Two weeks until Thanksgiving - Stillwaters Estates

Today is Veteran’s Day. Here is our QUOTE OF THE WEEK to honor Veteran’s.

911memorial “On this Veterans Day, let us remember the service of our veterans, and let us renew our national promise to fulfill our sacred obligations to our veterans and their families who have sacrificed so much so that we can live free.” – Dan Lipinski

And with only two weeks until Thanksgiving…

I was really struck this week by the “planning for the holidays” bug. This was a nice distraction from the political news! I started looking through my Thanksgiving and Christmas recipes and thinking about what our holiday plans are going to be. All of this of course is based on what looks, sounds or smells good!

Being one who likes to cook I like going through cookbooks, recipe cards and pages torn recently from favorite magazines to find something old or something new to try.

I have a subscription to a magazine called “Southern Living” that always has wonderful recipes to try. Still working on what I will make to celebrate the holidays with family and friends. Here’s one from the October 2016 issue that looks awfully good.

Apple Upside Down Pie

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Ingredients

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 (15-oz.) package refrigerated piecrusts, divided

4 medium-size Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 1 3/4 lb.)

2 large Jonagold apples, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 1 1/4 lb.)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Stir together first 3 ingredients, and spread onto bottom of a 9-inch pie plate. Fit 1 piecrust over pecan mixture in pie plate, allowing excess crust to hang over sides.

2. Stir together Granny Smith apples and next 5 ingredients. Spoon mixture into crust, packing tightly and mounding in center. Place remaining piecrust over filling; press both crusts together, fold edges under, and crimp. Place pie on an aluminum foil-lined jelly-roll pan. Cut 4 to 5 slits in top of pie for steam to escape.

3. Bake at 375° on lower oven rack 1 hour to 1 hour and 5 minutes or until juices are thick and bubbly, crust is golden brown, and apples are tender when pierced with a long wooden pick through slits in crust. Shield pie with aluminum foil after 50 minutes, if necessary, to prevent excessive browning. Cool on wire rack 10 minutes. Place a serving plate over top of pie; invert pie onto serving plate. Remove pie plate, and replace any remaining pecans in pie plate on top of pie. Let cool completely (about 1 hour).

WEEKEND HAPPENINGS:

And if you are not into cooking or need a little extra nudge to get in the holiday mood, here are some weekend happenings:

CHRISTMAS COUNTRY SALE Friday & Saturday, Nov. 11 & 12, 9-5, 3149 Jackson Hwy, Chehalis, WA 98532.

HOLIDAY ARTS & CRAFTS BAZAAR Friday, 11:30-7 & Saturday, 10-3, Nov. 11 & 12. 16 S Market Blvd, Chehalis, WA 98532. ST.

MARK’S HOLIDAY BAZAAR Saturday, Nov. 12, 9-2, 10000 Hwy 12, Rochester, WA 98579.

LAKE LAWRENCE LODGE HOLIDAY BAZAAR Friday & Saturday, Nov. 11 & 12, 9:30-5:30, 15735 Topaz Dr SE, Yelm, WA 98597.

HOLIDAY BAZAAR Friday & Saturday, Nov. 11 & 12, 9-3, Nov. 11 & 12. 16 S Market Blvd, 98532.

CHEHALIS EAGLES BAZAAR Saturday & Sunday, Nov 11 & 12, 10-4, 1993 S Market Blvd, Chehalis, WA 98432.

NEXT WEEK: Don’t miss the Social happening at the Gathering Place on Tuesday, November 15th. We are welcoming the new Centralia College President, Dr. Bob Mohrbacher, to Centralia and to Stillwaters. Come say hello from 3 to 4 p.m. Tuesday!