Heirloom Tomato Tart

Do you like pie? I love pie!

LOL j/k

So when I saw this recipe on Tea Time Magazine‘s instagram I pinned it with plans to make later.

Back in October, @SpilltheTeaWithLucy did a 31 Day Tea Challenge and Day 17/31 of 31 Days of Hallotean was an Autumn Tea Bake. Since I had just baked some sweets prior to this with The Magician’s Nephew Tea Party/Book Club/Bible Study, I decided to make something savory instead. This is my take on Tea Time Magazine’s Heirloom Tomato Tart (I had to substitute a few ingredients) and since tomatoes are red I decided to pair it with Cederberg Tea Co.‘s Classic Red Tea. I also had to use a pink and red mug to match. This cat mug was a gift from a friend Christmas 2019 and part of a 4 set of cat mugs.

Ingredients:

• 4-5 Heirloom Tomatoes
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
• 1/2 Package of Refrigerated Pie Dough (I used Phyllo dough I had bought to make the Fotina Flower Puffed Pastry as the store was out of puffed pastry, but my sister had bought me some so this was all leftover)
• 1.5 Cups of Coarsely Grated, Sharp Yellow Cheddar Cheese (I used leftover Fotina Cheese from Fotina Flower Puffed Pastry)
• 1/2 Cup of Mayonnaise (I substituted with Hummus)
• 2 Tablespoons of Chopped Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley
• 1 Tablespoon of Green Onion
• 1/4 Teaespoon of Ground Black Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon of Red Wine Vinegar
• 1 Teaspoon of Olive Oil
• Garnish with pepper and additional fresh parsley

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Slice tomatoes, cutting larger tomatoes into 1/4 inch slices and smaller ones into 1/8 inch slices.
3. Arrange tomato slices in a single layer on paper towels, sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 30 mins.
4. Unroll pie dough, and press into a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom, trimming and discarding extra dough.
5. In a medium bowl, combine cheese, mayonnaise, parsley, green onion, and pepper-stirring to blend.
6. Spread half the cheese mixture into the bottom of the pan, in a thin even layer.
7. Blot tomatoes dry with paper towels.
8. Place a large tomato slice in the center of pan on top of the cheese mixture.
9. Cut several tomato slices in half and arrange around the center slice. Fill every space.
10. Spread remaining cheese mixture in an even layer on top of the tomatoes.
11. Apply thinner tomatoes on top of cheese mixture in a pleasing pattern.
12. Sprinkle with vinegar and drizzle with olive oil.
13. Bake until crust is deep golden brown and cheese mixture is hot and beginning to bubble.
14. Remove from oven and let cool, before removing from pan.
15. Garnish with pepper and parsley if desired.
16. Serve at room temp within 3 hours of baking.

 

This was delicious, it was like eating a fancy tea pizza, and you all know how much I love pizza.

It was incredibly delicious and I would most definitely make it again.

For more recipes, go to Lemon Gingerbread Cake

For more Tea Time Magazine recipes, go to Fotina Flower Puffed Pastry

For more pie recipes, go to Mini Apple Pies

For more on pizza, go to My Week With Jane

For more tea posts, go to Turkey-Apple Tea Sandwiches

The Magician’s Nephew Tea Party/Book Club: Mini Apple Pies

So every Wednesday, starting in October, I have been a part of a Tea Party/Bible Study/Book Club on The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis. This is different from my book club and the Book Club Picks I have been reviewing (and desperately need to catch up on). The first week we had Cederberg Tea Company Rooibos + Ginger Tea, Cranberry-Spice Scones with Maple Cream, Cucumber-Four Peppercorn Goat Cheese Canapés, Ham and Cheese Tea Sandwiches, Fotina & Pork Puffed Pastry, and Mini Apple Pies.

I have been posting the recipes from the first meeting, but am ending on the last thing we had during that session: Mini Apple Pies

Today’s recipe is one that I’ve shared before, but made mini. It an easy recipe and a delicious one. After all, who can resist pie?

