A Summertime Giveaway and Memorial Day Pies

The winner of last weeks giveaway is: Nydia!!! Send me your shipping info and I will send it right out.

Teddy thought that since this weekend officially kicks off the summer season, we should do a summertime giveaway. The giveaway includes four vintage banana split dishes and all of the ingredients to make your own banana splits. Except of course the ice cream and bananas, that could get a bit messy. And as you can see, somehow I inadvertently bought a jar of sugar free hot fudge sauce. Do not despair! I already replaced it with the real stuff!
To enter just leave a comment on this post and if you are not already a follower, sign on to follow! The winner will be announced next Saturday.



As anyone that follows this blog knows, I love baking pies. I really love baking pies for memorial day.


And though I like making big pies, once a piece is cut out the pie oozes and looks messy.

So very often I opt to make mini pies.


If you ever choose to try this, put them on a silpat on a cookie sheet to keep them from slipping around.


I line small pyrex bowls with pie pastry and then fill them with berries mixed with a bit of sugar, flour and lemon zest. I really stuff the berries in so that when they bake down there will not be a gap in the pies. These blackberries were huge and I put about 13 into each pie.



I added a dot of butter on top of the berries.


I rolled out the last of the dough and cut rounds to fit the tops of the pies.


You need to leave some dough hanging over the edges in order to seal them.


They don't have to be perfect.


Just before baking I brush the tops with cream and sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar.


And into the oven they go at 375 degrees.


They bake until golden and the juices are bubbling, approximately 30 minutes. You may have noticed that though 7 went into the oven there are now only 5. The Blog Tech walked in just as they came out of the oven. He squirreled 2 away in a hurry. The Blog Tech can be a little piggy sometimes.


After they cool they slide right out of the glass containers.


That is, of course, if you remember to spray them with cooking spray before you fill them.


Aren't these too cute?


Sorry for so many pics but they are like my little babies.


Until I eat them!

Let's Go For a Walk

Hey Teddy....do you want to go down to see the fish?


That gets her every time!


Who is that lurking in the shadows?


It is Teddy checking every nook and cranny.


Teddy fords the stream.


Oh wait....she stops to make sure


that I am right behind.


My impatiens continue to grow. I can't wait for them to fill in. I'm impatien.


My irises from the lower pond sent seeds up to the top pond and planted themselves right in the middle of the stream.


It is so nice to see some sun on the gazebo. It was so dark and dreary before I cleaned up the area.




The middle pond is the smallest of all of them but it is my favorite. It is always cool and shady and surrounded with ferns.


The white mountain laurels are blooming.


The Baptisia just bloomed.


Click for a closer look. The roses are all blooming on and around the potting shed.


I have grapes. Concord grapes! I love them. I hope I get enough to make juice or jelly.


Each winter the roses bushes look so horrible that I swear I am going to take them out.


But then they bloom and I am glad I left them in.


Funny how you can always tell when the tour is over.

***The Blog Tech has a show out of town so we had to prepare tomorrow's post today. So if you stop by here tomorrow, it will show today's date though there will be a new post and giveaway. Make sure to check out tomorrow's giveaway because it is fun and special!