Perfect All-Butter Pie Crust-Holiday Recipe Exchange: Week 15 (Pie) UPDATED PHOTOS

Can I tell you something?

I used to be afraid of homemade pie crust.

I had two reasons.

1. My mom always ranted about what a hassle it was, and how store bought is just as good without ALL that hard work.
2. My boyfriend's mom (my Mama Maria) is, like, the queen of pie. Her pie crust is spoken of in reverent tones. So, you know, intimidating.

For my birthday, Mama Maria got me (in addition to a lovely apron) the new edition of The Betty Crocker Cookbook. Until that point I hadn't even bothered to look for a pie crust recipe, because I knew only hers would do. However, she informed me her recipe was in that book-yay!

Fast forward a month (because I got my present early) to Thanksgiving. I was making 3 pumpkin pies for myself (and, I thought, Brandon) and some mini apple pies for Michael (recipe coming soon!). Well, first of all--when I found the recipe for the mini apple pies, it had the crust recipe for it too, and it had a way for me to make it with a food processor, and it was all butter (no shortening-thank God! I hate shortening. I don't have any and I don't want to get any.) So I was pretty excited about that, actually. But, for the pumpkin pies, I had decided to do what my mom did and just buy Pillsbury pre-made crusts.

Baking day came. Everything was ready. I had just mixed up the pumpkin filling. Then I took out the crusts and....realized they were the wrong kind. My mom's instructions hadn't been quite specific enough. So, I was stuck with these two pre-made pie crusts that were in their own little tins (thusly needing no pie plate) and were FAR too small for the amount of filling. I knew I'd need at least one more pie. So-I did what I had to do. I looked in the Betty Crocker Cookbook-but, unfortunately, there was no pie crust recipe that didn't have at least some shortening. I googled, in search for an all-butter pie crust recipe I could use. And I found one. And I used the food processor method I had read about for the mini apple pies to make it super easy! In the end-my oops was a happy HAPPY accident! With that extra pie crust, the filling filled all three pies up PERFECTLY. And after baking it was obvious which pie was the prettiest (and after tasting it was obvious which pie was the tastiest). 

But there was one more hurdle. Michael's the one who likes fruit pies. He's the one who, more often than not, would be wanting the pies that had this sort of crust. Would it compare to his mom's?

Answer=Yes! He proclaimed the crust was just as good! 

Yay! I don't have to use shortening! 

And neither do you--use this recipe. Because, seriously, with the food processor method, I don't know what my mom was talking about. This is in no way difficult, and it is definitely worth it!

(Holiday Recipe Exchange posts: Week 1 Parts 1 and 2, Week 3, Week Six, Week Seven, Week Nine , and Week 10 Parts 1 and 2,Week 11 Parts 1 and 2, Week 12 Part 1 and 2 and Week 14 Parts 1 and 2)

Perfect All-Butter Pie Crust

Very slightly adapted from Food For My Family

Caramel Corn-Take 2: Holiday Recipe Exchange: Week 14 (Holiday Entertaining)

When you think about nostalgic, classic images of Christmas-one that pops into my head is of people decorating their trees with apples and pine cones and strands of popcorn. Something about popcorn just goes with the holidays (and...admittedly....I just love popcorn always. But I digress.) Up until recently, I wasn't a huge fan of caramel corn. I'm unsure why. I think because I'm generally not a caramel fan, so I assumed. But last summer, while I was filming You Can't Kill Stephen King in Maine, we were provided with free popcorn by Michele's Totally Awesome Gourmet Popcorn. I became an addict. So, when I recently saw this recipe on Sing for Your Supper, I knew it was time to try my hand at making some on my own. It was so amazing I can't even say. Michael had his work friends impressed and he and I couldn't stop munching on this stuff! This is also perfect for holiday entertaining-put out a bowl of this caramel corn, at any party really, and that bowl will disappear within moments. Now go! Make this and do some holiday stuff. I'm currently watching some of my favorite Christmas movies (on right now is a TV movie-"Once Upon A Christmas"). :)

(Holiday Recipe Exchange posts: Week 1 Parts 1 and 2, Week 3, Week Six, Week Seven, Week Nine , and Week 10 Parts 1 and 2,Week 11 Parts 1 and 2, Week 12 Part 1 and 2 and Week 14 Part 1)

Just Chicken Pot Pie-Holiday Recipe Exchange: Week 14 (Holiday Entertaining)

I'm apparently hopeless at entertaining. The last two times I tried...well...let's just say very few/no one showed up. Perhaps someday this will change. But for now, I'm resigning myself to just having things for Michael and I. Which, actually, is fine with me :). Anyway, this week for The Holiday Recipe Exchange we're supposed to post recipes for Holiday Entertaining. Since I can't really speak with experience on this, I'll post things that I imagine I could/would prepare if I were to entertain at the holidays. This pie seemed like something that would be really great for just such a thing. I've made this twice now (first with a Betty Crocker mix for the crust and the second time with my new go-to pie crust recipe, which I will share with you soon). Michael and I both aren't huge fans of the traditional pot pie. Maybe it's too many vegetables. I don't know. When I stumbled upon this recipe, dubbed "Just Chicken" Pot Pie-I knew maybe this could be something good. And oh boy it is good! The crust tastes buttery and delicious and pairs perfectlt with this insanely delicious, unmistakably chicken tasting, filling. It's hot and filling and is so perfect for these cold months (that, admittedly, the cold has just now started to kick in up here in NY). I know if you served this at a holiday party/function, all the guests would be in love with you (well...unless they're vegetarians)-and that's a promise!

(Holiday Recipe Exchange posts: Week 1 Parts 1 and 2, Week 3, Week Six, Week Seven, Week Nine , and Week 10 Parts 1 and 2,Week 11 Parts 1 and 2, and Week 12 Part 1 and 2)