A Dinner Argument

POST EDIT:  Tonight during our dessert of chocolate ice cream, I realized Christian doesn't say 'licious.  He actually says "wicious.  It sounds even cuter when I think of it that way.  He also ended the argument this evening by saying "No, it's 'wicious AND nummy."  Cue a sigh of contentment.  I LOVE my kids.

Should I blog, should I blog, should I blog?  I've been on the fence for quite some time.  I used to love it and I still love the benefits of it but sometimes I have nothing to say.  And I shy away from the pressure of having something current up all the time.  But there's this cute little argument that goes on at our dinner table right now that I want to be able to remember in years to come so today, I blog.

I've been rocking dinner lately.  If I do say so myself.  This week I made (or am planning on making):

 

Cornflake Chicken Cordon Bleu

I forgot to buy the broccoli rabe and I could have done without the sauce but the whole family liked the chicken and I served it with roasted asparagus.

 

Chicken Stew with Biscuits

I've been craving Panera Bread's Sonoma Chicken Stew for a few weeks now and since it's apparently seasonal cannot get my hands on it so I've been looking for something I can make to satisfy the craving.  This fits the bill.

I just made the stew from Ina's recipe but halved the amount of onions and didn't actually use the pearl onions.  I also substituted the parsley for 1/2 t. thyme.  I changed the biscuit recipe a bit (though I've made them following these instructions and they are fantastic) and baked them separately.  I omitted the honey and instead added 1 t. sugar, 1 c. Colby jack cheese, 1/4 c. cheddar cheese, 1 1/2 t. dried parsley and 1/8 t. dried thyme to the dry mixture and followed the rest of the instructions for adding the buttermilk and folding the biscuits.  Instead of using a round cutter, I cut them with a knife to form triangular biscuits like Panera serves.  Holy Cow Delicious.   

 

Meatball Sandwiches

Did you know that with the purchase of a sandwich, you can get day old bread from Jimmy John's. 

Love!

 

Homemade Tomato Soup

 

 When we sit down to dinner this happens often:

 

Me: Mmmmm.  This is delicious.

 (I say this genuinely; I love good food and most of the time when I make my menu, it's to please me.  Sorry, family.  I'm a little selfish.)

 

Then Christian mimics me and this is where the cute little argument starts.

 

Christian: This is 'licious.

Ella: No.  It's nummy.

Christian: No.  It's 'licious.

Ella: No.  It's nummy.

Christian: No.  It's 'licious.

Ella: No.  It's nummy. 

 

They go on and on and on until one of them gets distracted.

 

Since both the babies are verbal now, their daily arguments can be tiresome but this one is heartwarming.  And since I don't get much praise from the older boys, I'll take these little ones' thank you's for their meal anyway I can get it.  Even when it sounds like "You say
 tom-A-to, I say tom-AH-to."

 

Zuppa Toscana Soup

I made this soup for dinner tonight and served it with a loaf of french bread. When we sat down to eat just a few minutes ago, I fully expected the boys to turn up their noses. They tend to be a bit skeptical of just about anything unless it's typical kid food, though in the past year we've made major strides in expanding their food repertoire. They did finish their bread and juice first, but when I told them they absolutely had to try to the soup they did--after I obliged them in helping them eat it since soup is a bit drippy. Both boys finished their bowls (including the kale!) and I even heard this from Carter: I'm so proud of you, mom! This cook is AWESOME! Those were his exact words--I imagine he meant that I'm an awesome cook. Ahh, that made making dinner worth it.

Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana Soup

1 lb. spicy Italian sausage - crumbled
1/2 lb. smoked bacon - chopped
1 qt. water
(2) 14.5 oz. cans (about 3 2/3 cups) chicken broth
2 lg. russet potatoes - scrubbed clean, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves - peeled, minced
1 med. onion - peeled, chopped
2 cups chopped kale or Swiss chard
1 cup heavy whipping cream
salt and pepper - to taste


-In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown sausage, breaking into small pieces as you fry it; drain, set aside.
-In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown bacon; drain, set aside.
-Place water, broth, potatoes, garlic, and onion in a pot; simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender.
-Add sausage and bacon to pot; simmer for 10 minutes.
-Add kale and cream to pot; season with salt and pepper; heat through.

