Roasted Red Potatoes

Yummy, sweet roasted red potatoes. 

Preheat oven to 425* Toss with salt, pepper, olive oil and fresh rosemary (if you have it). Stick the Rosemary down under the potatoes and roast for about 45 minutes until golden brown. (Shake the pan once or twice while the are roasting to move them around.)

Blueberry Pancakes

1 cup oats

1/2 cups cottage cheese

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1/2 cups milk

---blend in blender---

3/4 cup Greek yogurt

2 Tbs honey

2 Tbs sugar

2 Tbs syrup

1 cups blueberries

These are very dense and moist pancake so they need to be cooked on a very low heat for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. 

Cornbread Dressing

Cornbread Dressing

4 cups cornbread, crumbled

1/2 stick butter

1/2 cup green onion tops, chopped

6 hard boiled eggs, chopped

4 cups chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste

(This was my first time to make it with actual chicken...but I prefer it without)

Preheat oven to 375* Mix all of the ingredients well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a baking dish and pat out flat. It should be wet on top but not soupy.  Bake for 45 minutes to an hour until the liquid has baked off and the top is golden brown. 

Lentil Soup

This is my rendition of Alton Brown's lentil soup. 

Lentil Soup

2-3 Tbs olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

4 carrots, peeled and diced

3-4 cups diced tomatoes

2 cups chicken broth

2-3 cups water

1 lb bag lentils, rinsed

1 1/2 tsp garam masala

Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté onions, celery and carrots in olive oil for about 5 minutes in a large pot. Add garam masala and sauté another minute. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, water, lentils, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a light simmer, cover and cook for 30-40 minutes until tender. I put my emulsion blender in for a second to make it slightly creamy, but not baby food. I like a good bit of texture so I only blend for about 5 seconds. If you don't have an emulsion blender and want it creamy you can take a cup of soup out and blend in a blender or food processor and return it to the pot of soup. Enjoy!

 

Coconut, Apricot, and Almond Rice Pudding

I usually make rice pudding with leftover rice. Last night dolled it up a little. I pretty much do things the way my mom did growing up but this is one I took an easy way out. She never used a rice cooker, but after making tons of rice I finally invested in a fancy rice cooker. After I wore that one out I went back for another and now they have supper fancy rice cookers that sauté and have special features for brown rice. So, with that said that's how I make my super easy rice and rice pudding these days. 

Rice Pudding

Rice (white or brown)

Sugar

Butter

Half and half or whipping cream

Milk

Vanilla

Cinnamon

Add-ins (optional):

    Raisins or apricots, diced

    Almond slivers

    Coconut flakes

     

I didn't put any measurements because you can do any amount you like of anything. You may like more or less sugar, no half and half and all skim milk, etc. I used about 2 cups of cooked brown rice left in my cooker and added about 1/2 cup of sugar, 2 Tbs butter, 1/2 cup whipping cream, 1 1/2 cups milk, a tsp of vanilla and a dash of cinnamon. That's my basic recipe that I usually do. This time I got fancy and added 1/4 cup diced apricots, 2 Tbs sliced almonds, 1/4 sweetened coconut flakes.  

The most important things are that its soupy and the liquid should be all the way up to the top of the rice. And secondly, make sure it tastes good before you cook it. If not, add more sugar. No need to waste good ingredients trying to be healthy. 

Once it taste good and has enough liquid it's time to cook. I just turn my rice cooker on sauté and let it go for about 20-30 minutes stirring occasionally. If you are doing it on the stove just let it gently simmer stirring occasionally for 20-30 minutes. Either way cook until it thickens to the consistence you like. If it gets too thick you can add a little milk and heat through. It's a delightful leftover treat!

Pistachio Cake

Oldie but goodie!

