Apple Pie Tutorial

Most of you have probably made a bunch of pies before but we had such a grand time last week making pies with friends one afternoon. We had purchased a 40-lb. box of Mutzu apples at the N.C. State Farmers' Market in Raleigh and made apple recipes all week! We tried a variety of pies from The Joy of Cooking, all similar and all good. This was home economics at its best! The only real tip I have is to be sure not to overwork the dough. You are NOT looking for the pie dough to be elastic like pizza dough.... yuck!

Lucas' first Donut! (egg-free)

Since Lucas can't have baked goods with eggs, I try to make sure we have a normal amount of goodies (occasionally) that he can enjoy. I had a mini donut pan I bought years ago at Hearthsong and now I've also purchased a big one. Thanks go to Dawn at By Sun and Candlelight for reminding me to start using these pans! I just substituted egg replacer powder in the recipe for the eggs and his donuts were yummy!

Pear season

Pear Butter (from Ball Blue Book: Guide to Home Canning, Freezing and Dehydration)

20 medium pears
4 cups sugar
1/3 cup orange juice
1 t grated orange peel
1/2 t nutmeg

To prepare pulp: Wash and quarter pears. Cook until soft, adding only enough water to prevent sticking (about 1/2 cup). Press through a sieve or food mill. Measure 2 quarts pear pulp.
To prepare butter: Combine pear pulp and sugar in a large saucepot, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add remaining ingredients. Cook until thick enough to round up on a spoon. As mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking. Ladle hot butter into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 10 mins. in a boiling water canner. Yield: about 4 pints.