Mixed Berry Missed Husband Crumble Pity Pie.

Turns out, I'm a sap. I thought I was rational and tough and totally capable of managing a measly week without Jordan. It's just not the case. I may be able to blame pregnancy hormones, but it would be a bit of an unfair card to play.

I'm not even alone. I've arranged for babysitters each day and night that he's gone. (In case I go into labor or something) I've been at his parents so far and tomorrow I get handed off to Heika. I hope that will help me snap out of my pity party if this pie doesn't work.

So, tonight I did things to keep my mind off of missing the little punk. For example, I ate some tomatoes and basil and mozzarella cheese (Yes, I'm still on that kick. I think Lilliana is going to be born smelling like basil). I also watched some juice head gorilla's get gully, had a mini crush sesh on the Guy Gaga during the VMAs and played Words With Friends on my phone with a random, my big brother, and then... Jordan. Which put my mind back on it and forced me to make this pie.

I fuzed a few different recipes together, and ended up with something like this.

Ingredients:

1 egg

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup corn starch

1 bag frozen mixed berries (just over 3 cups) *

1 alligator pity tear

a healing sprinkle of cinnamon

1 pre-made pastry crust

3/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup softened butter

What to do:

1. Place your pie crust in a sprayed pie pan and make the edges pretty (do as I say, not as I do)

2. Take a couple tablespoons of softened butter and shmear it around on the crust, creating a fatty shield to keep the berries from sogging it all up. Store it in the fridge.

3. In a medium bowl, combine the egg, corn starch, sugar, berries, tear, and cinnamon leave that out to thaw a little

4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Then cut in the butter until it's crumbly

5. Pour the berry mixture into the pie shell and top with the crumble. Cover the edges of the pie with tin foil and bake at 375 for 45 min. Remove foil and finish baking for 10-20 more minutes or when the crust and crumble is golden brown.

6. Let it set for a while before you either cool it or serve it. Don't just jab your fork in there like an uncivilized oaf and burn your mouth on it. Who would do that? It kinda hurts and then your In laws are going to see it in the morning and realize what an impatient fatty-fatty-no-friends you really are. Embarrassing.

Mine just finished. I feel a little bit better. Aside from the burned tongue (another reminder to do as I say, not as I do). I'm thinking of using this to get him home early.

Me- "Hey babe, I made this pie."

Hubby- "No way! I can't believe I am missing this. Forget Cali, I'm coming home now!"

What do you think? I may have a shot. If not, stay tuned for more baked feelings. They'll be here all week. ;)

-Darla Jean

Casey's Yummy French Toast Casserole

It's been too long. I'm sorry. I just had a lot going on. I didn't stop baking! I just stopped telling you about it.

Here are some important and unimportant things that I can share.

I'm pregnant. I am 32 weeks and 5 days pregnant to be exact. My body has changed a lot in the last 32 weeks and 5 days. And here are some notes on that.

I now know that you can't just sneeze whenever you feel like it. You have to get ready. Cross your legs, cross your fingers, close your eyes and say a prayer. Or else, you will probably pee... enough to have to re asses your wardrobe.

I can't zip my pants. I can't complain. At least I can still wear some of my pre-preg pants. But, sometimes people want to rub your blooming belly and they can totally feel the top of your pants wide open.

I'm never bored. I always have a little friend with me. When I feel bored, I just wake her up and try to figure out where her body parts are. I can't tell if she likes it or it bothers her, so I just assume she likes it like I do. She's just already cute.

Earrings make you feel pretty. Wear them camping. Wear them with sweats. Where them when your body is huge or when you need to get your eyebrows threaded.

You can wear pretty shoes, but you can't buckle them.

Those are just a few. There are more things, but that's not why I'm writing.

I'm writing to tell you about Casey's Yummy French Toast Casserole.

It belongs to Casey.

I've borrowed it from Casey multiple times. It's great for when you're hosting a group of people overnight; or if you have hungry boys. One time, she measured and combined all of the ingredients for me and all I had to do was put them together for Melissa's wedding morning breakfast. It's that great. She's that great.

Preparation time: 15 min

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 6 (maybe more) (maybe less if you have hungry boys)

Ingredients

I cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine (=1stick)

2 tablespoons Light Corn Syrup

12 slices of bread (torn up in pieces) (texas toast, or french bread that is about to be too hard)

1 3/4 cups of (2%) milk

7 eggs

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon of salt

Directions:

in a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter and corn syrup. bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened. Pour into the bottom of a 13x9x2 baking pan.

Arrange bread (torn) on top.

Beat milk, eggs, vanilla, and salt in medium bowl. pour over bread, cover and refrigerate over night.