Pistachio Cake

1 box yellow cake mix (dry)

5.1 oz box pistachio pudding (dry)

Or 2 smaller boxes

4 eggs

1 cup water

1/2 cup oil

1/2 tsp almond extract

Preheat oven to 350* Mix all ingredients with electric mixer on low until blended then gradually increase speed. Mix on high for 2 minutes. Grease and flour bundt pan. Pour batter in greased/floured pan and bake for 50 minutes. Remove from oven an cool on rack for 10 minutes. Turn out onto plate and continue cooling on rack. Dust with confection/powered sugar (optional). 

Green Chili & Chicken Soup

The garnishes make this soup.  Don't get me wrong, the flavor of the soup itself is wonderful, but the garnishes take it to another level.  Sour cream is a must...it adds a cool, creamy  element to this spicy bowl of goodness.  Then, the gooey cheese and crunchy chips add just the right texture to set it off.  

Green Chili & Chicken Soup

1 lb chicken (or 2 cooked chicken breast, chopped and 4 cups chicken broth)
Salt & pepper to taste
2 Tbs olive oil
4 green chili peppers or jalapenos, de-seeded and chopped
1 onion, diced
1 can white beans (i.e. cannellini), drained and rinsed
1 Tbs cumin
1/2 tsp oregano

Garnish:
Shredded Cheese (Monterrey Jack preferred)
Sour Cream
Tortilla Chips

Boil chicken on the bone in about 6 cups of seasoned water (salt & pepper to taste) for about 45 minutes.  Remove chicken and let set until cool enough to de-bone.  In separate pot heat olive oil and sautee green chili peppers and onion.  Once onions and peppers are tender add chicken and broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and add beans, cumin and oregano.  Simmer for about 5 minutes.  Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips on the side.  

Home Grown Peanuts

This was a real treat. My husband made fun of me for trying to grow a row of peanuts, but it turned out to be one of the only productive things that came from our garden this year. I actually pulled the plants to throw them away after being highly disappointed in our garden and I was delightfully surprised to find peanuts on the roots. I dried them on the bush for a week or two, then pulled and roasted them last night (350* for about 25-30 minutes.) My husband wants rows of them every year now. They were easy and a lot of fun!

Ham & Cheese Frittata

This picture doesn't do it justice. Very moist and flavorful. 

Ham & Cheese Frittata

1 Tbs olive oil 

4 eggs, beaten

2 slices deli ham, chopped finely

1 slice Swiss cheese

1/4 onion or 1/2 shallot, diced

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Herbs (preferably fresh thyme)

Preheat oven to 375*  Heat olive oil in an oven safe pan (such as a cast small cast iron).  Sauté onions and heat ham through. Break Swiss up and place over ham and onions. Immediately pour beaten eggs over mixture and gently stir a couple of times within a minute.  While the egg is still wet, lightly dust with salt and pepper and top with cheddar cheese. Place in the oven for 5-10 minutes (depending on how done your eggs are when you put it in the oven) until cheese is golden and bubbly. The frittata may bubble up a little.  Remove from oven and top with fresh or dried thyme. Let it set a moment and then loosen from the pan with a spatula and slide it onto a plate. Cut just before serving. Serves 2 but you can add more eggs to serve more. 

Corn, Tomato & Avocado Salad/Salsa

I've used this as a salad and dip with tortilla chips.  Very fresh and tasty!

Grilled Corn, Avocado & Tomato Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

Mom via internet

2 ears fresh corn, husk & silk removed

Lime, juiced

3 Tbs vegetable oil

1 Tbs honey

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 pint grape tomatoes, diced

1-2 ripe avocado, diced

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Grill corn over medium heat turning as necessary for 10 to 15 minutes (or boil for 9).  Cool enough to handle and cut corn off cobs.  I like to take the back side of the knife and rake it over the cob after I cut the kernels off.  It gets my favorite part of the corn out of the cob, the sweet little bits trapped inside.  Place in a medium size mixing bowl and set aside.  In a small mixing bowl or salad dressing bottle mix lime, oil, honey, salt, pepper, garlic and cayenne.  Add tomatoes, avocado and cilantro to corn and pour dressing over the colorful veggies.  Gently mix and serve as a side dish or appetizer with tortilla chips.    

