Simple Pie Crust Recipe - With notes, pics and a video!

This is a recipe for pie crust made from scratch.  I know, I know, I know... Why not just buy a pre-made pie crust at the store, or even a box of instant stuff you only add water to?  I hear ya, believe me - those are a lot easier.  But, sometimes knowing a simple thing like how to make homemade pie crust will impress your lady.  Let's face it, for the most part guys are idiots in the kitchen, right?  Right.

But there are somethings even an idiot can do - like make a homemade pie crust.  And you just might make your mama proud, too.

And let's not forget that we're not just making crust here - we're making PIE!  And who doesn't like pie!  If your going to spend time learning to make something from scratch, let's focus on something we really like to chow down on.

Enough with the chit chat - Here we go!

OK guys, I know you hate to read instructions, but I need you to set your ego aside for just a moment.  I'm going to list out some tips I need you to follow so you don't screw this up.

1) Read ALL of these instructions before you begin - Then read them again.

2) Clear off a counter top or the kitchen table or where ever you plan to work.

3) Get ALL of your ingredients out before you start measuring and pouring anything.

4) Get ALL of your tools out before you start anything.

5) Keep a roll of paper towels close by.

Ingredients:

1 Cup of All-purpose flour (Just the regular stuff works fine)

1/2 Teaspoon of salt (I know you know what this is)

1/3 Cup vegetable shortening (From the big tub of greasy stuff)

2 Tablespoons of cold water (Straight from the kitchen sink faucet)

Tools:

Large mixing bowl (Make it a big one because guys get messy in the kitchen)

Roll of paper towels (Also known as man tissues)

Whisk (You know what a whisk is, right?)

A 1 cup measuring cup

A 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon

A 1/3 cup measuring cup

A 1 tablespoon measuring spoon

Spatula (Not the kind you flip your awesome pancakes with, but the goofy one with a rounded edge)

2 regular spoons (like the kind you devour Capn' Crunch with)

2 normal butter knives (You can also use a pastry blender if you know what this is)

Rolling pin

9" pie pan (You can use an 8" pie pan if you need to)

Clean counter top or large pie crust/cutting board

Easy step by step instructions:

Step 1)  Measure 1 cup of flour and pour it into the large mixing bowl.  Step 2)  Measure 1/3 cup of vegetable shortening and scoop it into the mixing bowl.  Step 3)  "Cut" the shortening into the flour.Step 4)  Add 1 tablespoon of cold water to the mixing bowl.  Add more if ya need it.Step 5)  Make a dough ball.Step 6)  Roll out the dough to about 2" larger than a 9" pie pan.Step 7)  Place dough into pie pan.

Detailed step by step instructions with notes:

Step 1)  Measure 1 cup of flour and pour it into the large mixing bowl.  

    Note - When measuring flour, tap the sides of the measuring cup to release some of the air that gets trapped inside.  When you do this you'll notice the level of the flour drops a little.  Keep doing this until you've filled the 1 cup measuring cup.

Step 2)  Measure 1/3 cup of vegetable shortening and scoop it into the mixing bowl.  

    Note - When you're measuring the shortening, use one of your regular spoons to scoop it out of the tub and into the measuring cup.  Use the bottom of the spoon to push down the shortening so it fills the measuring cup and gives you an accurate measurement.  Use the same spoon to scoop out the shortening and put it in the mixing bowl.

Step 3)  "Cut" the shortening into the flour.

Here's me "cutting" the shortening into the flour.  I'd like to thank my daughter Morgan for recording this video - Thanks kiddo:)

    Note - To "cut" is to combine together two ingredients that don't really mix well; like flour and shortening.  There's two ways to cut ingredients; the first is to use a pastry blender (I don't have one of these, but it would be nice to have one), the second is to use two knives.  To use two knives to cut flour and shortening, hold a knife in each hand, hold the blades together in an X and pull them apart - Now go Wolverine all over your mixing bowl until it's all clumpy.  Place the blades together near the base of the blade and pull apart - over and over and over again; for about 4-5 minutes.  You should see that the flour has clumped into balls about the size of a pea.

Step 4)  Add 1 tablespoon of cold water to the mixing bowl.

    Note - Measure a tablespoon full and sprinkle it around all over your mixture.  Use a fork to mix the water into the flour/shortening mixture.  Then do it again with another 1 tablespoon of water.  The recipe calls for only 2 tablespoons of cold water, but when I made this recipe I used 5 tablespoons and it turned out great.  You'll have to make a judgement call at this point.  You'll know when the dough is ready when it begins to clump together and starts to form a ball.

