The Great Strawberry Pie-Off!

Hi everybody! The Fresh Pioneer is back and I have a great strawberry pie recipe to share.

 But first, a funny picture. My five year old passed out, and the doggy passed out with him. I thought their matching positions were pretty hilarious.

And then there was this. A birthday! The first of the summer crew. I made this Very Hungry Caterpillar I saw on Pinterest. It wasn't quite a fail because the new 4 year old loved it! (See how I wrote his name there, Ruthy? I was tempted to write BABY in big letters just for you, but using curved letters with red licorice is a lot harder than it looks.)

 But it was pretty hot in our house that afternoon and the caterpillar's face was sort of losing its shape.... slowly.

 And then came time to blow out the candle. See how helpful older brother is??
                           
Local cherries are ripe! We got these for $2/ pound at roadside stand. YAY!
                                        
The Rainier are also ripe, but they need a day in the fridge to bring out the sugars. So, I let the kids eat a few then into the cold storage they went.

 SO! Clari Dees posted a GORGEOUS strawberry pie picture and then the recipe. Ruthy also shared her recipe of the same pie. So I thought I should have a pie-off and see how the two compared!

 Essentially, it's the same pie with just a few changes. So, start with strawberries.

 Cut off their heads!

 Little hands grabbing strawberries. Shoo, shoo!

 Ok, two BAKED pie shells. (See, I'm learning!)

Here is Clari's pie. I'm almost ashamed to post this beautiful photo because there is going to be a COMPARISON. *sobs quietly into fist* But in the interest of science... errr, the blog... I'll be brutally honest in the pursuit of the perfect strawberry pie.

 In Clari's recipe:
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbs corn starch
1 cup water
1 package strawberry Jello
 Get the sugar, water, cornstarch to a boil, and then stir in the strawberry Jello. Set it in the fridge for 15-20 minutes.

 Layer the cooked pie crusts with strawberries.

 Mmmmmm, I want to eat them all right now.

 Ok, I can hear Ruthy screaming from here. I swear I followed the directions just as she wrote them on Clari's facebook thread.
This is what she said (proving that once it's on the internet, it's FOREVER):

MVM it's really easy.... You crush about 3 cups of berries, add about 1/3 cup water, mix 1/4 cup corn starch with a cup of sugar, then mix with the crushed berries. Heat over medium heat until "glace" is thick and looks like pie filling.... I add a tablespoon of butter, too, to help keep it smooth.... Cool. Then twist the stems off of fresh berries, nestle them into a baked pie crust, and when you have it full, you ladle the cool sauce over it and chill. 

I did everything like she said! I swear! It looks... a little lumpy and weird. 

So, then I take Clari's sauce from the fridge and pour it over the berries. Something is wrong. This looks nothing like the picture. I don't think the Jello set.

 Definitely not set.

 Pooling at the bottom.

 At this point I bring everyone in the taste the pie. My older daughter says, "I don't know what happened but those pies smell like fish. I don't think I'm going to taste it." HA! That was the salmon cooking on the stove. She was relieved to know the pies did not actually smell like cooked salmon.

 Contender Numero Uno: Ruthy's Mash Up.

 Contender Numero Dos: Clari's Mom's Pie

 Gratuitous pie shot.

 First taste goes to Edward and he says, "BOTH". Not helpful.

 Ana said she needed a piece to realllly tell, but finally said she preferred Clari's Mom's recipe.

 Isabel is obviously in cahoots with Ruthy and said she liked the Mash Up.

 Cruz did not appreciate being photographed while tasting pie. But he sacrificed. And said they both tasted the same. VERY UNHELPFUL.
In the end, there were three votes for Clari's Mom's Pie and three votes for Ruthy's Monster Mash! (Cruz liked them both and one child preferred an Oreo, thank you very much.)

 I liked the flavor of Clari's pie better, but something went wrong and it certainly wasn't as pretty as it could be.

Ruthy's Masheroonie Pie was super tasty but I think I should have mashed the berries a bit more before adding them as topping. It definitely thickened up nicely, though.
UPDATE: As of three hours post pie-off, Clari's pie has decided to solidify, and NOW the glacee has has turned to a lovely thick glaze... at the bottom of the pan.

