Baked Apple Apple Pies

Cory's birthday was during vacation a few weeks ago and I felt bad I couldn't bake him anything, but alas there was no kitchen available for personal use at the Waldorf. #firstworldproblems. Don't worry. We were both too full for dessert the night of his birthday so I made him light his cigar with a birthday candle, and suffer through me singing Happy Birthday so he could blow out a candle and make a wish. Hey. We had to improvise.

Fortunately, he was back in Kansas the following weekend so I had a chance to redeem myself with these baked apple apple pies. You guys. These things were yummy, and I felt a little less guilty eating this than a giant slice of cake. Don't worry though. I loaded mine up with ice cream. I can't be too healthy. Here is what you will need to make these when you decide you need them. Because you will.

Baked Apple Apple Pies
serves 4

5-6 Granny Smith apples
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
pie crust (homemade or pre-made)

Optional (but not really):
vanilla ice cream

First things first. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Next cut the top off of 4 apples. Remove the inside of each apple with a spoon or melon baller. Be sure not to puncture the peel. I highly suggest using a melon baller. I don't own one so I used a knife and spoon, and it was touch and go there for awhile on whether I would make it out with all my fingers in tact.

Now it's time to move onto the filling. If you are good at hollowing apples you can use the inside for the filling. If not, use those other 2 apples you bought. Remove skin from remaining apple, and slice very thin. Mix sliced apples with sugars and cinnamon in a bowl. You can add more or less sugar and cinnamon to taste. I opted for a little more brown sugar :) Scoop filling into the hollowed apples.

If you bought pre-made pie crust (which I did), this next part is easy. Roll out and slice into 1/4 inch strips. Cover the top of the apple in a lattice pattern or any other way you so choose.

Place apples in an 8 x 8 in pan, and add enough water to 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.

Remove from oven and serve immediately. I put mine in a bowl with a big ol' scoop of Edy's Slow Churned Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, and it was to die for! Enjoy!

It's Time to Start Running Again...

So I took a brief...ok several month...well actually now that I'm thinking about it, half year, hiatus from running because my knees were bothering me so much. It got to the point where I could barely even walk down a flight of stairs it hurt so bad. Of course I didn't go to the doctor so I'm not sure what the actual problem was, but after attempting (and failing) to train for the Kansas City Half Marathon I decided it might be best to stop running for awhile. It was actually perfect timing because this winter has been horrible, and I'm such a baby about running outside in cold weather.

Now that the weather is getting a little warmer (although it was 70 on Saturday and I woke up to snow yesterday morning. Dumb Kansas), I think it's time to start running again.

Cory and I are signed up for the Cooper River Bridge Run 10K on April 5th so I suppose I should have been training for awhile now. I think I've come to the conclusion that this race will not be a personal best, and I will most likely be much, much slower than I was last June. The few times I have "ran" in the last few months, I did a lot of run/walking and was around a 9:30-10:00 min/mile so I'm just hoping to finish this race in an hour. Fingers crossed. Hopefully some of Cory's speed will rub off on me haha! :)

I feel like I need to follow the last bit of training program for the next 3 weeks so I can hold myself accountable. Does anyone have a favorite 10K training program they love? I've always used Hal Higdon programs so I thought I might try the 10K Intermediate Program, but if anyone has any other suggestions they would be much appreciated! Are you training for any races right now? I'd love to hear which ones and how your training is going!

Walking on Sunshine

My good friend Alex tagged me in a fun little blogging exercise this afternoon and since I've been seriously slacking this was just the motivation I needed to get back in gear. Here's the deal. You post 11 random facts about yourself, answer 11 questions by the nominating blogger, nominate 11 bloggers you think bring sunshine into the world, and come up with 11 questions to ask them. Here are my 11 random facts:

1. I eat eggs almost every night for dinner Monday-Thursday - always scrambled, sometimes with spinach, feta cheese, and red onion. I'm a creature of habit. 
   
2. Nothing annoys me more than when my couch cushions are all slouchy and smashed looking. Ok I lied. Maybe that isn't the thing that annoys me the most, but it's definitely up there. 

