Episode 13: PIE & DOUGH (Perfect-O 4 Thanksgiving)---Pecan&Pumpkin

Go to your grandma's to learn how to make a nice and tasty pie crust, they know. Oh, they know.




Before I came over, she made some cranberry sauce (that is waaay good, btw)
and she put it outside to let it sit and get thicker-FASTER. So there's a tip? for you. and you?

                                                                      hehehehehe!
                                                                        
In spirit of Thanksgiving {yEEEEEEEEeeeeeEEEEEEEEeeeee---(spirit) }  my grandma & me hadda pie makin' date.

FOOLPROOF PIE DOUGH:
2 1/2 c. unbleached all purpose flour
1 tsp. table salt
2 tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 c. veg. shortening
1/4 c. cold VODKA, yeah
1/4 c. cold water

USE ONE OF THESE for easy pie crust rollin'

1.  Combine 1/2 c. flour salt & sugar

2.  Add butter and shortening and process w/ a pastry blender until homogeneous, uneven clumps
3.  Add remaining cup of flour, evenly distribute with pastry blender

4.  Divide dough into 2 even balls, flatten slightly and refrigerate at least 45 min. and up to 2 whole days!
5.  When ready, take out of fridge and with rolling pin, roll it going from the center to the outside until evenly distributed all around

Roll it out (now roll it out)
6. Fold in 2 halves, place in pie dish and do and patching up and reconstructing you need so it looks like a crust!hay!
7.  REPEAT STEPS 5&6 for PIE #2! Don't Forget!

NOW...while the pie crust is cooling in the fridge, it would be wise to make the PIES


We made Pumpkin Pie (Libby's Famous Pumpkin Pie):

ingredients:

2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 can (16 oz.) LIBBY'S Solid Pack Pumpkin
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 1/2 c. (12 fl. oz can) undiluted CARNATION Evaporated Mlik

DIRECTIONS:

Combine ingredients in order given, pour in crust! 15 minutes @ 425 degrees and 40-50 min. at 350 degrees (FARENHEEEEIT)



AND THEN we made Pecan Pie:

ingredients:

1/2 c. sugar
1/2 stick butter
CREAM them
1 c. light corn syrup
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
ADD TO ABOVE, BEAT WELL
3 eggs
ADD ONE AT A TIME, BEAT AFTER EACH!
1 c. pecans
ADD
THEN BAKE!

 IMPORTANT TIP:  Line the pie crust with tin foil so it doesn't burn!

                                                                   &VOILA!

                          
                                               YUM--uuuuuuuh, can't wait for Thanksgiving

Episode 12: Applesauceomeness

TWO POSTS IN ONE WEEKEND! This is nuts.

Okay so I realized I have too many apples from picking them at the orchard over a month ago, so I decided to make applesauce.

I was also inspired by my brother Pat ( HI PAT! ) and his girlfriend Lora ( HI LORA! ), I remember they made a fuckton of applesauce and applebutter last year with their 90-some apples they picked. That's some serious apple fixings!

Recipe from this food blog:  http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/2010/07/28/homemade-applesauce/

Ingredients:

• 4 apples – peeled, cored and chopped (Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Fuji, Jonathan, Mcintosh)
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or one 3 inch cinnamon stick)

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients into a large pot. Cover. Bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until apples are soft.
2. Remove from heat. Mash with potato masher or fork until desired consistency.

----------I didn't peel the apples because I forgot, don't really know how, and because I like the skin so WHATEVER-------------

 my bare hands picked these. from trees. yeah.

one apple

four apples. put in pot. add ingrediants.  easy as pie!

WHICH makes me think that I should make apple pie with the others..mmm 

mash using potato masher or your fave way/utensil to mash. store in fridge. 

there you go, done. don't even need to sprinkle cinnamon sugar on this business.

night, guys

Who wants to buy me a bigger cutting board?COOL

ALSO------I wouldn't waste your time peeling the apples to make this, it really tastes great with the skin!  But if you wanna be a real go getter theeeeeeeeeen
do it.

Episode 11: Pumpkin cupcakes! with homeade frosting! you can do it! hooray!

Hello to all of you foodblog lovers on this fine fine fall day.  It's a cold one..so put on your bakin' shoes and whip up this lil diddy

Who doesn't like cupcakes?  It's like having cake but not because you're having cupcakes.
 

I got the recipe from this kickass cupcake site if anybody's interested: 
http://mingmakescupcakes.yolasite.com/  (this one if Cupcake #15).
I didn't use crystallized ginger because who buys that anyways?
BTW: thankyou Molly for showing me this site. it's soooo great







Also:  a few things I was CONFUSED about.
confectioners sugar=powdered sugar
1/2 lb. of confectioners sugar=2 cups (I don't get why they don't just say that-fools.)

                            Give it up for an amazing Thai restaurant in Chicago--TAC Quick.  This is "Cashew"

hey Dad check out my new apron!!!YES, & thankyou Artifacts.

Okay, cupcakes.

WINE BAKING SHOES SCHOOL!

OKAY  OKAY OKAY, cupcakes.

Set your oven to 350! wassup!

1 can of this makes two batches of these cupcakes! go wild! ALSO: check out the Triscuits.  Product placement.

Throw in some pecans because you're nutty

Fill 'em up.  Also--notice the creamcheese.  Get it out so it's room temp. for the frosting! think ahead! yeah!

