1. Our beautiful new home. ~Sarah
2. "I like Super Why." ~Lucy
3. Ice. ~Ruby (she's teething)
4. Health! ~Sarah
5. "Grateful to the Lord for leading me to the right people and making new job contacts." ~Jon
6. "My family!" ~Arianna
7. I'm grateful for my firstborn daughter, Arianna. She is growing into a lovely young lady with a beautiful soul. Her imagination still soars and she's so incredibly smart. I'm proud of the big sister that she is, how well she's doing in school, and how hard she tries to make good decisions and be a role model for her little sisters who absolutely adore her. ~Sarah
8. "Ari is a good sister to me!" ~Lucy
9. "I'm thankful that I get to go on a field trip on Tuesday!" ~Arianna
10. The USMC and all of the benefits that it has provided for Jon and our family. Happy birthday, Marines! ~The Bush Family
11. Today, I am thankful to all of the Veterans who has served in the military and sacrificed their time, safety, and in some cases, their lives to defend our nation and keep us safe. I am thankful to my own veteran husband who works hard every single day to ensure that our family is provided for. His current assignment isn't fun and is rarely ever rewarding, but he pushes forward for us and I don't know what we would do if he weren't willing to make those sacrifices. ~Sarah
12. "I am thankful that you pray for me and have been so supportive. And for taking care of the girls." ~text message that Jon sent me
13. I am grateful that we are well fed. So it's not all organic, so it comes out of a package sometimes, so we occasionally eat *gasp* fast food! The fact is, there is food in our bellies every single day. Even when we've reached the tail end of the pay period and our fridge and pantry are looking bare and it feels like there is nothing to eat, we eat. We have NEVER gone hungry. I have the ability to create food plans and the guarantee that whatever ingredients I need will be readily available with one quick trip to the grocery store. I don't have the burden of wondering where our next meal is going to come from or how long we'll have to go before we're able to eat again. Food may be a necessity, but the type of food that we eat and the way we eat and the fact that we take these things for granted is a luxury. ~Sarah
14. One year ago today in the early hours of the morning, God blessed our lives with Ruby Estelle. We are thankful for her easygoing personality, her sweet, cheesy gap-toothed grin, her silly mannerisms, and the pretty light features that she got from her Great Paw Paw (who would have been so proud of her). Our little family would not be the same without sweet Ruby Star and we are thankful for God's timing in making her a part of our family. ~Jon, Sarah, Ari, and Lucy
15. I am grateful for my husband and everything that he sacrifices to take care of our family. ~Sarah
16. CAKE! ~Lucy and Ruby
17. All of the friends and family who came over to celebrate our November babies' birthdays! ~The Bush Family
18. "A clean house and a good dinner." ~Jon
19. I'm thankful for my best friend, Lisa. We met online four years ago and last year the military brought us close enough to meet in person. The beginning of August, she and her family had a housewarming party and I didn't want to go. It wasn't that I didn't want to meet them, it's that I always feel awkward in social situations especially when I don't know very many people. I was stressing out and I believe I tried to play a "my toddler is being really cranky and tantrum-y...." card and Lisa likely knew what I was doing and came back with, "That's ok, we have a child who throws tantrums sometimes too! We don't judge tantrum-y kids or their parents!" And I was like, ".......well, darn." So I went. And I made the absolute best, most amazing friend I've ever had in my 27 years of life. We have the perfect amount of similarities to keep us close and just enough differences to balance each other out. She listens to me vent, gives me honest advice, supports me, and provides me with fresh perspective (like I said, differences are good!). She doesn't judge me and she forgives. She's given me the honor of being a Godmother and that's more than just a title to me. Along with my own daughters, I have two more to set a good example for and help discover all of life's beauty. I couldn't ask for any more in a best friend and I look forward to our families sharing a lifetime of memories. ~Sarah
20. "I love my toys and my Kitty Hello bed!" ~Lucy
21. "Had a really good day at work!" ~Jon
22. "I like my teachers! They're nice. And I like my friends." ~Arianna
23. "A weekend off to spend with my family." ~Jon
24. "There's no homework this week! And we get to have our class Thanksgiving party!" ~Arianna
25. Three years ago today, our family of three became a family of four when we welcomed Lucille Scarlett. We are thankful for her her hugs, her laughter, her strong personality, and her hilarious daily Lucy-isms. It's been an amazing past three years watching her grow into the spunky little girl she is today. We are all so grateful to God for making Lu a member of our family. ~Jon, Sarah, Ari, and Ruby
26. I'm grateful that we have the luxury and privilege of being able to choose to skip the Black Friday madness. Some people shop because they want the deals, some people shop because they NEED the deals in order to be able to do Christmas or buy their kids enough winter clothes to last the season. I feel for those people and it's not lost on me that we are blessed to not be in their shoes. ~Sarah
27. "Four days off!" ~Jon
28. We are thankful to be able to spend this Thanksgiving with extended family. This time of year can be difficult for many military families who are stationed far away from family or who have a service member who is deployed. We keep them in our prayers and remain thankful for the sacrifices that they are making so that we can enjoy this day at home with our families. Someday it will be our turn to make those sacrifices so for this year, we enjoy the blessing of family. ~The Bush Family
Showing posts with label thanksgiving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thanksgiving. Show all posts
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Thursday, November 22, 2012
1162 Days
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
LOVE,
THE BUSH FAM(ILY)
We are thankful for......