Grilled Corn, Avacado & Tomato Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

Mom via internet

2 ears fresh corn, husk & silk removed

Lime, juiced

3 Tbs vegetable oil

1 Tbs honey

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 pint grape tomatoes, diced

1-2 ripe avocado, diced

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Grill corn over medium heat turning as necessary for 10 to 15 minutes (or boil for 9).  Cool enough to handle and cut corn off cobs.  Place in a bowl and set aside.  In a small mixing bowl or salad dressing bottle mix lime, oil, honey, salt, pepper, garlic and cayenne.  Add tomatoes, avocado and cilantro to corn and pour dressing over the colorful veggies.  Gently mix and serve as a side dish or appetizer with tortilla chips.    

Shrimp, Chorizo & Grits

This is a treat my father-in-law makes when we go visit...oh, so freakin good!

Shrimp with Cheddar Grits and Chorizo

I think my father-in-law got this from the Fort Worth Star Telegram

3 cups chicken broth

1 Tbs butter

1 cup quick-cook grits or polenta

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 lb bacon, diced

1 onion, diced

8 oz choirizo

1/4 cup dry white wine

3 tomatoes, diced

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/2 lb raw shrimp, peeled

1/4 cup chives or green onions, chopped (garnish)

Salt and pepper to taste

Grits/Polenta:  

Combine broth and butter in medium saucepan and bring to boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium-low and gradually whisk in the grits or polenta.  Cover and cook for 5 to 8 minutes or according to package directions.  They should be thick and a little glossy.  Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Gently stir in cheddar cheese but do not over mix.  Try to leave ribbons of melted cheddar in tact.  

Amazing Shrimp Concoction:  

Cook the bacon in a large saute pan over medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally until bacon is crisp.  Stir in the onion and squeeze the chrizo out of the casing into the hot bacon grease.  Cook for 5 minutes breaking the chrizo up using a wooden spoon.  Add the wine, tomatoes and lemon juice and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the shrimp and cook for an additional 5 minutes or just until the shrimp are pink and opaque.  Be careful not to overcook the shrimp.  Remove from heat.  Salt and pepper (fresh ground pepper) to taste.  Stir in chives or green onions.  

Serve this amazing shrimp sauce on top of the cheese grits/polenta mixture and top with additional cheddar (if available), chives/green onions and freshly ground pepper. 

Apple Brownies

I have two different recipes below that are outstanding! Neither of which have actual butterscotch in them, but both called Butterscotch Brownies.  

One has apples and is a hearty, cake like brownie.  It's very moist and makes me feel like I'm getting some fruit and nuts in my diet.  The second is just a standard blond brownie that is out of this world.  I especially like the standard recipe because it makes a small batch, it's quick, easy and I usually have all the ingredients on hand for a last minute go to dessert.  

Apple Butterscotch Brownie

Southern Living

1 cup pecans, chopped

2 cup brown sugar

2 sticks butter, melted

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 cup all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups apples (about 1 1/2 lbs), peeled and diced 

Preheat oven to 350*  Bake pecans in a single layer for 8-10 minutes stirring halfway through.  Stir together brown sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla.  Stir together flour, baking powder and salt in separate bowl and then mix with wet ingredients until blended.  Stir in apples and pecans. Pour mixture into a greased 13x9 pan and spread evenly.  Bake for 35-45 minutes or until baked throughout.  Cool completely and cut into bars.  

Butterscotch Brownies

Aunt Lydia

1/2 stick butter, melted

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup self-rising flour

1 egg

1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 350*  Mix ingredients and spread evenly into a 8x8 pan.  Bake for 25 minutes.   

Cheese Ravioli With Fresh Pesto & Roasted Tomatoes

Fresh Pesto

2 cups basil leaves

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup Parmesan, grated

1/2 cup nuts (pecans, walnuts, pine nuts, etc.)

Salt & pepper to taste

In a food processor pulse until well blended to your desired texture.

Roasted Tomatoes

2 cups whole grape tomatoes

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425*  Drizzle tomatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Roast for 25-30 minutes.

