Granny Smith's

Good afternoon!  I spent a few moments in the kitchen this morning.  I had some Granny Smith's that were just begging to be put into a pie, so I put them in two pies!  LOL...they are not pretty but they sure did smell exceptionally good baking.  My mom picked up 2 pie pans for me at the flea market. All I've been able to find were 9 inch pans and this recipe calls for an 8 inch pie plate and trust me, an 8 inch pie plate is about as far as you can make the pie crust go once you divide it in half. The first pie I made like the directions and made a two crust but on this second pie, I decided to attempt a lattice top...don't laugh....it is not very pretty!  According to the directions, you roll the pie dough out onto wax paper but I found it much easier to use Parchment paper.  The dough stuck to the wax paper but peeled right off the parchment.  So, its been noted on my recipe to use parchment paper instead of wax. Maybe parchment paper wasn't as readily available when Joanna made this recipe but its definitely better to use then the wax paper was.

Like I said, its not pretty!  Maybe next time I will do a better job with the lattice...I realized after I cut it that I should have cut it all the same width and I made the mistake of laying the first way all on the top of the pie and then it got warmed up by the hot filling and I couldn't 'pick' it up to weave...but I'm sure Bill and I will eat it anyway!  We aren't too particular on looks as long as it taste great! This pie plate was a bit too deep but it was the 8 inch size, thus the reason why I attempted the lattice top...just divided the crust about 75/25 instead of 50/50, put the larger piece in the bottom and used the smaller half for the lattice top.

 Here is the recipe if anyone wants it:

Old Fashioned Apple Pie (a Joanna Lund recipe)

1 Pillsbury refrigerated unbaked 9-inch piecrust
1 (4-serving) package JELL-O sugar-free vanilla cook-n-serve pudding mix
1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon Jo's Apple Pie Spice (or any reputable apple pie spice)
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar Twin (I used Splenda Brown Sugar blend)
3 1/2 cups (3 large) cored, peeled and sliced cooking apples

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Meanwhile, let pie crust set at room temperature for 10 minutes. In a large saucepan, combine dry pudding mix, apple juice, and water. Stir in JO's Apple Pie Spice and Brown sugar Twin. Add apples. Mix well to combine. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until the apples start to soften, stirring often.  Remove from heat.  Place saucepan on a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Cut the pie crust in half. Gently roll each half into a ball.  Wipe counter with a wet cloth and place a sheet of waxed paper over damp spot. Place one of the balls on the waxed paper. Cover with another piece of waxed paper and roll out into a 9-inch circle, with rolling pin. Carefully remove waxed paper from one side and place crust into an 8-inch pie plate. Remove other piece of waxed paper. Evenly spoon apple mixture into pie crust. Repeat process of rolling out remaining pie crust half. Place second crust over top of pie and flute edges. Make about 8 slashes with a knife to allow steam to escape. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 30 to 35 minutes. Place pie plate on a wire rack and allow to cool completely.  Cut into 8 servings

8 Servings:
167 Calories, 7g Fat, 1g Pr, 25g Ca, 160mg So, 8mg Cl, 1g Fi.

And yes, I realize that those red apples are not Granny Smiths.....unfortunately, all the Granny's went in the pie and when I decided to take a picture, all I had left were the Red Delicious!
And, since I was taking pictures in the kitchen, I decided to take one of the newly remodeled area.  The dishwasher 'finally' made it in yesterday and Bill and I got it installed.  I haven't ran it yet to see how it works. It looks like I might be able to fit more in it than I could my old one.  BTW...did I tell you that I bought two more door shelves for the refrigerator?  Yep, we took the "Beverage Cooler" out and added two more shelves so I can put more stuff on the door.  It still seems like its smaller than the old refrigerator but I'm starting to adjust to it.  Next to replace will be the microwave and the range but that is for another year...maybe next year!  We need to get to work on Bill's bathroom and I'd like new carpeting in the family room...

At this time, we added new Armstrong Luxe Vinyl Plank flooring, bead-board to the back-splash, a new faucet, refrigerator and dishwasher.  I'm looking for new knobs for the cabinets so they match the stainless better.  I know the gold on the ceiling fan should be changed too but I have three of these in this room and hate to change them all....have thought about bronze or nickle spray paint but I'm sure I will hear lots of complaining from Bill when I ask him to take them down to paint...maybe the next person that owns this home can change them out...I'll just do the cabinet pulls. I really, really love my floor even if it does need sweeping every day.  All in all, I'm happy with this minor remodel!  I'm sure the young gals are appalled at the OAK cabinets but no amount of pressure will get me to paint over that lovely wood!  Some day...new counter tops too! I'll just add that to next years list too...  ;)

Have a GREAT day!

