Apple Pie by Request

A colleague and friend asked for an apple pie recipe. This one we all enjoy. It takes time to make, but is very good. Also, I added about a 1 tablespoon more of butter and about 1/4 cup more of sugar and my family seemed to like better (of course, who wouldn't).

Pastry: (2- 9 inch crusts) 2 cups flour 1 tsp salt 2/3 cup shortening 2 to 4 Tbsp. water Measure flour and sift with salt. Add shortening. Cut in. Add water, one tablespoon at a time. Stir with a fork to get all flour coated. Roll into 1/8 inch thick. Divide dough in half. Roll only one half of the crust into round for bottom of pie plate. Apple Mixture: 1 can pie apples or 5 cups sliced apples 1 tsp. lemon juice 2/3 cup sugar 2 Tbsp. flour ½ tsp. cinnamon 1 Tbsp. butter or margarine Mix ingredients and heat in frying pan on range before pouring into pastry. Pour apple mixture on top of crust. (Heat enough to soften the apples.)

With the remaining crust, top apple mixture with crust by forming a lattice with the crust.  Bake about 30 minutes at 350º. From Dibba Spears by way of Kelly Adrian 

Peach and Blueberry Crisp

Summertime is a great time to cook with local foods. I am fortunate that my brother and his family and my parents grow blueberries. Chilton County is known for growing delicious peaches. My parents also give us pecans either from their trees or from local sources each year.

 

I cooked this recipe tonight using fresh blueberries from my parents, Chilton County peaches, and local pecans (we froze them in the fall). If you like desserts to be sweet, you may want to add more sugar. Also, I had parched some of the pecans before I chopped them which made the topping taste stronger. Next time I may use all parched pecans. For us, the ice cream sweetened the dish enough.

 

Blueberry and Peach Crisp

Flour Topping

1 c. flour

1 egg

½ c. sugar

½ c. light brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

 

Fruit Filling

3 c. peeled, sliced peaches

2 c. fresh blueberries

1 Tbs butter

1 Tbs flour

 

Pecan Topping

1 c. chopped pecans

¼ c. flour

¼ c. sugar

¼ c. brown sugar

¼ c. melted butter

 

Preheat oven 350.

 

For the flour topping: Combine flour, 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar, and cinnamon. Beat egg with a fork. Mix egg into flour with fork until crumbly.

 

For fruit filling: Melt 1 Tablespoon butter in a sauce pan. Place blueberries and peaches in the sauce pan. Warm slowly on low heat. Stir frequently. After the juices form, Stir in 1 Tablespoon of Flour. Stir frequently and cook until the juices thicken. Pour fruit and juices into a 2 to 2 1/2 quart buttered baking dish.

 

Sprinkle flour topping over fruit filling. For pecan topping: Combine chopped pecan, sugar, flour, brown sugar and melted butter. Crumble over flour topping. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream. Serves 6 to 7.

 

Oh AND here is a big thank you to my family for supplying us fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the summer.

Is it bread or cake?

I adjusted a Banana Nut Bread recipe by adding sugar and chocolate chips and using margarine instead of shortening. The kids like it a lot, of course, maybe, because it seems more like cake than bread.

1/3 cup margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup ripe bananas, mashed (approximately 2 bananas)
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Pre-heat oven 350 F. Sift together flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.

Cream margarine. Add sugar. Add eggs. Beat only slightly after each egg. Slowly add flour mixture. Add mashed bananas. Stir in nuts. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into well-greased 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan. (If you make 1.5 times the recipe or 2 times the recipe, you may use a Bundt pan.)

Bake 350 F for 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from pan; cool on rack.

Determination in solving life's frustrations and problems

Today, before my daughter's softball tourney, while the girls were warming up for their game, I went for a jog. I try to get some exercise in while there is "free time". My husband coaches and is there with her. And frankly, she is old enough to know what she should be doing and my presence really is not needed. My leaving the ballpark for 30 to 45 minutes is not detrimental to her playing or her well-being.

 

During these jogging excursions, I take a safe-route near the ball field. The jog is not about the length or speed (my jogs are never about the speed). It is about squeezing some exercise in found free time.