1. A loving, generous, hardworking, selfless husband who does everything he can to keep our family safe and happy. I trust him with everything. (~Sarah)
2. "Candy! I want treat!" (~Lucy, when asked what she's thankful for and what she likes.)
3. "Lucy! My baby sister, Lucy-cille!" (~Arianna)
4. "Happy! I want happy! Friends? I want friends! Party!" (~Lucy, we'll say she's thankful for happiness and friends.)
5. "Food!" (~Arianna)
6. "Arianna, Lucy, and Sarah." (~Jon)
7. I am thankful to be carrying a healthy baby. Even though we all can't wait to meet her, I realize the importance of her having the time that she needs to grow strong and choose her own birth date. I am grateful that we haven't had any complications or need for her to come any sooner than she's ready. (~Sarah)
8. "Being able to take care of all of my girls." (~Jon)
9. "Banana? I want eat banana. Pease. Tanks!" (~Lucy)
10. "Mommy, Daddy, Lucy and Ruby!" (~Arianna)
11. I am thankful that we have never been struck by true devastation or had to go without basic necessities or comforts. I feel like we find a lot of little things to complain about day-to-day that are annoying, but watching all of the footage and hearing all of the (online and television) calls for aid for the victims of Hurricane Sandy puts it in perspective. The worst off we've ever been with here is without power for a few days and eventually had to throw out food. I was so angry about it at the time, but the fact is, we still had a roof over our heads. We had somewhere comfortable to stay while we waited for the power to be restored. We had clothing and beds and blankets. We had food provided to us and an insurance company who replaced the contents of our fridge and freezer as soon as we were back in our house. Some of these people have gone weeks now with none of that and still don't have an end in sight. Our family is praying for them not to lose hope and hoping that they are able to find comfort this holiday season. (~Sarah)
12. "Dress! Pretty! I like it, mommy." (Lucy, at the mall after picking out her Christmas dress.)
13. "My friends Gabby, Nevaeh, Jasmine, Jeremiah, Gwaine, Lilly, TJ, Amara, Haylen, Isabel that moved, Kaitlyn, Masen, and Connor." (~Arianna)
14. A healthy baby girl whose birth was beautiful, healing, empowering and absolutely amazing.(~Sarah)
15. "Awwww, baby cuuute!!! Shhh, baby seeping!" (~Lucy)
16. Dr. Vogel at Stafford Hospital who caught two different medication errors that resulted in me being given drugs that could have made me very ill had I received the full dose. (~Sarah)
17. "I'm thankful that we have good insurance and are able to get you taken care of and that you're going to be ok." (~Jon, on my second day in the hospital)
18. A husband who, willingly and without complaint, took over all of my daily tasks (meals, school drop off and pick up, shuttling Arianna to various activities, and keeping the house tidy) so that I could spend time in bed resting and bonding with Ruby. Two days after her birth, he took an even bigger step up by taking care of things when I ended up in the hospital. The morning that I was admitted he got three kids dressed, fed, and out the door, drove to the hospital to check on me, drove Arianna to school and attended her Thanksgiving lunch along with Lucy, took Lucy home for a nap, picked Arianna back up, packed up the long list of items that I requested he bring for Ruby and I (plus things that I didn't even think of, like my toothbrush), packed a weekend bag for the girls, drove everyone back to the hospital to see me one last time, took all three kids with him to drop the older two off at my aunt and uncle's house, picked up Chipotle on the way back with a two day old Ruby in tow, slept on an uncomfortable recliner, and woke up several times during the night to help me with Ruby since my IV made it hard for me to move. And that was JUST the first day. He continued this trend the entire time I was in the hospital and then the day I got back home presented me with a gift card for an hour and a half massage. I do not know what I would do without this man. (~Sarah)
19. "Getting to go to Tap II!" (~Arianna- while I was in the hospital, Arianna's dance teacher Miss Karen contacted Jon and I to ask if we would be on board with Arianna moving from Tap I to Tap II next week! She feels that Arianna has mastered almost everything that she needs to know to complete Tap I and feels that she can push her a little further in Tap II. Arianna loves dance, she's been really practicing at home, and we are VERY proud!)