As for a winner, I'm going to need another piece to decide for sure. In fact, I think I'll do that right now... Pie at midnight! Is there anything better?

Until next time, my friends! Oh, and check out my article on Huffington Post Books, if you need some light reading about Jane Austen and the American South. There's no pie in the article, but there are recipes for pie in the second book!

Teaching Our Kids to Cook

Missy, here. I remember spending time in the kitchen with my mom when I was a kid. I remember her letting my friends and me bake. I remember, when I got into my teens, cooking for boyfriends, trying to impress them.

I also remember how TOTALLY CLUELESS my husband was when it came to cooking. I'm talking a disaster in the kitchen. No cooking sense AT ALL. So once we married and had a son, I made up my mind that any son of mine would learn how to cook and take care of himself!

I started oldest child in the kitchen early--stand on a chair to reach the counter early. And he enjoyed cooking. Today, he's 24, and he calls to ask for recipes and advice. He cooks for his girlfriend. He tries new recipes.

Son #2 came along and learned to cook for himself pretty well. He's not as adventurous. If left to his own devices, he's most likely to make ramen noodles or Kraft mac & cheese. But he could survive if he had to. :)

Then along came my daughter.

She has no interest in learning to cook. Well, I should amend that statement. Other than baking cakes and brownies, she has no desire to cook. I recently forced her to come in the kitchen and make tacos with me. I've done the same with spaghetti. She stirs and chops and does anything I ask her to do. But she's bored. Cooking is NOT her thing.

So I figured I'd failed. Assuming she would take to cooking naturally like I did, I'd waited too long to lure her into the kitchen (I should have nabbed her to cook when she was really young like I did with the boys!).

But then, last week on vacation…

Drum roll…

SHE WENT EXPLORING IN THE KITCHEN!

She got a craving for a something she'd seen on Pinterest. She added the ingredients to our grocery list. And then once she made the dish, she took photos of it and told me I HAD to share it on the Cafe blog. She reminded me again this week.

So, I bring you…my daughter's Poached egg and avocado sandwich (open faced).

Mash up a fresh avocado and spread it on bread or toast.
Poach an egg. Serve it on top of the avocado spread.

Best served with a beach view!

One tip we learned on a cooking show is to boil the water for poaching, then once it's boiling, briskly stir it to get it swirling. While the water is swirling, break the egg carefully into the middle of the swirl. Turn off the burner and let cook for desired time. My daughter wanted her yellow runny. You may want to cook yours longer (SALMONELLA ALERT! :))

[Note: I used to buy pasteurized eggs because my son liked his so runny. Now our grocery doesn't carry them, so I buy organic, free range, hoping they might be just a bit safer.]

Here's the spot I ate breakfast every morning last week. At beautiful Orange Beach, Alabama, on the balcony overlooking the Gulf!

Here's a photo of the view from the pool…

And the best place to be was my beach set up, where I spent my time reading all week long!

Ahhh, there's nothing like toes in the sand and a great book to read! Here's the chef, taking a break after making her fancy breakfast.

I'm so proud of her! I hope she's found a love of cooking after all. :)

Baby Kittens, Baby Chicks, Small Children, Cake Balls and Me....

Popsicles and ice cream bars.

Yup, that's what I've got these days. It's summer. There's so much going on....

600 tomato plants....

900 strawberry plants....

300 new asparagus roots ...

Package after package after package of sweet corn seed, enough to cover two acres.... planted by hand.

A seedbed of 3000 cauliflower babies (so stinkin' cute!!!!!)...

100 green pepper plants

30 rows of Indian corn.  An acre of pumpkins, half-acre of gourds and don't forget 1000 Butternut squash and 650 Acorn squash...

A cute kid dressed like Jeter:

A sweet contemporary wedding industry novella set in Philadelphia for Zondervan... DONE!!! And I love it, I had so much fun dipping into my eight years of wedding planning fun at Bridal Hall in Rochester, NY!!!!

A fun prairie romance novella set in 1868 Nebraska for Barbour's "Prairie Romance" collection: DONE!!!!

:)

Big smile to have contracts fulfilled, planting done, the upstairs hall painted because we're getting new carpet and yes, once again it took THREE COATS of cream paint to cover up the very pretty (sigh) dark teal moldings.  The first pic is the original floor at the top of the stairs (part of the original 160 year old house):

And then there was this under the really old, horrid green shag carpet:

It is gone now...

