Celebrating National Pie Championship

By Chef Diane

Pie

Pie

Me oh my

Nothing tastes sweet, wet, salty and dry

all at once o well it's pie

Apple!

Pumpkin!

Minced

an' wet bottom.

Come to your place everyday if you've got em'

Pie

Me o my

I love pie

This is a little song that was sung in the movie Michael, a movies with John Travolta, who played an angel whose job was to introduce two people for the purpose of falling in love.  The woman, was an aspiring song writer, and came up with this song while the group had stopped at a restaurant.  This little tune has always stuck in my head to be pulled out on days like today.

If you are a pie lover, and happen to be around Florida this weekend, you are in luck!  For the twelfth year in a row, the town of Celebration, Florida will become the Pie Capital of the World on April 27th and 28th, 2013 when thousands of pie lovers, tasters and bakers gather together the Great American Pie Festival sponsored by Crisco®. The highlight, as always, will be the Never-Ending Pie Buffet, featuring award-winning pie, ice cream, toppings, cheeses and beverages from some of our fine sponsors!

While it may be too late to enter a pie in the contest, its not to late to sample the many different types of pie, and even get ideas for your own pie at home.  The first place winner will bring home a $5,000.00 check for their efforts, not to shabby for baking a delicious pie.

If you are not fortunate enough to be in the Florida area, never fear, you can just stop by a local diner, and order up a slice of your favorite pie.

If you will be in the area, don’t miss this opportunity to check out the pie contests, and maybe even think about entering your own pie next year.  For more information, click here: http://www.piecouncil.org/2013AmateurRules

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Eat a Good Breakfast - Everyday!

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By Terry Orr

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Breakfast has always been an important part of daily routine.  As a kid going to school – cereal – cream of wheat, oatmeal or cold cereal was the general rule in our home.  We enjoyed family breakfast on weekends and holiday and they were simply wonderful with eggs, breakfast meats (including fresh water fish – yum), fruit, veggies, French toast, pancakes, gravy and biscuits could be part of our meal.  Breakfast continues to be an important part of my life and more nutritional balance over the past few years.

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Ask Dr. Sears offers these 10 Balanced Breakfasts:

Granola cereal, yogurt, a sliced apple

Scrambled eggs, toast, orange juice

Veggie omelet, bran muffin, fruit with yogurt

Whole-grain pancakes or waffles topped with berries and/or yogurt, milk

Whole-wheat zucchini pancakes topped with fruit, milk

French toast topped with fruit, orange juice or milk

Low-fat cheese melted on toast with a piece of fruit

Low-fat cream cheese on a whole-grain bagel, orange juice

Peanut butter and banana slices on an English muffin, milk

For a breakfast-on-the-run smoothie

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Spry Living offers “3 Reasons to Eat a Balance Breakfast:

To maintain healthy blood sugar levels;

To maintain a healthy weight; and

To maintain cognitive function.

All three make good sense. There are probably hundreds of recipes, ideas on what are the right types of foods to eat for breakfast – including portions of each – I still a believer in moderation and balance.

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What are your thoughts regarding a good breakfast?

What is your favorite breakfast?

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Thanks and enjoy your breakfast!

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References and Links:

http://www.myredrabbit.com/blog/why-should-you-eat-a-healthy-breakfast-everyday-.html

http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/family-nutrition/brain-foods/10-balanced-breakfasts

http://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/healthy-breakfast

http://spryliving.com/articles/3-reasons-to-eat-a-balanced-breakfast/

National Blueberry Pancake Day – 2013 Update

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By Terry Orr

“Blueberry pancakes, egg whites and bacon crispy please.” One of my favorite meals for breakfast that I order at the Silver Diner in Fair Lakes, Virginia – an excellent place to eat. Yummy and so delicious!

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Examiner.com offers these interesting facts:

The average person spends just 4 minutes a day eating breakfast.

Pancakes have been featured in cookbooks since 1439.

The French pancake is called a crêpe. It is thin and often served with sweet or savory fillings.

Blinis are pancakes from Russia that are served with caviar and sour cream or folded over and filled with cream cheese or jam.

