Apple Pie Fail

Once again, it has been too long!  I’ve missed you all!  I am hereby promising to post more often!  I love to blog!  I just get so wrapped up in reading all of your blogs that run out of time.  I’m sure that all of you are tired of staring at pumpkins by now.  But, we did go to the Pumpkin Patch pre-Halloween.  Those pics were taken in the wrong format of my camera so they are too big to post but I will probably use them for a Flashback Friday soon!

We also went Trick Or Treating!

Snuffy was Dorothy, Pedro was Toto and Peanut was a Lion…

…I was sick.  I had some deadly horrible illness that stole my voice after one hour of tricking and treating.

 

We have great neighbors…

Snuffy was asking for Cheddar Bunnies for the first block, looking up at me as people dropped wrapped confections into her basket and asking, “Bubbies?”   Yes, Snuffy thinks “Bunnies” are “Bubbies”.  Then Pumkin Patch is also the ”Munkin Batch”.    I rarely eat candy so I ‘m not sure that she even knew what candy was.  Store-bought sweets like candy and birthday cake are basically a “special occasion” treat at our house

After that first block, she began to say,” Thank you!” after recieving her loot.  After a little over one hour, my “little over one” year old was ready to go home.  Mallard’s Mom, Grandma Tina, was sweet enough to come over to help hand out candy.  Snuffy loves her.  In fact, she wouldn’t come to Mallard or I once she saw Grandma Tina.

She still wasn’t sure what to do with her treats….

But, it didn’t take long for her to figure it out.  My philosophy is that she can have these kinds of treats on “special occasions”.  I’m thinking holidays and birthdays.  I expected Snuffy to OD on sugar, but she surprised me.  She had two suckers and 2 pieces of taffy and then she asked for String Cheese and Bunnies.  So, that’s what she got.  I did put the rest of her candy deep in the kitchen cabinet when the night was over.  Mallard will eat it I’m  sure.  I know…I’m so mean!  Snuffy could have strung out her “special occasion” treat for months though! By that time, it will be Christmas and time for more “special treats”.

Mallard has been humoring me into thinking he wants to “get healthy”.  He has been going to the gym and reducing his alcohol consumption. He asked me to bake him an apple pie with the apples that we brought home from the Pumpkin Patch.  I didn’t realize that there was an Apple Orchard at the same location until we were leaving the patch.  So, we didn’t get to pick our own   But, it was still locally grown !

He DID say he was trying to eat better so, I took the oppurtunity to make a Healthified Apple Pie.

Do you like to “healthify” recipes?

I love to tweek recipes to make them healthier. 

I made a whole wheat crust using Whole Wheat Pastry Flour and Olive Oil with a little Sea Salt.

….um, ya.  I had to press it together but it did turn out well.

I used Turbinado instead of regular sugar and of course there was plenty of cinnamaon involved.

Mallard was not a fan.  APPLE.  PIE.  FAIL.

He said the crust was wierd.  I liked it but I expected it to taste like Whole Wheat Crust.   Luckily, I had my study buddy, Cassandra, to help me devour that pie.

 I did feel bad that Mallard had a craving for Down Home Apple Pie that was still unfulfilled.  So, I grudgingly threw together my old standby Apple Pie recipe.

I used some locally grown apples that I found at  Whole Foods

This is a 1 Cup measurement…these apples were ginormous!!  I did use white flour per Mallard’s request.  I tried something new in place of the butter though.

Hmm….looks like buttah

It worked perfectly!

I did use the turbinado in this version as well.

I love molding the crust edge with my fingers…

Mallard said this pie tasted just like his Grandma’s recipe!  My cup runneth over. 

I waited until the next day to tell him that it was not his Grandma’s recipe and that it was made using Earth Balance and Turbinado

If you read last weeks post, you heard…er..saw my whining words of workout woes.  Well, I’m still plugging away.  I can’t do as much as I would like to.  But, I already feel stronger and more alert.  It’s funny how being more physically active actually makes one feel more energetic.  If I didn’t know what my body was capable of, I may be okay with where I am.  But, I know what power and strength I have when I fuel and workout correctly.   There was a time when I worked out with a trainer and really challenged myself. Back then, I didn’t know what I do about nutrition and fueling.  I am so excited to see where proper nutrition and exercise can take me when I implement both at the same time!  One area that I hope to see transform is my mid-section.

I realize that it’s not so bad for having housed a tiny person for nine months.  But, I used to have a much more defined lower abdomen.  I want to tone the area below my navel.

Most trainers that I have spoken with recommend cardio and of course ab exercises for this type of toning.  The cardio is recommended for overall body fat reduction so that the muscles strengthened through exercise can be seen.  I got my body fat tested last week and it was 14.9%.   From that number, I gather that I should have no problem seeing the muscles that I am strengthening.  I know that no body is made exactly like mine and I am not under the impression that my body needs to look precisely like someone else’s .  But, I did find some major inspiration in Janetha’s before and after pics.

Check out that transformation!! Wow!  I wish I could show these to the girls who are busting their butts in the gym and depriving their bodies of healthy fats and carbs.  Janetha did this using Body For Life which means she ate plenty of healthy fats (omegas), complex carbs and of course lean protein.  

Who inspires you?

I was just inspired by another blogger to enter this contest and inspired by another to bake some Autumn Delicias…

I’m off to bake some Vegan Pumpkin Bars!

 

J