I love these little pods of sweetness!  I use them in salads, as a side dish, on homemade pizzas, with pasta, etc.

Cheese Ravioli with Fresh Pesto & Roasted Tomatoes

1 bag frozen Cheese Ravioli (Most grocery stores have a house brand that is only $2-$3)

1/4 cup pesto

1/2 cup roasted tomatoes

1/4 cup bacon pieces (optional)

Cook Ravioli according to package.  While pasta is still hot gently fold in pesto trying not to break ravioli up too much. Then, gently fold tomatoes in and top with bacon (optional).  

Coconut Peach Upside Down Cake

Coconut Peach Upside Down Cake

I got this online years ago and tweaked just a little.  

6 Tbs butter

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 1/3 cup flaked coconut

1-16 oz can sliced peaches, drained

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup shortening

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 375*  

Melt butter in bottom of a 9" cast iron.  Stir in brown sugar and coconut and spread across the bottom of the pan.  Arrange peach slices over the coconut.  

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and mix on low with electric mixer until everything is combined.  Scrape the sides and mix on high for 2 minutes.  Spread batter over peaches and bake for about 40 minutes or until baked throughout.  Cool in pan for 2 minutes before turning out onto serving plate.  The syrup may run, so make sure your serving plate has a small lip around it.  

Blueberry Cream Cheese Cake

Holy crap I forgot how amazing this cake is. 

Blueberry Cream Cheese Cake

Mom

8 oz block cream cheese, softened

½ cup oil

3 eggs

½ cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla

18.25 oz butter cake mix

1 ½ cups blueberries

Grease and flour tube bundt pan.  Cream the cheese in electric mixer.  Mix in oil, eggs, sugar, vanilla and cake mix starting on low and gradually working up to high.  Beat on high for 2 minutes.  Fold blueberries into cake mix.  Start in COLD oven and bake for 50-60 minutes at 350* Cool on rack for 10 minutes and then turn out onto plate.  Continue cooling on rack.  

Zucchini Bread

Instructions at the bottom should say 2-8" loaf pans. 

Alfredo/Carbonara

This is my go to meal when it's 6pm and I have no idea what's for dinner. Its butter, half and half, pasta, parmesan and whatever meat I have on hand (chicken, shrimp, sausage, deli meat, bacon or even sautéed veggies).  I use the recipe on the back of the Land 'O Lakes half and half carton for Alfredo sauce. It couldn't be easier and more delicious! For carbanara I just add a couple of raw scrambled eggs to the Alfredo sauce while its cooking and top with bacon. 

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Roasted Veggies With Pita Chips

This is one of my favorites for the summer because you can throw any amount of just about any garden veggie in here. 

Roasted Veggies

Eggplant, peeled, diced, and sweated (below)

Onion, diced

Bell pepper (red, yellow, orange and/or green), diced

Tomatoes, diced

Zucchini, diced

Squash, diced

Okra, cut 1/2 thick rounds

Mushrooms, sliced

Olive oil

Salt & fresh ground pepper

I change up the veggies depending on what I have on hand but I always try to have an onion, fresh tomatoes or grape tomatoes (my favorite for roasting), a red bell pepper and something green for color. The onion and pepper add this sweet, rich, incredible flavor to every batch. I love the flexibility of this dish also because you can add any amount of each vegetable.

Preheat the oven to 425*. Drizzle olive oil (pretty generously), salt and pepper over the veggies and mix well. They don't have to be spread so thin that you can see bottom of the baking sheet but I wouldn't stack them any higher than about 3/4" thick. Bake for about 45 minutes stiring once or twice. Bake time will depend on how thick your veggies are in the pan. I usually have mine about 3/4" thick and 45 minutes is perfect. 

Serving suggestions:

I like this as a dip with pita chips. My sister-in-law uses them in couscous with feta cheese. I have used it a few times as a side dish by itself. Or, last night I had some leftover and threw it in a leafy salad with some fresh tomatoes and ranch dressing. It was delightful. 

