Monday Bento

I used one of my bento containers again today to turn my simple lunch into a bento.

This bento contains:

• a ham sandwich
• BBQ chips
• a miniature brownie

Happy bento!

Apple Pie Filling

Once you've got your pie crust prepared, you are ready to move on to the filling. Preheat the oven to 425* to start with.

For the filling you will want:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 Tablespoons flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• a dash of salt
• 5 cups thinly sliced pared tart apples (about 5 medium green apples will do)
• a few dabs of butter or margarine

Mix the first five ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.

This was the first time I had used the apple peeler, slicer, corer. I was a bit intimidated, so I had my husband help. It turned out to be not only easy, but fun too! You put the apple on the prongs:

Then you turn the handle and it peels and slices the apple.

It goes very quickly and works great!

Now you can pull it off of the core.

And you have an apple spiral, like so:

If you cut the apple through from top to bottom, you end up with lovely thin apple slices. When you have five cups worth, stir them into the sugar and spice mix.

Pour them out of the bowl into the prepared crust:

Put a few dabs of butter, or dairy free margarine if you have a milk allergy. (I use Imperial, but if you are allergic to whey, you will have to use something else.)

Next, put the second pie crust on top and cut slits in it for the steam to escape during baking. Squeeze the edges together so the filling stays in. If you are feeling fancy, you can "flute" it.

Cover the edges of the pie with foil so that they don't burn.

Cook until golden brown, and juice begins to bubble through slits in the crust. For me this was about 35 minutes, I think. Take the foil off during the last 15 minutes of baking so the edges can brown up as well.

Enjoy!

Easy As Pie Crust

For Thanksgiving this year I was asked to bring a milk free dessert that I could eat. I chose good old apple pie. (Now, keep in mind, this is only my second time doing a baked pie myself, so if it looks a little rustic... well, give me some slack, k?)

I used my aunt Jackie's "EZ Pie Crust" recipe. Not sure where she got it from, but it was very simple.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup boiling water
• 2/3 cup oil
• 2 cups flour
• 1 pinch of salt

Boil the water and mix with oil. Add flour and salt. Mix all ingredients together with a fork.

Here's what mine looked like at this point:


Then you divide the dough in half. Each half makes one pie crust (one for the top, and one for the bottom). I was supposed to roll it out between two sheets of waxed paper so there is no mess, but I didn't have wax paper, so I used foil. It rolls out very easily, but is very greasy to the touch - so if you have wax paper, use it. I am sure it would "let go" of the dough a bit easier.

Either way, transfer the first pie crust to the pan you are using.

Now you are ready for filling. I will post the pie recipe tomorrow.

Enjoy, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Late Start Bento

This morning, due to ice and snow, the school I work at had a two hour late start. So, I thought, while the ice outside melts away, why not pack a simple bento? This is what I came up with:

This bento contains

• ham sandwich
• red roasted potatoes
• wheat thins
  

Happy bento!