OH GOD

While you're letting the cupcakes cool (before you frost them) try doing something constructive! like going to your schools dorm fitness center! and then getting told to leave because you don't live in the dorms! aww yeah.

                                   It's coo because bikes are cooler than fitness centers. WORD.  So are tampons, notice bottem left corner. yay for menstruation!

YO, sis!  It's the big Tits and Bonnie! How bad do you want this?!!?!!?!

Also changed a lightbulb!

OKAY, frosting.

  This was fun because you get to mix it with your hands

Before you whip it (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIEVqFB4WUo)

Props to Becca for giving me this legit mixer

ALSO:  put a lil' flour on your hands before you mix with your hands, last time I didn't and it was waaaay too messy.  It's still messy but just not as much! HOORAY

 Now FROST 'EM!

Awwwyeah

Pass 'em out to your friends.  Make them dream of your goods. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtC92pzp5vw)

 ALSO I just realized this post has many shoutouts in them.

HEY MOM thanks for buying me some clothes and lunch today that was real swell of ya 

Episode 10: THIS IS A POT OF FALL

grab your friend and your squash! because hay it's FALL. have a ball and make this soup.

if you like applesauce/squash and were curious if they ever complimented eachother THEN THIS IS YOUR REASSURANCE

oh and a bottle of wine's always good too. stay classy not sassy, lassie!

after a long day of being ahem...exTREEEMELY hungover, what better way to remedy (we thought) than to make a warm and lovin' soup such as this?

mkay we sort of EYEBALLED it:

BUTTERNUT SQUASH: we used like maybe half of the one shown down in da pix

APPLES: we used 1 normal sized and one smaller (compliments of wilson's orchard!)

CARROTS: it says one long carrot, but we had some babies

ONION:  we used 1/2 of a red onion, the only exact measurement we can give you :)

VEGGIE STOCK: we used maybe half of the container shown, but honestly i could not tell you

because the veggie stock not only was necessary for the recipe, but EXTREMELY IMPORTANT in makeshift food processing (errr whatever) our food in what emily call's a knock-off Magic Bullet.  it just don't mix well without it.

the squash to apples ratio is supposed to be 3:1 but ours was probably more than that!

AND WE ADDED SOME NECESSARY SPICES such as:

salt!

pepper!

lemon pepper!

cinnamon!

flavored salt!

lousiana hot sauce!


spice up your lives! ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgDdeBrGrro&ob=av2e )

big ingrediants! dang son

does this remind you of a pumpkin? me too! carve one

we forgot to roast these babies

 choppin shit no it's not shit it's food DUH

oh GROSS oh YUM oh...gross

our little engine that could, nicely contrasting the glorious red wine of the night

at first it looked like baby food

and progressed into looking like applesauce

oh no the squash est mort

mmm but that sure does smell real nice like

this recipe made me want to carve a pumpkin so for anybody who hasn't done so yet..THINK ABOUT IT

bon appetit mes amis!

this dude serves food that he chews on first WHAT A FREAK ON A LEASH!

http://fuckingmanfood.blogspot.com/

Episode 9: who needs HEINZ anyway?!!?!

yes you should make condiments! it's supa easy and makes you feel all cool inside.
I made ketchup this morning. Denise B. gave it to me but she got it from Jae Steele's "Get It Ripe".

KETCHUP:
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup filtered water
1 tsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp mustard powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
freshly ground pepper to taste
1 clove garlic, grated or pressed
1 5 1/2 oz can tomato paste

Place all the ingredients but the tomato paste in a small saucepan on high heat to bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, stir in the tomato paste, cover and cook for about 8 minutes. 
Stores in a jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, 3 months in the freezer.

all ya need, folks

this is apple cider vinegar

kind of a bitch to grate and measure, messily

puke?no it's unstirred ketchup mixture sans tomato paste

of course listening to this raging cd. and that's my grandma and nephew, hehe.

WHO NEEDS THIS CRAP?

wordzonez. i think i went a lil' too crazy on the tomato paste.

in jar.

go make me some fries

Episode 8: hee hoo HUMMUS

HAY. so I went home for a night (without said cutiez) and made some delicious hummus because, well, I've been hankerin' to make this for.. days

plus the momz has a food processor and the cristinz does not.

anyways, I got the recipe via foodgawker. which linked me to this blog:
http://edible-moments.blogspot.com/2010/05/secret-recipes-and-hummus.html

the chick calls it the Best Hummus You Will Ever Eat
I am all about superlatives, so naturally I choose this one.  if you are too lazy to click the link, then here's the 'pee


The Best Hummus You Will Ever Eat

1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste)
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
2 or 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1/2 tsp ground cumin ( I have never had this on hand and have thus never used it...but it tastes great without so its ok if you don't use it either)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp hot sauce
1 1/2 cups of canned chick peas, drained and rinsed

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and puree. Place in bowl, sprinkle with paprika, and serve with pita wedges and chopped veggies.





now, I certainly DID use the cumin and you should too damnit! well I mean I guess I wouldn't know, but do whateva.

look at those 'greediants

I LOVE GARLIC

supa easy, kids!

it made 1 1/2 of those containers. yeah.

blade o' glory

mom is so delighted

& don't forget the paprika! it looks like twice baked potatoes!

OKAY get out your pita bread, guys