Apple Pie of Everyone's Eye!

Thanksgiving Day is approaching. What food do you look most forward to indulging? The turkey with gravy, fluffy white mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes with marshmellows or a dessert? 

The dessert table is often filled with pies. I am not a big fan of pies. Why? I don't like pie crust, even home made. But my opinion changed one day back in November 2001. 

 I use to train Seeing Eye dogs. That November I was staying at a hotel in Falmouth, MA  for 10 days. I was doing a home training and placing a Seeing Eye dog with its new owner. I volunteered for this assignment as my fiance lived in nearby Boston. 

Before heading out to "work" that day I was watching Good Morning America. Emeril Lagasse was hosting an “Apple Pie of Emeril’s Eye” contest. Entries from all over the country were submitted. The winner -Marsha Brooks from Carmel, Indiana (where I later moved to) 

Crunchy Carmel Apple Pie. Best part, no top pie crust! Instead an oatmeal streusel topping. I made that recipe a few weeks later and got rave reviews. Now I bake that pie every Thanksgiving. Actually I bake 2 because 1 is not enough:) 

This pie is simple. I use a store bought crust.   This year I'm considering no crust and adapt it into an apple crisp. 

Crunchy Caramel Apple Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 pastry crust for a deep-dish pie, 9-inch (homemade or store bought)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 T all-purpose flour
• 1 t ground cinnamon
• 1/8 t salt
• 6 cups thinly sliced, peeled apples (I do 3 Golden delicious, 2  Fuji)
• 1 recipe crumb topping (see below)
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional 
• 1/4 cup caramel topping (I use Smuckers caramel ice cream topping)

Ingredients for Crumb Topping:

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup quick cooking rolled oats
• 1/2 cup butter

Directions for Crumb Topping:

1. Stir together brown sugar, flour and oats.
2. Cut in butter until topping is like course crumbs. Set aside.

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt.
2. Add apple slices and gently toss until coated.
3. Transfer apple mixture to the pie shell.
4. Sprinkle crumb topping over apple mixture
5. Place pie on a cookie sheet so the drippings don’t drop into your oven.
6. Cover edges of pie with aluminum foil.
7. Bake in a preheated 375 oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and put back in for another 25 to 30 minutes.
8. Remove from oven. Sprinkle pie with chopped pecans then drizzle with caramel.
9. Cool on a wire rack. If can't enjoy immediately then just warm in oven.*Best with vanilla ice cream.

Mom & Daughter on the Run

Were you athletic as a child? Ballet, gymnastics, soccer? Physical activity was not a priority in my home. I never saw my parents exercise. I was the youngest of 4. The TV was my friend.

Recently, I’ve met so many women that played soccer in HS and college! In high school I played 3 seasons of basketball and 1 of softball. I wasn’t the star but my work ethic did earn me an Unsung hero award.  

As an adult, I now understand the importance of physical activity and our health. As a MOM, I want to instill a healthy lifestyle in my daughters.  I don’t want them to think of exercise as a ‘chore’ but as a hobby. We have enrolled them in several sports hoping something would stick.

This Fall we tried something new – Running. I became Abby's Girls on the Run coach. I loved that we could do it together. 12 weeks of curriculum and training culminated in a 5K race this morning. Do you still get butterflies before a race? She did.

We bundled up due to the 19 degree weather. Cold toes did not stop us! She ran/ walked and completed her 1^st 5K in 37 minutes. Proud mama moment!

Although I’m not sure she will do another season of Girls on the Run, I know she enjoyed the special bond we now share as running buddiesJ

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Plan Your Wellness

Do you find that if you don’t grocery shop at the start of the week, your week of eating is not ideal? What about if you try to find the time to exercise and by Saturday realize you haven’t “found” time at all. 

The most successful people plan. This applies to all aspects of life. To live a healthy lifestyle requires discipline and planning ahead is KEY!

Your choices got you to your current health state. Your choices can get you to a healthier, happier you. It all starts with your daily agenda.

Since exercise tends to be easier for all let’s start there. You MUST schedule your workouts in advance. I suggest a week at a time. Plan for 7 days knowing that life will get in the way. 

Here is my suggestion. Find the time with the least distractions. For Moms this may be before kids wake up, when at school, naptime or when they go to bed. May change depending on day of week. What time will you workout?