Eggplant prep:

Peel, dice an spread eggplant over paper towels. Dust with salt and pepper and let them sweat for about 10-15 minutes. Blot with paper towels and then continue with the recipe. 

Shrimp Stuffed Zicchini

We do these in the summer when we get huge homegrown zucchini but you could do it with any extra large store bought kind. These are about 18" long and 3" wide...so I really mean extra large. This one will feed about 6 people. 

Shrimp Stuffed Zucchini

Extra large zucchini

Salt & pepper

1/4 lb shrimp, raw

1 bay leaf

1 Tbs liquid crab boil 

2 Tbs butter or olive oil

1/2 onion, diced

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Cut zucchini length-wise in half. In a large pot boil zucchini in salted water until tender. Keep your zucchini water to boil the shrimp. Remove and let cool enough to handle.  In the mean time add the bay leaf and crab boil to your zucchini water and return to a boil. Add shrimp and cook just until they are pink throughout. This only takes a minute so dont walk away and over cook them. Drain shrimp and rinse with cool water. Sautéed onion in butter or olive oil and set aside. 

Preheat oven to 400*. When your zucchini is okay to handle take a spoon and scoop the seeds out creating a well for your stuffing (see picture befow). You will use the innards (seeds) in the stuffing so do not disgard. Place zucchini halves on greased baking pan. Chop shrimp and zucchini innards in 1/4-1/2" chunks. Mix shrimp, zucchini innards, bread crumbs, 1/4 cup cheese with sautéed onion and butter. Add salt and pepper taste. Stuffing should be wet but not soupy. If its too liquidy add a few more bread crumbs. Until it's wet but firm. 

Stuff zucchini and top with remaining cheese (its okay to add extra cheese). Bake for about 10 minutes until cheese is bubbly. Let cool 5-10 minutes before serving. Slice in 1 1/2" - 2" pieces. 

Blueberry Muffins

Blueberry Muffins

3/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup wheat flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup apple sauce

2 Tbs oil

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup blueberries

Topping:

1/4 cup wheat flour

1/3 cup sugar

2 Tbs butter, room temperature

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400*. Grease or line muffin tin. 

Mix dry muffin ingredients and then mix in wet ingredients. Gently fold in the blueberries after batter is thoroughly mixed. . 

In a separate bowl mix topping ingredients with a fork until the butter is broken up and the mixture is crumbly. 

Fill muffin tins 3/4 full and sprinkle with crumb topping. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes until thoroughly baked throughout. 

Coconut Cream Pie

Crazy good.  I made this Coconut Cream Pie for Father's Day for my dad and I fell in love.  I actually made two and snacked on the second all week.  It was firm and delicious almost a week later.  I made my own crust from the Crisco package and used half wheat flour.  It wasn't the prettiest, but it was quite delightful! (See bottom for recipe.)

I copy and pasted the recipe as I followed for the pie but the only thing I had to change was how long my meringue took to brown.  I ended up leaving it in 10-12 minutes before it ever started browning.  I would check it every couple of minutes though to make sure.  I also had to make the meringue twice.  I read a tip on-line that to prevent it from sweating you could make it ahead.  Well, I did and mine flopped.  I wasted 6 eggs and was not happy about it.  So, my suggestion is to make it right before you need it.  It turned out beautifully when I did it the second time just before I cooked it.  

  

This is Emeril's Recipe from FoodNetwork.com:

Ingredients
1 blind-baked 9-inch pastry shell
2 1/4 cups whole milk
3/4 cup sugar, plus 1/4 cup for the egg whites
3 eggs, separated
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups toasted coconut
1 tablespoon butter

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a saucepan, whisk the 2 cups of the milk and 3/4 cup sugar together. Place the pan over medium heat and bring the liquid up to a simmer. Whisk the egg yolks together. Temper the hot milk into the egg yolks. Whisk the egg mixture into the hot milk mixture. In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining milk, making a slurry. Whisk the slurry into the hot milk mixture. Bring the liquid up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until the filling is thick, about 4 to 6 minutes. Fold in the vanilla, coconut, and butter. Mix well. Pour the filling into the prepared pan and cool the pie completely. Using an electric mixer with a whip attachment, whip the egg white to soft peaks. Add the remaining sugar and whip the egg white to stiff peaks. Spread the egg whites over the top of the pie. Place the pie in the oven for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until the meringue is golden brown.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/coconut-cream-pie-recipe.html?oc=linkback

I toasted my coconut for 8-10 minutes (turning twice) at 375* and saved a little for the top.

