All American Skillet Apple Pie

This weeks recipe is so adorable, I'm excited to share it with all of you.

Fourth of July is just around the corner and what is more perfect than an apple pie, especially one that looks this good!

Like promised, I always make things as easy as possible so anyone can make my meals, and this is no exception. Any pie is a labor of love, but this is nothing to be intimidated by!

I decided to use a small cast iron skillet for this recipe because it gives the pie a unique look, plus these pans are made in the USA! The original plan was to make little personal pies with 5 in. pans but they were impossible to find in store, so I settled for an 8 in. that was still small enough for just two people to share, which is perfect for us.

I mean when something starts out with these ingredients, it's bound to be amazing.

Ingredients:

Cast iron skillet (mine was 8 in.)

Refrigerated pre-made 9 in. pie crust (comes with two dough rounds)

3 lbs. of apples (will vary depending on size of pan)

1/2 cup of sugar

1/4 cup of flour

3/4 tsp of ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp of allspice 

1 tsp of salt

1/2 tsp of lemon zest

2 tsp of fresh lemon juice 

1 egg (for eggwash of top of crust)

In a large bowl combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt, lemon zest, and lemon juice. 

Peel your apples. 

I peeled and cut all my apples by hand because I wanted it to be rustic and look handmade, but there are many options for peeling apples for pie. If your peeling by hand like me, just be sure to watch your fingers and be careful!

Cut your apples into sixteen equal parts or in other words....

Cut in half, cut in half again, and again, and again. 

Just make sure that you cut out all the tough parts in the middle and that no seeds end up in the pie.

While your peeling and chopping, take your dough out of the refrigerator so it will become easier to work with. 

Mix your apple slices into your sugar mixture....your hands are your best tool to make sure everything is coated. 

Start to pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. 

Take one of your thawed pie crust rounds and carefully drape inside of your skillet, making sure it doesn't rip. 

I didn't have to roll out my crust because it was just the right size to fit in the pan and have about 1/2 in. draping over the edge. If you use a bigger pan, you may have to roll the dough thinner, to have enough left over of the edges. 

Poke a couple of holes in the bottom crust with a fork, to prevent bubbling. 

Pour in your filling.

If it looks like a lot of filling, don't sweat it.

You want your pie to look really full because everything will condense as it gets softer in the oven.

Next comes the top!!

I chose to do a lattice crust because aesthetically it looks adorable, but feel free to cover the top completely with the other round of dough. 

A lattice crust looks very intimidating, but don't fear, it is so easy!!

Lay the dough flat on a cutting board, and use a pizza cutter to cut into 1/2  in. stripes.

Lay parallel stripes, at equal space apart, on top of your pie.

Now peel back every other stripe, half way so you can lay a perpendicular stripe across the middle. 

Place your perpendicular stripe on the middle of the pie, and then place your peeled back stripes back in place. 

Alternate the stripes being peeled back until you have finished the whole pie. 

For a detailed step by step tutorial on lattice crust, use this helpful link...

http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-a-lattice-pie-crust-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-191672

Cut off any large amounts of excess dough on the edges, but leave enough to pinch together. 

Next, you are going to make an egg wash to brush on your crust, so it gets nice and brown in the oven.

Whisk together one egg with a splash of water, and lightly brush over your lattice and side crust. 

Lightly sprinkle sugar on top of the egg wash. 

Place small pieces of foil on the edges of your crust, so it doesn't burn while baking. 

Inside your oven, make sure you place a baking sheet lined with foil on the rack underneath your pie. If your pie bubbles over, you definitely don't want it dripping in your oven. 

Place you pie in the heated 400 degree oven for 45 min. to 1 hr. or until the crust is brown and the filling is bubbling. 

Aaaaaaaaddddddd.....

I hope everyone enjoys making this recipe as I did!

Most importantly, have a wonderful fourth of July, and be safe.

God bless America!!

Little Known Facts About Little Fish Livin'

So I was thinking today that I might give you all some insight into this little mind by sharing some fun facts about myself....enjoy.

I sweep my whole apartment at least once a day

I have a boyfriend with the capability of tracking in all of South Florida into our apartment on the bottom of his boots every day....plus I have this thing about my feet getting sandy when I walk barefoot in my own house...I don't like it. 