Milestones to Goals

As a mom we have milestones for our infants. We share with our family/ friends when our baby can hold their head up, roll over, sit up, crawl, stand, 1^st step and walk. We are proud when they achieve these milestones.

Our children then have goals of swimming, jumping rope, riding a two-wheeler, doing a cartwheel, whistling, doing the hula hoop, jumping off the diving board and crossing monkey bars. They didn’t realize these were ‘goals’.  It was just part of childhood. Peer pressure sometimes helped them achieve them faster.  I met my lifelong best friend when she encouraged me to jump off the high dive.

As adults we often stop setting goals for ourselves. We get stuck in the status quo.  Goals are so important if we want to change, grow and succeed! I wish I learned more about goal setting growing up. I have already taught my daughters this life lesson.

Do you set goals? You should! You have to know where you are aiming. Make SMART goals- Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time sensitive. Instead of “I want to lose weight”, your goal could be “I want to lose 10 pounds by January 1^st”. By setting SMART goals you will know by your deadline whether you achieved you goal. I encourage you to write your goals on paper. Post where you will see it daily. Also share your goals with family/ friends to keep you accountable and check on your progress.

Your long- term goals can be broken down into smaller more attainable goals. Reverse Engineer your goals. Start at the goal then brainstorm everything you need to do to achieve the goal. Once you have a plan then you need to ACT!

Next week: Discipline (not for your child)

Birthday Traditions

My oldest is turning 9 next week. Does your family have birthday traditions?

 Growing up I got to choose dinner for my birthday. I always chose ravioli. My NaNa would bring over a Carvel ice cream cake for dessert. Birthdays were not big.

I wanted to make birthdays more special for my daughters. We decorate their bedroom door at night with streamers. Presents are waiting as they awake. The birthday child gets to choose events for the day from meals to activities.

This year’s request is cinnamon rolls for breakfast and joining her for lunch & recess at school.

We don’t live near family but my MIL almost always flies out for birthdays (sometimes other surprise relatives). My girls look forward to it.

My daughter’s birthday is on a holiday- Veteran’s Day. If we lived back on the East coast it would be a school holiday. Here in the Midwest it is not. She enjoys receiving the special birthday student treatment. Each grade has a different policy how to celebrate. What does your school allow? 

Defining What Matters Most

What matters most in your life? Your actions express your priorities. Are they properly aligned?  A priority is a thing that is regarded as more important than another.

About 3 years ago I began a life changing journey. The book PUSH by Chalene Johnson was a starting point for change in many areas of my life. Before, TV was a big priority in my life. I had a subscription to TVGuide (which I highlighted), VCR+ and my BFF gave me a TIVO as my wedding gift! You get the picture.

From about 8-11PM 5 nights a week I could be found in front of the boob tube. Once I became a mom, my husband still kept late work hours so the TV became my companion. Also during that time I would late night snack out of boredom.

You want to live according to your top priorities. Your priorities are "what is important to you, your values, what makes you happy, gives you purpose, gives you pride". Who do you want to be?

TV was not going to rule my life. It was a priority I wanted to dissolve.  I had to limit and make time for other more important things. My top priorities are Family, Friendship, Wellness, Happiness. My relationships give me joy. To honor my priorities I had to make some changes with my routine.

I wanted to build on my relationships. I want to be present for my girls, so during the hours of 4-9 PM I am social media free.  My husband and I have started exercising together in the evenings.  I have decreased my TV viewing to just 1 show a week(Survivor). With the extra hours I now have I can use my passion for Wellness and pay it forward.

I took the advice from Chalene and created a Top Priority Statement.
"My number- one priority is my immediate family: my husband and 2 daughters. My family is of greatest importance because my purpose in life is to be a loving wife and mother. I will honor my top priority by being actively engaged in their presence. I will ask questions, listen, support, provide physical touch. I will spend quality time as a whole and individually with each.  Putting my at home business first would be inconsistent to my top priority. To honor my family I will limit my business to set work hours. I need to be protective of my work hours so they don't default to family time. I need to schedule devoted family time on weekends." Writing this out has helped define what matters most to me.

I encourage you to create your Top Priority Statement. Share below.

*Next Monday we will discuss goals.