20. "Great Uncle Peter and Great Aunt Erma for sending me a bath sponge, some very nice diapers and blankets, and a Sophie the Giraffe teething toy! Thank you!" (~Ruby)
21. My midwife, Tammi McKinley and her assistant Camilla Yrure. I absolutely could not have asked for two more amazing birth attendants. They were completely hands off during Ruby's birth which is something that I've never experienced with any other care provider. At first, I almost felt lost. I felt like I NEEDED someone to tell me what to do, but each time I asked they gently reminded me that I already knew what to do, I just had to do it. At some point, I went deep inside of myself, allowed my instincts take over, and I birthed my daughter completely on my own. Even after she was out, nobody touched us and they allowed us those precious moments immediately after her birth to bond. I will be forever grateful to them for giving me the gift of knowing that I don't need anyone to help me give birth, I can do it all on my own! They came for Ruby's one week check today and I won't see them again until my six week check up and then that's it. I'm sad that my pregnancy and birth are over and I'll no longer be seeing them regularly. They will always hold a very special place in my heart. (~Sarah)
22. Today we are thankful to be together. Togetherness is not something that we take for granted as a military family and we're very grateful that it's something that we've been blessed with for yet another year. Thank you to those who are sacrificing time with their families to keep us safe. (~The Bush Family)
Even though today is Thanksgiving and I'm posting our list, we'll be continuing it for the rest of the month. I will post a link to the finished list at the end of the month! Please also see THIS POST for a very special list of people who we are thankful to have in our lives.
23. Grandma!!!!! (~Arianna- we originally told her that Grandma wasn't coming until Saturday the 24th and surprised her by letting her go with Jon to pick up Grandma a day early.)
24. I am thankful to my husband for getting me a much needed 90 minute massage! (~Sarah)
25. Today we are thankful for the two years that we have been given with Lucille Scarlett! Happy 2nd birthday, Lucy! (~Jon, Sarah, Ari, and Ruby)
26. "A wife who is willing to go shooting and hunting with me." (~Jon- I guess a lot of people have told him how lucky he is, haha.)
27. A clean bill of health from the pediatrician at Ruby's newborn appointment today! (~Sarah)
28. "Toys! My toys! Mine!" (~Lucy- is thankful for HER toys!)
29. All of the nice things that Grandma and Grandpa spoiled us with, ncluding many clothes and pajamas for the girls, a little picnic table, and a new tv! Thank you Grandma and Grandpa!!! (~The Bush Family)
30. "Mommy and Ruby and Lucy and Grandma coming to lunch with me!" (~Arianna)
11. I am thankful that we have never been struck by true devastation or had to go without basic necessities or comforts. I feel like we find a lot of little things to complain about day-to-day that are annoying, but watching all of the footage and hearing all of the (online and television) calls for aid for the victims of Hurricane Sandy puts it in perspective. The worst off we've ever been with here is without power for a few days and eventually had to throw out food. I was so angry about it at the time, but the fact is, we still had a roof over our heads. We had somewhere comfortable to stay while we waited for the power to be restored. We had clothing and beds and blankets. We had food provided to us and an insurance company who replaced the contents of our fridge and freezer as soon as we were back in our house. Some of these people have gone weeks now with none of that and still don't have an end in sight. Our family is praying for them not to lose hope and hoping that they are able to find comfort this holiday season. (~Sarah)
12. "Dress! Pretty! I like it, mommy." (Lucy, at the mall after picking out her Christmas dress.)
