As of TODAY I have been blogging for 16 YEARS! 🎉I well remember sitting at my computer and publishing my very first blog post. I was unsure of what to write, yet I had so much in my heart.
I first began this blog as an extension of the ladies’ ministry at Boones Creek Bible Church, then later made it my personal ministry/outreach to women. That’s always been the burden of my heart – to refresh women as they live their lives for Christ. I just wanted to share simple helps, tips and ideas to refresh them with the practical things that touch our lives each day. I pray that I’ve done that in some small way in your life!
Blogging has opened so many doors for me. While my blog has remained small-ish, it has broadened my world in huge ways! I have met so many wonderful people who have stopped to leave a comment, and then we become Internet friends over a period of time.
Today I’m featuring a pie that I barely mentioned on my blog a long time ago! I recently made this jewel again and was reminded why it was a favorite of ours!
Years ago while living in Indiana, we frequented a restaurant, Lakeview, that served an amazing Peanut Butter Pie. Then one day a friend from church invited us over for dinner and she served Peanut Butter Pie for dessert that tasted exactly like the pie we loved so much! I was so happy when she willingly shared her recipe with me! The “secret” that makes this pie different than many Peanut Butter Pies is the crumbly peanut butter mixture that is hidden under the filling and then also adorns the top of the pie! It’s so good!
In case you need a little inspiration for your upcoming Thanksgiving celebration (or for Christmas), I’m going to share some of my favorite recipes for special holiday meals. That doesn’t mean they’re difficult or fussy, they’re simply delicious!
Everyone needs a great start to the day.  What will you serve for breakfast? Here are a couple delicious breads:
Breakfast
Nutty Orange Coffee Cake 3/4 C Sugar 1/2 C chopped pecans 2 tsp grated orange rind 8 oz. pkg reduced-fat cream cheese 2Â (11 oz) cans refrigerated buttermilk biscuits 1/2 C butter or margarine, melted 1 CÂ sifted powdered sugar 1 T orange juice
Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
Place about 1 tsp cream cheese on half of each biscuit; fold biscuit over cheese, pressing edges to seal.
Dip biscuits in melted butter, and dredge in sugar mixture; place, curved side down, in a lightly greased 12-cup Bundt pan, spacing evenly. Drizzle any remaining butter over biscuits; sprinkle with any remaining sugar mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until done. Immediately invert onto a serving plate.
Combine powdered sugar and orange juice, stirring well; drizzle over warm coffee cake. Serve immediately. If you’re fixing this ahead, warm in oven or microwave before serving.
Now some other suggestions for your Thanksgiving Dinner:
Breads:
These are my favorite biscuits. They’re Angel Biscuits done lighter! Now you can have another piece of pie!These are my favorite rolls. You can make them ahead of time and stick them in the freezer to bake on Thanksgiving Day! So easy!!
Salad:
This is a great salad that is also made ahead of time. It has all the cranberry goodness that a Thanksgiving dinner needs!
Another easy Cranberry relish is to simply pour a can of Whole Berry Cranberry sauce into a pretty dish and break it up with a spoon. Top with a drained can of Mandarin oranges, then topped with chopped walnuts. So easy and so good!
Sides:
Here a few of my favorites:
Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes make for an easy way to cook the potatoes while the turkey is in the oven. You’ll mash them after they’ve been in the crockpot and just before it’s time to eat. Leaving mashed potatoes in the slow cooker will make them runny…not the best. But the instructions on the page I’ve linked makes it super simple and delicious! Corn Cheese Bake is the best creamed corn you’ll ever taste! Broccoli Corn Scallop is creamy and a nice change from the usual casserole.
Dessert: Can we talk PIE???? This Peanut Butter Pie is over the top! It’s also really easy! If you want a show-stopper then Peanut Pie with Peanut Crust is for you! Kentucky Derby Pie is our family tradition. Someone might die if this isn’t on the counter when it’s time for dessert!I’ve shared LOTS of pumpkin recipes you can search here on my blog, but among the favorites for most people is the Pumpkin Roll. My recipe shows step by step instructions. You can do it! An easy cake is the Pumpkin Crunch Cake. It comes together in a few minutes and will remind you of a pumpkin pie in cake form! Yum!!