A Belated Valentine's Treat

At the last minute, I decided to make this fondue recipe for Valentine's Day. It's divine. And somehow I don't feel guilty because we use fresh fruit for our dippers.

Chocolate Turtle Fondue

1 11-1/2-ounce package milk chocolate pieces
1/4 cup milk or cream
2 T. caramel ice cream topping
1 T. finely chopped pecans

Fondue dippers

In the top of a double boiler placed over gently simmering water, or in heavy small saucepan, combine the chocolate pieces and 1/4 cup milk. Heat, stirring constantly, over low heat until chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir in 2 tablespoons caramel ice cream topping. Cook and stir till heated through. Stir in additional milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency.
Pour mixture into a fondue pot; place over fondue burner set on low. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon finely chopped pecans over the top. Do not stir. With fondue forks or long skewers, dip your favorite fondue dippers. Will hold up to 1 hour on low. If mixture gets too thick, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time. Makes 5 (1/4-cup) servings.


**I do not have a double broiler so I put one of my glass bowls over a sauce pan to make my own with what I have. Just make sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. Over heating the chocolate is the danger here. I also don't have a fondue pot, so I just use the same glass bowl I heat the chocolate in. Our favorite dippers include strawberries, banana pieces, fresh pineapple cubes, rice krispie and brownie bites, and marshmallows.

Homemade Tomato Soup & Homemade Focaccia: A Tasty Combination

I'm never going back to Panera Bread. The only reason I go is to get their baked potato soup in a sourdough bread bowl. The last 3 times I've been, they haven't been serving that soup and I get something else that is definitely sub par. On my last visit, I got their tomato soup. It was only okay.

Last month I made a recipe for homemade tomato soup that I found on my ward's recipe blog. It was so tasty--especially after it sat for three days in the refrigerator. Seriously. If you could even wait that long you should make a big batch and then let it refrigerate for 2 or 3 days. I made the soup again earlier this week and made a quick accompaniment for it last night: Jamie's Focaccia Bread. Wow, I just ate lunch at 10:00 am because I couldn't wait to eat the left overs. I seriously may never go back to Panera Bread. You shouldn't either. You should call me and come over for lunch. If you don't you should at least make this in your own kitchen for your own family.

Homemade Tomato Soup

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min

Ingredients:
1 14oz can chopped tomatoes
1/4-1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 stalk celery, diced
1 small carrot, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (substitute Italian seasoning, or sage and thyme; they all work well).
1/2 cup heavy cream, optional (we have never used this)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Strain the chopped canned tomatoes, reserving the juices, and spread onto a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and drizzle with about 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Roast until caramelized, 10-15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat remaining olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the celery, carrot, onion and garlic. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the roasted chopped canned tomatoes, reserved tomato juices, chicken broth, bay leaf and butter. Simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 15-20 minutes. Add basil and cream (if using). Puree in a blender until smooth.

**the notes in parentheses are from the original recipe posted here. I'm not sure who actually posted it so I can't give credit to her. Here's how I tweak it though:

I would definitely triple the batch, you'll want it for lunch everyday. Quadruple it if you are serving to company so you'll hopefully have leftovers. When I multiply the recipe I still only use one onion because Marc's not a huge fan of onions but I multiply everything else. I used fresh basil the first time I made it and didn't really like it. If you want, use a dried herb, though I only used salt and pepper this last time I made it and it was great. Use fat free half and half instead of cream--you really should and you can do so guilt free because it's fat free!

Jamie's Focaccia Bread

1 C warm water
1/3 C olive oil
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
3 C flour
2 tsp yeast
1 1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning

Topping:
1/4-1/3 C olive oil (you be the judge :)
1 ½ tsp dried oregano
1 Tbs garlic, minced
1/3 C grated Parmesan cheese
¼ tsp salt

Add ingredients to the bread maker in the order listed above (be sure to smooth out the flour so that it is easily distributed). Set the bread maker to the “dough” program. When the dough is finished, with oiled hands evenly press dough into a greased 9x13 pan. Use your fingertips to make indentations in the dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30-60 min, or until double in size. While the dough is rising, heat olive oil in skillet, stir in oregano and garlic then immediately remove from the heat. Use fingers to press dimples into dough again. Spoon olive oil mixture evenly over dough and sprinkle with remaining ingredients. Bake at 400 for 20min, or until golden brown. Serve with marinara sauce for dipping.

