Favourite Things #3

This week it's a recipe.  It's on the Crisco Shortening package for Crisco No Fail Pie Crust.  

It's exactly what it claims a no fail pie crust.  Super simple and it makes a tender, flaky pie crust.  Since I have discovered this recipe I never buy pie crusts as it takes no time to make.  Even if you are a beginner in making pastry this one is super simple.

Crisco No Fail Pie Crust (the recipe linked is slightly different and is a vegan recipe)

This makes enough for one double crust pie, or two single 9" pie crusts.

2 cups All Purpose/Plain Flour

3/4 tsp Salt

1 cup Crisco All Vegetable Shortening

1 egg

2 TBSP cold water

1 TBSP White Vinegar

1. Combine flour and salt in mixing bowl.  Cut room temperature shortening into flour with pastry blender, (I use my hands to do this) until mixture is uniform and shortening resembles coarse crumbs.  You could also use a food processer to do this as well.

2. Beat egg, water and vinegar together to blend.  Pour all the liquid over flour mixture, stir with fork until mixture is moistened.

3. Divide dough in half and shape into a ball.  Flatten each into a circle about 4 inches.  Wrap and chill dough for 15 minutes for easier rolling.......it is important to do this as it is a moist dough.

4. Use in whatever recipe you want that needs pie dough.

I made a batch the other day and with two thirds of it I made a turkey pot pie.  I had a third left and decided to make a quiche.  A quiche is like a stew; as it's a great way of using up odds and ends.  I wanted a smaller quiche so used the glass lid of a casserole dish I have to make it in.  My rolling pin I think was my mam's.  I have had it donkey's years.

It was a very flaky pastry so had to patch it all as it was so crumbly....but also super tasty when cooked.

I cooked it "blind" for 15 minutes at 425 oF with the baking beans in it. I think I got the baking beans many moons ago at Lakeland Plastics when we lived in the UK. Took them out and cooked it for a further 5 minutes.  Then turned the oven down to 375 oF

I had some fat free cottage cheese leftover in the fridge.  So I pureed it with my hand held blender and added it to the three eggs.  I also added some half and half creamer to thin it out.

I forgot to take a photo before I cut into the quiche.  I had a little bit of ham left over that needed using up.  I cooked some bacon and a diced onion, and added the ham to the eggs, along with salt and pepper.  I sliced a tomato on top as well and cooked it for a further 45 minutes.

There was too much mixture for the pie case, so poured the rest into some silicone baking cups and will put these in hubby's lunch.

The good thing about using the cottage cheese is that I didn't have to add any more cheese like I normally do.  I liked the consistency of using the pureed cottage cheese, it gave the quiche a very creamy quality and as I said this was fat free cottage cheese.

Favourite things 2

Everytime we go to the UK, one place I have to visit is Lakeland Plastics.  It's such a neat store full of useful things for the home and of course it's in the Lake District.  Prior to our visit, we had arranged to have a get together at Christmas a group of us.  One of the things we had decided upon was to have a gift exchange where we had to buy one of our favourite things no more than $10 each and then give it to each one of the participants at the party.  I knew exactly what I was going to get and it was something I was going to buy anyway.

So off I went to Lakeland to get everyone some "Cover Mate's."  They are like a shower cap for bowls.  I use them instead of using cling/saran wrap.  The covers are washable and reusable.  I love them and use them daily.  You can buy them also from Amazon, but they are a lot more expensive there for some reason?  Anyway, if you can find them they are worth while.  A word of caution though buying the cheap versions on Amazon won't be worth the money.....been there done that!!  May as well have just given the money to a charity than buy the cheap ones.

One thing I make regularly is a garden salad.  I generally put the following in a garden salad.  Lettuce, sweet pepper, cucumber, radishes, tomatoes, red onion.  Sometimes peas and sometimes raw mushrooms.

This large bowl lasts two to three days.  Of course I use my plastic bowl cover instead of plastic wrap to cover the bowl.

What do you put in your salad?

Jack Straws anyone?

Do you remember this game from your childhood?

I ordered a few things from Lakeland Plastics and the game was one of those things.

The only problem with Lakeland Plastics is their delivery charge for non EU countries.  So I spent 30 pounds so I didn't have to pay shipping and get the order shipped to my mam and she ships it on for me.  Now the funny thing about my parcel, I ordered some candy, Licorice Alsorts amongst everything else.  So when my mam went to mail the parcel it was going to cost just over 30 pounds.  So the lady at the post office suggested she split the parcel up so it would be cheaper as it was over a certain weight.  Well it was decided that my mam and step-father would eat the candy and it ended up costing just over thirteen pounds.  So the cheap candy which cost two pounds would have cost me nineteen plus pounds.

Then she mails it ground which can take anywhere between six weeks to three months to get here.  It came in 8 days?  Go figure.......  My mam is going to Lakeland Plastics this next week, and the Lakeland Christmas catalog came on Friday, so need to study it to see if there is anything I need!!!

The trees are starting to change and the weather has been glorious these past few days.  Did put the flannel sheets on the bed as dh is cold, but still don't have the fire or heating on.

I was able to have a fire in the fire pit on Thursday as it was finally a calm day.  Look at all the weeds in my raspberry bushes, anyone fancy helping me weed them?