Step 5)  Make a dough ball.

    Note - Get a little bit of flour on your hands so the dough doesn't stick to your hands.  Pick up your dough out of the mixing bowl and squish it into a ball, about the size of a 12" soft ball.

Step 6)  Roll out the dough to about 2" larger than a 9" pie pan.

    Note - Sprinkle some flour on a clean counter top or a large cutting board and place the dough ball in the center.  Grab a pinch of flour and coat the rolling pin with a light layer of it - this helps makes sure the dough doesn't stick to the rolling pin.  Roll out the dough smooth and easy.  Don't go too fast or you'll tear it apart and have to start over.  Keep rolling it until it's about 1/8" thick and its diameter extends about 2" beyond a pie pan. For an accurate measurement, place the pie pan upside down on your rolled out dough - if you have about 2 extra inches of dough, you're ready to move on.  If not, then keep rolling out the dough until it's the right size.

Step 7)  Place dough into pie pan.

    Note - Sprinkle a bit of flour in the bottom of the pie pan (optional).  Now, carefully and lightly fold up your pie dough into fourths.  This makes it easy to lift it up off the counter without tearing it.  If it does rip, it's simple to just use your fingertips to press the dough back together to seal it back up.  Now, place the folded up dough in the middle of your pie pan and unfold it.  From the center of the dough, start to slowly inch your fingers towards to wall of the pan so the dough lays flat along the bottom, gets tucked into the corners and sits against the pan wall.  There should be about an inch or so hanging off the edge of the pan.  Trim this off, but keep it aside - you may need to patch up holes.

OK dude - You're done!  Your dough should be evenly spread along the whole interior of the pie pan, like wallpaper.  Use any extra dough to patch up any holes or to add an extra layer on any areas where the dough may have thinned out a bit.

Now you're ready to fill it with pie stuff.  I love pumpkin pie and I found a great recipe for pumpkin pie made from real pumpkin (not the canned stuff).  Don't get me wrong - I love the canned stuff too, but I always wanted to make a pumpkin pie from a real pumpkin.  I'll post that soon and put a link to it here.

Well, there you have it - you can now make pie crust from scratch.

Natural remedies to get rid of household spiders

I'm not afraid of spiders (not really, anyway), but I don't want them crawling around me while I sleep.  I once heard that we're always within 10 feet of a spider.  I also heard someone say that, on average, people consume 8 spiders a year while sleeping - meaning that while I'm out like a light, a creepy crawly eight-legged freak crawls its way into my mouth (NOT COOL!)

The point of the post isn't to gross you out, spiders do that well enough on their own.  The point is to give you some healthy and safe ways to keep household spiders at bay.  The funny thing about spiders is that they actually do a lot of good around the house.  It sucks, I know, but those freaky little things are in business to eat other bugs - which is a good thing I guess.

I know there are dozens of chemicals out there on store shelves that claim to do the trick.  There's also dozens more exterminators ready, willing and able to spray toxic bug sprays inside your home.  I don't know about you, but I'm really not too keen on having all that crap floating around in the air for me and my family to breath in.

So, let's get to it.  Here's a list of healthy, safe and natural ways to get rid of household spiders:

1)  Peppermint oil -

    I just started using this method after both myself and my 7 year old daughter got bit.  I have no idea what type of spider bit us, but I do know it wasn't a recluse spider (I got bit by a recluse as a child and I have two scars to prove it).  Here's what you do; get a small bottle of 100% pure peppermint oil from your local health goods store, put a few drops of oil on a cotton ball and tuck them away in favorite hiding places; like the corners of closets, under dressers and places like that.  I tucked a few into my kid's bed sheets.  You can also pour one cup of warm water into a small spray bottle along with about 2 teaspoons of peppermint oil and spray it around all the places spiders love.  Apparently it's supposed to work and I've read lots of articles that say it's the #1 natural method.

2)  Vacuum - 

    By implementing a weekly vacuuming schedule you'll keep spiders on the run.  Vacuuming destroys webs and you'll probably suck up a few spiders in the process.  Here's a little tip - suck up a peppermint scented cotton ball into the vacuum so the aroma spreads throughout the house.

