Priceless Birthday Gift That Keeps on Giving

I started a tradition each year on Landen and Gabrielle's birthdays. I sit down and write a letter to each child. I write things that happened that year, things they are doing at that age (crawling, playing soccer, first sleep over, etc.), friends they play with, favorite toys, funny things they say, etc. Anything that would tell them a little bit about what they were like at that age. I started this because when I would ask my mom questions about what I was like (especially after I had my own kids) or what I did at a certain age, she would have a hard time remembering (who wouldn't after all these years). So, I thought this was a great solution and thank goodness because my kids are already asking me things like: When I was a baby, did I cry a lot? What did I play with when I was two? Who were my friends? How big was I?
These letters are an extra special gift (that costs nothing, but is worth so much) that I think they will cherish when they get older and especially when they start having their own kids.

Apples, Apples, Apples!

Today we took the kids to the Apple Orchard and they got to pick apples! They had a blast and we had an abundance of apples. We came home and I decided to make our Mini Apple Pies. I had the kids help me which of course was a lot of fun for them.

I cut all the skin off the apples and then cut away from the core. Then the kids were in charge of cutting those pieces into little "squares". They use their Pampered Chef child knives. They absolutely love to be able to cook and bake in the kitchen with me. It is a great way to make memories and all kinds of different creations! No matter what you are doing in the kitchen, if you can get the kids involved, do. You'll be glad you did.

Here is our recipe for Mini Apple Pies:

Ingredients:

• Refrigerated Pie Crust
• 7 Apples (any kind will work really)
• 2 Tbs. Cinnamon
• 1/4 c. Brown Sugar
• 2 tsp. Almond Extract (you can use vanilla extract)
• 4 Tbs. Butter
• 1/3 c Water
• 2 tsp Flour

Take the skin off the apples and then cut the apples into little bite size pieces. Put 4 Tbs. butter into a pan on medium low until melted. Add the flour and stir until flour is dissolved. Add the apples and stir. Add the water and stir until the mixture thickens (about 3-5 minutes). Add the rest of the ingredients and mix together. Once the mixture is thoroughly combined and the apples are soft, you can take it off the heat or leave it on low while you prepare your pie crust.

For the pie crust, I use a pizza cutter to cut them in half. I lay them down on the counter and then I take the apple mixture and fill one side of the crust with the mixture, making sure I leave a "lip" at the edge of the crust. Don't put the mixture all the way to the edge of the crust because then you won't be able to seal it properly. Once the mixture is one, fold the other half of the crust on top of the apple mixture and seal the crust together all the way around so none of the filling oozes out. I use a fork to make a press into the seam to make it look pretty. On the top, I brush on either melted butter or one beaten egg with water. Then I sprinkle the top with sugar. I baked them at 350-375 degrees for about 15-20 minutes or until the crust has browned a little. They are wonderful warm out of the oven with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping! YUMMY! Enjoy!