Caramel Pear Pie - Week 37

Simple caramel sauce brings another dimension to an already delicious pear pie.
Years ago, we once had a pear tree in our yard that yielded a massive harvest one year. I didn't know what I could do with all of those pears. Someone recommended a pie, so I tried it and we loved it!

Unfortunately, I also remember that our local fly population loved the sticky pears that we couldn't reach in our tree. Our children had a swing set and slide combo that were off limits because of the sticky pear goo and flies that had taken over our backyard that fall. But those pears sure made great pies!

This year, I went to the store to buy pears to make my pie. They can easily be found during fall harvest season, and are the tastiest at that time.

With the addition of a caramel sauce and an oat crumb topping. I think you'll enjoy this pear pie too. 

Ingredients:
1 bottom pie crust
5 pears, peeled and sliced
½ cup butter
3 T. flour
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
½ t. cinnamon
1 t. salt
3 T. butter, melted
1/3 c. flour
1/3 c. oats
1/3 c. brown sugar
¼ t. cinnamon

Directions:
Place pears inside bottom of crust
Melt ½ cup butter in a saucepan and slowly mix the 3 tablespoons of flour in one T. at a time. Once the mixture is thickened, add in the the ½ c. sugar, ½ c. brown sugar, ½ t. cinnamon, water and salt. Melt the mixture and stir over the stove until its caramelized thickens into a sauce.

Pour caramel sauce over pears.

Mix melted butter, 1/3 cup flour, 1/3 cup oats, 1/3 cup brown sugar and ¼ t. cinnamon in a small bowl.

Place the crumble mixture over the pear & caramel sauce covering it completely.

Bake for 60 minutes at 375 degrees.

Do you have any memories from a bountiful tree?

Italian Spaghetti Squash Pie - Week 36 Bonus

Creative crusts can stretch the definition of pie.

Many have enjoyed  the tastiness of spaghetti pie. If you haven't tried it yet, here's a great basic recipe to try. This substitutes a vegetable for the pasta making it a great healthy dish to feed the family. It also utilizes fresh tomatoes to make it a late summer favorite to use some of you garden fresh tomatoes. You can substitute canned tomatoes or even a favorite pasta sauce if you prefer.

Spaghetti squash is also known as the vegetable spaghetti. You could substitute for pasta in many dishes. It take a little bit of prep to get it ready, but it is easy to do and adds variety to your menu.

This particular recipe actually uses half a squash and serves 6 (small servings), so if you like leftovers you should double up and fix both halves at the same time.

Ingredients:

1/2 medium uncooked spaghetti squash

1⁄2 pound pork sausage

1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic minced
5 tomatoes, peeled & diced (or 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes)
1 t. Italian seasoning (to taste)

12 oz. cottage cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1 egg

1/2 cup shredded cheese, your choice

Directions:
Halve squash lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Place squash, cut side down and bake for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees in a large baking dish.

Meanwhile brown sausage and drain. Add onion & garlic and saute until onion is tender. Stir in tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Season to taste and simmer for 10 minutes.

In a separate bowl, mix cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, and egg together.

Remove squash from oven, and with a fork remove the squash in strands. Press any extra liquid from squash.

Arrange squash strands in a greased 9” pie plate. Spread cottage cheese mixture over squash. Pour tomato sausage sauce over cottage cheese mixture, and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing into 6 slices.

What other ways would you like to serve spaghetti squash for your family?

Peach Custard Pie - Week 36

A great way to introduce Greek yogurt to your diet with tasty fresh peaches.

In the early fall when fresh tasty peaches hit the produces shelves, it is a great time to enjoy them for dessert. This recipe helps with the guilt by incorporating healthy Greek yogurt in its recipe. In the past few years, Greek yogurt has increased in popularity for its added health benefits.  Greek yogurt is strained which removes some of the milk, sugar, and lactose. Along with calcium and the live bacterial cultures that are also found in regular yogurt, it also contains a high dose of protein.  

However with the tangy taste of Greek yogurt, it may take some getting used to; this is pie is a good way to introduce Greek yogurt to your family.

This also uses a tasty pretzel crust that blends well with the sweet goodness of fresh peaches.

Ingredients (Crust):

1-1/2 cups crushed pretzels

1/3 c. sugar

½ c. butter, melted

Ingredients (Filling):

1 cup sugar

¾ c. milk

¾ cup plain Greek yogurt (6 oz.)

2 eggs

2 T. flour 

2 t. cornstarch

1 t. vanilla

1/2 t. salt

(6 oz.) 2 cups sliced peaches, peeled                        

Directions (crust):

Mix crushed pretzels, sugar and butter together.

Place in a pie plate as desired. Bake for 8 minutes at 375 degrees.

Directions (Filling):

Combine sugar, milk, yogurt, eggs, flour, cornstarch, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until smooth.

Arrange peaches in crust and pour the filling on top.

Bake for 40 minutes at 375 degrees.

There are many recipes that substitute Greek yogurt for cream. 

Do you have a favorite recipe that you have tried?

Tin Roof Sundae Pie - Week 35

Peanuts, chocolate syrup, and whipped cream over vanilla ice cream in a tasty crust served with a cherry on top make any warm Sunday better!

Legend claims that soda was outlawed to be served on Sundays in the late 1800's; however they could serve ice cream with syrup on top thus the ice cream sundae had begun. A Tin Roof Sundae was extra special because it contained the addition of salty peanuts straight from the can; apparently the peanuts made such a racket coming out of the can that it sounded similar to the sound of a tin roof.

This was a nice treat for a mid afternoon Sunday. I am sure it will be a favorite in your home too!