3)  Horse chestnut - 

    No one really knows how or why, but spiders simply do not like horse chestnuts.  The theory is that the chestnuts give off an aroma spiders really don't like.  I checked around for some substantiation, but there doesn't appear to be anything solid.

4)  Turn off outdoor lights - 

    Light attracts bugs, right?  And spiders know where to go to catch a lot of bugs.  By turning off outdoor lights you stop attracting all manner of critter and stop leading spiders right to your front door.

5)  Spray spiders with vinegar - 

    Vinegar contains acetic acid, which is supposed to burn spiders upon contact.  You can also place small dishes of vinegar around the house - the smell of it sends spiders away.

6)  Pull vegetation away from your house - 

    When you have plants butting up against your home, you're creating perfect little hiding places for spiders.  By pulling your vegetation away you're creating a barrier of sorts.

7)  Use diatomaceous earth  - 

    I've never heard of this one, but I think it's one of the more interesting methods.  Diatomoceous earth is fossilized diatom, a water creature of some kind.  The fossils are ground into a powder that cuts up spiders as they crawl through it.  The spider looses bodily fluid, dries up and dies.  Sounds horrific, painful and slow.  It's a natural method safe for people and pets, but probably not one I'll be trying.

I hope this lest helps you.  I'm sure there are other natural methods out there, but this certainly gets you started.

And here's a shout out to the blogger that spurred this post - Thanks Jill
http://www.jillshomeremedies.blogspot.com/

Chuck eye steak - The best frickin' steak I ever ate!

Tags: Steak recipes - Chuck eye steak - Steak recipe - Easy steak recipes

I was strolling through Wal-Mart today and found some packages of steak on sale.  Yes, I admit that I shamefully shop at Wal-Mart and yes, I buy steak on sale.

Anyway...

I found 1.2 lbs of chuck eye steak for $6.01.  I never heard of chuck eye steak, but I looked it up and put some info at the bottom of this post for ya.  I have no clue if  $6 bucks was a fair price but it sounded good.  I must confess I've never had much luck cooking steak, but I was in the mood for it and thought I'd give it another go.  So, like any self-respecting and knowledgeable dad, I Googled "How to cook chuck eye steak", found some tasty recipes and tossed the steaks in the cart.


After considerable more Googling I pieced together a bunch of recipes and came up with my own chuck eye steak recipe:

1)  Put the steaks on a plate and sprinkle sea salt, pepper, garlic powder and a few bay leaves all over them

2)  Let the steaks sit out on the counter for about 1.5 hours
3)  Rinse off the steaks and dab completely dry with paper towels
4)  Throw the steaks back on the plate, lightly sprinkle sea salt, pepper and garlic on both sides
5)  Put 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a cast iron skillet and put in oven
6)  Heat oven to 500 degrees
7)  Remove skillet and place on stove top - Place steaks in skillet and let sit for 30 seconds on each side - Then put back in the oven for about 5 minutes on each side
8)  Take the steaks out, put them on a plate and them them sit for 3 minutes - Enjoy!

My only regret is that I didn't take a picture of the final product.  Honestly, it looked so frickin good I served it up to the family and we devoured it!  I've had lots of steak, but this was by far the absolute best steak I've ever had.

So, what is chuck eye steak?  It comes from the area of the 5th rib.  The butcher cuts off this part and uses the 6th through the 12th for the rib eye steaks.  Chuck eye steak hold a lot of flavor and is a bit of a secret.  Chuck eye steak is not as well known as some other cuts, but it should be if you ask me.  While cruising around the internet I also found that chuck eye steak is popular for stews.

Well, I hope you enjoy it.  I served mine up with roasted garlic couscous and steamed broccoli flavored with sea salt, pepper and I threw in a couple bay leaves.

Tags: Steak recipes - Chuck eye steak - Steak recipe - Easy steak recipes

Use a rubber band to unscrew stripped screws

I've never actually tried this before, but I can see how it would work.  Oh, how many times I could have used this nifty little tip.

Malala Yousafzai - Education for ALL girls!

I think it's safe to say a fair number of kids in the US do not appreciate their education.  School is boring, reading is dull, math is hard and who the hell cares about world events since, "it'll never happen to me."

Right?

And you know what, they're probably right.  

After all, we live in the United States of America where we have a public and affordable education system - a poorly run education system, but a system nonetheless.  There are no threats to our ability to educate our children.  There are no wars on our country's soil that force schools to shut down.  There are no violent groups of people forcing our schools to move "underground".  And, there are no groups suppressing the education of women in our country.