Next MORNING

Preheat oven to 350

remove cover from pan, and bake for 50 minutes, or until set and golden brown. Serve immediately.

Serve with some fresh fruit on the side or on top. Serve with a dash of cinnamon (it never hurt anyone) Serve it with a fork and eat it right out of the pan.

Coconut Chai Cutie Cakes

I walked into Heika's bedroom and saw a tin. It was a Tea Tin. It was called Coconut Chai. I smelled it and thought, "I wish I could eat this." Then Heika walked in and I shared my idea. "Heika, smell this. What if we baked this?"

What happens next? This recipe. True friends come together and create things. That is exactly what we did.

Well, first we ate indian food and bought pants and shoes.

Anyway, the concept and science of the recipe is based off of a carrot cake recipe.

Coconut Chai Cutie Cakes.

1 lb sweetened coconut shavings

3 large eggs

2 cups sugar

3/4 cups coconut oil (or veggie oil)

3/4 cups applesauce

1/3 cup coconut milk mixed well (you can use buttermilk if you don't have it)

1 1/2 coconut extract (vanilla is fine, I guess)

3 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp allspice

8 oz. Cream Cheese

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp coconut extract

1/2 cup toasted coconut shavings

1/2 cup toasted coconut shavings for garnishing

** if you're shopping, buy two bags of sweetened coconut shavings.

add one bag to the mix. Preheat your oven to 350 and spread the rest of the coconut shavings on a baking sheet and toast for 10 min. Keep an eye on it and mix it around once or twice so it toasts evenly.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325

Combine first 7 ingredients and mix well. It's not going to be very runny, it's going to be kind of chunky and pasty. Don't worry.

In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients.

add dry ingredients to wet and mix just until moistened.

heavily coat a mini cupcake pan with cooking oil. Drop mixture into tins and just about fill each one. Bake for 14 min or until a toothpick comes out clean.

while they're baking, whip together cream cheese, powdered sugar, cinnamon and coconut extract until smooth. Fold in a fistful of toasted coconut shavings.

After the Cutie Cakes have cooled, frost each one and garnish with toasted shavings to be fancy.

Please don't be intimidated by the seemingly complicated and long process. It's so worth it and not as hard as it seems. Just grab a friend and bake some memories!

I brought these Cutie Cake creations to my friend Melissa Walsh's (soon to be Karner!) bachelorette party this past Saturday. Well, I had to make another batch because I left the first batch at the lake house on accident. Either way, I was proud of them and excited to share them with my friends :)

Apple Crisp.

This is for someone looking to get someone to fall in love with her. You know wHo you arE. I Know An apple crisp sounds a little plain, or even overdone, but we need to get back to the fundamentals people.

I got this recipe from Joy the Baker. She is the one who tested the love and apple crisp theory. It could work for you! (if not, see the cinnamon rolls recipe, that may do him in)

Fun story, within the week that I made this, Tiffany called me and said she made this exact one. Kindred Kitchens indeed.

I made this with Melissa when she came over for a bake night. We got to talk to Laura on the phone, drink some tea and catch up. We had a nice time. She was dressed fancy and adorable wearing a huge diamond and I was wearing sweats that sagged in the butt and had stringy wet hair. I’m amazed she wants to be my friend. We made a big one and then some extras in little bunt pans: one for her fiancé, Craig, one for us, one for Jordan, and one for his family. It was a nice little treat.

Here’s the recipe, I hope you enjoy. And you, you know who, good luck!!!!

Apple Crisp

recipe from Ann of Fidget and Joy the Baker

bake in an 8×8 baking dish or double the recipe and bake in a 9×13 dish

Filling:

5 to 6 medium-size apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices. (About 7.5 cups)

3 tbsp granulated sugar

1.5 tsp cinnamon

.5 tsp of salt

Topping:

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/3 cups lightly packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 stick unsalted butter, well-softened

2/3 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)

1/3 cup quick oats

Preheat the oven to 350. Generously grease an 8×8 baking pan with butter. I used a round dish and also tried it in mini spring form pans and both turned out great.

In a large bowl, toss the apples and cinnamon sugar mixture together until coated evenly. In a separate bowl, prepare the topping.

For the topping, place the flour, brown sugar, nuts (optional), cinnamon and oats in a large bowl and stir well with a wooden spoon. Work the butter into the mixture with your fingertips until evenly distributed. Take one full handful of the topping and toss it into the sugared apple mixture.

Next place the apples in your pan and spread the rest of the topping evenly over the apples. It's okay if they're piling up a bit, they'll cook down. (I usually end up with a dough-like topping that I just lay on top of the apples).

Bake the crisp in the dish on a baking sheet on the center oven rack until the topping is crunchy and the apples are bubbling, 55-60 minutes.