“There is always, always something to be thankful for.”
On Thanksgiving Day we search through our thoughts for those reasons to be thankful. I have so many. Some big things like my family, my faith, my friends, my books, readers like you, my church, and I could go on and on. But sometimes it’s also good to think about those little blessings and everyday reasons to be thankful. Things like these:
- Dog buddies
- Walks in the sunshine
- Butterflies and flowers
- Sandhill cranes cooing as they fly past (I was thankful to see some of those on my walk today.)
- Snow that sparkles in the morning sunlight
- Rain that waters our world
- A cup of hot tea and a good book
- Soft kittens
- Word processors
- Salvation Army bellringers
- Warm houses
- Pie
Pie is my favorite dessert and I love making pies. I made the one shown here today to have for Thanksgiving dinner. It’s apple. I make a mean apple pie. When people tell me they don’t like apple pie, I tell them they haven’t eaten mine yet. It’s not pretty. I’m not a fancy cook. Just an old country cook, but taste is more important than looks.
So tonight with Thanksgiving tomorrow, I’m going to share my delicious apple pie recipe. First you have to have the crust. You can buy crusts or make your own the way I do. I don’t have a recipe but it’s plain flour, shortening, salt and cold water. Cut the shortening into the plain flour and salt and then add the cold water. Knead it just enough to make it hold together so you can roll it out into a big circle for your pie pan. I know, you want to know how much of everything. One top and bottom crust takes two generous cup of flour and a teaspoon of salt. Cut about a half cup of shortening into the flour mixture, maybe a little more. Maybe less. Then enough water to make it all stick together before you roll it out on a floured surface to make it the size to fit the pie plate.
Then mix a cup and a half of sugar with about a tablespoon of cinnamon, again more or less according to you taste. I got a little too much cinnamon in the pie we ate. But then I never measure anything and just shook a bunch of cinnamon into the sugar. I warned you I was an old country cook. Spread about half the sugar mixture in the bottom of the uncooked pie shell. Then peel and thinly slice enough apples to fill the pie plate to heaping level. Sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon and sugar on top of the apples. Dot with butter (probably two tablespoons) but more won’t hurt. Top with the other rolled out circle of pie crust or make a lattice work if you want to be fancy. Sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar over the top crust. Bake the pie at 350 degrees for about an hour. Always good to check it at 45 or 50 minutes. When the crust is brown and the apples cooked, cut and enjoy.
One thing that makes this pie extra delicious are the kind of apples you choose. I like Stayman Winesap best for pies, but I used Macintosh today. So what’s your favorite pie? Pecan is a delicious thanksgiving pie or maybe you like pumpkin.
Whatever dessert is your favorite, I hope you have a chance to enjoy a slice this week while remembering reasons to be thankful.
What everyday blessing makes you thankful?
Comments 12
I love reading about those Everyday Blessings which included pies. This was the first year we had our family together for Thanksgiving. It was so wonderful. A huge blessing, indeed. My husband and I had to move to Kentucky to make this happen. I arose very early on Thanksgiving morning to make those pies, as they have to be as fresh as can be. My go to pies are pumpkin and pecan (which came from the trees in the yard next door- which my daughter and I cracked and picked out the best flavored nut meat.). Of course, real whipped cream went on each slice, which made everyone say, “ the best pie ever Mom”! Not one piece was wasted. But now I am thinking maybe I just might have to add apple pie to my dessert list. Although, I might not be able to wait, when I mention to my husband about reading and writing on your blog about apple pie. He will be willing, I am sure, to go find us some apples, so I can make that pie.
Author
The best apples are Stayman Winesap, but they can be hard to find except at orchards in the fall and sometimes then. Any apple can make a delicious pie and I hope you will have a good one to enjoy, Eileen. I’m so glad you had the blessing of family to enjoy on Thanksgiving. Wishing you a joyous Christmas now. And I think that pecan pie sounds really good. I’ve been wanting to make one of those. Maybe I’ll do that for Christmas, although I usually do a cake. Sometimes a hummingbird cake. Sometimes and applesauce jam cake. Both good.
Thanks for sharing the apple pie recipe. Growing up, my mom made all things apple for we lived on Orchard Hill Rd.—surrounded by apple orchards. Ma also made what she called Butter Crust. I’ve watched her make it with no written recipe, but I’ve yet to perfect a version. The closest I’ve found in a cookbook is Brown Betty.
As I read your recipe I’m convinced this is same pie baked at Kate’s house (Angel Sister).
Can’t wait to try it.
Author
If Kate had an apple pie, it would definitely be the same. However, in the book I talked about a butterscotch pie a few times. My editor even asked me to add the recipe in the last book, Love Comes Home. But the Merritts would also have definitely had apple pie sine they had apple trees, Debra.
I love all things apple too. My mom had a tree of what we called June apples even though they were never ready until July. Those apples made the best applesauce and then we made fried pies out of that applesauce. Needless to say, I miss that tree and my mother’s fried apple pies.
Ohhh, I love pie! Old-fashioned chocolate meringue, butterscotch, pecan and Derby Pie are the best…but that apple pie picture makes my mouth water!
My Granny never followed a written recipe. Her biscuits and apple butter were the best. But no one has been able to make either quite as good as hers.
Ordinary every day blessings…lots and lots of them! A baby’s giggles, my dog’s excitement when I come home from work, a hot shower on a chilly morning, relaxing with a good book…and fabric stores, to name just a few.
I hope your day has been overflowing with the blessings of family and yummy food. Thanks for sharing the recipe. Yum!
Author
Thanks for sharing your everyday blessings, Lavon. I like that one about the dog welcoming you home. That does always make a dog owner smile. Frankie gets very excited no matter who shows up. He’s always ready for company.
We had a great Thanksgiving Day with our WV son and family. Lots of food and three kinds of pie. All those pies you mentioned are good. My mom made the best chocolate pie ever.
Oh, and I don’t think we’re ever meant to match our grandmother’s best dishes. Memory of the love of your grandmother is always that secret ingredient that makes whatever she made the best ever.
Happy Thanksgiving Ann and Family. You make pie crust just like I do, you know by the feel if it is going to be flaky or not. I never measure anything either so maybe that makes me an old timer but so be it, my family loved all my pies especially pumpkin. Enjoy your day.
Author
When you learn to cook by watching people who don’t bother measuring, then you learn to trust the “feel” as you say, Donna. I never make pumpkin, but the apple pie was a big hit.
Everyday blessings that I am thankful for? There are so many and may I never forget to be thankful.I am thankful for for front porch swings, books and yarn, I am thankful for that cup of coffee my husband brings me every morning in a different cup, because seeing which cup he chooses for me each morning is half the fun. I am thankful for biscuits and gravy and Facebook and trees .Gardens, my mail lady, and Amazon Prime. I could go on , but you get the picture.I am mostly thankful for the big things.My faith, my family and friends, my health and home….I am also thankful for you Ann, you have been a friend to me and I thank you.
Author
Love you list of everyday blessings, Lisa. Glad to be on that list of thankful things too. I’m thankful for your friendship too and for you reading my words. What fun that your husband brings you coffee in a different cup each day. I hope you have some great looking cups that cheer your day when you see them.
Well you have definitely made me hungry!! I love cinnamon in things. I like pie , so pecan and pumpkin are 2 of my favorites!
Author
I’m anything but hungry right now. Definitely ate too much earlier today, but it was all delicious. I like pecan pie but I’ll let you keep the pumpkin pies, Darlene. That sounds very grinchy for Thanksgiving, doesn’t it? But the apple pie I made was a big hit and yummy.