>>>

Cards, Cards and more Cards.....

I knew I had gotten behind on posting the cards I make but didn't realize I'd got this far behind...I'll be sharing 15 cards today, as long as Blogger allows me to post that many in one post but if not, I guess it will have to be in more than one...

First up is a Birthday card. This was made way back the first of 2013 so trying to remember the particulars is next to impossible for this ole brain...LOL...I know the card stock is from Papertrey Ink and I drew the flowers and the greenery. I'm thinking the dandelion was a brush but not sure where I got it and the butterfly was cut on the Silhouette and I'm sure it and the label were files from the Silhouette Store...I wish I would remember to add a note to all my files but I don't!  Anyway, this was designed completely in the Silhouette software program and cut on the Cameo.

Next up....another birthday card, this one for my younger sister.  It was pretty simple and easy to make...probably had little time to do it in, is my guess...LOL...I used an embossing folder on the green panel, cut the butterflies on the cameo and then made the round tag and cut out of some paper I had on hand at the time.  Layered it up and added a ribbon bow...easy, easy, easy!

 

Are you bored yet?   Only 13 more to go!  This was another birthday card that I wanted to try out the technique of cutting out the front panel with a butterfly cut file and then cutting it again with pattern paper to layer it on top of the cutout.  I embossed the panel and added some pink cardstock underneath.  Rotated the sentiment down the side and then did a trace on the bicycle and did a print and cut with the Cameo.  After it was all cut out. I added Crystal lacquer to the metal part of the bicycle to make it shiny and then added a bit more to the flowers in the basket.  The bicycle file and papers are from Free Spirit by Krystal Hartley and Laurie Ann.  I really liked how this one turned out! I've added another image so you can see how I did the inside. 

 

Ok. on to card number 4!  Whew....another birthday...I don't make much of anything else!  This too used a digital kit that I traced and then did a print and cut...the dollies and bird on the vine came from this kit but at the moment I can not find it. The butterfly came from a kit by Lauri Ann called April Showers.  I'm thinking she is the artist for the bird too but will have to check on that more.  The dollies and bird are printed onto the scallop panel and then I traced just the bird and cut it again out of the teal stock and layered it on top.  Added some pretty dotted paper, teal ribbon and a wooden button.  I'm sure the saying came from the same kit as the dollies...

Oh, my....this is starting to bore me...I can imagine what it is doing to you...at least its not a birthday card...its a Father's Day card instead...I really like using the Cameo to cut out panels and then layer behind them.  It just adds something special to the card.  This is one of the first times I actually thought about rounding my corners.  I usually forget until I've got it all layered up and then you can't use the corner rounder.  The stars were something I picked up in the clearance aisle at Wally World.  It's funny about that font in my greeting....I was just typing in the greeting and the phone rang...I answered, talked for quite a while and came back to the card and printed it off....never even changed the font from the default font...didn't even notice till I had it all assembled and thought...that doesn't look the best!  Oh, well...I'm not starting over!  Kraft stock from Papertrey Ink and the blue is just some AC stock.  A little twine and called it good!

Have I posted the card I sent you yet?  I'm thinking it was this one but I could be so wrong!  I do good to remember who I made a card for this week and which one it was....LOL...my friend Max got to see her card on the blog and I'd already forgot it was the one I made for her...by the time I hit 70, I won't know where I live!

Anyway, this card was simply made with circles that I filled in SDE and then cut them on the Cameo.  Cut out and layered up some flowers because I wanted them to be thicker like chipboard elements and then used my markers to color the edges to match the paper.   This card is pretty self explanatory!

This is my least favorite of all the cards I've done....I had this thought in my head that didn't come out as good as I envisioned and it took more time than any card I've done...I wanted the vase to look like it was filled with water and the stems were in the water behind the glass.  I wish I could say it worked but it really didn't.  Just looks like I parted the water and laid the stems in the gap.  Flowers were cut files from Silhouette, filled with pattern paper and then cut and layered up with buttons and twine.  Embossed the back panel wit dots and tied on a pretty gingham ribbon.

Halfway there....this is another card I made with the free kit I got in my card making magazine from Hunky Dory...called Flutterbye Wishes....I'm anxious to get this months kit cause we are suppose to get another free kit from Hunky Dory again...I really love them.  Every thing was from the kit except for the scalloped card base and I made that with the Silhouette.  Added a few rhinestones and a beautiful card was completed. 

