilty of as well.... *added to my list of things to be better about*). But it's fun to get a birthday card. It took me back to the days when I used to get two birthday cards every year. One from each of my grandmas. I always loved getting Grandma Stewart's birthday card, with her gorgeous, flowing script, accompanied by generous, beautifully wrapped gifts (always wrapped in tissue paper, then wrapped in wrapping paper. Her talent did not pass on to me...). Grandma Stewart sent a card for every holiday, even Halloween, and it was always accompanied by some cash. Man, as a kid, didn't you always feel so special when you got MONEY? I think I miss the Halloween cards the most. But I digress....

 The other birthday card was always from Grandma Shirley. It was always a card, with a check for $10 and in the subject line of the check, she had always written a note in shorthand (so who knows what it said??). The best part of my birthday cards from her, which were usually the only communication I had from her all year long, was that she always talked about whatever election was coming up. It was hilarious. I remember the year it was Bush v. Gore and she could barely handle how nervous she was about the election, and that's what my entire birthday card was about. Dan and I went to visit her when I was VERY pregnant with Ben and we both laughed when we went into her bedroom: on one wall she had probably 9 or 10 pictures of my family, the grandkids, etc... On the facing wall?? 20 or 30 pictures of various republican candidates. She was as republican as you can get, and she had gotten most of her pictures as thank you gifts for donating to their campaigns.

 So tonight, on election day eve, I'm nervous about the election, but really I'm just sitting here missing my Grandmas. And I know, if they could, they'd each send me a birthday card, special in its own way.

The lion, the spider, and the wardrobe....

I've said before I love Halloween for oh so many reasons, but I always look forward to getting to sew for my boys! This year's creations:

-The lion:

As seems to be tradition for me, I couldn't find a pattern I liked. So I just had to make something up. I really like how the mane turned out. I made little bundles of this furry yarn I found, then had to hand-sew them on. That was kind of a pain... :) but I liked it in the end.

These are from the school parade.

The spider:

George at the school parade. We had to look up how many eyes black widows have and what color the eyes are. In true George fashion, he was concerned that his costume be anatomically correct. Oh, and that's fishing line holding up the other legs. 

Ready to trick or treat!

 The wardrobe:

 You will recognize the last two from years past....

Henry really wanted to be the night fury. I don't blame him :) This is one of my favorite costumes I've made. (For a better look, see http://blogztheblogtoendallblogs.blogspot.com/2011/11/halloween.html)

Our sweet little Sam tiger. Sam loved his "tiger shirt." I did not let him wear it to bed as he suggested, though :)

Then there was our little Jack-o-lantern. I didn't make this outfit, just found it at Walmart :)

We had a great Halloween! Hope you had a happy Halloween, too!