Ingredients:

Pie Crust

• Pre-made Pie Dough

Filling:

• 1/2 Cup – 1 Cup of All-Purpose Flour
• 6-7 Granny Smith Apples peeled, and cut into slices
• 1 Cup of White Sugar
• 1 Cup of Brown Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon of Cinnamon
• 2 Tablespoons of Butter

Directions:

1. Peel and slice the apples. When cutting up the apples, make sure to remove the hard pieces where the seed grows along with any spots or blemishes.
2. Preheat the oven to 375°
3. Combine the apples, with the brown and white sugar.
4. Add the flour and cinnamon, mixing them all together.
5. Roll out the dough and using a cookie cutter or small bowl, cut round circles out-large enough to fill a cupcake/muffin pan.
6. Lay the apples down on the dough in the pan.
7. Chop the two tablespoons of butter and put a little in each mini pie.
8. Place the second ball of dough down and roll it out into a large circle, cutting it to create a lattice top.
9. Add a dash of cinnamon and sugar on top.
10. Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

These were delicious and a great final piece to our tea time. After all, as Mr. Woodhouse says:

For more from The Magician’s Nephew Tea Party/Book Club, go to Fotina & Pork Puffed Pastry

For more recipes, go to Tea Time Magazine’s Ham and Cheese Tea Sandwiches

For more apple pie, go to Are Dean Winchester and Jane Austen Kindred Spirits?

For more desserts, go to The Picture of Earl Grey Tea Cookies

For more tea posts, Cucumber-Four Peppercorn Goat Cheese Canapés

Are Dean Winchester and Jane Austen Kindred Spirits?

We all know how Dean Winchester feels about pie:

Did you know that Jane Austen felt the same way?

I hope you all have an amazing Thanksgiving Day and enjoy yourself some pie!

And in case you need it, here is a fantastic pie recipe from my sister blog MysteriousEats.wordpress.com

Ingredients:

Pie Crust

• 2 Cups of All-Purpose flour
• 1 Teaspoon of Salt
• 3/4 Cup of Shortening
• Ice Water

Filling:

• 1/2 Cup – 1 Cup of All-Purpose Flour
• 6-7 Granny Smith Apples peeled, and cut into slices
• 1 Cup of White Sugar
• 1 Cup of Brown Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon of Cinnamon
• 2 Tablespoons of Butter

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, mix up the shortening and flour. Add in water, a tablespoon at a time until dough is more malleable. If you add too much and it is too liquid-y, then just add a bit more flour to firm it up.
2. Put dough aside.
3. When cutting up the apples, make sure to remove the hard pieces where the seed grows along with any spots or blemishes.
4. Preheat the oven to 375°
5. Combine the apples, with the brown and white sugar.
6. Add the flour and cinnamon, mixing them all together.
7. Divid the dough in half and roll into two balls.
8. Take a cutting board and put a little flour on the surface, rubbing it. Rub flour on your rolling pin as well.
9. Place the dough down and roll it into a large circle.
10. Place the dough in a cake pan.
11. Lay the apples down on the dough in the pan.
12. Put the two tablespoons of butter on top.
13. Repeat step 8.
14. Place the second ball of dough down and roll it out into a large circle.
15. Place it on top, to be the top of your pie.
16. Cut a small incision on the top of the pie to allow steam out.
17. Add a dash of cinnamon and sugar on top.
18. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

For more recipes, go to Baked Potato Soup

For more on Thanksgiving, go to Is Love at the Thanksgiving Parade Really Just Pride & Prejudice?

For more on Dean Winchester, go to Loving Me Some Dean

For more Jane Austen quotes, go to A Real Non-Party Animal

For more on pie, go to I Before E, Especially After P

For more holiday posts, go to Let Freedom Ring

My Favorite Martian

How many of you out there are artists or crafters? Hands up.

Well as all artists or crafters will tell you, when we are at work things can get messy.

From splattered aprons…

To residue under our fingernails and dyed skin.

Not to mention burns from hot glue guns, kilns, etc.

Well the experience I had the other day was quite different then I’ve ever had.

So this month at work we are all about space; astronauts, aliens, the sun, planets, etc.

So the other day our theme was the moon. We pretended to be walking on it, read some adorable books: Moon Rope by Lois Ehle, Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes, and Happy Birthday Moon by Frank Asch (all some of my favorites).