But these threats are very real for kids all around the world; kids like Malala Yousafzai.

Watch this video of Malala Yousafzai as she explains to Comedy Central's The Daily Show host Jon Stewart what went through her mind when she learned the Taliban was out to kill her.  Listen to her passion for education, her motivation to be heard, her understanding and her wisdom.  Oh, by the way, she's only 16.

If you're not familiar with her story, Malala is an education activist from Mingora, a town in the Swat District of Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.  Needless to say, it's a violent part of the world where the education of women is seen as a threat on many levels.  Malala, who grew tired of waiting for her government and military to make positive change in the educational system, decided to voice her concerns for the suppression of women's education on every media channel that would allow her.  Eventually word reached the Taliban, who not only announced their complete disdain for Malala, but their desire to kill her.

On October 9 of 2012, an assassination attempt on Malala was committed by a Taliban gunman.  The gunman boarded Malala's school bus and shot her in the head and neck.  Malala survived but remained in critical condition for days.  When her condition improved she was transported to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, England where she underwent extensive rehabilitation.  She's rebounded, continuing her cause and is now promoting her new book, I am Malala.

At last report, the Taliban is still out to kill Malala.

As part of her immense desire to raise awareness for every girl's right to an education, Malala has created a fund called The Malala Fund.  "The Malala Fund's solutions are grounded in inspired innovation: they are girl-centric approaches to education that support the Funds' goal of creating a world where every girl reaches her true potential" (quotation from the site itself).

Malala should be an inspiration to everyone.  Her cause is worthy of great recognition and her fight for survival is awe-inspiring.  In fact, she's up for a Nobel Peace Prize.  

It's amazing what one person can overcome and accomplish.  Her fight isn't over though; there's still much to be done.

So, the next time your kid is complaining about going to school or throwing a fit about a book report, tell them about this girl and help them put things in perspective.  Show them the video of a 16 year old girl who was hunted down and shot simply because she wanted an education.

The Daily Show - Extended Interview with Malala Yousafzai

Government Shutdown - A teaching moment for every parent!

A Teaching Moment

The US Government has shut down.  Now what?

Take a moment to talk to your kids about what is happening with the government shutdown.  Even if you don't fully understand the news for yourself, you can still have a very meaningful conversation with your children about how the government works (and doesn't work).

Conversation Tips

* Use simple and age appropriate terms
* Invite them to share their opinions/concerns
* Ask them what they would do differently
* Encourage them to write a letter to their government leaders


Conversations about the government and politics are a great way to understand your child's point of view and to get a good sense of what they actually know about the US Government and its processes.

How to Make Homemade Yogurt

Making yogurt at home is not complicated at all.  If you can make toast, pudding, a pitcher of Kool-Aid and brownies, then you have the talent, skills and know-how to make homemade yogurt.

Table of Contents:

• Ingredients
• What You'll Need
• Fast Instructions
• Detailed Instructions
• Notes

Ingredients:

• Whole Milk – ½ gallon
• Plain yogurt – Make sure it is NOT fat free.  Must have live active cultures
• **This recipe will yield ½ gallon of yogurt.

What You’ll Need:

• 1 large pot
• 1 medium pot (with lid) that will fit into the larger pot to act as a double boiler (or just use a double-boiler if you have one)
• Spatula
• Large spoon (like the size of a big soup spoon)
• Cooking thermometer
• Heating pad
• Towel
• Ice (or frozen water bottles)
• Kitchen sink

Fast Instructions (I'll spare you all the little details):

These instructions get you down to the very basics - it's the bare minimum to get you to homemade yogurt bliss.

1. Fill large pot about half-way with water

2. Place medium pot in large pot (simulating a double-boiler method)

3. Pour ½ gallon of milk into the medium pot

4. Heat to 180 degrees for 20 minutes

5. Cool to 110 degrees in an ice bath

6. Add two spoonfuls of yogurt and mix thoroughly

7. Cover pot - Place on heating pad – Cover with towel

8. Let sit for 6 hours

9. Remove from heating pad - stir thoroughly

10. Pour mixture into air-tight containers – Put in fridge

11. Let sit over night

12. Stir thoroughly and enjoy!

Detailed Instructions (The mother-load of yogurt instructions!):

1. Fill large pot about half-way with water

2. Place medium pot in large pot

• Be careful to not spill the water out of the large pot.  If the water level is too high, empty some of it.  Once you pour in the milk and once the water begins to boil you could risk boiling over if the water level is too high.