(Happy sigh....)

Oh, and 13 laying hens and 50 baby chicks:

And cute kids and 3 baby kittens:

And last weekend was 3-Cake Weekend. Don't ask. Suffice it to say that the remnants of three cakes found their way to our dining room table. One homemade yellow cake with homemade frosting, one carrot cake (totally my fault, no wonder my clothes don't fit) and the remnants of a SHEET CAKE from the bakery.

CAKE OVERKILL.

Enter: Cake Ball Technology, 101

I mushed up the bakery cake, chocolate and vanilla, with the frosting....Froze the cake balls for about fifteen-twenty minutes (or until I remembered they were in the freezer when they almost crashed to the floor!!! OOPS!!!!

Smushed, then rolled into balls, just like making meatballs.... Note that I mixed the chocolate and white cake in this one and it was/is MARVELOUS!!!!

I shared some carrot cake with Finn who is getting big enough to FEED HIMSELF, how did this happen?????

Stinkin' cute, right????

So then I did the same smushing thing to the homemade yellow cake and homemade frosting. Honestly, the difference in consistency is huge when you're using a good homemade recipe. Not as mushy or artificially soft, so the texture is great. Brownies make great "cake balls" too....

And then I warmed the Ghirardelli chips over a small kettle of warm/hot water until it was smooth. I added about a tablespoon of vegetable oil to the dark chocolate and twice that (2 tablespoons) to the white chocolate.

Marble cake balls dipped in chocolate....

And here's a mix of both I brought out for my daycare moms....

Wait, do I have a cute kid video????  (runs to check camera.....)

This is from our Sunday graduation party for our niece, Crystal. We were in a small park with a great You-Can't-Possibly-Drown-In-This creek..... and this is my son Matt with his youngest daughter "Anna".

I laugh at this time of year because sandwiches and take-out are not uncommon. I keep thinking about dragging out the Crock Pot but I've got the babies outside most of the time, and there's not much in the house opportunity! But summer is fleeting up here, so we'll soak up some rays, take care of the two-legged and four-legged babies, and just let the warmth bathe us...

Sweet summertime.... Who needs food????

Dinner for One: Beyond Cheese Toast and Cereal Bowls

A long time ago, a Sunday School class I attended discussed the difference between men and women. I will never forget what one guy said, "The difference is when her husband is away, a wife will eat cheese toast. When the wife is away, the guy will go out and eat a big ole steak dinner."

Wow. So true. Ever since then, I have tried somewhat unsuccessfully to not be that woman that eats cheese toast. Being allergic to wheat helps with that but then I just eat a bowl of granola or oatmeal. Sad but true.

Some of you can't imagine dinner alone. But the day will come. Everyone is sick but you or visiting Grandma or you have indeed watched all the chicks fly from the nest.

Here are some of my tricks:

Fresh veggies: Visit the local salad bar. Buy the good stuff in small quantities. Even if it is just for one meal. You may cringe at seeming to spend more than buying the raw veggies and doing it yourself, but between having greater variety and watching unused carrots and lettuce heads shrivel, it’s a money saver. There’s no law against buying one sweet potato or ear of corn either.

Most stores have great salad bars these days. Even with meat and all the add ons.

Meat and freezer-friendly veggies:  If you have a leftover chicken breast or, like ManO, extra corn on the cob, put them in individual bags (snack sized are perfect when you are trying to eat smaller portions.) The ingredients will be ready and waiting for you when you need them. No excuses.  

Why yes that's single serving of frozen custard when I need it next to the single-serve chicken breast and veggies.

Gourmet simplicity: If you are going to go with cheese toast or cereal, make it a treat rather than a martyr’s sacrifice. Get some bread from the local bakery or even the grocery store.  Broil Gruyere and apples on multi-grain farm bread. Mix up a dried fruit and nut cream cheese spread to put on a bagel. Load a bowl of plain cereal with fresh fruit from the farmer’s market and almonds. Treat yourself well.

Presentation: Set the table for yourself. Pick a flower growing in the yard and put it in a bud vase. Have some sparkling water or add lemon and cucumber to chilled water. Turn on some relaxing music and enjoy your time alone. This works well when you bring home take out.

