Apple Pie

I partook this year in the quintessential fall activity:

Apple Picking!  And while the place of choice this year lost 90% of their crop in May, there were still lots of apples to be had.  

You just had to work for it:

Having fun with my apple picker.

Successful Apple Picker

I was saddened to hear that this small gorgeous little farm in Vermont had lost so much of their crop due to the rains in May.  Can you imagine?  It's 90% of their revenue!  I love supporting these local businesses - so I was more than happy to pick apples, eat a cider donut and obviously, visit the corn maze*.  

I wish I had paid closer attention to the actual types of apples I picked, but alas, I was having too much fun to be bothered.  I picked two different types - one which had a softer texture and one that was nice and crisp and firm.  I love my apple crisps and tart.  In fact, my favorite apples are Honeycrisp and they singlehandedly make me love fall.

My apples didn't look like they were going to last more than two weeks, so I decided to chef up a little pie, using this very simple recipe from Epicurious:

Apple Pie

Pre made pie crust

1 firmed packed cup brown sugar

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

3 1/2 pounds apple, cored, peeled and sliced

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

The most time consuming part is getting the apples ready.  This recipe suggests Granny Smith apples, but I think any crisp firm baking apple will do quite well.  Really just depends on what you prefer.

Once your apples are all set, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together and then add in the sliced apples.  Give a good toss until the apples are fully coated. 

Go ahead and sample a few...

Pour the apples onto your pre-made pie crust (or if you're an overachiever, a homemade pie crust).  I err-ed on the side of overfilling, which I think was a good call in the end.  These are tightly arranged, and I did have some extras, so just fill it until it's full and eat the rest.  

I am trying to get artsy with my camera shots.... what do you think?

Now it's time to get to work on what will become a delicious crumbly crust.  Chop up your sticks of butter into pieces.  Slightly chilled will work best.  

Combine flour, sugar and butter pieces in a bowl.  Now it's time to drop the dainty act, get down to business and make some delicious crumbly crust.  Get your hands in there and get to mixing.  You want to combine until the mixture is crumbly.  It takes a bit, you really needs to dig down and make sure you got the flour and sugar mixed up completely.

Keep going until it looks like this.  VOILA!

At this point, it's time to top the pie with the crumbly mixture.  

Aren't you excited!!?!?!?

Put this baby in the oven at 450 degrees for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.  Bake until the crust is golden brown and the apples are tender.  

By the time this baby had baked and cooled to appropriate temperature (at least 20 minutes), it was time to have a piece.  Just one.  Just a sliver.  Just a little something tasty before heading on into bed.  

Aren't you proud of my apple pie in "moderation"?

Yum.  The crumbly crust has molded into one crispy, tasty topping.  The apples were soften than I would have liked, but the flavor was awesome.  The pre-made pie crust tasted exactly like you might expect a pre-made pie crust to taste (you can also skip the bottom crust if you want, just spray the pan appropriately).  Last time I made an apple pie, the pie filling spread out all over the place when I cut into it, but this one was perfection.  

mmmm.... happy fall to me.

calories:  bad news bears.  it's apple pie - just eat it and love it in moderation.

Ravioli Vegetable Soup

There's been a clear chill in the air lately... a very familiar Fall crispness has arrived.  It's time to pull out the down comforters, throw open the windows and park your butt on the couch on Sundays.  It's also time to dig out the crock pots and start making some seriously warm and hearty meals.  As I planned out a weeks worth of menus this past weekend, I saw a glaring trend - most everything was very fall feeling - squash, apples, pumpkin, soups.  Subconsciously, I must be ready for a change in season.

I bring to you:

Ravioli Vegetable Soup
1 bag of frozen peppers, thawed and chopped
2 cloves minced garlic (or crushed)
1 Tbsn Olive Oil
1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes (optional)
1 can of crushed tomatoes
1.5 cups of water
20 oz of chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1 package of ravioli of your choosing (anywhere from 6 to 14 ounces is fine)
1 zucchini
1 Tbsp of dried basil
Salt/Pepper to taste


Heat a little EVOO in a saucepan and when heated, add in peppers, garlic and red pepper.  Allow to cook for a few minutes, constantly stirring as to not stick to the bottom of the pan.  Let the flavors heat together as you saute.  Take a deep breath..... this is one of my favorite smells.  Peppers and garlic... OH MY!