13. "My friends Gabby, Nevaeh, Jasmine, Jeremiah, Gwaine, Lilly, TJ, Amara, Haylen, Isabel that moved, Kaitlyn, Masen, and Connor." (~Arianna)
14. A healthy baby girl whose birth was beautiful, healing, empowering and absolutely amazing.(~Sarah)
15. "Awwww, baby cuuute!!! Shhh, baby seeping!" (~Lucy)
16. Dr. Vogel at Stafford Hospital who caught two different medication errors that resulted in me being given drugs that could have made me very ill had I received the full dose. (~Sarah)
17. "I'm thankful that we have good insurance and are able to get you taken care of and that you're going to be ok." (~Jon, on my second day in the hospital)
18. A husband who, willingly and without complaint, took over all of my daily tasks (meals, school drop off and pick up, shuttling Arianna to various activities, and keeping the house tidy) so that I could spend time in bed resting and bonding with Ruby. Two days after her birth, he took an even bigger step up by taking care of things when I ended up in the hospital. The morning that I was admitted he got three kids dressed, fed, and out the door, drove to the hospital to check on me, drove Arianna to school and attended her Thanksgiving lunch along with Lucy, took Lucy home for a nap, picked Arianna back up, packed up the long list of items that I requested he bring for Ruby and I (plus things that I didn't even think of, like my toothbrush), packed a weekend bag for the girls, drove everyone back to the hospital to see me one last time, took all three kids with him to drop the older two off at my aunt and uncle's house, picked up Chipotle on the way back with a two day old Ruby in tow, slept on an uncomfortable recliner, and woke up several times during the night to help me with Ruby since my IV made it hard for me to move. And that was JUST the first day. He continued this trend the entire time I was in the hospital and then the day I got back home presented me with a gift card for an hour and a half massage. I do not know what I would do without this man. (~Sarah)
19. "Getting to go to Tap II!" (~Arianna- while I was in the hospital, Arianna's dance teacher Miss Karen contacted Jon and I to ask if we would be on board with Arianna moving from Tap I to Tap II next week! She feels that Arianna has mastered almost everything that she needs to know to complete Tap I and feels that she can push her a little further in Tap II. Arianna loves dance, she's been really practicing at home, and we are VERY proud!)
20. "Great Uncle Peter and Great Aunt Erma for sending me a bath sponge, some very nice diapers and blankets, and a Sophie the Giraffe teething toy! Thank you!" (~Ruby)
21. My midwife, Tammi McKinley and her assistant Camilla Yrure. I absolutely could not have asked for two more amazing birth attendants. They were completely hands off during Ruby's birth which is something that I've never experienced with any other care provider. At first, I almost felt lost. I felt like I NEEDED someone to tell me what to do, but each time I asked they gently reminded me that I already knew what to do, I just had to do it. At some point, I went deep inside of myself, allowed my instincts take over, and I birthed my daughter completely on my own. Even after she was out, nobody touched us and they allowed us those precious moments immediately after her birth to bond. I will be forever grateful to them for giving me the gift of knowing that I don't need anyone to help me give birth, I can do it all on my own! They came for Ruby's one week check today and I won't see them again until my six week check up and then that's it. I'm sad that my pregnancy and birth are over and I'll no longer be seeing them regularly. They will always hold a very special place in my heart. (~Sarah)
22. Today we are thankful to be together. Togetherness is not something that we take for granted as a military family and we're very grateful that it's something that we've been blessed with for yet another year. Thank you to those who are sacrificing time with their families to keep us safe. (~The Bush Family)
Even though today is Thanksgiving and I'm posting our list, we'll be continuing it for the rest of the month. I will post a link to the finished list at the end of the month! Please also see THIS POST for a very special list of people who we are thankful to have in our lives.
23. Grandma!!!!! (~Arianna- we originally told her that Grandma wasn't coming until Saturday the 24th and surprised her by letting her go with Jon to pick up Grandma a day early.)