**Jamie's recipe site is Dinner's Ready. Check it out. Again, just one side note:

I do not have a bread machine. I just threw all the ingredients in my Kitchen Aid, flour last, and mixed it with my dough hook until it was smooth and formed a ball. When the bread was done baking, I cut it into sticks with my pizza cutter. I did everything else the same and it turned out great. Thanks Jamie!

Oven Shoyu Chicken

Way back when Marc and I were first married, the Relief Society in our married student ward put together a cookbook. During one of our moves, I decided I needed to consolidate my recipe books, so I only kept the gems out of some of them and while the rest of that particular cookbook is decomposing in some dump, this recipe from it is a family favorite! I love how easy it is!

Oven Shoyu Chicken

2 lbs chicken thighs
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. corn oil
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 t. grated ginger

Place chicken in aluminum foil lined 9x13 pan. Mix the rest of the ingredients together and pour over chicken. Bake at 325 for one hour, turning twice. To thicken sauce, add cornstarch. Serve over rice with stir fried broccoli, and pineapple on the side.

**The last two times I've made this, I used chicken breasts instead of thighs--it's a little dryer, but you can slice up the chicken and serve in your favorite Asian Salad. Here's mine: spinach, mandarin oranges (bottled taste better than fresh) slivered almonds and Newman's Own Low Fat Sesame Ginger dressing.

Baked Fondue

This recipe is for Robin if she checks my blog before Christmas Eve. Her family dinner assignment is appetizers and this recipe can make a great appetizer or side dish. I got this recipe from my friend Jamie's recipe blog, Dinner's Ready. (click on Dinner's Ready and it will take you to the blog!) I used to be a contributor but I've gotten so busy that I just post my recipes on my own blog. (Sorry, Jamie. I'm really not trying to be un-supportive. Feel free to copy and paste any of my recipes to your blog for the rest of your readers!)

I made this a few times this summer and it was fantastic. To be honest I might use a little less butter--it seemed to get soggy on me. I just stumbled upon the recipe again a few days ago and now I am looking for time and an excuse to make it before I leave town on Wednesday at noon--probably not going to happen but I can hope. Maybe I'll surprise myself by getting my to do list done in time to make Marc and I a great steak, loaded sweet potato and baked fondue dinner tomorrow night. Hmmm, we'll see. Anyway, without further rambling, here you go Robin--if it strikes your fancy.

(pictures courtesy of Jamie)

8 oz sliced swiss or mozzarella cheese (not the fake, individually wrapped sandwich kind)
round loaf sourdough bread
1 C butter, melted
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs dijon mustard

Score the sourdough loaf in criss-cross cuts, making sure you do not cut all the way to the bottom of the loaf. Combine butter, lemon juice and mustard. Stuff scores with slices of swiss cheese, then pour butter mixture into all of the cracks. Wrap the loaf in aluminum foil, making sure to reinforce the edges so that the butter doesn't leak out. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes, and let cool before serving. It's easiest to serve family style in the middle of the table where everybody just pulls off chunks. It's a bonding moment.

Shrimp Limone

1/2 lb-1 lb of angel hair pasta (depends on the pasta to veggies ratio you want and how saucy you'd like the dish, too!)
3 T. butter
juice of two lemons
1 t. lemon zest, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
salt
black pepper, freshly ground
1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
2 cans artichoke hearts, cut into pieces
1 carton sliced mushrooms
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. cooked shrimp

Cook pasta. Sauté veggies in olive oil. Put butter, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a skillet over a medium-high heat. After the butter has melted, let the mixture bubble for 30 seconds. Do not let the butter brown. Pour in the cream. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce is reduced by half. Remove from the heat. After the pasta is cooked, drain and pour into the skillet. Return the skillet to a medium heat and toss the pasta with the sauce. Add the veggies, shrimp and grated cheese and toss. Serve immediately.

