GUEST POST - Michelle from Fun on A Dime

Today, you're in for some yumminess!!!!   How about mini pies?  Sounds good, right?  Well today, my guest is Michelle from Fun On A Dime. If you are looking for some inexpensive fun for the whole family, you should check out the fun they are having. There's lots of yummy recipes, crafts, games and many more fun ideas to keep you and your children busy. You can join the fun every Friday for Friday Brag Fest and show off the fun you have been having with your family! And if you are looking for some creative gifts for Christmas, be sure to check out our recent guest blogger "Made By Me!" Series. 

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This is a new family favorite this year...Mini Pies! This is a definate on the menu for Christmas this year. We love to make multiple types of pies, so we do not have to worry about cutting a huge pie and all the mess (and leftovers) that go with it. We get to try apple, pumpkin and whatever else we want to make and not feel guilty that we are eating too much! Just perfect for our small family this Christmas! My husband says that these are even better than regular apple pie, especially when they were super juicy. Yum, yum, yum!

These instructions are for Mini Apple Pies, but you can use the crust portion of this recipe and substitute your favorite pie filling for the apple pie filling in this recipe. I hope you like this!

What You Need:

• Your favorite pie crust - store bought or made from scratch
• the flour, salt, butter/shortening, water kind of recipe
• Apple Mix
• 6 chopped apples (peeling is optional) 
• 2 T lemon juice (adjust to taste, we love lemon)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon (to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (to taste, a little less if you do not like nutmeg)
• 1/4 cup Craisins (optional - we chopped ours up)
• Crumb Topping - Yummy!
• 3/4 cups flour
• 3/4 cups brown sugar
• 5 T butter
• Cupcake pan
• Cupcake liners
• Rolling pin or a solid cup/glass
• Yogurt or sour cream lid
• 2 med-large mixing bowls
• 1 small mixing bowl
• Pastry cutter/fork

* Bake at 375 Degrees

Directions:

Step 1:  Prepare your apple mix using recipe above in a medium sized bowl. Peel your apples if you do not like the skins baked. I do not mind them, my husband prefers them peeled! Add all the ingredients together and if you have time, let them sit in the fridge and soak. They will get quite juicy the longer it sits. I also suggest tasting to make sure it is the flavor you like. We like a lot of lemon and cinnamon, so start out light if you are unsure. 

Step 2: Prepare crumb topping. Add sugar and flour together. Then cut in the butter with a fork or a pastry cutter. Make sure the butter is not melted, just soft like it has been sitting out of the fridge. Set aside. And just in case you do not know what cutting the butter is check out here. It is the same concept with a fork as with the pastry cutter. 

Step 3: Prepare cupcake pan with liners prior to making the pie crust and preheat oven to 375 Degrees.

Step 4: Make (or buy) a basic pie crust. Nothing fancy just the kind with flour, water, butter/shortening and a bit of salt. Any should work.

Step 5: On a large, well floured surface roll out your dough really thin. I did it until I could see the counter through the dough. If you have difficulty rolling your dough out, save some muscle and put it in the microwave on defrost for 10 or so seconds at a time until it is slightly warm. It makes it a lot easier to roll out, but it will shrink on you this way so be quick! Make sure you flour the surface of the dough as well, so your "rolling pin" is not sticking to it.

Step 6:  Use a lid the size from a sour cream or a large yogurt container to cut your pie crust into mini circles (see above picture). Place/press each circle once cut into the cupcake pan/liner immediately. The edges will overlap a little. If necessary, stretch it out a little as pressing.

Step 7: Once all the mini pies are made, Add apple mix to the mini pies. Fill it 2/3 - 3/4 full. Make sure you grab a spoonful or two of the juice and put it in. The first batch I made was quite a bit drier than the second without the additional juice.

Step 8: Sprinkle on crumb topping, covering all the apple mix

Step 9:  Place on top of another pan to catch drippings and bake in the oven until you can hear the juices sizzling/bubbling. Approximately 15-20 minutes. There should be a slight golden brown look to the top. But you know it is done because you can hear the juice, so if you hear the juice and it is not golden brown, go with your gut!

Step 10: Definitely share these, because they are addicting if you are a pie lover!

Enjoy!

* Although I did not use any little helpers for this one, if you are not in a rush, it is a very easy recipe to let them help! *

Thanks Michelle!  I love the mini pie idea!!!  Thank you for sharing with us!

GUEST POST Julia from Work...Wife...Mom...Life!

Today, I'd like to introduce you to my new cyber-BFF, Julia.  Julia's blog Work...Wife...Mom...Life! .is from the working mom's perspective and she's agreed to be my guest today to share with us.  She's sharing her recipe for Pepermint Bark.  Yum-O!  So, not to keep you in suspense any longer....heeeere's Julia!.

Christmas time. It usually brings tears to your eyes. For one of two reasons:

Because you have so much fun, your family is awesome, your kids eyes' sparkle at the sight of the tree and you love blessing others with warm cookies and unexpected gifts.

OR

Because it stresses you to the max, you can't stand wrapping another present, you've sworn off shopping, and you're dreading the days that your family is in town.

For me, I've sworn off letting the holiday stress get to me. Especially as a working mom who doesn't have a lot of time to shop, plan and prepare. So this year, instead of stressing about what co-workers to give gifts to and how much that's going to cost me, I decided for an economical, tasty and easy treat that will work for friends, neighbors and co-workers alike.

Peppermint Bark

1 bag White Almond Bark
Candy canes (crushed)
Silicone/flexible ice cube trays



Step 1: Melt almond bark in a saucepan on low heat. Stir continuously. (You don't want it to burn!) Place candy canes in plastic bag and crush with a wooden spoon.



Step 2: As soon as the bark is melted, remove from heat and pour in crushed candy canes (approx. 8 large)

Step 3: Carefully spoon melted bark into the silicone ice cube trays. Gently tap the tray on the counter to settle the chocolate and remove any air bubbles.



Step 4: Place ice cube tray in fridge for 1 hour (or overnight).

Step 5: Gently pop the bark out of the trays, place in plastic candy bags and decorate with a cute handmade tag!



Variations:
Once the melted bark is in the ice cube trays, sprinkle more crushed candy cane on top.
Use a mixture of white and dark chocolate almond bark, layering one then the other.
Pour the bark in a large cake pan and spread thin. Once hardened, break the bark up with a knife.

INow, you can ensure the tears are tears of happiness because everyone got a lovely handmade gift and you saved some pennies!

Julia is a full-time working mama to 2 kiddos and married to stay-at-home dad. Wearing sweats and hair in a ponytail, she can typically be found sipping a cup of coffee, wrestling with her kids, working hard as a sports performance coach or blogging over at Work, Wife, Mom... Life! (She can also be found on Twitter and Facebook)

PRAYER REQUEST TUESDAY

Today is Prayer Request Tuesday

This is the day set aside for prayer for you.

If you have a prayer request, please list it in the comments below. You don't have to give any information you don't feel comfortable with (a simple "unspoken" comment is sufficient).

If you would like to pray, please pray for the comment above yours.


Also, if you would like to share a "praise" for a blessing you have received, please feel free to list those also! I'd love to hear of it so I can rejoice with you.