24. I am thankful to my husband for getting me a much needed 90 minute massage! (~Sarah)
25. Today we are thankful for the two years that we have been given with Lucille Scarlett! Happy 2nd birthday, Lucy! (~Jon, Sarah, Ari, and Ruby)
26. "A wife who is willing to go shooting and hunting with me." (~Jon- I guess a lot of people have told him how lucky he is, haha.)
27. A clean bill of health from the pediatrician at Ruby's newborn appointment today! (~Sarah)
28. "Toys! My toys! Mine!" (~Lucy- is thankful for HER toys!)
29. All of the nice things that Grandma and Grandpa spoiled us with, ncluding many clothes and pajamas for the girls, a little picnic table, and a new tv! Thank you Grandma and Grandpa!!! (~The Bush Family)
30. "Mommy and Ruby and Lucy and Grandma coming to lunch with me!" (~Arianna)
Thursday, December 15, 2011
819 Days
I owe you all about a million pictures (ok, there are only 47, but they go all the way back to October) so I'm just going to jump right in, starting with the rest of our Halloween pictures that I never posted!
Lucy joined the party too (and the kids had quite a bit of fun with her)!
Neighborhood Halloween party at Karoline's house.
All of the food was Halloween themed.
Getting ready to go trick-or-treating. Love these two together!
Arianna enjoyed chasing the ducks.
The grandpas doing crafts with Ari.
I LOVE how her cake turned out. The top mushroom was her smash cake.
I'm also really happy with how Lucy's birthday outfit turned out. 100% handmade!
Setting up for Thanksgiving Day lunch
Hungry and not in the mood for pictures.
Thanksgiving afternoon/evening at Jon's grandparents' house.
She wasn't terribly interested in her cake at her birthday party so I thought I would try again. She still wasn't too crazy about it, haha.
We were in Phoenix for an additional five days after Lucy's birthday, but this is all of the pictures that I took****. We all spent the day after Thanksgiving with good friends and got to see Jon's family once more before we left. We had a great trip, but as always it went by too quickly. Now we're back home and trying to re-adjust to our day to day lives. We've been home for two weeks and I still haven't fallen back into a routine, gone Christmas shopping, or caught up on everything that I need to do. This weekend and the week leading up to Christmas are going to be go-go-go. Tomorrow I'm going to school with Arianna for pajama day and to watch The Polar Express. Saturday, Arianna has The Nutcracker Twisted (her first on stage dance performance!!!) and we'll be busy with that most of the afternoon and evening. Next week will be spent Christmas shopping, baking for neighborhood friends, and somewhere in there I need to take some fun Christmas pictures of the girls. I was hoping for a white Christmas, but it doesn't look like we're going to get one this year. It was 65 degrees out today and it's still nice and sunny. I definitely wasn't expecting such "warm" weather this far into December as I know we had snow and ice on the ground by this time last year. I guess we'll see how the weather changes and if we see any snow before 2012 (OMG is 2012 really almost here???)!
****I lied! I have more pictures. I guess I never uploaded the last of the pictures that I took to the computer so I will make another post sometime next week with those.
Arianna's class Halloween party that I helped out with. This was the very end when they got to eat the "Mummy Hot Dogs" that I helped them with. Sweetest kids ever!
Lucy joined the party too (and the kids had quite a bit of fun with her)!
Neighborhood Halloween party at Karoline's house.
All of the food was Halloween themed.
Getting ready to go trick-or-treating. Love these two together!
November 5th was the Marine Corps Birthday Ball. I was really excited about it because we didn't get to go last year. I didn't take many pictures, but we had a really nice even and got an updated picture of Jon and I :)
November 15th, we left for a two week trip to Arizona! We had all been looking forward to the trip for months and couldn't wait to get out there. The 15th was an early morning and we got into Phoenix around 11am. I spent the first few days getting ready for Lucy's birthday party and then on Thursday we had family pictures taken by the same photographer that we used for our wedding. I won't have them back until after the first of the year, but I took a few of my own while we were waiting for the photographer to arrive.
They have been getting along so well lately. I love watching them interact and watching Ari help Lucy.
Arianna enjoyed chasing the ducks.
Jon's family visiting Thursday evening.