Classic Crisco Pie Crust SINGLE CRUST 1 1/3 cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 stick well-chilled Crisco® Baking Sticks All-Vegetable Shortening OR 1/2 cup well-chilled Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening 3 to 6 tablespoons ice cold water DOUBLE CRUST 2 cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour 1 teaspoon salt 3/4 stick well-chilled Crisco® Baking Sticks All-Vegetable Shortening OR 3/4 cup well-chilled Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening 4 to 8 tablespoons ice cold water DEEP DISH DOUBLE CRUST 2 2/3 cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 stick well-chilled Crisco® Baking Sticks All-Vegetable Shortening OR 1 cup well-chilled Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening 6 to 10 tablespoons ice cold water 1. BLEND flour and salt in medium mixing bowl. 2. CUT chilled shortening into 1/2-inch cubes. Cut in chilled shortening cubes into flour mixture, using a pastry blender, in an up and down chopping motion, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some small pea-sized pieces remaining. 3. SPRINKLE half the maximum recommended amount of ice cold water over the flour mixture. Using a fork, stir and draw flour from bottom of bowl to the top, distributing moisture evenly into flour. Press chunks down to bottom of bowl with fork. Add more water by the tablespoon, until dough is moist enough to hold together when pressed together. TIP Test dough for proper moistness by squeezing a marble-sized ball of dough in your hand. If it holds together firmly, do not add any additional water. If the dough crumbles, add more water by the tablespoonful, until dough is moist enough to form a smooth ball when pressed together. 4. SHAPE dough into a ball for single pie crust. Divide dough in two for double crust or double deep dish crust, one ball slightly larger than the other. Flatten ball(s) into 1/2-inch thick round disk(s). TIP For ease in rolling, wrap dough in plastic wrap. Chill for 30 minutes or up to 2 days. 5. ROLL dough (larger ball of dough for double crust pie) from center outward with steady pressure on a lightly floured work surface (or between two sheets of wax or parchment paper) into a circle 2-inches wider than pie plate for the bottom crust. Transfer dough to pie plate by loosely rolling around rolling pin. Center the rolling pin over the pie plate, and then unroll, easing dough into pie plate. 6. For a SINGLE pie crust, trim edges of dough leaving a 3/4-inch overhang. Fold edge under. Flute dough as desired. Bake according to specific recipe directions. 7. For a DOUBLE pie crust, roll larger disk for bottom crust, trimming edges of dough even with outer edge of pie plate. Fill unbaked pie crust according to recipe directions. Roll out smaller dough disk. Transfer dough carefully onto filled pie. Trim edges of dough leaving a 3/4-inch overhang. Fold top edge under bottom crust. Press edges together to seal and flute as desired. Cut slits in top crust or prick with fork to vent steam. Bake according to specific recipe directions.   Two Methods for Pre-baking Pie Crusts (Cream Pies) 1. Pre-baking without weights: Thoroughly prick bottom and sides of unbaked pie dough with fork (50 times) to prevent it from blistering or rising. Bake crust in lower third of oven, at 425°F, 10-12 minutes or until edges and bottom are golden brown. 2. Pre-baking with weights: Thoroughly prick bottom and sides of unbaked pie dough with fork (50 times) to prevent it from blistering or rising. Chill or freeze for 30 minutes. Line pie dough snugly with foil or parchment paper. Fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes. Remove foil and weights. Reduce oven to 350°F. Bake 5-10 minutes or until edges and bottom are golden brown. http://www.crisco.com/recipes/details.aspx?recipeID=1242