Sunday, June 18, 2017

Freezer Deep Dish Apple Pie For Father's Day

Upon awakening this morning I asked Stone, what would you like to do on this Father's Day?  I said you choose, we will do whatever you want.  He proceeded to slowly crawl out of bed, making his way to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee, bringing it back with him to bed along with a Diet Coke for me and said, "I want to lay here and drink two cups of coffee, read the newspaper, eat some breakfast, go for a walk which we walked close to six miles, play my saxophone, read my book and watch the U.S. Open."  Then he requested that I prepare burgers, corn on cob, baked beans, Apple Pie and ice tea for dinner.  I guess I wore him out this weekend with all our goings.  He just wants to stay home, so thats what we did.

I decided to bake an Apple Pie using a recipe from an old cookbook, The FamilyCircle Encyclopedia Of Cooking that my mama gave me many years ago.  In fact she wrote little message, "I do hope you enjoy the book," and the date which was December 5, 1991.  It is now a well worn copy as I have enjoyed the book and have prepared many recipes from it. 

Freezer Deep Dish Apple Pie
Makes: one 10" pie
Ingredients:
2 pounds and 13 ounces peeled and sliced thinly Granny Smith Apples:  about 10 medium
1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 double crust piecrust, homemade or store bought.
1 Tablespoon water or milk
Sparkling Sugar or granulated for topping
Directions:
1.  In a large pan place peeled and sliced apples, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and butter.  Cook on medium for 14 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Let cool to room temp.
2.  Roll out pie crust and place bottom layer in pie pan.  Place Pie Bird in the middle.  Fill with cooled filling.  Top with second layer of pie crust.  Crimp edges.     Decorate with extra crust if you want or not.  Brush pie with water or milk and sprinkle with sparkling sugar or granulated sugar.
3.  Freeze on a cookie sheet.  When frozen wrap with a layer of saran wrap, then a layer of foil.
4.  When ready to bake, preheat oven to 425'.  Place pie on bottom rack and bake for 15 minutes. This will keep the crust flaky instead of soggy.   Reduce temp to 350', move pie up a rack and continuing baking for 1 hour and 30 minutes.  Then move pie up one more rack and continue baking for 40 minutes, until crust is nice and brown and the filling is bubbling, cover with foil if needed.
5.  Cool at least an hour. Slice it up or just dig in. 😄 Serve with whipped cream, ice cream or eat it alone.


Monday, June 12, 2017

Little Brier Gap

The weather was too perfect this past weekend to stay indoors.  The mountains were calling me.  Like yesterday, I chose another trail I had never been on.  It was The Little Brier Gap Trail which is situated in the heart of an old mountain community know as Little Greenbrier.   For much of the trek up to the Walker Sisters Place, the passage follows a small currant known as Little Brier Branch.  This was a short easy hike which was nice after our strenuous hike up to Mt. LeConte yesterday.  My husband said as he was going out the door this morning he needed to go back to work so he could rest.😌 

 Rosebay Rhododendron


In 1882 John Walker, father of the Walker Sisters, helped frame the Little Greenbrier School.  The schoolhouse was also used for chapel services by a local Primitive Baptist congregation.  The last classes to be held here was in 1935.




The Walker Sisters, consisting of five spinster sister's who lived in the home refused to sell their 123-acre farm to the national park and were able to maintain their long established mountain life into the 1960's.  Through the years enhancements were made to the farm, several outbuildings, a barn, blacksmith shop, springhouse, apple house, pig pen, corn crib, smokehouse and a small tub mill.  Today only the springhouse, corn crib and cabin remain at the site.


In 1964 the National Park assumed control of the land when Louisa, the last of the Walker Sisters died.  The National Park restored the cabin in 1976.

Stone and I at the side entrance to the Walker Sisters Place


The Walker Sisters Place Springhouse