Cream of Wild Rice and Chicken Soup

I worked at the BYU Bookstore for my last year and a half in college. Every once in a while I'd need a quick lunch or dinner during my shift so I'd go to the Twilight Zone and pick up a bite to eat. One night, I found Campbell's wild rice and chicken soup and wow did that hit the spot. (It must have if I can remember it six or seven years later!) I never found them serving that soup again so when my sister found this recipe a few years ago I was ecstatic. This soup is pure comfort food! Unfortunately, the first two times I made it the essence of onion was overpowering--I swore it off. But now I've made it twice successfully and really, if it's snowing outside or if you've simply had a gloomy day, this pot of soup is a perfect pick me up!

1/2 large onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, shredded
2 small celery stalk, chopped
2 TBS butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
8 cups fat-free chicken broth
3 cups cooked wild rice (I use Uncle Ben's fast cooking wild rice)
6 oz. (or a little more) cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 c. fat-free evaporated milk

In a large saucepan, saute onion, carrot and celery in butter until tender. Spoon in flour and stir until blended. Gradually add broth. Stir in rice, chicken, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, or until thickened. Stir in milk. Cook for 3-5 minutes more, until heated through. Serves 10 1 & 1/4 cup servings

Chicken Tortilla Soup

You might as well call this soup Dump Soup because it really only entails dumping a bunch of stuff in a pot. You cannot get any easier than that!

1 rotisserie chicken, skinned and de-boned
2 14-16 oz. cans of chicken broth
2 cans of water
1 2 lb. can of diced tomatoes
1 can of whole kernel corn, drained
1 small can of diced green chiles, drained
1 package of taco seasoning.

Dump. Simmer for 30 minutes. Serve topped with your choices of tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream, diced avocado, and/or cilantro.

**tip: if I ever get a deep freeze I'll buy a bunch of rotisseries from Costco or Walmart, spend an hour de-boning them and bagging them up as part of my chicken storage. This chicken tastes great in quesadillas, enchiladas, and soups, this one in particular. Having already-shredded chicken makes this soup that much easier to make. Yum!

if the weather outside is frightful. . .

Today isn't exactly a hot chocolate kind of day (75 degrees!!) but last week, I went through almost an entire box of hot chocolate packets using my sister's tip on a yummy doctored-up hot chocolate.

1 packet of hot chocolate mix

1 T. of Andes baking chips

6-8 oz. of not-quite-boiling water

I've been using the regular mint baking chips but apparently at some point this holiday season you should be able to find the peppermint ones that are red and white. Either way, you'll be feeling better after your indulgence.

my new favorite salad

picture courtesy of Robin

I've been eating this salad (click on "this salad" for recipe link) all week. When I discovered the pitas from my freezer were kind of dry and therefore an extremely sub par accompaniment, and because I didn't want to truck my two boys to the grocery store again this week to get more, I just ate it like a salad. It was so yummy! Thanks Kelly and Robin for sharing!

Loaded Sweet Potato

I love Texas Roadhouse--we always get the same thing--the steak and ribs with Caesar salad and a loaded sweet potato. We also eat our fair share of rolls. Last year I ran across Tyler Florence's recipe for a loaded sweet potato. Now I make them every time we have steak.

Bake sweet potatoes for 1-2 hours at 350 then cut in half.

Fork together:

1 T. butter, 1 T. brown sugar, 1 T. flour and a sprinkle of cinnamon per sweet potato you're serving. Add some chopped pecans. Use your hands to smear this mixture onto the insides of the potatoes. Cover in marshmallows. Return the potatoes to the oven until marshmallows are golden. I find that 1/2 a potato is a great portion size.

The Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich

When I was about to start 8th grade, my sister and I took our first plane ride all the way from our home in Toledo, Ohio to Las Vegas to visit my aunt and cousins. During our visit, my aunt took us to eat at Hard Rock Cafe where I ordered their grilled cheese sandwich. When it came to the table and I took a bite, I saw (and tasted) that melted between the bread and cheese was also a slice of tomato. Who knew tomato complemented grilled cheese that way? Well, it does. Now that I think about it, I've never tried to make them that way with cheddar cheese, but a few months back I came across the recipe for Tyler Florence's Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich. I tried it--YUM. I've seen the recipe a million times since then, on menus in restaurants, in magazines. Just last week I came across the recipe again and just looking at the picture in the magazine made me crave it. So, last night, I bought all the ingredients and I just ate the ultimate grilled cheese sandwich for lunch. I'm in LOVE!


The Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Sourdough bread
Pesto
Sliced tomatoes
Sliced fresh mozzarella
Butter

Smear the insides of the bread with pesto sauce, then layer slices of cheese and mozzarella on one piece and cover with the other. Butter the outsides of the bread and put it on a hot griddle. (or grill pan if you want panini-like grooves) Place a heavy pan on top of the sandwich to smash it down. Cook on each side until the outsides of the bread are golden and crispy and the cheese is melted.

What are you waiting for, pack the kids up and get to the grocery store. You should have this for dinner TONIGHT!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

'Tis the season to be using all that zucchini you've been growing in your garden! Okay, so I don't have a garden and after watching my mom struggle to get anything to grow in Colorado's rotten soil for 10 years, I dug my heals in this year and opposed a garden of my own, though Marc wants very much to grow a garden. However, as soon as I realized I could grow zucchini and then make as much of this cake as I want next year without forking over any money for zucchini, however cheap it may be, I got on board. Zucchini garden (and rhubarb, pumpkin, and strawberry garden) here I come--in 9 months or so. Unfotunately, even though this cake has a vegetable in it, it cannot be thought of as healthy. Just look at the sugar and oil content. I've tried to substitute 1/2 of the oil with applesauce but it changed the consistency of the cake to one I didn't care for so I just ignore the ingredients and enjoy.

3 c. flour
1 1/4 t. baking powder
1 1/4 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1/4 t. cinnamon
4 eggs
3 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. oil
3 sq. unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1 1/4 t. vanilla
1/2 t. almond extract
3 c. grated zucchini

Grate zucchini and squeeze out the extra moisture with paper towels. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat eggs. Then add sugar and oil and cream together. Add vanilla and almond extract and cream. Add chocolate and mix. Gently put in dry ingredients. Fold in zucchini. Pour into greased, floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes. I've never baked it for that long so watch it carefully so it doesn't burn. That would be a great disappointment!

Hot Artichoke and Feta Dip

This dip has never failed to please. Not at a playgroup potluck, a 4th of July BBQ, and not at a gathering with some new and very fun friends. So as requested, here is the recipe.

8 oz. of cream cheese, soft (originally called for 1/3 less fat Neufchtel, sometimes I use it sometimes I use cream cheese)
1/2 c. fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced (if I'm too lazy to mince, I use 1/4 t. garlic powder--the equivalent of 2 cloves)
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 red pepper, diced
1 package of reduced fat feta crumbles (sometimes I don't use the reduced fat kind but I never use the entire package, probably 1/2 to 3/4 of it)
Triscuit thin crisps (the triangle kind)

Mix and mash the cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, garlic, artichokes and 1/2 of the red pepper together in a dish and then spread out evenly. Sprinkle the remaining red pepper over the top and then the feta over that. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes until slightly brown and bubbly.
Serve with Triscuits. Also pretty good with celery and carrot sticks.

my new favorite salad

Last night as I ate this salad for dinner--my sister shared the recipe with me over a year ago and I regretfully just tried this week, it's so yummy I should have tried it along time ago--I thought about a Gilmore Girls episode where Jess wonders why people ruin salads by putting weird ingredients in them like raisins. I had already begun this blog in my head so I hopped on line hoping to find his exact quote for the post title. No such luck, so this post is turning out quite differently than I had hoped but I'll share the recipe anyway. Try it, it's so yummy and for all those "non cooks" don't be intimidated by the lack of measurements.

greens (I used spinach and romaine)
roasted chicken breast, diced
Emerald's glazed walnuts
dried cherries (I got mine at Costco, but Target or Trader Joes also have yummy ones)
feta cheese
Balsamic Vinaigrette (I'm using Newman's Own; it's tasty)

Serve it with some sourdough bread or rolls and it's a perfect summer salad.

my new favorite salad

Greek is the flavor of the month in my house. I paired this salad with pita bread and hummus (from Picky Palate) for lunches this past week and after church today I had it as a side dish with Pioneer Woman's lasagna. WOW--the salad is so good (so is the hummus and lasagna) and I have plenty of dressing left for another weeks worth of salad; I just have to get more of the salad fixin's. Now, if I could just find great recipes for spanakopita, rice pilaf, gyros, or kebabs, I'd be able to satisfy all of my Mediterranean cravings.

