Once I begin to cook both my kids are tugging at my feet saying "Mommy, mommy!!! Come to my room!" "Mommy, mommy!! I have to show you something!" "Mommy, mommy! She's touching me!! "Mommy!! Mommy!!"
I found the best way to get the girls motivated and out from under my feet is to get them involved with the cooking. Ky loves to help tend the garden and pick the fresh fruit, while Lo toddles around with her golden brown curls bouncing from side to side picking every green blade of grass she can find.
"Ky, would you like to help me pick some lemons and blueberries?" I asked her a few days ago. "Yes, do we have blueberries in the garden?" She asked with an excited tone to her voice. "Of course we do!" I quickly replied.
I found the more experience the girls have in the garden the more likely they will be to eat the food that is prepared. If we don't have the fruits/veggies growing my husband and I usually try to scatter the fruit we buy in our garden, for the girls to pick them "garden fresh."
A few weeks ago my husband and I bought a watermelon from the Farmers Market. The next morning, before the girls were up, we snuck into the garden and placed it next to the strawberries. The girls excitedly rushed into the garden to see the huge watermelon that grew "over night". "Mommy, mommy! Did you see the huge watermelon?!?! It's really big!" Yelled Ky.
I just love watermelon. In fact, I just love summer! All the colors and tastes that summer brings.
One of my very favorite desserts is blueberry pie. The rich fragrance of the sweet blueberries straight out of the oven is heavenly.
You may ask what pairs well with a warm pie in hot 90 degree weather?
Blueberry mimosa's, of course. Couldn't be more perfect, right?
Blueberry Pie
Recipe adapted by Epicurean Mom
Serves 6-8
For Pie Crust
I used Martha Stewarts Pate Brisee.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4-1/2 cup cold water
Preparation:
Combine the first 4 ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until the flour mixture resembles course meal.
With machine running add the water 1 tablespoon at a time. Pulse until dough holds together but is not too sticky or wet. When squeezed it should hold together, if it crumbles add more water.
Divide dough into 2 disks and refrigerate for 30 minutes. (If you are tight on time, I've skipped this step and the crust turned out fine.)
Once ready roll out a 9-inch circle and place in a greased pie pan.
Roll out second disk to make another 9-inch circle. Using a pizza cutter cut out 9-10 3/4-inch thick strips to make a lattice top.
For Filling
Ingredients:
5 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
3 tablespoons corn starch
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Place washed blueberries in a medium bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and carefully stir (Be sure to gently toss, to not bruise blueberries.)
Pour the filling into prepared pie pan and place dough pieces along the top to create a lattice design.
Bake for 20 minutes, turn oven to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 30-40 minutes. Pie should be a lovely golden brown color and filling should be bubbling (If the crust is browning too fast place a foil over the top.)
Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
im CRAVING some blueberry pie now!
ReplyDeleteYour pie looks delicious and your pictures (as always) are gorgeous! Your kids are beautiful!! :)
ReplyDeleteLooks delicious! I love blueberry pie and have such fond memories of my mom making blueberry pie :)
ReplyDeleteI love your trick with the watermelon, haha. I may have to try that on my son because his reaction would be priceless :D
So stunning! Your photography just makes me drool :)
ReplyDeleteThat looks so delicious! I don't think I've ever had a blueberry pie before... Now I feel deprived! I will have to give this a try!
ReplyDeleteYour blueberry lattice pie looks beautiful - I like that you use cinnamon and nutmeg in the filling.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous pie!
ReplyDeleteEpicurean Mom! I'm making your blueberry pie for a dinner party tomorrow, two questions: A) If I don't have a food processor but have a blender like thing called The Ninja, can I use that to make the crust? Also I am going to freeze both over night to make the pie tomorrow, what are your instructions for thawing out the dough and cooking it? Thank you!!
ReplyDeletePoking around your archives today. This totally caught my eye. Great pie and lovely photos. You need to teach me to take photos. What camera do you use? Your pictures are always stunning.
ReplyDelete