After, it was time for our craft in which we were making moon rocks.

I was following the recipe the Crafty Chicks gave out, but things didn’t go exactly as expected.

So the recipe was drier than I expected. We kept trying to make the balls but they weren’t sticking together.

But never fear. I am a prime tortilla and pie dough maker, so I know exactly what to do in this situation, add more water.

So I knead it all together like making pie or tortillas and it comes out great. Except that now my hands are dyed a very dark green.

Yes, the food coloring I used to dye the rocks came off on my hands, like the Crafting Chicks said it would, but I was not prepared for how much.

My hands were super dark green. And then when I went to wash the, it wouldn’t come off.

I tried as much as I could, but they were too stained. Guess I should’ve worn gloves.

The kids all said I looked like an alien.

I told them, maybe I am an alien and my human makeup came off…

But they knew I was just joking. Although it did make me want to go out and say “Klaatu barada nikto” like in The Day the Earth Stood Still.

But there is a limited demographic that will understand what I’m saying. That is what happens when you are an old soul.

It still was weird walking around with green hands. I kept getting all these strange looks from people as they were trying to figure out why my hands looked like that.

But such is the life!

For more on stories from my everyday life, go to Escape to Alcatraz

For more on aliens, go to Someone Has Erased His Memory: Total Recall (1990)

A Supernatural Sunday

So for Christmas last year one of my gifts was a set of Supernatural tattoos. I had waited to try them just in case…

As I decided it was time to try them out, why not make a whole day of it?

So grab the drinks and snacks…

Try and see if you can bag a Winchester to join you

And grab your bingo board:

And get ready for non-stop entertainment.

And just in case…make sure you are protected.

For more on Supernatural, go to The Fan, The Girl

You’ve Got to Accentuate the Positive

So today is Thanksgiving!

And I love food and this holiday, so I am all about chowing down.

But Not This Year

Majorly

I just had my wisdom teeth out.

So I will not be able to partake in eating tons of food.

And to make matters worse, I am also on my period. So I’m enjoying pain in my mouth and my lower half.

No joke this enters m mind every month

But while it is easy to get hung up on the negatives in life and be unhappy, that is not what Thanksgiving is about. In a world where it seems as if things are getting worse and worse it is easy to get hung up on the negatives, to just hate on everything, be unhappy. And Abraham Lincoln knew this. As he was facing a time of unrest and uncertainty, just as we are, he decided we needed a day set apart to focus on the positives on the good things we have in life.

“The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come..No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens…”

So I decided I was going to do the same. I am going to accentuate the positives, eliminate the negatives, and latch on to the affirmative.

So here we go, what I am thankful for.

1) My Family + Friends

They are always there for me and support me through everything

2) A Roof Over My Head + Food

I am happy to have a home, and food to eat. There are these all people should have, and not all do. I am thankful to be one of those who do.

3) My Country

I know it is not perfect and there have been problems past and present, but I love living in America where I am given rights that all should have.

Many criticize the pilgrims who came to America to begin with, but these people weren’t coming to destroy a nation, they came so that they could have a little bit of land in which they could worship as they please and live in harmony. They tried to work with the Native Americans, not harm them. The negative things came with later colonies who didn’t share the same ideas, mostly because of the people that were ruling Europe and the politics they were playing.

Anyways, one thing that my country does right is give us a freedom of speech. Something some people are trying to restrain all the time, but is currently still something we have. And it allows me to have this blog in which I can discuss whatever I want.

So know I may not be able to eat everything, but I am going to enjoy and eat the few things I can. Hello mashed potatoes and pie.

And I’m going to focus on all that I am grateful to have.

For more on Thanksgiving, go to I Before E, Especially After P

For more holidays, go to Every Heart Beats True for the Red, White, & Blue

 

Turn Your Wounds Into Wisdom, And Your Wisdom Teeth into Wounds

Getting Your Wisdom Teeth Out

One of the most painful things I have ever been through.

So Friday morning I had to wake up early so I could take the valium and the other drug an hour before the procedure. Now I have heard all kinds of stories from my friends about weird things they say or did while on the drugs, but I was pretty normal. The only issues I had was when I walked. I kept bending my knees lower than I needed to, like a monkey. Or Tarzan.