Greek Salad

3 heads Romaine lettuce, washed and torn into bite sized pieces
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup kalamata olives (I used pitted black olives)
1 cucumber, sliced
12 pepperoncini
2 small red onions, thinly sliced
Greek Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Put all the romaine into a large mixing bowl. Add half of the tomatoes, kalamatas and cucumbers and toss to combine. Put the salad into a large decorative bowl, toss with 1 cup of the vinaigrette and garnish with the remaining tomatoes, cucumbers, pepperoncini, kalamatas, and red onion. Serve with the remaining vinaigrette.

Greek Vinaigrette
1 shallot, diced
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil

Put the shallot into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until well chopped. Add the lemon juice, feta, oregano, salt and pepper and pulse again to combine. With the processor running, add the oil in a steady stream. Pour into a small pitcher and set aside.

The Ultimate Chicken Enchiladas

Marc loves enchiladas. I don't. Therefore, I only make them once a year--for his birthday. Every year I try a new recipe. One year I used my mom's. The next year I used one my sister snagged from one of her friends. Last year I was lazy and bought the Stouffer's frozen stuff--they were probably my favorite out of all three recipes--yikes! About a month ago I saw Tyler Florence make his Ultimate Chicken Enchiladas on the Food Network and I deemed that this years recipe. Since we were gone all day on Saturday, Marc's actual birthday, I made his birthday dinner on Sunday. Let's just say that, even though they take a bit of work, I might make enchiladas a bit more often now. If you do try the recipe and I highly recommend you do, double the salsa recipe. You'll definitely want extra for munching with chips.

Apple Pie for Everyone!

Since it seemed that no one had a Caramel Apple Pie recipe to help me with my search, on Sunday I decided (and I'm not sure why I didn't think of this before) to try to track down my roommate that had the recipe. Surprisingly, it didn't take long thanks to that nifty BYU Alumni Directory. I couldn't remember my id and password so it took just a moment to find that and reset the password (which I promptly forgot again) and the search was over almost as soon as it started. I found an email address which looked fairly current so I sent her an email. I then stalked my email box for three days until Wednesday when I got a reply! I was so thrilled to get an update from her--I haven't seen her since my wedding 5 1/2 years ago--and to get a copy of the coveted recipe. I thought I'd do my test run for Carter's school Thanksgiving Feast next Thursday, but decided yesterday that I was craving the yumminess so I did my test run yesterday. The pie didn't disappoint. Topped with ice cream and a drizzle of caramel, every bite was gooey and delicious. Marc and I shared some with my mom who dropped by to see the boys and sent some home for my dad, but there is still 1/3 of the pie shouting at me from the refrigerator. I'm trying to hold off until tonight after dinner but I might have to sneak a nibble soon. So, as requested by some, I'm sharing the recipe with you! And everyone say "Thank You" to Kathryn Gurney Manwill! Thanks, Kathryn.

Applescotch Pie

5 cups thinly sliced pared tart apples
1 cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup water
1 T. lemon juice
¼ cup flour
2 T. sugar
¾ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
3 T. butter
Uncooked pie dough for 2 9” pies

Combine apple slices, brown sugar, water, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat until apples are just tender, about 5 minutes. Mix flour, sugar, and salt. Stir into apple mixture. Cook stirring constantly, until syrup thickens, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and butter. Heat oven to 425º. Prepare the pastry. Turn the apple mixture into pastry-lined pie pan. Cover with top crust, and cut slits into it. Seal and flute edge. Cover the edge with a 2-3 inch strip of aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning. Remove foil for the last 15 minutes of baking. Bake 40-45 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

(the only thing I might change is to add a little bit of cinnamon to the filling, or maybe sprinkle the top with a sugar cinnamon mixture!)