Recipes

So I'm giving heed to your requests, girls! :) Here are the recipes I featured in my last few posts. Enjoy!

Potato Tomato Soup
(I think I got this from allrecipes.com)

2 Tbsp butter
2 onions, chopped
4 cups peeled & cubed potatoes
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
2 cups milk
1 Tbsp corn starch
1 (14.5 oz) can tomatoes
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp tomato paste
salt & pepper to taste

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat; cook onions until tender. Mix in potatoes, celery, carrots, and garlic. Add Italian seasoning. Pour in milk, gradually add the corn starch, and bring to a boil. Mix in tomatoes, broth, and tomato paste. Return to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes.


Apple Pie
(Better Homes & Gardens; New Cook Book; Bridal Edition)

Pastry for Double-Crust Pie:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup shortening
8 to 10 Tbsp cold water

1. In a medium bowl stir together flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening until pieces are pea-size.

2. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp cold water over part of the flour mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to side of bowl. Repeat, using 1 Tbsp water at a time, until all the flour mixture is moistened. Divide in half; form each half into a ball.

3. On a lightly floured surface, use your hands to slightly flatten 1 dough ball. Roll dough from center to edges into a circle 12 inches in diameter.

4. To transfer pastry, wrap it around the rolling pin; unroll into a 9-inch pie plate. Ease pastry into pie plate without stretching it. Trim pastry even with rim of pie plate. Transfer filling (recipe below) to pastry-lined pie plate.

5. Roll remaining dough ball into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Cut slits to allow steam to escape. Place pastry on filling; trim to 1/2 inch beyond edge of plate. Fold top pastry under bottom pastry. Crimp edge as desired.

Pie Filling:
6 cups thinly sliced, peeled cooking apples (about 2 1/4 pounds) (I chose Granny Smith)
1 Tbsp lemon juice (optional)
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/3 cup dried cranberries (optional)
milk (optional)
sugar (optional)

If desired, sprinkle apples with lemon juice. In a large bowl stir together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add apple slices and, if desired, cranberries. Gently toss until coated. Transfer mixture to the pastry-lined pie plate and cover with the top pie crust, as noted above. If desired, brush top pastry with milk and sprinkle with additional sugar. To prevent over-browning, cover edge of pie with foil. Bake in a 375 oven for 40 minutes. Remove foil. Bake 20 minutes more or until fruit is tender and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack.

Make sure you put something underneath the pie to catch the drippings! The juice from inside the pie will leak out.

Apple Pie

In celebration of the beginning of the World Series, Jeff and I made apple pie! He peeled and cut the apples. Oh, and he brushed on the milk right before we put it in the oven. I did everything else. :) But it's so yummy, and I decided that we should do this every year on the first night of the World Series! Great idea, right? I love traditions. :)

Phillies are winning 2-0 at the moment! Top of the 6th. But it's almost 10pm and I'm ready for bed.......

Tomato Potato Soup Tonight

Just some fun pics from beginning to end. :)


Oh, and Jeff told me to tell you all that he thinks I'm a fantastic cook and he's loving all the meals I'm cooking for him. :)

Baseball & Scrabble

We've been watching lots of Phillies and Yankees lately. Phillies have made it to the World Series... Looks like the Yankees will make it too.... And I don't know who I'm going to root for! Grandpa is a Yankees fan, so I've always liked them too. But of course I love the Phils too!! (Being from the Philly area and all.) Huge dilemma.
Scrabble game while we watched the baseball game. Jeff creamed me.

Youth is like spring, an over praised season more remarkable for biting winds than genial breezes. Autumn is the mellower season, and what we lose in flowers we more than gain in fruits.
Samuel Butler

A Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to meeeeee
I turned thirty threeeee
I went out for dinner
With my new familyyyyyyyy
Phil & Kiff
My birthday appletini! Very yummy.
I love this picture.... Kiff took it :)

The birthday lemon cake that Kiff made for me... mmmmmmmm
See the new dangly earrings??? Jeff's gift to me. Love them.

Sunroom

Our sunroom is finally looking like a sunroom! We got this wicker set on Craigslist a few days ago, and with a few plants and things around, it has become a lovely little sitting area. :)