Add in your tomatoes, broth, water and basil.  Allow to come to a boil. Again, keep stirring.  You don't want to burn any to the bottom of your pan.

Once boiling, add in your raviolis.  According to the recipe I followed, you're supposed to cook them three minutes less than directed on the package.  I imagine this is so they don't get mushy.  Don't sweat this... I didn't time mine.... I was doing dishes and I turned around and they had floated to the top.  This was a clear sign to hurry up and move on to the next step. Typically, when raviolis float, they are done cooking.

Attention!  We've got floaters!

Reduce heat a bit and add zucchini's.  Cook on medium heat until they are firm/tender/soft.  Not too soft... not too firm.  Fine balance.  (As you can see here, I clearly need a BIGGER saucepan.)  (And someone to clean up this splattery disaster on my stove.)

Add fresh ground pepper to the soup and serve.  Ta-da!

This homemade soup was wicked easy to make... and what I love most about it is that you can tailor to your tastes.  Love Zucchini?  Add more, add less.  If the soup feels to thick, add more broth.  Mix up your herbs to add different flavor.  Go nuts kids, it's your show.  It was a perfect creation for a leisurely Sunday.

I got five separate servings of this.  I separated into tupperwares and froze two of them for a later date.  If you decide to freeze, fill up to the top of the tupperware, leaving about a cm or half inch free.  This will allow the soup to expand a bit (which it will), but not so much that it forces itself out of the tupperware.  But it also reduces the space for freezer burn, so you can keep it frozen longer.

Total calories:  Approximately 1,200 - five servings: 240 each.

Garden Omelet

I love Sunday mornings.  Mostly because it means a whole day of freedom to do whatever I want to do.  Last week, I trekked to the Normal People Grocery Store, leisured around finding bargains and other fairly priced items.  I left with a $90 bill, but I had some serious food and felt content with the value ratio.  But that's a whole 'nother blog post folks... the point is, I had my coffee, I had my walk and I left that grocery store feeling satisfied and happy.

This Sunday was no exception to the Satisfied Sunday rule.  I arrived back from MN very late the night before, so I enjoy a nice late sleep and then padded into the kitchen to see what I could chef up for a little breakfast.   I found some eggs, mushrooms, scallions, and some seriously old milk.  (Side note, I have still not tossed this seriously old milk.  I'm afraid of it.  Try not to judge.)  I decided for the omelet route and chopped up the mushrooms and scallions and threw them in a pan to soften up a bit for a few minutes.

I whisked two eggs in a bowl and poured them into the pan.  Since the shredded cheese has apparently gone MIA, I threw some ricotta into the mix.  Close enough right? 

Did you know Italians say ree-GOT-ta?  I know this because one of my BFF's boyfriend is straight up RI Italian and those folks know what they are talking about.  I'm from the midwest and I say ri-COT-a.  

I also say bay-gle (bagel) and pop (soda) and my east coast friends take enjoyment in making fun of my funny sounding 'O's.  Jerks.

I digress.  Back to the omelet.  Omelet making is a skill.  I prefer to have the pan at a medium heat.  When you pour the egg mixture in, keep shuffling around the eggs to the side and tilting the pan so the eggs run onto the clean part.  They key is to keep the egg cooking, but to keep it all in one piece. Leave for a few minutes on this one side  

Once it is ready to be flipped, you'll be able to tell because the edges will turn up a bit and the omelet will be soft on top.  Using a spatula, be very careful in flipping it over.  Sometimes I use two of them to ensure it flips safely.

See how the edges are clean and the top looks soft, not runny?  Top this with cracked pepper and you're ready to flip.

Once it's flipped, it needs very little time on the second side.  Maybe thirty seconds to a minute max.  You'll know it's ready when it slides around the pan pretty easily.  At this point you're all set.  As you transfer to your plate, fold in half as it slides out of the pan.  

If you love your omelet cheese-y, sprinkle it on the omelet before you transfer to your plate.  As you transfer, it will smoosh the cheese in between the hot sides and melt in a crazy delicious way.


I really liked this omelet.  Using just what I had on hand, I think I did pretty well.  The ricotta wasn't a complete substitute for real cheese, but it did the trick.


Calories - 225.  (eggs- 140, ricotta - 60, vegetables - 25)