Still with me?  I sure hope so! I'd been wanting to try one of these cards for quite some time and finally broke down and bought some of the clear cardstock from PaperTrey Ink...loved how it turned out but it was terribly hard to photograph so you could see the clear part.  The girl, tag, clouds, fence and butterflies are on the front of the clear stock card and then the scenery is printed on cardstock and attached to the top of the clear stock.  I scored the clear stock about an inch down from the top and then the scenery was fitted into the fold and the clear stock was glued on the back side.  I added another label to the inside on the scenery for the inside message and its hidden behind the front label.  It looks so much prettier in real life!  Rolled flowers, ribbon, rhinestones and glitter and then a bit of distress inks around the edges...I have to laugh...looking at it here, it looks like she is riding a bike with a flat front tire!

 

Another card I tried using the clear stock.  The white chevron was cut on the Silhouette and attached to the front of the clear stock.  The balloons and wish were cut files that I filled and cut on the cameo and then I just added pink cardstock to the inside. On this one, I had to do a whole cardstock card (out of the pink) so I would have a place to write the inside message...otherwise, it would have shown on the front and I wouldn't have liked that look!  Not the prettiest card but it was ok! This card shows why I prefer to cut my files out of colored stock.....I do not like white edges and I forgot to color the edges of the Wish with my markers..

 

I'd better put it in high gear...Bill is hollering for supper!  Ok...a card that started out as a birthday card and ended up a Sympathy card....didn't even have a need at the time but didn't think it looked too festive for a birthday card either.  This was a new technique I'd learned how to do by making a swing card. The paper is Every Day Kraft by the Paper Studio.  Some ribbon, a bit of Liquid Pearl on the flower, some black dots and a sentiment...I need to make up a few of these to keep on hand.The flower stamp came from Kerri Bradford.

Onward.....we are getting closer! Only 4 more to go today!  Not that I'm caught up but it will be all for this post.  This was made for my beautiful, sweet daughter.  It wasn't my idea, I found it on Pinterest and had to see if I could re-create it with the Silhouette.  The original poster had used a die but I don't own any so had to make my own cut in SDE. The cut file wasn't too hard to make but it was a bugger to figure out how to get it mounted to the front oft the card.  I finally just cut stripes of foam tape as narrow as I could so it wouldn't show behind the 'wire'...the butterfly is a Silhouette cut file and I used some new glimmer paper stock that I got from PaperTrey Ink...love the shine it has...both the white and the blue are glimmer papers. The yellow is plain.  She loved it, of course! 

I'm sure you are aware that August is a busy birthday month for me....Greg, Jack, Bella and Jerri Ann and then Bill and my anniversary....I had to have all these done before the grands came for their summer visit which falls during the first of the month.  This one coming up was for Bella....she is a cowgirl at heart...loves riding horses whenever she gets the chance.  The kit is called GiddyUp Cowgirl by Carta Bella...love this kit and have used it twice now....All I did was use the paper for fills on my shapes and layered it all up.  The tag came from the kit...I made the scallops and the horse/cowgirl shape, I have no idea!  I'm sure it was a cut file but I can't find it in the library so I don't think it was from Silhouette but it could be an svg file.  Again...I need to add notes to my files!  A little ribbon, a pretty pink resin flower and some fake stitching...

Next for the month was Greg, one of my hardest cards to come up with...I like pink and frill...not boring and manly...nothing spectacular....just cut some pattern paper and layered it on with an added button...

And the last card I will share today....birthday card for dear Jack...love doing cards for little ones...
The puppy and balloons are cut files from Rivka's Renditions and was purchased through the Silhouette Store.  Embossed the background with a large dot embossing folder, layered the pup and added the balloons and some colored twine for the strings.  I just cut a few 7's from cardstock and added them around the base.

That's all for now....hope you didn't go to sleep before you made it through....I hope to post the rest of them next week....about a dozen more to go!

Enjoy,

Snow Again

I haven't had a pair of boots for years and don't really like to wear them but Vickie got me this pair of duck shoes for Christmas and I love them. They have been put to good use this year with all the snow we have gotten and it's still coming down. I went out and did a little sweeping while Brent and a neighbor cleaned some of the neighborhood driveways off and help a car get out that was stuck in the snow. Going to stay in now and have a cup of coffee with a nice fire going and watch some of the Olympics with more snow.
Thanks for the warm shoes Vickie!