The grandpas doing crafts with Ari.
Saturday was Lucy's birthday party! It was so much fun seeing everything that I had planned for months come together. It's the most effort I've ever put into a party and I think it turned out wonderfully. All of the kids said that they had a great time so I would call it a success! I had a professional photographer there and will post those pictures as soon as I receive them.
Happy Birthday, Lucy!
I LOVE how her cake turned out. The top mushroom was her smash cake.
I'm also really happy with how Lucy's birthday outfit turned out. 100% handmade!
Arianna helping grandma make an apple pie.
Setting up for Thanksgiving Day lunch
Hungry and not in the mood for pictures.
Thanksgiving afternoon/evening at Jon's grandparents' house.
Lucy's birthday (which feel on the day after Thanksgiving this year).
She wasn't terribly interested in her cake at her birthday party so I thought I would try again. She still wasn't too crazy about it, haha.
We were in Phoenix for an additional five days after Lucy's birthday, but this is all of the pictures that I took****. We all spent the day after Thanksgiving with good friends and got to see Jon's family once more before we left. We had a great trip, but as always it went by too quickly. Now we're back home and trying to re-adjust to our day to day lives. We've been home for two weeks and I still haven't fallen back into a routine, gone Christmas shopping, or caught up on everything that I need to do. This weekend and the week leading up to Christmas are going to be go-go-go. Tomorrow I'm going to school with Arianna for pajama day and to watch The Polar Express. Saturday, Arianna has The Nutcracker Twisted (her first on stage dance performance!!!) and we'll be busy with that most of the afternoon and evening. Next week will be spent Christmas shopping, baking for neighborhood friends, and somewhere in there I need to take some fun Christmas pictures of the girls. I was hoping for a white Christmas, but it doesn't look like we're going to get one this year. It was 65 degrees out today and it's still nice and sunny. I definitely wasn't expecting such "warm" weather this far into December as I know we had snow and ice on the ground by this time last year. I guess we'll see how the weather changes and if we see any snow before 2012 (OMG is 2012 really almost here???)!
****I lied! I have more pictures. I guess I never uploaded the last of the pictures that I took to the computer so I will make another post sometime next week with those.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Thursday, November 25, 2010
433 Days/39w3d/Birth Day
Introducing, Lucille Scarlett Bush!
After 8 hours of labor, our long awaited second daughter joined our family. She was greeted by her mommy and daddy and her very proud big sister, Arianna.
November 25th, 2010 at 1:27pm
7 pounds, 13 ounces
20 inches long
Pictures and Lucy's birth story coming soon! Right now we are enjoying spending time with our new little family. This has definitely been the best Thanksgiving ever.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
432 Days/39w2d
First on the list today is:
Cranberry sauce
Moving on to:
White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
Crust:
1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs
3 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
Cheesecake:
1 (10 ounce) package frozen raspberries
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
2 cups white chocolate chips
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. In a medium bowl, mix together cookie crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar, and melted butter. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.
2. In a saucepan, combine raspberries, 2 tablespoons sugar, cornstarch, and water. Bring to boil, and continue boiling 5 minutes, or until sauce is thick. Strain sauce through a mesh strainer to remove seeds.
3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). In a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt white chocolate chips with half-and-half, stirring occasionally until smooth.
4. In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Blend in vanilla and melted white chocolate. Beat in eggs one at a time. Pour half of batter over crust. Spoon 3 tablespoons raspberry sauce over batter. Pour remaining cheesecake batter into pan, and again spoon 3 tablespoons raspberry sauce over the top. Swirl batter with the tip of a knife to create a marbled effect.
I greased the sides of my springform pan before pouring anything into it. Doing this helps prevent cracking because it causes the cheesecake to pull away from the side of the pan when it cools (cheesecake shrinks when it cools) rather than from the center. I also baked it in a water bath (ignore the white flecks, it's just batter).
5. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until filling is set. Cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 8 hours before removing from pan. Serve with remaining raspberry sauce.
Finished product. It's been in the fridge for about two hours now and still no cracking!
