Chris' Birthday Apple Pie

CHRIS' BIRTHDAY APPLE PIE

Every year my husband has one request for his birthday, and that is Apple Pie. He doesn't want cake or gifts or elaborate affairs. He just wants pie. After many years of pie making and experimenting I have perfected this pie. Hope you enjoy. 

Chris' Birthday Apple Pie

1. Box of Pillsbury refigerated pie crusts
2. 8 apples peeled and thinly sliced *
3. 3/4 Cup sugar
4. 1/4 Cup brown sugar
5. 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
6. 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
7. 1/4 teaspoon salt
8. 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
9. 1 tablespoon of lemon juice

Egg Wash

1. Egg

Heat oven to 425F

Place 1 Pie crust in ungreased 9-inch  glass pie plate and press firmly against side and bottom

In a large bowl combine all ingredients and gently mix. spoon into crust lined pie plate. I like to sprinkle a little extra cinnamon to the top before topping with the second crust.

Top pie with second crust and press edges to create a seal. Cut slits in the top of pie to release steam

Take your egg and gently beat it in a small bow. Wash the top of the pie with the Egg mixture. This will give it a very nice golden crispy shell.

Bake for 40-45min or until the crust is golden brown.*

Cool on a cooling rack at least 2 hours before serving or until your husbands patience runs out and he wants a slice.

Notes*
* I use a cast iron apple slicer/corer. Its the quickest and easiest way to peel and slice and core your apples. You can find them on Amazon and they are inexpensive.

* Depending on your oven you might have to cover your edges of the crust with 2-3 inch of foil to prevent  them from burning. I have never had this issue, everything browns evenly but I know others have had this issue. Just keep an eye on the pie if this starts to happen. 

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you know me well enough you know that I have a huge sweet tooth and that I am a cookie monster. I love cookies!

I never discriminate against cookies, I love them all. I doesn't matter what shape they come in. I love them during every holiday and if they are homemade or from a box. I love them warm and cold. I love them during all times of the day. I love all cookies.

Now this is a very big problem for me because cookies are not the healthiest to have all the time. I mean at least not after every meal.....right??? Anyways because of my love affair with cookies and have tried and tested so many "healthy" versions of the classic Chocolate Chip cookie. All trials ended in disgust. They either tasted like cardboard or looked like cardboard while tasting like a bland fake cookie. My fear was that I would never find a healthy alternative to my dear cookie.

After much trial and error and more trial and error I was able to Frankenstein the perfect cookie recipe that has almost the same (95%) consistency as the classic cookie and the taste is actually quite delicious. I am a cookie snob and I genuinely really enjoyed this alternative. It even got my husbands approval so I know its winner for sure.

These cookies are paleo, gluten free and have no sugar in them. Yep I said it..no sugar! I do not feel as bad eating these cookies. I mean in the end they are still cookies but a healthy alternative to satisfy my sweet tooth.

Tip: do not use the almond flour (meal) that Trader Joe's sells. Yes I know that the meal is cheap in comparison to almond flour but the constancy was horrible. It did not absorb the liquid and the cookies did not hold. They fell apart in your fingers. I mean they still tasted really good but it was not a cookie it was more like mush that tasted like cookie.

Tip: If you want the cookie to taste like a S'more then I suggest using regular coconut oil. I have used regular and refined. Regular makes the cookies taste like a S'more which is really good but if you want a more chocolate chip cookie taste then I would use refined coconut oil. Refined coconut oil does not have the smell and taste of coconut. Either way the cookie will taste good in my humble opinion but its up to you what kind of cookie mood you are in.

1 1/4  Cup of almond flour (I used Blue Diamond brand)
1/4 Teaspoon baking soda
1/4 Teaspoon salt
1/4 Cup raw agave nectar
1/8 Cup coconut oil (refined or regular coconut oil)
1    Teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 Cup dark or milk chocolate chips

• Heat oven to 325
• Mix flour, salt and baking soda well.
• Mix agave nectar, coconut oil, and vanilla in a small bowl.
• Combine wet ingredients to the dry ingredients
• Add chocolate chips. Batter should be thick enough that you can roll a small ball between your palms.
• Evenly space cookie dough on a lined baking sheet with parchment paper. Press cookie down flat with either your palm or the back of a spoon. If you do not press the cookie down flat they will not flatten when they bake and will remain in a ball like shape.
• Bake for 5-7 min. Keep an eye on them. When the edges start to brown they are done.

