Blueberry Pie

I absolutely love this pie recipe and I originally found it in Better Homes and Gardens. However, I have made a couple of my own changes over the years. Blueberry season is in full swing and the blueberries are very reasonable right now, so make several for friends and neighbors. You will be much appreciated, believe me!! Another taste of summer...

1. Pastry for 2 crust pie


2. 4 Cups fresh blueberries


3. 1- 14 oz. can small wild blueberries, drained well


4. 3/4 to 1 cup sugar


5. 3 heaping TBLS. flour


6. 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel


7. 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon


8. 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg


9. dash salt


10. 1 teaspoon lemon juice


11. 1 TBLS. butter

Combine 4 cups fresh blueberries and wild blueberries with sugar, flour, lemon peel, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Line bottom of pie pan with pastry and add filling. Sprinkle with lemon juice and dot with butter. Add top crust and make slits for steam. Brush with milk and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Put on baking sheet with sides and bake for 35-40 minutes until browned and bubbly. Serve warm with ice cream!!! DELICIOUS!!

Grapefruit Pie

An unusual and really good recipe, using grapefruits!! It was given to me by one of my workout friends, who used to live in Florida,Charmaine Anderson, hence the abundance of citrus!! A bit of sun during the winter months when one can use a taste of the sunny southern climes. this is also for my Arizona friend, Laurie who has a fabulous grapefruit tree in her yard.

1. 1- 9 inch BAKED pie shell(see my recipe for pie crust on this site)
2. 4 pink grapefruit
3. 1/4-1/2 cup sugar, depending on grapefruit sweetness
4. 1 TBLS. cornstarch
5. 3/4 cup grapefruit juice
6. 1- 4oz. box strawberry jello(Charmaine says she has used all flavors and they are good with it)

Peel grapefruit, removing pith. Cut into bite size pieces. Drain in a strainer over a pan, collecting the juice for a couple of hours. Combine sugar, cornstarch, and juice in a small saucepan(if the collected juice does not measure 3/4 cup, add water to make that amount). Bring to a boil, stir in jello. Cool slightly. Spread grapefruit in the bottom of the baked pie shell; pour jello over fruit. Refrigerate and serve with whipped cream or cool whip. HINT: After baking pie shell, brush with melted butter and refrigerate for an hour or so before putting in the filling; this keeps fruit juice from leaking thru crust!! Relish your taste of sunshine, Thanks, Charmaine!!

Kristine Ritter's Ultimate Pull-apart Coffee Cake

This recipe is an easy, breezy one but wonderful for guests or holidays when on a time crunch. It is wonderful and everyone loves it!! Kristine got it from a Paula Deen publication and I have personally used it several times since she gave it to me last Fall. This is much like a "monkey bread" Thanks, Kristine!!

1. 16-18 unbaked frozen dinner rolls, such as Rhodes
2. 1- 3 oz. pkg. REGULAR(not instant) butterscotch pudding mix
3. 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
4. 1/2 cup chopped pecans
5. 1/2 cup(1 stick) butter, melted

The night before, place frozen rolls in a well-greased Bundt pan. Sprinkle dry pudding mix over rolls. Sprinkle brown sugar over pudding mix. Sprinkle pecans over sugar. Pour melted butter over all. BE SURE melted butter is not hot. Cover with a damp towel or tightly wrap with plastic wrap. Let rise overnight at room temperature, 8-10 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Uncover rolls and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes. Invert pan onto serving platter, remove pan. Serve by pulling apart with forks. Makes 6 servings or more.

Mrs. Rice's Honest To God Memphis Pound Cake circa 1910

My dear friend form Springfield, who also lives in Colorado, Jill Woodruff Manos, shared this wonderful pound cake recipe. Interestingly, it is from a mutual family friend back home and has been handed down in their family. Jill provided a high altitude adjustment which I will include for those of us in the Rocky Mountain area. Know you will enjoy this cake recipe. It's a keeper!!

1. 1/2 lb. butter (2 sticks)
2. 6 Eggs
3. 3 cups sugar
4. 3 cups flour
5. 1/4 teaspoon salt
6. 1/4 teaspoon soda
7. 8 oz. sour cream
8. 1 heaping teaspoon nutmeg
9. 2 TBLS. whiskey (optional)
10. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add whiskey, if using(Jill says can't imagine leaving it out). Sift flour. Add 1 cup flour, then 1/2 of sour cream and alternate, ending with 1 cup flour. Pour batter into a WELL GREASED and FLOURED angel food cake pan. Bake @ 300 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Cool on rack for 20 minutes and then remove from pan to finish cooling. FOR HIGH ALTITUDE: Reduce sugar to 2 3/4 cups and bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Great holiday cake!!

Blackberry Cobbler

This is a good ole Missouri Ozarks recipe and one I've used for 35 years. Where I'm from in the Ozarks has the biggest, juiciest blackberries you've ever tasted and we used to go blackberry picking every summer. Inevitably I got poison ivy, but well worth it!! It is easy and just use my crust recipe on this site. Always yummy good with a scoop of vanilla bean or peach ice cream. Oh, those lazy days of summer!!

1. 4+ cups of blackberries, rinsed and picked over and drained



2. 2 TBLS. tapioca



3. 1 1/3 cups sugar



4. Dash of nutmeg



5. 2 TBLS. butter



6. 2 pie crust- recipe on this site

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix berries, tapioca, sugar, and nutmeg togther. Pour into bottom pie crust and dot with the 2 TBLS. of butter. Do a lattice top crust by cutting 1 inch strips and weaving them together. Do this by laying strips one way with small space in between and then lay the strips over the first ones from the other direction or side.(See picture). Brush lattice top with milk and then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Put on baking sheet with sides and bake at 375 degrees for app. 1 hour until crust is browned and juices are bubbling. It's heaven!!

Apricot Pie

This absolutely FABULOUS Apricot pie comes from my friend, Bev Giffin. She is part of my quilt group and we have been meeting for 24 years!!! We not only quilt, but everyone is a great cook and we enjoy exchanging recipes. This came from her grandmother. It uses 2 crusts and you can find that recipe in the index. Be sure and roll the crusts very thin for this pie. If you like the peach pie, you will love this too!!

1. 1 28oz. can apricots
2. 1 16oz. can apricots
3. 3/4 cup sugar
4. 3 TBLS. minute tapioca
5. dash of salt
6. 2 TBLS. butter
7. 2 crusts- For this pie, roll VERY thin!!

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Drain apricots, saving about 1/3 cup of juice. combine sugar, tapioca, salt and juice, add to drained apricots. Let stand while making crusts or for 15 or 20 minutes. Fill bottom crust and top with 2 TBLS. of butter. Put on top crust and cut slits in a decorative way. Brush with milk and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Put pie pan on cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes @ 450 degrees. Lower oven to 350 degrees and bake 30 minutes more. Serve with vanilla bean ice cream. YUMMY!!