Next up, the pies! First, the crust:
Pie crust-
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shortening
4 tablespoons cold water
Pumpkin pie-
1 (9 inch) unbaked deep dish pie crust
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 eggs
1 (15 ounce) can LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 (12 fluid ounce) can NESTLE® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
Apple pie-
1 9-inch unbaked deep dish pie crust
7 cups thinly sliced peeled baking apples (2 large Granny Smith, 2 large Rome or Golden Delicious, and 2 misc. apples such as Gala or Fuji)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water
1. In a bowl, toss apples with lemon juice.
Gala, Golden Delicious, Fiji, and Granny Smith. This ended up being two too many. Next time I would choose between Gala and Fiji, not both.
I started with the recommended two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and tossed the apples until it seemed like I needed more. For all of those apples I ended up using one whole lemon (about four tablespoons as one half gave me two tablespoons).
2. Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg; add to apples and toss. Pour into crust; dot with butter.
In the crust after being coated
3. Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie; cut slits in top. Place over filling; seal and flute edges. Beat egg yolk and water; brush over pastry. Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F; bake 40-45 minutes more or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly.
Finished!
Finally:
I'm going to make additional raspberry sauce to pour over the top along with white chocolate shavings. No pictures of this since I probably won't do it until tomorrow once we're ready to eat dessert. Same with the whipped cream.
Raspberry Sauce-
1 pint fresh raspberries
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup cold water
1. Combine the raspberries, sugar, and orange juice in a saucepan. Whisk the cornstarch into the cold water until smooth. Add the mixture to the saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the desired consistency is reached. The sauce will thicken further as it cools.
3. Puree the sauce in a blender or with a handheld immersion blender and strain it through a fine sieve. Serve warm or cold. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Whipped cream-
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
1. Beat in stand mixer on high until fluffy
I've been baking since noon and I'm exhausted! I'm going to chop up my veggies, bag them, and that's it until tomorrow!
Cranberry sauce
Ingredients:
2 cups unfiltered apple cider
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
1, 3 in cinnamon stick
2 bags fresh cranberries
Preparation:
1. I started by rinsing the cranberries
2. In a medium-large non-aluminum saucepan, combine the apple cider, sugar, water and cinnamon stick. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Sugar is now dissolved
3. Add the cranberries, bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally until most of the cranberries have burst, about 10 minutes.
All cranberries have popped
Let cool to room temperature. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 24 hours to develop the flavors. Remove the cinnamon stick and let the sauce come to room temperature before serving.
*Can be prepared up to 3 days in advance*
2 cups unfiltered apple cider
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
1, 3 in cinnamon stick
2 bags fresh cranberries
Preparation:
1. I started by rinsing the cranberries
2. In a medium-large non-aluminum saucepan, combine the apple cider, sugar, water and cinnamon stick. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Sugar is now dissolved
3. Add the cranberries, bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally until most of the cranberries have burst, about 10 minutes.
All cranberries have popped
Let cool to room temperature. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 24 hours to develop the flavors. Remove the cinnamon stick and let the sauce come to room temperature before serving.
*Can be prepared up to 3 days in advance*
Moving on to:
White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
Crust:
1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs
3 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
Cheesecake:
1 (10 ounce) package frozen raspberries
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
2 cups white chocolate chips
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. In a medium bowl, mix together cookie crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar, and melted butter. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.
3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). In a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt white chocolate chips with half-and-half, stirring occasionally until smooth.
4. In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Blend in vanilla and melted white chocolate. Beat in eggs one at a time. Pour half of batter over crust. Spoon 3 tablespoons raspberry sauce over batter. Pour remaining cheesecake batter into pan, and again spoon 3 tablespoons raspberry sauce over the top. Swirl batter with the tip of a knife to create a marbled effect.
I greased the sides of my springform pan before pouring anything into it. Doing this helps prevent cracking because it causes the cheesecake to pull away from the side of the pan when it cools (cheesecake shrinks when it cools) rather than from the center. I also baked it in a water bath (ignore the white flecks, it's just batter).
5. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until filling is set. Cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 8 hours before removing from pan. Serve with remaining raspberry sauce.
Finished product. It's been in the fridge for about two hours now and still no cracking!
Next up, the pies! First, the crust:
Pie crust-
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shortening
4 tablespoons cold water
1. Mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture is completely blended and appears crumbly.
2. Mix in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, by lightly tossing with a fork. Add only enough water to form mixture into a ball. The dough will be sticky and tough if to much water is added, and it will crack and tear when rolled if too little is added.