The world’s largest pancake was cooked in Rochdale, England, in 1994. It was 15 meters in diameter and had an estimated 2 million calories

Ralf Laue holds the world’s pancake tossing record. He flipped a pancake 416 times in just two minutes!

With just 80 calories per cup and virtually no fat, blueberries offer many noteworthy nutritional benefits.

According to nutrition expert Tina Ruggiero, as part of a healthy diet and exercise plan, blueberries help reduce risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as the accumulation of belly fat.

According to the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, laboratory studies show a diet including blueberries may improve motor skills and reverse the short-term memory loss that comes with aging or age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

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One of the beauties of eating blueberry pancakes – you can have them any way you like – cooked in the pancakes, on top or side, favorite batter, - and any time of the day!  We enjoy having a ‘breakfast’ dinner a couple times each month and this is one of those meals.

How do you like your Blueberry Pancakes?

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References and Links:

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/01/24/celebrate-national-blueberry-pancake-day/

http://www.punchbowl.com/holidays/national-blueberry-pancake-day

http://www.examiner.com/article/celebrate-national-blueberry-pancake-day-with-a-healthy-choice

National Pie Day - 2013

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By Chef Terry

What is a Pie?

According to Wikipedia:

A pie is a baked dish which is usually made of a pastry dough casing that covers or completely contains a filling of various sweet or savoury ingredients.

Pies are defined by their crusts. A filled pie (also single-crust or bottom-crust), has pastry lining the baking dish, and the filling is placed on top of the pastry, but left open. A top-crust pie, which may also be called a cobbler, has the filling in the bottom of the dish and the filling covered with a pastry or other covering before baking. A two-crust pie has the filling completely enclosed in the pastry shell. Flaky pastry is a typical kind of pastry used for pie crusts, but many things can be used, including baking powder biscuits, mashed potatoes, and crumbs.

Pies can be a variety of sizes, ranging from bite-size to ones designed for multiple servings.

How many kinds of Pies are there?

There is no clear answer to that question, though some folks/organization have attempted to that question.  They ranged from nine to a million to infinite number of possibilities.

What is the best estimate on when Pies were known to be eaten?

While Wikipedia and other resource indicate that date being around 9500 BC, Egyptian – but as we begin getting a better understanding of other cultures, Native Americans, for example, Pies may have been around much earlier.

What your favorite pie says about you?

by Ericka Lynn , posted Nov 25 2011 3:58PM

Apple	Wholesome and a bit middle of the road, playing it safe.
Banana Cream	An overachiever who just wants to relax and not be in charge.
Blueberry	Outdoorsy and determined.
Cherry	Oversweet, in need of tartness and passion.
Chocolate	Suave, seductive, strong, addictive.
Coconut Cream	Probably a man seeking an exotic-lite escape from reality.
Lemon	Bright, energetic and sharp-tongued.
Mincemeat	An Anglophile who watches Masterpiece Theater, listens to NPR and fantasizes about being in England, sipping port with pie.
Peach	A sun worshiper who's found sunshine on a pie plate.
Pecan	Simple in your tastes and seeking more sweetness in life.
Pumpkin	Attached to your past but comfy in your present.
Rhubarb	Old-fashioned (or a total hipster).
Sweet Potato	Family-oriented with a real sense of Southern hospitality.

(Written by Food Network's Gale Gand.)

What is your favorite(s) kind of pie?

Pies have been family favorites for decades and there numbers significant as well as excellent eating with good friends and kin folks. Unsure that I could just have one favorite pie myself – there are so many that are just plain good.  I am sure to say thank you each and every time and look forward to the next one.  Please do not forget that wonderful scoop of ice cream with you pie. Yum!!!

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References and Links:

http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,different_types_of_pies,FF.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pie

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pies,_tarts_and_flans

http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/americas-best-pies

http://www.roundamerica.com/pie-list.htm

http://www.the-top-tens.com/lists/best-pies.asp

http://www.bourbonandboots.com/top-ten-southern-pies-and-cobblers/