When we got in the office and I paid and answered some questions, they could tell I was walking funny. and they made me sit down. Not too long after they made me move from the waiting room to another room,until it was time for surgery. I guess I was too loud on my comments of the Frankenfish, they were showing on TV. All I said was that I wouldn’t call it after Frankenstein as that story didn’t end well.

Afterwards they went over the rules I’d have to follow following the surgery was  and took me into the room where they were going to operate on my mouth. Now as I was to have all four removed I had opted for anesthesia. So they hooked me up to all these machines, monitoring my heart and blood pressure. Now another side effect for me with the drugs was that I started acting like a little kid. I was like Josh Baskin from Big.

I was all what’s that for? Why are you doing that? And on and on. I really annoyed the technician.

Then they got ready to put the IV in. Now I HATE needles, so I was freaking out the whole time screaming (internally).

I tried taking some deep breaths and then knocked out.

I then woke up in another room in a gurney the operation over

They took me home in which I immediately knocked out.

Now when I became fully awake, boy did my mouth hurt. In fact a lot of ways its like having your period in your mouth. You are intensely sore, you are bleeding a lot and have to change out these pads. And you are in sooo much pain all you want is medication.

The only good thing was that my cat stayed by my side. Thank you Ginger.

Now a lot of people say they get chipmunk size swelling, but mine wasn’t too bad. I pretty much looked like Michael Corleone after he got punched in the face.

The worst thing about getting my wisdom teeth out now is that I’ll be missing out on Thanksgiving. Oh, well. At least I’ll still be able to have pie!

Gypsy Justice: Thinner (1996)

Justice, ain’t about bringing back the dead, white man. Justice, is about justice. Your friend the policeman, your friend the judge, they make sure nothing happen to you. They keep you safe. But I make sure something happen to them. That justice, white man. Gypsy justice!

It’s that time of the year again. Our annual Stephen King Post. Now some of his film’s I do like, The Secret Window, Children of the Corn, The Shining, etc. Thinner is not one of them.

Now this doesn’t have all the usual tropes:

But it is kind of a lame story. Let’s get started before I give too much away.

So Billy Halleck is an obese lawyer.

{Now the film is set in modern times, I just felt like using an old photo from a previous post.} Anyways, he lives with his wife Heidi and their daughter Linda. Heidi tries to get him to stop eating:

Heidi Halleck: Billy, you’ve got to stop eating like that. I want you to stop digging your grave with a spoon and fork.

But Billy can’t stop, he loves food too much.

Billy has just helped a Mafioso, Richie, get off from going to prison. Something his wife also finds fault in him.

Meanwhile, in the town Billy lives in, there is a carnival, one which is run by gypsies. One day his wife is distracting him, by doing oral sex, and he hits and kills a gypsy woman.

You need to leave gypsy women alone. They can lay some serious curses.

This gypsy woman, however, dies instantly. The death is ruled an accident and no charges filed. The dead woman’s 106 year old father, Taduz Lempke, is angry that Billy got off so easily and curses him, saying to him “Thinner”.

So Billy keeps losing more and more weight. No matter what he eats, he keeps getting thinner and thinner.

He’s getting emaciated, almost as thin as this guy.

Heidi calls in a doctor, Dr. Mike Houston, who can’t find anything to help him. So the doctor decides to help himself to Billy’s wife.

Billy enlists the help of Richie and they begin to wage a war on the gypsies. Billy’s friend, the Judge who let him off, also gets cursed, “Lizard”. He commits suicide as he can’t stand looking at himself anymore. It all comes to a head when Richie kidnaps Taduz’s granddaughter, Gina, intending to kill her, but stopped by Bill.

Taduz finally agrees to lift the curse, but only if they promise to leave him and his family alone. With Billy’s agreement, Taduz makes a pie from Billy’s blood. Whoever eats the piewill die, and Billy will gain more weight.

Taduz tells Billy he should eat the pie himself, and die honorably, but Billy has decided that this pie is going toward the people he wants revenge on.