Pilates and Smoothies

Saturday Morning Recap

Pilates 

I woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed and went to Pilates. It felt amazing and I am already starting  to feel sore, especially in my arms. It was a nice change from just sleeping in even though it was so tempting to do this morning. 

Protein Shake.

When I got home I made myself my favorite go to protein smoothie. Isopure is the current protein powder I am using and I really like it. Its supposed to very pure and filled with less fillers compared to like Muscle Milk which is what I used to use. 

I blend the following in a blender. 

1 cup Almond Milk

1 tbsp Peanut Butter

1 scoop Protein Powder

1 Banana

1/2 cup of Ice

 I always fall back on chocolate peanut butter. Fruity flavors tend to make me feel sick after a while so I stay away from strawberry and other berry flavors. 

Is this going to give me my dream body? I don't know but its better than having having french toast...mmmmm french toast sounds so good. 

Happy Saturday

Honeymoon in Paris

I don't know why I didn't blog about our honeymoon. It just occurred to me that I have nothing documented about our honeymoon. For those of you that do not know we honeymooned in Paris, France the city of love. We immersed ourselves in all the city had to offer. The beauty, the pastries, the architecture, it was absolutely amazing and really recommend visiting if its possible. It will not disappoint.

My husband and I went back and forth as to where to honeymoon. He really wanted to go to Iceland, I really wanting something in Europe. We are not beach bums whatsoever. I get so bored at the beach after day 3. There is nothing else to do and I am not a big fan of getting burned. Do not get me wrong we have had beach vacations and they have been wonderful but I would much rather explore and do something I might be able to do ever again. I grew up going to the beach every year. Maybe thats why I don't get super excited about the beach.

Anyways went back and forth and ultimetly decided that Paris would be a once in a lifetime trip and we should do it. Also who doesn't want to see the city of love and art and croissants???? Hello the croissants and coffee alone sound amazing.

We had the opportunity of spending 8 days in Paris. It was really the trip of a life time. we walked everywhere and I mean everywhere. I think we walked anywhere from 30 to 40 miles a day. Our feet would ache when we would get back to the hotel. We stayed in Bouogne-Billancourt at the Marriott Hotel. The hotel was very accommodating and it was in a quaint little suburb outside the city. It was much more affordable to stay outside of the city vs staying in the city.

A typical day would start off waking up really early and either having breakfast at the hotel or grabbing coffee and a pastry from a coffee shop down the street. Then we would take the bus or train to where we wanted to go. We purchased a train/bus pass for the whole week. It was 100% worth it because we used it everyday. Everyday we would hit one main attraction and then go exploring and then go shopping!! The Eiffel Tower one day, The Louvre another day, Notre Dame Cathedral, Arc de Triomphe, The Paris Locks Bridge and The Palace of Versailles on the last day.
Everything in between consisted of Paris shopping and a million Zara's

The people in Paris were not overly friendly and very much kept to themselves. The fashion was on point. Lots of black and grey and navy. You never saw anyone wearing hoodies, or name brand clothing like Nike and Adidas or sporty where unless it looked vogue. You never saw bright colors or anything eclectic. The girls were very polished and the guys looked straight out of a runway. Even the little kids looked stylish  #kidgoals sigh. I loved the fashion though and I felt like a fit right in. My whole wardrobe is 3 colors of neutrals.

The food was just okay. I was not crazy about the meals Paris had to offer except for baked goods. I ate everything that was covered in chocolate or baked. The desserts and baked goods are to die for. The french bread is better and the espresso is better and the chocolate is better. I think the amount of walking made up for the amount of sweets I ate.

My tips if you travel to Paris
1. Bring and wear comfortable shoes but make sure they are stylish otherwise you might get a look
2. Wear a bag that is small like a cross body. Trust me you do not want to carry a big bag
3. Get a week pass for public transportation
4. Bring Granola bars with you. Trust me the food is not always that great.
5. Use Yelp. Yelp was my best friend and was so helpful to figuring out what places to visit.
6. Do your research ahead of time. Know what times places are open and how much it is to get in.
7. Pee before leaving the hotel. You have to pay for a public restroom.
8. Use public transportation because its amazing.

We decided to make Paris our 5 year anniversary trip. I would do it all over again and again. The city truly has a special place in my heart and I would never get tired of visiting. I can't wait for 2019!