The Way Grandma Made Dessert

Do you have 3 apples you need to use up? 

Here's an easy way to make a simple dessert that serves four. 

Folks, I'm not breaking new ground here! Just suggesting you won't dread making a dessert so much if you approach it in a less formal way.  

It May Not Be Pretty, But It Tastes Good

In addition to 3 peeled and sliced apples (maybe 4 if they're small) you'll need:

Flour, sugar, cinnamon, butter, 1 lemon, and an unbaked, 9-inch pie crust.

My Grandma was a good cook, but she seldom measured anything like people do today. 

She had lots of kids, including 3 sets of twins! She didn't have time to measure.

Me (15 with "The Bubble" hairdo), Grandma, My Older Brother

Grandma trusted her cooking would come out right if she added what she had on hand and tasted it a few times along the way. 

That's how I tend to make this dish...simple, quick and easy! And if you cut up the apples for them, even little kids can have fun making this dessert with you.

If you have a favorite pie dough recipe, as I'm sure Grandma did, go ahead and whip one up! Otherwise use a pre-made one.

I like to keep this brand on hand...in the fridge or in the freezer...it's easy to keep on hand, and most people think it tastes like it's homemade.

To squeeze the juice from the lemon, I use this cheap inexpensive little squeezer I bought at the grocery store (probably Walmart) a while back. 

It isn't fancy, but it's easy and can be put in the dishwasher

Sometimes spending less works better!

I've bought several other type squeezers that broke right away

With just a few twists, all the juice ends up in the bottom of the attached cup and can be poured out right onto the apples!

In a large bowl, mix the lemon juice into the sliced apples then sprinkle in as much cinnamon as you like. It's up to you! I go crazy because we like cinnamon.

Add sugar depending on how sweet you like your apple dessert. We tend to like ours less sweet so I use just 2 to 3 Tablespoons. 

At this point, the simple way to determine if there's enough sugar and cinnamon for you is to taste it by eating a slice of apple... No duh huh? You'd be surprised how many people want exact measurements.

Add a bit of butter by cutting up a few slices from a butter cube and mixing it into the apples. 

To thicken the juices that the apples will create while cooking, sprinkle 2 or 3 tablespoons of flour onto the apples (maybe more if they're really juicy) and stir it in well.

Spread your pie crust into an ungreased baking dish. I used an 8 by 8 inch cake pan, but use what you have on hand.

Pour the apple mixture into the middle and pull the sides of the dough up snug around your apple mix to keep the juices inside the crust as it bakes.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 38 mins. Check at 30 mins to see if the apples are done enough. Stick a fork into a piece of apple and taste it...if it makes you happy, it's done! Otherwise give it 5 more minutes and taste another piece of apple, but don't overcook it.

What's your story? I'm joining the gals at Celebrate Your Story! this week. I hope you'll drop by the party and join in.

Thanks for dropping by!

A Tea Idea From Decor To Adore

Stored away in a cabinet was a vintage candy dish. At least I thought it was a candy dish, but now I'm not too sure.

My mother-in-law had several family pieces that are vintage and antique glass, which she kindly passed down to me.  

Recently I saw a post about an impromptu tea at Laura's blog, Decor To Adore. 

I loved how Laura used a similar glass bowl to display her sugar cubes when setting her table for tea.

Laura's Victorian Tea Party

Laura's post inspired me to get my candy bowl out and shine it up. I thought I'd use it for sugar cubes just like she did.

Honestly, after I got to thinking about it I realized what I thought was a candy dish, probably was meant to be a sugar dish originally. It would make more sense given the era that it comes from.

What do you think it was meant to be? Candy dish or sugar dish?

From now on, I'll be using the little glass bowl for sugar cubes, and I'll store it in the glass kitchen cabinet along with the other tea stuff. 

As you can see here, the tea cups and the white tea pot are ready for  an impromptu tea party. If you'd like to see the rest of Laura's lovely post, here it is Victorian Tea In 10 Minutes.

Thanks for dropping by!

Tea Time And The $5 Bouquet

It's been cold and rainy in NE Texas this week, perfect weather for a cup of tea and some flowers to brighten the kitchen. 

I'm usually not a purple person, but the granddaughters are coming and they both love purple just like most little girls do.

The flowers weren't meant for the kitchen, but when I went to make a cup of my favorite English Breakfast tea, the room was kind of dreary due to the overcast weather. 

And it seemed I may have made the kitchen a little bland in my effort to tone down the yellowish brown cabinets. 

All the brown, black and white of the kitchen seemed to need a pick-me-up. 

It was then I remembered my $5 worth of flowers I'd just bought in bright cheerful colors of purple and yellow.

The pig seems happy with his cheerful bouquet. He didn't seem to care that they came from The Dollar Store and were only a dollar a piece for each bunch.

I'm trying to think of something witty for the chalkboard, but all I can come up with so far is "Happy Easter!"

Yeah, I know that's not too original...in fact it sounds exactly like "Happy 4th!" which is what I got stuck on for 2 or 3 Julys in a row!

I'm open to suggestions for a kicky phrase. Meanwhile, I plan to repaint the little chalkboard black to get rid of the residue of chalk.

Sharing my tea post this week at the Friend's Sharing Tea party at Bernideen's. I hope you'll join me there.

Thanks for dropping by!