Let them eat.. pie!

Over the past week I have truly come to realize how important friends are.  Sometimes life surely does get crazy and hectic, sometimes you may forget to call your friends for a few weeks, and sometimes it may seem like you are on different pages, but at the end of the day it could have been months, or even years since you last talked, but you know you have a real friend when you reunite after those months and it's like a day hasn't passed.  The instant laughter comes naturally and inside jokes are spoken of like it was yesterday.  Those friendships you make are more valuable than any guy, gold, or chocolate cake out there ; ) 

So laugh a lot

Call each other

Have lots of girl's nights

Reminisce

& make plans

Because it takes a long time to grow an old friend.

 So to celebrate my bestfriends birthday this weekend we went white water rafting, had our cake and ate it too, and partied a tad bit, in lieu of turning 20 and memorial day!  Happy Birthday Julie!! xox

& I don't know about you, but to me there is nothing more American that comes to mind than baking a home made apple pie.

So in honor of the beautiful Memorial Day weekend, I did what I do best with my mama, shopped, baked some pie! Which was completely A-Okay by me considering I could eat as much pie à la mode that my little heart desired, since the neighborhood pool party was yesterday and there were no worries of sucking anything in ; )

Recipe adapted from Janell

Blue-Ribbon Apple Pie

Crust

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar

5 to 7 tablespoons ice water

Filling

2 cups thinly sliced peeled Granny Smith or other tart apples such as Newtown, Pippin or Crispin  (1 lb)

2 cups thinly sliced peeled Braeburn or other all-purpose apple such as Empire (1 lb)

1 cup thinly sliced peeled Rome or other firm baking apple such as Baldwin or Winesap (1/2 lb)

1 cup thinly sliced peeled McIntosh or other tender apple such as Gravenstein or Jonathan (1/2 lb)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

Cooking spray

2 teaspoons fat free milk

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Preparation

To prepare crust, lightly spoon 2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl; cut in butter and shortening with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add vinegar and enough ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork until dough is moist. Divide dough in half. Gently press each dough half into a 4-inch circle on heavy duty plastic wrap, and cover with additional plastic wrap. Roll one half of dough, still covered, into a 12-inch circle; chill. Roll other half of dough, still covered, into an 11-inch circle; chill.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

To prepare filling, combine apples and lemon juice in a large bowl. Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle over apple mixture, tossing well to combine.

Remove 1 sheet of plastic wrap from the 12-inch circle; fit dough, plastic wrap side up, into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray, allowing dough to extend over edge of plate. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap. Spoon apple mixture into crust. Remove 1 sheet of plastic wrap from the 11-inch circle, and place dough, plastic wrap side up, on top of apple mixture. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap. Press edges of dough together; fold edges under, and flute. Cut 6 (1-inch) slits into top of pastry using a sharp knife. Brush top and edges of pie with milk; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Place pie on a baking sheet; bake a 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 (do not remove pie from oven). Bake an additional 45 minutes or until golden brown. (Shield crust with aluminum foil if it gets too brown). Cool on a wire rack.

Dont forget vanilla ice cream!

♥euniece