I have zero short term memory 

I can remember learning how to read Dick and Jane books with my mom in the first grade but not the name of the person I just shook hands with five seconds ago. My short term memory is atrocious. If you meet me in person, make sure I repeat your name at least a million times and then write it down a million more....it's the only way I'll remember it. Ask me what I was wearing the first day of kindergarten and I'm good, ask me what I ate for lunch yesterday, not so good. 

My favorite meal is...

Well I would say the entire feast of Thanksgiving, but as far as a normal meal goes I'd have to say roasted lemon pepper chicken and mashed potatoes....all smothered in chicken gravy of coarse...with sweet tea....and then chocolate fudge brownie ice cream for dessert...ok I have to stop now, I'm starting to drool. 

I organize my closet by color

I'm a blind mess in the morning while trying to get ready for work. If I didn't make it as easy as possible to pick out an outfit I would sit in there all day, and probably fall back asleep...while standing. Crazier things have happened. I may or may not have done the same thing in Kevin's closet...

Words I hate

Selfie

Midget

Hipster

Moist 

Sweetie

Shooter 

Ignorant 

Roaches...oh wait I just hate those in general 

Words I love

Snuggle 

Beautiful

Spunk

Cinnamon

Cozy

Canoodle

I wish it was fall all year long

Fall is my absolute favorite time of the year...which is funny because I live in Florida, where it pretty much doesn't exist, but I a girl can dream right? Even in Florida the air changes in the fall...it's time to take a deep breath, because summer is over! Plus fall clothes are cuter, the decorations are prettier, the colors are beautiful, the smells are glorious, the coffee is better, and you can eat pumpkin pie for months!

I eat the same thing for breakfast every day 

Special K Protein Plus....I will never get tired of it. It's delicious and nutritious. I would say go try some, but then it might catch on, and the store will always be out....I can't run that risk so just take my word for it.

I wash my dishes by hand even though I have a dishwasher   

Ok, ok go ahead and call me crazy now and get it out of your system....it's ok, go ahead and do it. I know this sounds ridiculous, but there are a couple of reasons:

We never have enough dishes to run a full load from one day

I'm not letting nasty dirty dishes sit in there for more than one day

I refuse to run it, and waste water if it isn't full

My glasses and silverware get ten times cleaner if I do it myself

....it's kind of relaxing while listening to my music.

I can listen to the same song a million times in a row

If I have a song stuck in my head, I can listen to it over and over...and over. 

Song of the moment....Rude by Magic!

That sucker gets stuck on the brain bad!

I'm an impostor, sometimes

Sometimes if there is a bug in the house I pretend to be afraid of it, even if I'm not so that Kevin will rescue me. So what, I like to feel like a damsel in distress sometimes...except if there is a cockroach staring me in the eye...then I'm a screaming five year old little girl for real.

So there you have it, me in a tiny nutshell.

There are many more tidbits I could share...but a lady has to stay mysterious you know. 

Flavor Packed, Turkey Sausage Medley

It's been a pretty gloomy in South Florida for the last week, and when the weather is stormy I always like to make my comfort foods. 

This week I made one of my favorites, but changed it up a bit to maybe make it a little healthier. This is a super fast and easy recipe with just a little kick to give it some amazing flavor!!

Ingredients: 

14 oz. of turkey sausage, sliced into 1/4 in. slices 

1/2 cup of chopped onion

1/2 cup of chopped carrots 

1/2 cup of chopped celery (optional) 

1 (15.25 oz.) can of black beans, rinsed 

1 (10 oz.) can of diced tomatoes with green chilies

1 packet of Sazon Goya seasoning with coriander and annatto 

Brown Rice 

Warm a pan on medium heat, with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Meanwhile, chop your carrot and onion.

You may choose to add celery, but personally I hate celery so I chose to leave it out. 

Next, slice your turkey sausage into 1/4 inch slices. I used to use pork kielbasa, but I figured that turkey sausage might be a little better in the diet department. Sausage is never going to be the healthiest of options, but it sure is tasty!

Put the sausage in the heated pan, and cook until it starts to brown, stirring occasionally so that it doesn't burn.

Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside for later. 