In this case it is fattening as it will help Billy gain weight.

He calls his daughter and tells her that he is doing better and she should spend the night at a friend’s house. He then goes home and gives the pie to his cheating wife.

That night he puts the rest of the pie in the fridge and goes to sleep. The next day he wakes up and Heidi is dead.

AWESOME!!!

But when he goes downstairs he discovers that Linda has eaten some of the pie. That means in his quest of selfishness, to get revenge on his wife and her lover, he has just killed his own daughter.

He decides to head the gypsies advice and eat the pie, killing himself, when the doorbell rings. It’s the Dr. Houston, the man his wife was having an affair with!

Billy then decides to give this doctor the pie and complete his revenge.

Billy Halleck: Dr. Mikey! A bit early for a house call, isn’t it?

Dr. Mike Houston: Oh, Billy! It’s- it’s not what you think! I…

Billy Halleck: It’s okay, Dr. Mikey. I was acting like kind of a big jerk. But, everything’s fine with Heidi, I’m even starting to gain a little weight. In fact, I was just about to dig into this breakfast pie. Care to join me?

Dr. Mike Houston: I couldn’t possibly…

Billy Halleck: Oh, it’s no trouble at all…

[Dr. Mike Houston enters the house]

Billy Halleck: …white doctor from town [chuckles and shuts door]. 

Yeah, he seemed to get over the fact he killed his own daughter pretty quickly. What a jerk.

So yeah, I didn’t like it. I thought it was boring, the main character unlikable, and I hated the fact that He KILLS his daughter he supposedly doted on and had an incredible bond with, and a second later he’s over it and planning revenge. A true dud King, a true dud.

To start Horrorfest IV from the beginning, go to You Cannot Conquer It. It Has Conquered You!: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)

For the previous post, go to I Do Think You Are Confused, Mrs. Bowman: Dangerous Crossing (1953)

For more Stephen King films, go to There’s Nothing Out There. Nothing in the Mist: The Mist (2007)

For more on gypsies, go to Beast or Man: The Wolfman (2010)

I Before E, Especially After P

Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!

Thanksgiving is a time set apart so that we can be thankful for all the good things in our lives. It is also time to spend with family and friends. It is a time to eat tons of food as we celebrate. And what says Thanksgiving more than one special treat? Pie!!!

Yep, I love pie!

Yep. Tomorrow I will be stuffing my face.

The things we love are not always good for us:

But who cares, pass the pie!!

And I mean you better give it over:

Don’t forget:

Hope you all have a great day!

For more on Thanksgiving, go to Thanks A Lot

For more on Supernatural, go to Just a Moment

For more on Dean Winchester, go to The Animal I Have Become

For more bible verses, go to Happily Ever Aftermath

For more on Twin Peaks, go to Werewolves Roam Among Us

For more of my favorite quotes, go to Fanning All Over the Place

Food, Food, Food!

Let’s talk about food.

It’s like I’m a hobbit or something

And of course after I eat I feel like a fatty

Like every time

But how can I when food is so good!???!

Yeah…so

But you know what? Food is always there for you:

So you know what, I’ve decided to give up the fight.

I’m gonna just enjoy those fatty foods

How could I live without fries? You can’t

And Nachos:

Pizza:

I love Pizza

Cheese:

Pie:

Cookies?

Yep:

But you know what:

I agree

Thank you Julia for approving of my life choices. After all

And BTW:

I want to end this post honoring those who died on 9/11. Thank you to those who helped out in the aftermath, and an even greater thank you to those who gave their lives. We owe a debt to you and your families that we can never repay.

“That I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.”

-God Bless the U.S.A.

For more on Lord of the Rings, go to Lord of the Cats

For more on Lydia Bennet, go to How to Catch a Man

For more on Sabrina the Teenage Witch, go to Pizza Power

For more on Mean Girls, go to Just Can’t Get a Break

For more on Jim Davis, go to For All the Men Who Wonder What It’s Like

For more on Friends (TV Show), go to I Will Survive

For more on Joey Tribbiani, go to I Don’t Wanna Be in Love (Dance Floor Anthem)

For more of my favorite quotes, go to Here I Go