Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Week 5-(Big) Apple Pie

Exciting going ons this week as the Little One turned two.  Since it was her birthday, we asked her what she wanted for pie.  Now her vocabulary is limited and we sort of stacked the deck with how we asked the question, but she is all about the apple.  She loves apples.  She'll ask for a whole apple and then wander around the house eating tiny little bites from it until she's eaten it about halfway through- then she tosses it wherever she happens to be.  We're still working on speaking and on cleanliness.



It's fitting that she loves apples so much since she was born in the Big Apple on a snowy, icy day. It still boggles my mind that my girl was born a New Yorker.  I've always loved the city so much and my one regret is that I never actually lived there.  I came close once.  I was supposed to spend six months working at NBC, but at the last minute it all fell through and I was sent to Lynchburg, Virginia.  Yes, I'm still bitter even though ten years have passed...

But back to my girl.  She was supposed to be born in New Jersey, but apparently she had no intention of that.  Three months before she was due we found out she had a condition in which her diaphragm did not fully close when it developed.  It may not sound like much, but the effects can be catastrophic- only 50% of babies with this condition survive.  Luckily we lived a short ride away from some of the world's best doctors in New York City.

I will never forget walking into the hospital the day I went into labor.  I had a coin toss chance of walking out of there with a baby.  I remember with my first daughter how I drove myself crazy with all the choices- what stroller to buy, how long to nurse for, whether to sleep train or not. But sometimes all the choices are taken away from you. And I realized then and there what motherhood is all about.  It really is about loving your baby for as long as you have him or her.  It may be 5 minutes or it may be 70 years, but it's as simple (and as hard) as that.

Anyhoo, I'll stop being philosophical. We all know how it ends because the Little One is alive and well.  My kid is a total New Yorker no matter what her zip code says.  She stares strangers down. She's working on her graffiti skills by writing all over my house. She has a strong distrust of farm animals. And she's dated a Yankee (Ok, it was a son of a Yankee and a playdate, but it makes for a good story.)

And she loves apples.  So I made a pie especially for her.




Little G's Apple Pie

I'll be honest, I have no idea where this recipe came from- it's the one I have always used during apple picking season and it's in my handwriting. I'm guessing I probably got it from a friend of mine and just wrote it down.  But it sure is good.

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (I don't actually have a 1/8 teaspoon so I just throw in less than 1/4 of a teaspoon)
1/8 teaspoon salt (same as above)
8 baking apples (this time, I used Macintosh and Granny Smith)- peeled and sliced thinly
2 tablespoons butter

- Heat oven to 425 degrees

- Make filling- combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in small bowl. Sprinkle over apples.  Toss until apples are covered. Spoon filling into unbaked pie shell.  Dot with butter.

- Cover with top crust. Cut slits in top. Brush 2 tablespoons melted butter on top.

- Bake at 425 for 10 to 15 minutes to brown curst.  Then reduce oven temp to 400 degrees and bake for about 40 minutes.

And here's the pie:

 
And here's the slice my niece cut for herself, topped with whipped crème
 
 




1 comment:

  1. Looking good! Next time, I'll loan you my apple peeler/corer/slicer! I bought it on the assumption that I would make lots of apple pies but since apple pie isn't really my favorite, it has gotten minimal use. Although, now that your niece has decided she likes apple pie, I may have to teach her how to use it and she can bake herself some pies...

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