Next, your going to cook your onion and carrot. Add a splash more olive oil to your pan and turn the heat down slightly. If your using a higher fat sausage you might not need to add the oil, but because I used turkey sausage, which is leaner, there was no fat left in the pan afterwards to cook the veggies in. 

Cook the veggies until they become tender, stirring occasionally.

Add the rinsed black beans, diced tomatoes, and seasoning packet to the onion and carrot. 

Tons of flavor in one of these little babies!!

Simmer the mixture on medium-low heat for about 15 minutes. 

In the meantime you can make your rice for the mixture to go on top of. 

Add the sausage back to the pan and stir until heated through. 

Remove from the heat. 

Pour the mixture on top of some of your brown rice, and eat up!!!

Father's Day Peanut Butter Pie

This weeks recipe is definitely not on my new diet, but it's not about me because it's fathers day!

I blame my addiction to sweets on my dad, and this Sunday I made him one of his favorites....a peanut butter pie!!

This was a once closely guarded secret recipe but I was given permission to use it, since it's my dads favorite dessert. 

Ingredients: 

1 (8 oz.) package of softened cream cheese

1 (14 oz.) can of Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk 

3/4 cup of peanut butter 

3 Tbs. of real lemon juice

1 tsp. of vanilla extract 

1 (14 oz.) container of thawed whipped topping 

1 thawed 9" pre-made pie crust (or you can be courageous and make your own)  

Follow the directions on the packaging for baking your pie crust (it shouldn't take more than about ten minutes to bake). Make sure you poke it with a fork a few times, to prevent air pockets from forming. 

Meanwhile, start putting together your filling. 

Beat the cream cheese in a bowl until "fluffy"....I'm not really sure if cream cheese gets particularly "fluffy" but, beat until it looks like this...

In the same bowl, beat the condensed milk, and the peanut butter into the cream cheese until smooth. 

With a spoon, stir in the lemon juice and vanilla. 

Then gently fold in the whipped topping until everything is combined. 

By this time, your pie crust should be nice a brown, and ready for the filling!!

Pour the peanut butter filling into the crust and smooth out, until it is even. 

With a spoon, you can make little peaks in the filling to make it look a little more fancy!!

Put your pie into the refrigerator and chill for four hours, or until set.

There you have it!!!

A delicious and rich pie that is sure to make any daddy happy. 

Good news is, that this pie is super easy and quick to make so you still have time to whip one up for dad today!!!

Life Update:

I am still sticking to this diet the best I can and even at my parents I still had time to do my workout this morning.

This handsome man kept a close eye on me the whole time, wondering why I was working so hard while I could be looking out at how beautiful the morning was. 

He has always loved to be mommy's little model!!

Good news is my jaw is feeling so much better this week!!

The dentist informed me that I definitely have some jaw joint issues (he said it feels like my jaw pretty much pops out of place every time I open and close my mouth) but he can't say for certain if the pain is from that or the wisdom teeth, so I have an appointment with an oral surgeon in a week. Hopefully she will be able to give me a better idea on if taking them out will help me with this problem in the future. 

If it's not the wisdom teeth, the doctor said I could just be stressed out about things lately and clenching my jaw more, which could be aggravating the joint....stress...what stress hahaha so the plan is try and relax more....I think I could get used to that!

Crunchy Parmesan Zucchini Slices

So with my new workout plan comes a new diet, but lets be real...it's Sunday.

So while I am on this healthier diet, I still want to make something as a treat, especially since Sunday happens to be my rest day.

This week I will be working with zucchini, which happens to be high on my "must eat" list, but I am going to spice it up a bit with some crunchy goodness!!

This recipe is based on my moms recipe for "zucchini bites" but I altered some of the ingredients to make them a little healthier. This includes taking out the butter and replacing a whole egg bath with an egg white only one. I also decided to replace grated Parmesan with shredded, which I think has more flavor!  

Ingredients:

1 whole zucchini

1/4 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese 

1/2 cup of Italian bread crumbs

1 egg white 

Pepper 

Preheat your oven to 475 degrees and lightly grease a baking sheet. 

Slice your zucchini into 1/4 inch slices.

Carefully crack your egg and move your yolk back and forth between the shells, letting only the egg white drop into your bowl. 

In another bowl, combine about a 1/2 cup of bread crumbs, 1/4 cup of cheese, and a few cracks of pepper.