3. Divide the dough into 2 balls, and roll each out into a circle 1 inch larger than the inverted pie plate.
Follow these directions for a filled pie.
4a. Fold one circle of dough in half, and gently lift. Place into pie plate and unfold. Add filling to pie plate. Fold second circle of dough in half. Gently place over filling, and unfold. With a table knife, cut off excess crust evenly so that 1/2 to 1 inch extends beyond the edge of the pie plate. Fold under the excess dough so that it is even with the edge of the pie plate. Flute the edge of the crust. Cut slits in top crust for steam to escape.
4b. Follow these directions for 2 prebaked pie shells. Fold circle of dough in half, and gently lift. Place into pie plate and unfold. Either prick the entire surface of dough with a fork, or weight the bottom of the crust with pie weights while baking. Pie weights can be uncooked rice, dried beans, small clean pebbles, or small balls sold as pie weights.
2. Mix in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, by lightly tossing with a fork. Add only enough water to form mixture into a ball. The dough will be sticky and tough if to much water is added, and it will crack and tear when rolled if too little is added.
3. Divide the dough into 2 balls, and roll each out into a circle 1 inch larger than the inverted pie plate.
Follow these directions for a filled pie.
4a. Fold one circle of dough in half, and gently lift. Place into pie plate and unfold. Add filling to pie plate. Fold second circle of dough in half. Gently place over filling, and unfold. With a table knife, cut off excess crust evenly so that 1/2 to 1 inch extends beyond the edge of the pie plate. Fold under the excess dough so that it is even with the edge of the pie plate. Flute the edge of the crust. Cut slits in top crust for steam to escape.
4b. Follow these directions for 2 prebaked pie shells. Fold circle of dough in half, and gently lift. Place into pie plate and unfold. Either prick the entire surface of dough with a fork, or weight the bottom of the crust with pie weights while baking. Pie weights can be uncooked rice, dried beans, small clean pebbles, or small balls sold as pie weights.
Pumpkin pie-
1 (9 inch) unbaked deep dish pie crust
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 eggs
1 (15 ounce) can LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 (12 fluid ounce) can NESTLE® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Combine sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs lightly in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture.
3. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Pour into pie shell.
4. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F.; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. (Do not freeze as this will cause the crust to separate from the filling.)
Next:
2. Combine sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs lightly in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture.
3. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Pour into pie shell.
4. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F.; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. (Do not freeze as this will cause the crust to separate from the filling.)
Next:
Apple pie-
1 9-inch unbaked deep dish pie crust
7 cups thinly sliced peeled baking apples (2 large Granny Smith, 2 large Rome or Golden Delicious, and 2 misc. apples such as Gala or Fuji)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water
1. In a bowl, toss apples with lemon juice.
Gala, Golden Delicious, Fiji, and Granny Smith. This ended up being two too many. Next time I would choose between Gala and Fiji, not both.
I started with the recommended two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and tossed the apples until it seemed like I needed more. For all of those apples I ended up using one whole lemon (about four tablespoons as one half gave me two tablespoons).
2. Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg; add to apples and toss. Pour into crust; dot with butter.
In the crust after being coated
3. Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie; cut slits in top. Place over filling; seal and flute edges. Beat egg yolk and water; brush over pastry. Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F; bake 40-45 minutes more or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly.
I did a lattice top crust because I like how it looks.
Finished!
Finally:
I'm going to make additional raspberry sauce to pour over the top along with white chocolate shavings. No pictures of this since I probably won't do it until tomorrow once we're ready to eat dessert. Same with the whipped cream.
Raspberry Sauce-
1 pint fresh raspberries
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup cold water
1. Combine the raspberries, sugar, and orange juice in a saucepan. Whisk the cornstarch into the cold water until smooth. Add the mixture to the saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the desired consistency is reached. The sauce will thicken further as it cools.
3. Puree the sauce in a blender or with a handheld immersion blender and strain it through a fine sieve. Serve warm or cold. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Whipped cream-
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
1. Beat in stand mixer on high until fluffy
I've been baking since noon and I'm exhausted! I'm going to chop up my veggies, bag them, and that's it until tomorrow!
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