My Mom's Most Amazing Blueberry Cream Pie

Zoey is a big talker. She often talks so much during meals that we have to tell her to stop talking and put food in her mouth. Then Demetri and I have to have a rapid and forced conversation that will not allow to get a word in edgewise. You know, so she will chew and swallow. When my mom served this pie Zoey was completely silent. She ate her entire piece without saying anything. After her last swallow, she smacked her lips and said, "Gramme, this is the best pie you made in your life!" And I have to agree. 

Ingredients:

• Dry pint of blueberries… ¾ for filling and ¼ for decoration
• ½ C sugar
• 5 TBS cornstarch
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 Cups milk
• 1 slightly beaten egg
• ½ C or more of Cool Whip/Whipped Cream
• ½ tsp of almond
• Graham Cracker crust

Directions:

1.     Put first 3 ingredients in pot
2.     Add milk, constantly whisking until boiling
3.      Lower temp and keep whisking until thick
4.      Add small amount of mixture too slightly beaten egg
5.      Return egg mixture to pot
6.      Continue stirring until it boils again
7.      Take off burner and let cool… 15/20 minutes
8.       Put in fridge to cool off
9.       Once cool, beat well then add almond, Cool Whip, and blueberries
10.     Arrange in pie shell, decorate, put in fridge to set

Really Freakin' Good Apple Pie (and crust)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• about 8 apples - peeled, cored and sliced

Directions

1. Prepare the apples.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.
3. Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust - save a little bit to put on top of the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.
4. Do the lattice crust and pour or brush remaining liquid over crust.
5. Bake 15 minutes in oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees. Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.

I know, you may not want to make your own crust. But someday when you are feeling like a Domestic Goddess, here's a good/easy recipe:

1 c. butter
2 c. flour
1/3 c. milk
1 tbsp. vinegar

Cut butter into flour with pastry blender. Put vinegar in milk, add to flour mixture. Roll out half and fit into pie pan, then save the other half for the lattice crust.

Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Apple Cake

• 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups chopped apple
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 
  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x9 inch pan. In a small bowl stir together flour, baking soda, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon.
2. In a large bowl, mix together melted butter, brown sugar, white sugar, and yogurt with a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in the egg and vanilla. Add the splash of apple juice.
3. Blend in the flour mixture, then stir in the apples. Spread the mixture evenly into the pan.
4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in preheated oven. When done the cake should spring back when lightly poked.

Cream Cheese Topping

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

3 tablespoons butter, softened

1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients and then beat until smooth. Gently frost the cooled cake and then refrigerate.