Apples

In one of my many adventures into Pinterest findings, I tried the apple pie in an apple. What a great recipe - well the part that I used. Other than the fact that the apples are difficult to core the center out of while leaving a good thick wall (Is there a tool for this?) the recipe is really easy and completely adaptable to make just as many apples as you need to. Perfect when you're baking for two and don't need a whole dozen or something crazy. The cliff's notes version is: Preheat the oven to 375; cut a thin piece off the top of however many apples you want to make and take out the guts, save all the meat of the apple that you can for the filling.

For each medium apple you will need:
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 tsp powdered cinnamon
Mix the ingredients and sprinkle over the reserved apple pulp.
Toss with a spoon and fill the apple bowls.

Instead of the fancy pie dough, cut into flowers, cute little holes - I used a can of cinnamon roles. I flattened them out a little and laid them over the top of the apples. Put them in the oven for 40 minutes (I think). That is what the recipe says. But, I started putting up our Christmas Tree while the apples were in the oven and well 40 minutes came and went. I wish I was less upset when I realized I missed the timer and actually took a photo of the apple pie mush that filled my baking pan. But, after eating out of the pan some absolutely delicious apple pie filling with my wonderful husband consoling me - we flipped the cinnamon rolls that were supposed to be tops into bottoms, scooped the remaining apple pie goodness on them and my husband gladly ate them a la mode.

Screen Door

For a long time now I've been on the hunt for an old screen door. I learned along the way that they are surprisingly expensive, potentially the only thing neighbors want to keep when renovating their rental house (glad we asked before taking) and in many many shapes, styles and colors. I found one stuffed in an old shed of some of my husband's relatives and decided one day we'd return with the truck and pick it up (along with some fantastic old columns). But, to my wonderful surprise my husband gave me a fantastic old brown screen door for my birthday (we'll still pick up that other one some day). What a fantastic man he is!
The door will live in our bedroom though it hasn't found its proper home yet because of the wonderful wardrobe my in-laws bought me for Christmas. (I'm a lucky lady!)

Finally tonight, I engaged my door in its ultimate purpose of jewelry organization. With the help of a few paperclips and a bunch of dangly earrings. Sorry about the poor photo quality -was trying to capture the height of my beautiful old door. In 3 quick episodes of How I Met Your Mother I've undone my jewelry mess.