foodie friday : quick apple pie

I mostly decided that I wanted to include a foodie friday into my rotation because I want to push myself to try new things.  I get into a rut fixing the same things over and over, but I tend to play it safe with a picky husband to feed.  I promise to be totally honest.  I would prefer to only share recipes I really did like, but sometimes this might be- well I did try something new, but we didn't really like it. Or, it might just be me sharing the recipe to one of our staple dinners from time to time.

This week, I am sharing a semi-homemade pie I threw together this past weekend.  No particular reason except that Pillsbury crusts come in packs of two and when I make a chicken pot-pie I only need one.  I'm really tired of having that second crust sit in my fridge for another month and sometimes go bad.  So I chose to make a pie!

I am way too lazy to make an apple pie from scratch, but I did have all of the ingredients to make a crumble topping for the top.  Inspired by a Trader Joe's cherry crumb pie we had a couple of weeks ago, I decided to use my more shallow pie plate, only one can of apple pie filling, and of course the homemade crumble.  It was the perfect ratio of everything for us, Kyle LOVED it and even said the crumble would have been just fine alone with ice cream.  This will be the new go-to quick dessert plan. 

Quick Apple Pie

1 Pillsbury crust
1 can of Apple Pie filling. Your choice.

Crimp the crust into your shallow pie plate.  This is particularly important if you are only using one can of filling.  If you don't have a shallower one, then just use 2 cans of filling.  I just didn't want a super full pie.  Pour your filling in.

Crumble

1/4 C quick oats
1/2 C All Purpose flour
1/2 C lightly packed brown sugar
4 Tbs melted butter
About 1/4-1/2 tsp freshly grated cinnamon.  It really does taste/smell different than what you buy already ground.  I just like the spicier scent of it but I'm sure regular ground cinnamon would be just fine.  I just kinda grated until I was tired of grating some I'm not real sure on the amount here.

Mix ingredients together.  It should be just wet enough to incorporate all of the flour, not sticky.  Crumble onto your pie.

Bake on 425F for 40 minutes.  Make it easier on yourself and put your pie on a cookie sheet so you can pull it out of the oven more easily.  Let cool on a wire rack for about 2 hours for easier slicing.

Seriously.  Make it.  Eat with some vanilla ice cream.  It is heaven.  You don't have to tell anyone its barely homemade.

Today I am linking up here and here.

Check back next week for a healthy dinner recipe that I am trying out tonight!  

what we're wearing wednesday

Don't worry guys... I don't imagine myself to be some super fashionista that wants to become a style blogger by any means whatsoever.  Which is why I'm only doing this twice a month.  But sometimes I wear something, or I put something on Myles that I am just darn proud of.  So that is what this space will be about.  A skinny mom with her own body issues, post-baby-post-breastfeeding, that is sharing moments when she feels honestly "pretty".  And sometimes it won't be about me at all, it will be the cute outfit I pieced together on my mini-man from thrift shop finds and random gifts. 

This dress was a post-Christmas sale find.  I have wanted to have a comfortable dress with sleeves for a while.  I think this Old Navy one fits the bill.  I got it while it was 40% off so paid about $21 for it the Saturday after Christmas, but I just noticed it is currently only $18 online (maybe in-store too?)!

"Hillary?" You ask.  "Why does the photo say "What-not-to-do edition"?"

Because when you are a mommy-blogger of a toddler, you shouldn't try to be more complicated than you originally plan on being.  Just do what you originally planned on doing, and share the exact way you wore the outfit when you felt pretty wearing it.  Don't try to show how you can wear it dressed-up and dressed down, never wearing the shoes you originally wore with it.  And definitely don't do this without someone to give you a thumbs up on your choices-because you can't really see it all put together because you still don't have that floor length mirror you want.  And really, really don't do this all during the aforementioned toddler's possible only nap time- the same nap time that you are also feeding yourself much needed calories and showering during.

Because you will have things go wrong (the tripod is trying to break which would have sent the camera falling to its death on concrete from 5 feet in the air).  And you won't realize that you don't like your outfit in the photos, because of the shoes you have never been able to see with the dress, until the toddler is toddling around in his crib wanting you to pick him up.  And since he is a toddler, you are not guaranteed a 2nd nap, the day before you want to post, to get all fixed up and redo the whole self-timered photo shoot in your damp carport while the elderly neighbor tries to figure out what in the world you are doing.

But thanks to talking to a friend, instead of letting the world melt down around you while your toddler cries, because he really needs that 2nd nap but is trying to be a big boy and power through without it, you are convinced to, instead, share the imperfect outfit photos that you have.  Because that is real life.  That is not-Pinterest worthiness at its finest, with a big lesson thrown in the middle.  And instead of ever showing the fully put together outfit that you should have photographed in the first place, you use your time wisely and rush out to the carport while the toddler is blissfully snoring in that much needed 2nd nap and snap a quick picture of the shoes that you didn't spend 30 extra seconds hunting down underneath your bed in the beginning.  

And use that picture, of those shoes, as your title photograph.  

Today I am linking up at ReasonstoDress and ThePleatedPoppy

I am a planner

Thank you Target Dollar Spot.  I couldn't find a small calendar like this anywhere!

I like lists.  I like planning.  I drive Kyle insane with all of my "plans".  If I have a goal... like most people, that goal will fail/fall through the cracks without planning.  So when I decided that I really want to be more consistent with writing in this space, I really needed to sit down and brainstorm and plan it out.  The best way for me to do that isn't just to jumble it down, but to put it into a calendar so that I can see my To-Dos a month at a time.   

This blog was started so that I could share all of our life changes, and to connect and offer our experiences to others in the medical life.  Then I had a kid, and the blog became all about him.  I have to be honest.  While I love that I have each month of his first year of life documented, I was SO GLAD when I wrote that 1 year post.  It felt like a weight was off my shoulders; I felt like I had earned permission for myself to go back to writing about more than just my kid.  Don't freak out family; Myles will still be on here, just not the main event anymore.

My goal for a while is to get back in the routine of writing on a regular basis.  Mon-Wed-Fri is what I hope to accomplish, and what better way to do that, than to have specific things to write on those days of the week? 

While I still have some brainstorming to do, and this space will continue to evolve as I go, I do have some things thought out that I will be making a regular occurrence around here.  

• Mondays are a wildcard.  Adventuring, photos, thoughts, projects...they will probably be here.
• The first Wed of the month will continue to be the spot for "currently" link-ups.  
• The 2nd and 4th Wed will now be "What We're Wearing Wednesday".  
• Fridays will now be Foodie Fridays.  
• Something med-life related every now and then.

I will miss days, I will move some things around on occasion.  Maybe I will get wild and post on a Thursday.  Who knows.  I will extend grace to myself when I fail, my goal is never for this to be a source of stress, but wholeheartedly a place for me to have something for myself.  I think that is important for a stay-at-home mom.  

Let me re-welcome you to homegrown in ky.  I love hearing from people and try to respond in a timely manner so please don't be shy.  

Hello 2015.