3. Pour ½ gallon of milk into the medium pot

• Your water level should be about the same height as the milk level for proper heating with the double-boiler method, but it doesn't have to be. So long as the water level is about half-way up the milk level, you’ll be fine.

4. Heat to 180 degrees for 20 minutes

• It’s okay if it’s a little hotter, but don’t let it go above 190 or below 180.
• Stir the milk frequently to make sure it doesn't burn to the sides and bottom.
• By using the double-boiler method the milk shouldn't burn, but since we’re using two pots instead of an actual double-boiler, you’ll want to stir often.
• I keep a thermometer attached to the side of the pot so I can monitor the temp during the entire process.  If you don’t have a thermometer that attaches to your pot you’ll have to keep dipping in the thermometer to gauge the temp.

Preparation Tip – 

• During this 20 minute period, fill up your sink with cold water. You’re going to place the pot into this to cool it down.

• Also during this 20 minute period you’ll want to turn on your heating pad to give it time to heat up. I set mine at the Medium heat setting (I have no idea what temp that is).

5. Cool to 110 degrees in an ice bath

• I use frozen water bottles instead of ice.  Just take some old plastic water bottles, fill them with tap water and freeze them. Don’t fill them all the way or they’ll burst when they freeze.
• You need to continue stirring the milk until it cools to 110 degrees.
• The active cultures in the yogurt work best at 110 degrees.
• Once at 110 degrees, immediately remove from the ice bath.

6. Add two spoonfuls of yogurt and mix thoroughly

• You want to make sure the yogurt gets fully mixed into the milk.

Preparation Tip - 

• Let the yogurt sit out on the counter during this whole process. It’ll get close to room temperature and be easier to mix into the milk when it’s time to add it. If you take the yogurt out of the fridge just before you need to add it to the milk, it’ll be too cold and won’t mix as well.

7. Cover the pot - Place on heating pad – Cover with towel

• Covering the pot with a lid and a towel keep the yogurt safe and contains the heat.
• The heating pad will ensure that the cultures stay active.

8. Let sit for about 6 hours

• The longer you let it sit the tangier it will be.
• If you don’t like it too tangy, then only let it sit for 4 hours.
• I've let it sit from 4 hours to about 8 hours. You can’t really mess it up if you accidentally let it sit for too long. Just don’t leave it there for a day; I’m sure it’ll go bad by then.

9. Remove from heating pad and stir thoroughly

• You may see a light green liquid on top of your mixture – this is a good thing.  The green liquid has something to do with the cultures and means you did it right.  If you don’t see the green liquid it’s still okay.  
• I've made several batches that turned out great but didn't have that green liquid. However, the batches that did have it were the best.
• The yogurt should have thickened. It will loosen up a bit as you stir it.

10. Pour mixture into air-tight containers – Put in fridge

• I use old large yogurt containers and plastic storage containers for this.
• Place containers on the bottom shelf and at the back of the fridge; it’s the coldest spot.
• Placing them in the coldest part of the fridge stops the active cultures.

11. Let sit over night

• The yogurt will begin to thicken as it cools.

12. Stir thoroughly and enjoy!

• Eat it plain, add some honey (organic, of course), mix it with fruit or just eat it however you usually eat your yogurt.
  
  

NOTES –

•   ½ gallon of milk will yield a ½ gallon of yogurt.  So, when you’re deciding how much yogurt to make, think about how much milk you’re using.
• People have differences of opinion on how much starter yogurt to use.  Some will use just one large spoonful per gallon, while others will add several.  My best batch of yogurt so far (which is what the recipe above follows) was two large spoonfuls of yogurt added to a ½ gallon of milk.
• If you don’t have a heating pad you can place the pot inside the oven or microwave, or place it on top of a radiator (if you live in an old house).  This part of the yogurt making process is important, so I suggest using a heating pad.  They’re not expensive and you’ll be able to use it for more than just making yogurt.
• I find putting the heating pad on Medium heat works best.  I've put it on the low setting, but that just wasn't warm enough.  I've never tried the high setting since that just seems obviously too hot.
• The key here is to keep the mixture warm so the cultures can do what they do.  Wrapping the pot in a towel helps to keep the heat contained, so no matter which method you use (heating pad, microwave, oven or radiator), keeping the pot wrapped up is essential.