I have a little confession to make and a peace offering too. Obviously, no posts at all last week. No MIMM, no contest winners, no nothing.
I am sorry. Forgive me?
Do you ever get to that place where your "to-do" list is SO long that it makes you want to shove your head in the proverbial sand? Or grab the nearest box of Godiva chocolates (sure I just have them lying around, don't you? *wink*) and park on the couch, watching re-runs of Project Runway in spite of that mental list marching across your frazzled, sleep deprived brain?
Seems since Mr. Sunshine left, things get overwhelming very quickly, much more quickly that they would if there were two pairs of adult hands in this house. I had a couple of very large orders that had to go out last week, two kids starting school (one in High School for the very first time, which stressed me more than her, I think), soccer games, supply shopping (there are always a few things they need that are not on the list OR you have to visit several different stores to even find the requested item), lack of sleep, and so forth and so on....I won't bore you too much. I think it's fairly clear picture.
For the sake of my own sanity (not to mention the mental well being of everyone around me), I just had to prioritize last week. Unfortunaltely, the blog lost.
But I am back, and I will announce the winners of the Create and Decorate contest tomorrow.
There's nothing new for me to show you as far as MIMM goes, so I thought I might offer a slice of very delicious Humble....errr....Apple Cider Pie for your enjoyment. This is an oldie but goodie from Cooking Light magazine (Oct. '98). The air is crisp and there's a nice breeze here in the North Country today, quite appropriate for a slice of yummy Apple Cider Pie....
And hey, it came from Cooking Light, so it has to be healthy, right? Ok maybe just a little healthier....enjoy!!
Apple Cider Pie
Ingredients
Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/3 cup ice water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chilled stick margarine or butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
Filling:
2 cups apple cider
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin-pie spice
7 Braeburn apples, peeled and quartered (about 3 pounds)
Cooking spray
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon sugar
Preparation
To prepare crust, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 1/3 cup flour and ice water, stirring with a whisk until well-blended. Combine 1 2/3 cups flour and salt in a bowl; cut in margarine and shortening with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add ice water mixture; toss with a fork until moist. Divide dough in half. Gently press each half of mixture 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, and chill. Roll other half of dough, still covered, into an 11-inch circle; chill.
To prepare filling, bring cider to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan over high heat. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 20 minutes). Cool completely.
Preheat oven to 450°.
Combine cooled cider, 1/3 cup sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla, and pie spice in a large bowl. Cut each apple quarter crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Stir apple slices into cider mixture.
Remove 1 sheet of plastic wrap from the 12-inch circle; fit dough 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, and brush edges of crust lightly with water. Remove 1 sheet of plastic wrap from the 11-inch circle, and place 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. Combine egg and 1 tablespoon water. Brush top and edges of pie with egg mixture, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Place pie on a baking sheet, and bake at 450° for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350° (do not remove pie from oven), and bake an additional 45 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack.
Nutritional Information
Calories:
302 (28% from fat)
Fat:
9.5g (sat 2.1g,mono 3.5g,poly 2.9g)
Protein:
2.9g
Carbohydrate:
52.6g
Fiber:
3.9g
Cholesterol:
0.0mg
Iron:
1.5mg
Sodium:
173mg
Calcium:
16mg
P.S....go visit my friend Kathy at
Catnip Studio to see a real MIMM post...
Until Next Time,
STEPH
Bad news? That rust in action is actually eating away the bottom of the tub... 
More clock action and a close-up of the Texas liscense plate roof of another of my birdhouses, which is made out of an old Coca-Cola crate- would have been perfect for last week's red and white challenge...oh well....
This beautiful example is the first fallen leaf I have seen this year....a sign of things to come...
I have about one hundred and fifty of these old factory thread bobbins. They are 
