This is my dad's version of the traditional
Libby recipe.
"The
intention is to make a much spicier (shouldn't just taste like doctored
squash), more flavorful (and darker colored because of it) pie that tastes
fresher because of the half and half and using my version of foolproof pie
crust*. Properly
done, cooled and kept in the refrigerator, it should cut very nicely into even
small slivers that can be held in the hands for eating as a quick and so
delightful snack when you happen to be passing the refrigerator anyway."
Love, Dad/Grampa
*ANOTHER TIP, my sister, Melanie, recommends the pie crust from
Trader Joes. She says it is much better than Pillsbury :)
LIBBY'S® Famous Pumpkin Pie
This is the traditional holiday
pumpkin pie. This classic recipe has been on LIBBY'S® Pumpkin labels since
1950. This pie is easy to prepare and even easier to enjoy. Just mix, pour,
bake for a delicious homemade tradition.
Estimated Times: Preparation - 15 min | Cooking - 55 min | Cooling Time - 2
hrs cooling | Yields - 8
Ingredients
- 1/2 teaspoon salt3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger {¾ tsp.
per dad}
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves {½ tsp.
per dad}
- ADD ¾ tsp nutmeg per dad
- ADD ¼ tsp. allspice per dad
- 2 large eggs
- 1 can (15 oz.)Libby's 100% pure pumpkin (we will use Trader Joe’s organic pumpkin)
- 1 can (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk NO! USE 12 oz. HALF & HALF per dad
- 1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup
volume) deep-dish pie shell
- Whipped cream (optional) – sprinkle
a little spice on top for fanciness! ~Heather
Directions:
MIX
sugar, salt, & spices in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in
pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in HALF & HALF.
POUR into pie shell.
BAKE in preheated 425° F. oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to
350° F.; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes
out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top
with whipped cream before serving.
NOTES:
1 3/4 teaspoons pumpkin spice may be substituted for the
cinnamon, ginger and cloves; however, the taste will be slightly different. Do
not freeze, as this will cause the crust to separate from the filling.
FOR 2 SHALLOW PIES: substitute two 9-inch (2-cup
volume) pie shells. Bake in preheated 425° F. oven for 15 minutes. Reduce
temperature to 350° F.; bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until pies test done.
FOR HIGH ALTITUDE BAKING (3,500 to 6,000 ft.):
Deep-dish pie- extend second bake time to 55 to 60 minutes. Shallow pies- no
change.
Here is the link to the original in case you are interested:
I believe we will be making this {my daddy & I} on Wednesday since he is joining me for the holiday! I'm getting excited just thinking about it!!!
So far, my sister and I have planned a menu as follows:
2 small (fresh, not frozen) Turkeys - because we want them to cook faster and not dry out
Trader Joe's Cranberry in a jar - SERIOUSLY my favorite!
it's possible I already bought 5 jars! (ehem, and ate some in a grilled cheese sandwich, and another time on toast!)
Mashed Golden Potatoes & Trader Joe's turkey gravy
Hawaiian Dinner Roles (soft & sweet.... yum!)
Petite Sweet Corn
Sauteed fresh green beans with crimini/cremini (different websites show either spelling) mushrooms (made by my sis)
Brown sugar sauteed carrots (made by my sis)
and Trader Joe's Spiced Cider - yeah... already had several cups of this as well!!!
As I was looking for the cider image I found this: 
Yep! Adding that to the list!
 |
| (internet photo) |
And there is always plenty of tea at the ready.
I plan to break in some lovely china I purchased at a yard sale over the summer. I negotiated it down to $65 (eeeeek!) during the final day and minutes of the sale (my patience after watching it for three days paid off). There were all sorts of pieces in the two large boxes. I just love the MANY pretty colors.
Dinner plates, salad plates, dessert plates, bowels, small and large serving platter, gravy boat, teacups & saucers, etc. (sadly, no teapot, but that's certainly ok for this great deal).
I ran outside just now & took a couple of pics in the sun so you could see. You're welcome! ;)
This set is labeled "Yamaka China" made in Occupied Japan
Now, here are some interesting tidbits I found on this term over at:
She gathered her information from a collector.
"Occupied Japan" (OJ) is a term used for the time period from 1945 (after World War II) through April 25, 1952; it was during this time that the Allies "occupied" Japan.
You will also see items marked "Occupied Germany" - both of which are generally an insult to these countries. I do not have any specifics on the German occupation. As Japan needed to rebuild their economy after the war, part of the agreement to allow them to export goods out of their country was that they had to mark 50% of all items with "Occupied Japan" or "Made in Occupied Japan."
This could be done with a paper label, cloth label (as on scarves, doilies, clothing), engraved, handwritten or stamped. Thus, you may come across things, such as a salt and pepper set, where only one of the pair is marked OJ and the other will just have "Japan" on it.
They exported every thing you can imagine, but during the last 2 years, 90% of the items were kitchenware, which is why we have a proliferation of china, dishes, vases, etc.
Many of the figurines were cheaply made, and looked it. But the Japanese had a wonderful talent for mimicry - you will find pieces that you would swear are Dresden and when you turn them upside down, you will find "Made in Occupied Japan!"
The collectibility of OJ is that it covered a specific 6-7 year period in our history. There are many fakes out their now, especially those that portray black persons, so you need to be careful.
One test for porcelain: the mark was always put UNDER the glaze. If you have a suspicious piece, try nail polish remover. If the markings come off - it was a fake.
Bisque pieces are most highly prized and much harder to identify for authenticity. Warning: Do NOT ever wrap any bisque item in newspaper or colored wrapping. The bisque will absorb the print and is near impossible to remove. It will ruin the piece.
I hope I've helped you a little and didn't give you more than you wanted. I've been collecting OJ for 30+ years and get a little passionate about the subject. You can go to e-Bay or Yahoo and run a search on Occupied Japan and see many items up for sale, to give you some idea of where the pricing is going. Most of the serious collectors I know are disgusted with the outrageous prices being asked for the lower valued items out there.
I hope this helps. Have a great day,
Ms. Sam Armijo
Well, I think that is PLENTY for one blog post, but since I have not posted in a while a gave you a heaping big serving spoon full! -smile
I hope you had fun, learned a little something and got a little more excited for the holiday or heck, just to go cook something or make yourself a cuppa'.
Lifting my cup to you dear friends, and wishing you all God's good blessings for you and yours,
Heather Elizabeth
Yesterday I was at the .99¢ Only Store (a name that mocks me regularly since they have changed their prices) (& FYI, if you want to type the ¢ sign - hold down the Alt button while you type 155 😁). I happened to spot two well-known name brand teas; Pukka and Tazo. I thought the Apricot Vanilla Creme white tea by Tazo looked interesting, so that's what I brewed this morning. I will preface this by saying I am HYPER-sensitive to smells and tastes. I brewed the tea as directed (about 3 minutes) and added honey. As I brought it up to sip, I noticed an odd dirty smell. I sipped anyhow and the taste was gentle and sweet, really quite pleasant. But, every time I lifted the cup the smell assaulted my nostrils. I tried to puzzle this out. Could it be my cup for some reason? I tried another and even a new tea bag, but the problem remained. I checked the expiration date = Nov. 2021. Well, this is quite the conundrum and perhaps someone out there has had a similar experience or thoughts. Anyhow, I brewed something else and will share this tea with my daycare Littles and other tea lovers and see what they think.