 

Today, I jogged near a subdivision and down a county road. I knew I was in somewhat of disadvantage because much of the early part of the jog was downhill. Of course, on my return to the ball park, I would be jogging (definitely not running) uphill.

 

If I train my mental outlook, during my exercise routines, I can stretch myself, more than if I just go through the motions.

 

As I was jogging downhill--which is not as easy as it seems because downhill is tough on my knees--I kept thinking of my routine jog at home last week. During last Saturday's jog, I seemed to struggle early in the jog. My knees hurt; I wanted to stop before 1 mile in and again around 1.8 miles.

 

At the 2 mile mark, I started up the steepest hill of my jog. I wondered how I could get up the hill without stopping. I thought of my greatest frustration. The hill represented my greatest, current frustration. My defeating the hill meant that I could defeat my greatest, current frustration.

 

I was not going to let the hill (my frustration) defeat me. I needed to beat the hill and keep jogging once I topped it. Because eventually to defeat this real life frustration, I know I cannot only complete the task--work through the problem--but I must also be able to maintain (not just survive) once the problem is solved.

 

The hill last Saturday represented my problem, my frustration. I defeated the hill, accomplished my goal, by hitting the hill with known purpose and outcome, and with confidence. I also kept jogging once I topped the hill and managed to tackle the next hill which is less challenging, but nevertheless harder than straight, flat path.

 

Today, though the hill was long and slow sloping. My method had to be different than last week. The hill represented another type of frustration.This frustration is not a big thing that seems to have an exact solution, but one that will take time to solve, and may not even have known solutions.

 

To defeat this hill, I knew I had to take a different approach--a persistent, yet consistent, determination.

 

As I finished my jog and approached the ballpark, I realized that the methods to meeting the demands in our lives must include both kinds of determination--confidence with purpose and persistent consistency.

 

The confident determination is defined by purpose (of course), but also met with a head-strong determination of wanting to be successful.

 

The persistent consistency means that my consistent actions will eventually help others understand my values. The persistency represents the determination of wanting to stay true to my values. And through consistent behavior and persistent determination, solutions and outcomes eventually become known, maybe less tangible, nevertheless becoming evident.

My favorite cream cheese pound cake

I know this is supposed to be about health and fitness blog, but it is also about peace of mind.

 

What is better than creating peace of mind among family members than cooking everyone's favorite pound cake.

 

Brenda Smith, named Braindog (I love that name) by my former boss, gave me this recipe years ago. I have adjusted the directions to reflect the cooking knowledge of my sister, Nancy.

 

2 sticks butter--softened (I use 2 sticks of margarine that is not whipped)

1 (8 oz) pkg of cream cheese--softened (I use light cream cheese and have had mixed results with fat free cream cheese)

3 cups sugar

6 eggs - at room temperature

1.5 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups plain flour

.25 teaspoon salt (actually I use less than a .25 teaspoon)

 

Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease a bundt pan or two loaf pans.

 

Cream butter and cheese; add sugar to cream mixture. Add eggs one at a time, but to prevent over beating as soon as the yolk is broken add the next egg. Add vanilla. Add flour and salt. I have a good mixer and beating time should take no longer than 7 minutes.

 

Spoon batter into pan. The original recipe says to bake for 1 hour and 10; however, I have to cook the cake to almost 1 hour and 30 minutes. Check doneness by using a toothpick or small thin knife to make sure it comes out clean.

 

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Why run--well jog

I really enjoy being myself during long slow jogs and getting that "feel good" after a good jog.

 

My knees and joints sometimes bother me afterwards, but tightening the muscles and knowing I have worked my heart and lung muscles make me feel like I have done my body as well.

 

Dr. Bob Keith at Auburn University describes how research shows running can increase life span -- "...run for your life". 

 

The article gives us more reasons to exercise regardless of our age.

 

del.icio.us Tags: running,exercise,aging,cario

Twit2fit updates

I gave the details of this week's exercises on the twit2fit Ning page.

 

Sunday jogged slowly 5 miles and walked 2.5 miles

 

Monday upper body weight lifting.

 

Tuesday jogged very slowly 2.5 miles.

 

Friday lower body and mostly leg weight lifting.

 

Saturday another test day with Operation Boot Camp.