Dip the zucchini slices into the egg white, bread both sides thoroughly, and place on the baking sheet. 

Put in the oven for five minutes. 

Take out of the oven, flip your slices with a fork, and sprinkle your left over bread crumb combo on the other side (I found this step necessary because some of the toppings stick to the pan, and this ensures complete zucchini coverage for your final result).

Put back in the oven for another five minutes or until they are crispy brown. 

And there you have it, a tasty little treat without breaking your diet....too badly. 

It's Been One Of Those Weeks...

Lately I have felt a little disconnected with my blog and it's making me sad, so I thought I would take a moment to go through all that's been going on with me lately. 

Lots Of Changes At Work 

I work in a small office of eight people, and this last week two people decided to quit...at the same time. This presents a large problem because our business is growing quickly, gaining more work and clientele by the day. With two people leaving....we are in the hole. Considering the two people are dating and knew when the other one was going to quit, them doing it at the same time for no other reason other than the fact they wanted to be mean....well, it was just mean. The good news is that two new people have been hired, and the negative energy brought by the old two, will soon be gone! The bad news is that it takes months for a new person to become completely trained, so it looks like I will be working late for a while, and there will be no summer vacations for anyone in the office....bummer. I'm going to recommend someone coming in to sage the office after these two leave....out with the old and grumpy, in with the new and cheery. 

Major Lifestyle Changes

I don't know what made us dive so deeply and so quickly into this change, but I think it's definitely for the better. Kevin, and I have started at intense new fitness routine along with a major overhaul of how we eat. This involves following a crazy workout plan six days a week, and eating simple and healthy meals throughout the day while dramatically reducing our portion sizes. Lets just say it's been fun and rewarding but also extremely painful and difficult at the same time. I may be naturally thin, but I have come to find out that I am no where close to being physically "fit". I have to say that there have been numerous positives already;

1. We have found something that we can do together every day, and have even started cooking together every night!

2. Almost all of my previous back pain has disappeared (I attribute that to some of the workouts involving some deep stretching and yoga positions)

3. I am sleeping much better and wake up much easier in the mornings 

I have never used a planned out workout routine before, but I will probably never go back to just guessing my way through whats right ever again. Fitness professionals make this their job for a reason, they really know what works!! Even though the positives are numerous, some things have been very hard for me. Food has always been my friend...as you can see in Tasty Sunday's, scaling down my diet and making it less complicated has been startling in the least. I have found that I have a tendency to make things that have a lot of different ingredients, and this diet is all about keeping it simple with only a few really healthy ingredients...lets just say I like a lot of flavor. I will have to work on how to bring in lots of flavor without using a ton of ingredients....wish me luck. Also, just about every muscle in my body is sore...I look ridiculous trying to go up and down stairs. We have eight more weeks left on this workout plan, but I am definitely going to keep at least doing yoga after it is over...I can't even explain how much it has helped my back!

Time For The Dentist
So I have been a big baby about going to the dentist lately, but it's finally time to bite the bullet. Along with just a routine cleaning, I have been needing to have some issues addressed lately. I have been having intense soreness in my jaw for about a week now, and it is both concerning and deeply annoying!!! I know that I have all four wisdom, and some people have been telling me that jaw pain is one symptom of them coming in, but I can't shake the feeling that it is something else. For years my jaw has popped occasionally when yawing, or eating but I never really got concerned because it would never hurt. Never thought anything of it until I read about TMD or Temporomadibular Disorders which affect the temporomadibular joint in the jaw. A lot of things I have been mysteriously ailed with over the years seem to line up; jaw soreness, popping of the jaw, headaches, neck aches, ringing in the ears (which I've had twice in the last couple of years). I know there could be other reasons for each of these occurring but I will see what the doctor says on Tuesday. I am kind of hoping he says it's the wisdom teeth, because not much can be done for TMD and if it's the wisdom teeth, at least I can have those taken out. I will keep you updated!!

So anyways, thats what I have been fretting over lately, thus why I haven't been able to spend much time on my beloved blog. I'd say I'm one giant mess at that moment considering every muscle, plus my jaw, is in pain but I'm fairly confident life will go on!!!