I love my grandmother's china and my zinnias!

And just occasionally, even if you have to save up for it, treat yourself to a nice steak or whatever meal out!

So what is your go to dinner for one? Are you a “cheese toast” person? Do you indulge in all the foods your partner or family don’t like?

Honesty is the Best Policy

So I'm just going to say it. 

THIS SOFT FOOD DIET IS FOR THE BIRDS!

With a minimum of two more weeks to go before I can eat REAL food, I'm getting a little on the testy side. You have no idea how badly I'd like to sink my teeth into one of these (recipe here).

Or these (recipe here).

And I'm drooling over the thought of this (recipe here).

The question I keep getting from people is this - What are you going to want for you first REAL meal?

Truthfully, I have no idea.

You all now I've been on a quest to lose weight for a few months now. And while the surgery definitely propelled the weight loss (clear liquids will do that), I've still tried to adhere to the Trim Healthy Mama lifestyle I adopted before my surgery. Weaning myself off of sugar was H.A.R.D. So even though I can afford an indulgence like Blue Bell ice cream, I don't want to go there. Unfortunately, no sugar also means no mashed potatoes, no cheese grits...

So what am I eating? Oatmeal, smoothies, scrambled eggs, egg salad (which was heavenly), baked sweet potatoes (insides only), tuna with mayo only, finely chopped dark-meat chicken, soup (had about enough of that), over-cooked pasta...

You get the picture. Not a whole lot of variety and not necessarily a lot of flavor. Or at least not complex flavors. I believe that's what I miss the most. 

Wanna know a secret?

My biggest craving these past several weeks has been pizza. A supreme deluxe, to be exact. 

Onions, bell peppers, pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, ham, olives, etc. 

Now those are some complex flavors.

I miss salad. 

I miss steak.

I really miss corn on the cob.

Before my surgery, I told you about my "last supper" and asked what you would choose for your last meal.

Today, we're going to flip that. If you were limited to liquids and soft foods for six-plus weeks, what would be your FIRST real meal? 

Here's what I'm thinking. Y'all should come up with your favorite dishes. Your signature dish. The dish that describes you. Then, on that glorious day when I can eat real again, we'll all meet at my house. You and your favorite dish. Talk about a par-tay!

I'm in. How about you?

Philly Beef and Cheese Sandwiches

I haven't been cooking very much lately.

"A Mother for His Children" - my August release!
You can pre-order your copy here!

There's been so much to do!

Contracts to sign....

Deadwood - the setting for "A Home in Deadwood" coming
sometime next year!

Deadlines to meet, new stories to work on, new projects coming up (announcement coming soon!)....

This writing life is busier than I ever thought it would be. 

Whew! What ever happened to closed doors, quiet contemplation, and a maid to clean the bathroom?

Oh, wait. That's fiction, isn't it?

Don't think I'm complaining, though! Oh no! This is my dream job, and I'm loving it!

But while I'm furiously writing away to meet a deadline at the end of June, my family still wants to be fed. The cretins!

So our meals have been simple, quick, and easy. This one is a favorite!

Philly Beef and Cheese Sandwiches
(makes about 4 sandwiches)

These aren't the famous Philly Steak and Cheese, because...well...the steak is ground up into hamburger. But they're pretty good!

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef or ground turkey

1 small clove garlic, minced

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

4 ounces cream cheese

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

4 oz. sliced Monterrey Jack cheese

salt and pepper to taste

deli rolls or hot dog buns

Brown the ground beef until it's crumbly and no longer pink.

Drain the excess grease, and add the garlic, onion and green pepper. Cook until the onion and green peppers are tender and flavorful.

Add the cream cheese, and cook together over medium-low heat until the cheese is melted. Remove from heat and stir in the cheddar cheese.

Spoon the mixture into the rolls. Put the slices of Monterrey Jack cheese on top of the meat, and stick them under the broiler just until the cheese is melted.

Mmmm... Quick and delicious!

Here's my Trim Healthy Mama version. I used a low-carb tortilla instead of a bun. I put the ground beef mixture on half the tortilla, broiled it to melt the cheese, and then folded it over. Perfect :)

Instead of potato chips, I had mine with celery sticks - just not in time to make it into the picture.

And you can get back to your writing (or reading!) in record time!