Make Apple Pie like a Pro !

     As you all of my friends and family know, I am very much a beginner in the kitchen. Especially when it comes to desserts!  So when my mom assigned dessert to me for a benefit that was hosted for my dad, I was in full panic mode as I didn’t want to let everyone down! Dessert, afterall, is the most important part of the meal.  Furthermore, I was instructed that store-bought items were not welcome – we all know I was already planning to cheat..

     After consulting Pinterest for some Apple Pie recipes, I came across this recipe for Apple Pie Baked in the Apple – I thought it was a nice blend of simple instructions and a gourmet look.  I’m a big fan of things that look more impressive than they actually are! Less work for me, but I look like I slaved in the kitchen and everyone is impressed, its a win win!

Step 1: Cut off the top of 4 apples off and discard. Remove the inside of each apple with a spoon or melon baller very carefully, as to not puncture the peel. If you’re a skilled interior apple excavator, salvage as much as you can so you can use it for Step 2.  I, on the other hand, am not skilled so I just had to throw my interior apples away and chop up additional apples for filling.

Step 2: Remove skin from remaining apple(s) and slice very thinly. These apple pieces will give you the additional filling needed to fill the four apples you are baking. Mix sliced apples with sugars and cinnamon in a bowl. If you prefer more or less cinnamon make adjustments as desired. Same goes for the sugar. Scoop sliced apples into hollow apples.

Step 3: Roll out pie crust and slice into 1/4 inch strips.  You can also add a strip of pastry inside the top of the apple almost like a liner to add a little more texture/sweetness to the pie. Cover the top of the apple in a lattice pattern with pie crust strips.

Step 4: Place apples in an 8×8 pan.  Add just enough water to the cover the bottom of the pan. Cover with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown and sliced apples are soft.

 

How neat does that look? The entire thing is edible and best served with ice cream if you ask me.I hope you take this recipe and use it to impress, as i have! From us at AZUMA Leasing, until next time - keep it clean! :)

Water Conservation

When temperatures soar, so does most people's water consumption. You know what we do - we fill the pool in the back yard, water the lawn, take longer, colder showers etc. Right now, many areas of our country are trying to survive drought conditions which requires mandatory water conservation. Of course, conserving water is not something that should be limited to times of drought. Conserving our most valuable and life sustaining resource is vital at all times (plus, it can save you some money!).

Here are a few helpful and easy tips for conserving water:

• When washing dishes by hand, don't let the water run while rinsing. Fill up one sink with dish water and the other with rinse water.
• Don't leave your faucet running while you brush your teeth.
• Run your clothes washer and dishwasher when FULL. This can save you several hundreds of gallons a MONTH. Yes, you read that right - PER MONTH.
• When landscaping, use drought-tolerant native plants instead of plants that may require excessive watering.
• Switch your shower-head to a low-flow version especially if your shower fills up a gallon bucket in under 20 seconds.
• When doing laundry, always match the water level to the size of the load you are washing.
  
• Avoid watering your lawn on windy days. The water will just blow away and evaporate which doesn't benefit your lawn at all and wastes water.
• If you NEED to wash your car, try to find a car wash that RECYCLES the wash water.
• Washing dark colored clothes in cold water saves on energy and water PLUS it helps maintain your dark colors (a win-win situation!).
• When washing your hands, don't let the water run while you lather your hands.
  
• Keep a pitcher of cold water in the fridge instead of letting the water run cold from the tap.
• Shorten the length of your shower by a couple of minutes and save about 5 gallons of water per shower!
• When washing fruits and veggies, use a pan of water to wash them instead of letting the water run over them.
• Check your home inside and out for any water leaks. Sometimes sprinkler heads leak and waste LOTS of water.

See? Pretty easy, huh? Maybe you can think of ways to save water that aren't on this list and you can share them with friends and family. If we all pitch in, we can save a ton (literally) of water. When you consider that the average American home uses about 260 gallons of water per day (during peak season the average household can use about 1,000 gallons of water in a day), a little conservation can go a LONG way!

Until next time, keep it clean (but save water while doing it!).