Stay tuned for tomorrows Tasty Sunday recipe. It's my first attempt at making something kinda healthy while still spoiling myself because it's Sunday!!

Wish me luck on Tuesday!!
Oh yeah, and I'll still be here waiting on my beautiful loveseat to be delivered, where I can lay in piece with my sore body. 

Not Your Momma's Four Layer Dessert

Along with this weeks recipe, a lot has happened this weekend so bare with me as I ramble on for a minute. 

First off, my best friend since pre-school got engaged!!!!

I'm not going to lie I cried like a baby...a big big baby....there was even a witness.

I would just like to say that there is absolutely no way to prepare for a moment actually occurring that you and your best friend have talked about for two decades.

I couldn't be happier for her and I can't wait to see the bridesmaid dresses!

Second off, I put on my big girl pants and bought my first piece of expensive furniture (a loveseat) for me, and me alone. 

I say it is for me alone because it is my dream piece of fancy girly furniture and Kevin had absolutely no say in picking it out. 

It does not match the dark leather sofa that we have at all but somehow the stark contrast between the two perfectly symbolizes the two completely opposite people coming together in one living room. (man that was a really sappy way to describe a living room right?) 

I wish I could show you, but it's going to take up to four weeks to get here which makes me very sad but I have very pathetically put blue tape on the floor to try and imagine how it will look once in the room. 

All I can say is that if Kevin comes anywhere near it with his hot sauce and dirty boots, I'm going to beat his butt. 

Ok, on to the recipe!!

The reason I call this "Not Your Momma's Four Layer Dessert" is because it kind of reminded me of the layered dessert my mom always used to make, which included a crust with nuts (yuck-no nuts), a layer some sort of delicious cream cheese concoction, a layer of chocolate pudding, and a layer of whipped cream.
The only difference is that I have adapted every layer into things I like even better.

Plus this has three layers, not four, because laziness is sometimes a virtue.

Ingredients:

1 (16 1/2 oz.) tube of pre-made chocolate chip cookie dough

1 jar of caramel ice cream topping

1 (3.4 oz.) box of dry instant vanilla pudding mix

1/2 cup of cold milk

1 (8 oz.) container of frozen whipped topping

3 1 oz. squares of semisweet Bakers chocolate

3 tablespoons of butter 

1 bag of Heath toffee bits

9x13 baking pan

First, very lightly grease your baking pan and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Break your dough into pieces and drop them all around your pan.
Use your hands to press them down and into one big piece. Try your hardest to make it all even so that every piece will have the same amount of cookie at the bottom.

While taking pictures of this, I noticed my counter tops look a lot
like cookie dough...not a bad thing in my opinion. 

Pop that in your preheated oven for 14-16 minutes, or until golden brown.

Let your cookie cool completely before starting your next step.

In the meantime, you can drool over the ingredient for your next layer...

You will also need to take your frozen whipped topping out of the freezer and allow it to thaw.

Once the pan is cool to touch, you are ready to spread on your caramel.

Pour on just a little at a time and spread it around, just enough to cover to whole cookie.

Look at that ocean of salty sweetness...yum!

Your next layer is going to be a mixture of vanilla pudding and the whipped topping. 

First, make your pudding by mixing the dry mix with 1/2 cup of cold milk.

Whisk that together until completely blended and then add the thawed whipped topping. I added a little bit of the Heath bits also just to give this layer a little crunch!! 

Fold the whipped topping and Heath bits into the pudding mixture until completely blended. 

Spread the mixture evenly over your caramel layer, cover the pan and put in the freezer for 3-4 hours to allow for everything to firm up. 

Once your layers are firm, it's time to make your topping.

First, roughly chop three 1 oz. squares of semi-sweet chocolate.

In a small sauce pan, melt 3 tablespoons of butter on medium heat. 

Once the butter is completely melted, add the chopped chocolate and stir constantly to make sure that the chocolate doesn't burn.

With a spoon, drizzle your melted chocolate over your frozen layers. 

I have a very heavy "drizzle" hand apparently

Sprinkle on some of your Heath toffee bits. 

Put back in the freezer to left everything harder again before cutting into squares and serving!!

Happy Sunday!!

Meanwhile I'll just be here pretending to lay on my new loveseat for four weeks until it gets here...

Yes, those are my moo cow pajama pants.