Whether you’re doing the whole meal or just bringing a dish for the meal, you can cook with confidence with any of these recipes! You know what else will help? Pray and ask the Lord to help you make the most of your time, your resources and your heart!Whatever your plans are for Thanksgiving, I pray you will give thanks to the God Who allowed you the blessings you enjoy. He is a God who loves you and has given His Son so you can enjoy more than a happy turkey day – He wants you to enjoy a personal relationship with Him and an eternity in heaven through trusting Christ as your Savior. What joy He brings to my life every day!
When I was growing up, summer picnics almost always included a special dessert made by my mom – Fried pies. She usually made Peach Pies, but another flavor we all loved were the Apple variety. They are made with dried fruit that has been cooked and sweetened. The dried fruit keeps the filling from being too runny and seeping out. The pies are fried in butter just until they’re browned nicely on all sides. They’re not especially pretty, but man oh man, are they good!
If you’re having a picnic for July 4th, maybe you could start the Fried Pie Tradition for your family!
Here’s how they’re made –
Buy one bag of dried fruit -peaches or apples. (One bag makes A LOT of pies! You’ll usually find these where the raisins are in the grocery store. Place the fruit in a medium-sized pan and add water and cook over low heat until the fruit plumps up. Add sugar to sweeten to your liking. Cook until fruit is soft. This takes a while. Cook them slowly.  Set aside.
Either make your own pie dough, or you can use store-bought. Roll dough out and cut out circles, about 4 inches in diameter. Place about 2 tablespoons (no more) on half of the circle. Fold dough over.
Crimp edges with a fork.
Melt half of a stick of butter in a skillet and melt over medium low heat. Add pies and cook in batches,turning to brown all sides.
Place on a paper towel-lined baking sheet to absorb extra butter.
These are super good warm, but they’re also delicious at room temperature!
Note: You may need to add butter as they are frying. In between batches, I wipe the pan out with a paper towel so the butter doesn’t turn too dark and color the pies before they start to cook.
These are so great for picnics because all you need is a napkin. It’s a hand-held pie; perfect for on the go!
Wouldn’t this make a great addition to your Fourth of July picnic?!
Last weekend I got to spend Mother’s Day in Kentucky with my mom. I made her Mother’s Day meal, and when planning the menu, I knew immediately what dessert would be – her favorite – Lemon-y. Tart. Mouth watering. Creamy. Fluffy. Sweet.What is it? Lemon Meringue Pie!
I hadn’t made one in a couple of years, so I was a little nervous about how it would turn out. I have had times that the meringue flopped or crept away from the crust, or wept, leaving little dewy droplets all over, so I could only hope and pray all would go well.
The recipe is from this very old cookbook of my mom’s, printed in the 60’s. I grew up flipping through the pages of this cookbook, ooo-ing and ahhh-ing over the tempting desserts pictured on its pages, this pie being one of them. Now it was time to see if I could make it happen!
Cream pies like this just take patience.
Make the crust
Bake the crust
Make the filling
Let it cool
Make the meringue
Top the pie with the meringue
Bake the meringue until lightly browned
It’s worth every bit of effort to make this delicious pie at home! Just find a day that isn’t rainy and humid, or you might have trouble with the meringue. You’ll be so glad you took the time and effort to make this from scratch. It simply can’t be beat! The meringue in this recipe has a little twist! See if you can catch it.
How about a slice?
My sweet mom slicing up her Mother’s day pie.
A few tips:
My homemade crust is made from –Â 2 C flour, 1 tsp salt, 3/4 C Crisco, ice water. Combine the flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut Crisco into flour. Add ice water a little at a time until it holds together without crumbling or being too wet. Makes 2 crusts.
Use freshly squeezed lemon juice, if possible. It makes it extra fresh and tart.
Be sure to cool the pie to room temperature, then refrigerate it a few hours before you attempt to cut it. The filling needs that time to set up.
Did you catch the twist in the recipe for the meringue?
I hope you’ll make someone’s day (and your own!) and bake a lemon pie!
RefreshHer 