Ingredients:
4 c. Corn Flakes cereal
½ c. Peanut Butter
½ c. Light Corn Syrup
1 qt. Vanilla ice cream
¼ c. salted peanuts
½ c. chocolate syrup
cherries, optional






Directions:
Lightly grease a 9” pie pan. 
Mix together cereal, peanut butter, and corn syrup.
Press mixture into pan. Spread softened ice cream into crust. Top with chopped peanuts. Freeze until firm. 
Drizzle each slice with chocolate syrup and add cherries before serving.

What is you favorite thing to do on a lazy Sunday afternoon?

Pink Lemonade Freeze Pie - Week 34

Enjoy the last taste of summer with the 

crisp taste of Pink Lemonade Freeze Pie.

Lemonade is a favorite summertime drink for many. When I was young, I was convinced that the pink lemonade was a better quality lemonade rather than the plain lemonade. It had been years since I thought about the difference between the two. And, with the help of the internet, I found out that I was mistaken in my youth. Typically, the only difference is the addition of food coloring. Sometimes, the addition of red fruit juice may be added, but commonly the pink hue is the result of food coloring.

This time, when I purchased the frozen pink lemonade and made my pie. I was surprised at how yellow the mix was; so I added some pink food coloring to enhance the pink color. Either the color is not as I remember it or they are getting stingy with the food coloring when packaging the product.

I found this recipe deep in my recipe box where I had copied it out when I was pregnant with my first-born and I must have been craving the sweet lemonade flavor. I don't recall ever making this in the past 22 years; so I must have never had the craving again. Now, I've made it, and while it's good, I don't think I will be making it again.

Ingredients:
1 prepared graham cracker crust

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

6 oz can frozen pink lemonade, thawed

8 oz whipped topping, thawed

Red or pink food coloring, optional

Directions:

Mix condensed milk and lemonade together. Add whipped topping and food coloring (optional) until well blended. Pour into crust and freeze well.

Summer is at its end. 

How will you get it to stretch into the Fall season?

Kansas City Mud Pie - Week 33

Layers of pecans, cream cheese, chocolate pudding, and whipped cream will make this an unforgettable mud pie!

I remember my childhood days when we would find some bare dirt and add a garden hose to get some nice soupy mud to bake an assortment of mud pies. We would use a variety of treasures (stones, sticks, grass clippings, dandelions, etc) to garnish them so we could could make a collection to serve in our restaurant. Those memories are still fresh even after 30+ years old.

Dirt, marvellous dirt from Roasted Peanuts.

Apparently, Charles Schulz must have thought a lot of the skill of mud-pie bakers because it was the topic of many of his cartoon strip in the 50's. Many of the strips are featured on the http://peanutsroasted.blogspot.com/. What a walk down memory lane! I loved Peanuts as a girl and remember reading through the large comic strip books that the library had...and I'll never forget how much I always looked forward to watching the Peanuts holiday tv specials.

Anyways, this pie can help fulfill your childhood dreams of being able to eat your own mud-pies and having your family love your special mud-pie! 

Ingredients:

1-1/4 c. finely chopped pecans

¾ c. flour

¼ c. butter, melted

½ t. salt

2 - 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened

1-1/2 c. powdered sugar, sifted

8 oz Cool Whip, thawed & divided

2-2/3 c. milk

2 – 3.9 oz pkg chocolate instant pudding

Directions:

Mix nuts, flour and butter. Press into a 9” springform pan. 

Bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees. Cool.

Beat cream cheese and sugar with mixer until well blended. 

Gently stir in 1-1/2 cups cool whip; spread over crust.

Beat milk and dry pudding mixes with whisk 2 minutes. Spoon over cream cheese layer.

Refrigerate several hours or until set. 

Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen desert; remove rim. 

Top pie with remaining cool whip just before serving.

This pie is also known as "Better Than Robert Redford".

What are some of your favorite childhood memories?

Hope you can enjoy your mud pie while reminiscing about your days of youth.

Tomato Zucchini Pie - Week 32 Bonus

Take advantage of your garden fresh tomatoes and zucchini and make a pie for dinner that your family will enjoy.

I didn't have another zucchini pie scheduled, but my mom gave me this recipe. She said it turned out good and it was easy to make; so I decided I would make it and include it in my blog. 

My mom has spent most of her life as a homemaker and she is a really good cook. She taught me well by showing me how to make the most of your garden ingredients by trying new things to keep the menu versatile.  Also, she never was one to use processed foods; so when I began to cook on my own; I always had a little bit of guilt when I used one of those shortcut foods.  And now, we are starting to learn more about all those additives, so I realize that I need to take her advice.

Here is her recipe, I know you will enjoy it as much as we did!

Ingredients (Spaghetti Crust):

1 pkg (7 oz) spaghetti, cooked & drained

2 T. butter or margarine, melted

½ c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg, beaten

Ingredients (Filling):

1 lb. Sweet Italian sausage

1 garlic clove, minced

1 zucchini, peeled and chopped

½ chopped onions

½ c. chopped fresh mushroom

1 t. Italian seasoning

salt & pepper

5 medium fresh tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped

1/2 t. parsley flakes1 c. shredded cheese

Directions (crust):

Add butter, Parmesan cheese and egg to cooked spaghetti. Place in a 10” greased pie plate.

Directions (Filling):

Remove sausage from casings (if needed), and crumble into a large skillet. Add the garlic, zucchini, onions, and mushrooms. Cook until sausage is no longer pink. Add tomatoes, Italian seasoning, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix well, and simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.

Place filling on top of crust. Sprinkle cheese over top of filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. 

I served this pie with a fresh garden salad and the S'mores Pie. 

What would you serve with this pie to make it a meal?