   

   perfectly fluffed

3. I HATE being barefoot. The only time I'm barefoot is when I'm on a beach or in the pool. I would say in the shower as well, but at the gym I obviously wear extremely stylish Croc flip flops. Yup. I still technically wear Crocs at least 4-5 times a week.
4. I sleep in socks. I once had a boyfriend tell me that it was unhealthy to sleep in socks because toxins weren't able to escape during the night. I call that horse crap. My feet get cold, and like I said, I hate being barefoot.
5. I still wear my retainers. My orthodontist should be proud.
6. I'm obnoxiously peppy in the morning. Right when my feet hit the floor (always in slippers) I am 100% awake and ready to take on the day. I don't understand people who take hours to wake up before they are fully functioning.
7. I'm a really fast walker. My friends used to make fun of me in middle school and high school because I would walk so fast during passing periods between classes. I still walk fast, but I've recently learned I walk at snail speed compared to Cory. I just can't keep up with him!
8. I have an obsession with McDonald's Vanilla Cones. I eat them at least 2-3 times a week. They're only 170 calories, 4.5g of fat, and cost $1 (plus tax)! That's a steal if you ask me! 

   

   typical night - me in the McDonald's drive thru getting ice cream by myself. Shameful.
9. I met my boyfriend on Tinder. The cat's out of the bag...not that it was really a secret, but now you know. I actually blocked him because he told me I lived in the suburbs which I apparently found very offensive after an afternoon of cocktails. Anyways, he found me on Facebook, apologized, and the rest is history.
10. I never get sick of food pictures on Instagram. I love them all. Is it weird that I'm fascinated by what other people are eating? I just really like pretty food.
11. I really, really hate talking on the phone. Thank goodness for text messages and emails.

...and now if you're still with me, here are the questions Alex asked me:

1. What would your perfect night consist of? Well it definitely depends on the night of the week. If it's a "school night" (because let's be honest, that's what they'll always be called - not work nights) then my perfect night is getting in a good work out, eating a quick dinner at home, and then heading to bed early, preferably around 9:00. Yes I'm a grandma. If it's a Friday or Saturday night then my perfect night includes going out for a long, yummy dinner with friends or family, followed by a few cocktails at a fun bar, or if I'm feeling really wild and crazy, some board or card games at home. Maybe even dominoes! I also enjoy a good jigsaw puzzle. Wow. I am so cool.
2. If you could meet any person (living or dead) who would it be? Taylor Swift. I really think we are destined to be BFFs..if only we could meet. Sigh. 
   
3. What do you do for a living, and what do you like most about it? I'm a merchandise planner which basically means I build financial plans to decide how much we are going to sell, how much inventory we need to do it, and how much we can put on sale in order to still make money. I get to decide what shoes go on sale, how much they will be, and when. Kinda fun right? It certainly never gets boring, and there is always craziness so I guess that keeps things interesting!
4. Do you have pets, and if so, what are their name(s)/age(s)? Well if you read this blog at all, or follow me on Instagram you are probably aware I have one cat. Her name is Evie, and she is perfect. I got her from an ex-boyfriend when I was in high school so she's been around for 10 years now. 
   
5. What's your favorite food? There is no way I can pick just one. I'm obsessed with Mexican food (queso specifically), and I can absolutely never get sick of it. I also have a serious sweet tooth - cupcakes, ice cream, cookies, cake, you name it. My other food that I eat at least every other day is popcorn. It is the greatest snack ever. End of story.
6. Have you ever won anything? What was it? Hmmm like awards or a random prize? Random prizes, not that I can think of. I guess I'm just not that lucky. I'm still holding out hope that one of these days I'll win the lottery or the HGTV Dream Home. Don't squash my dreams. It'll happen. Right.
7. What's the most exciting thing that's happened to you in the past year (or two)? Hmmm last week I just swam with manatees AND went to Harry Potter at Universal. I'd call that a pretty exciting week :)
8. What's one place you haven't visited but would like to? Gosh. There are so many. Greece is at the top of my list right now although that probably won't happen for awhile. Within the US, I would love to visit Cape Cod or some of the other charming little towns in the Northeast.
9. What's your favorite space (can be a place you like to go, an area in your house, etc)? The beach! It really doesn't even matter which beach. There is something so amazing and calming about talking a long walk on a beach that stretches on forever and ever.
   
10. If you had unlimited store credit to any one store, which store would it be and why? Target. You can get basically anything there. Groceries. Clothes. Home decor. Craft supplies. Things you never could have imagined you would need, but can't live without once you see them. You get the idea.
11. What's some good advice? I read something a few months ago about being "emotionally strong" that I think everyone could stand to remember. It said something to the effect of our emotions don't reflect reality. Rather, our emotions reflect the way we interpret reality. Understanding this gives us control of our emotions and, therefore, our lives. Positivity people!

So now it's time to tag some blogger friends! Ashley, Meaghan, Laurel, Charlie, Katie, and Meg, it's your turn! Here are your questions:

1. What are your favorite pair of shoes you own?
2. If you could have an endless supply of any food, what would it be?
3. What was your favorite toy as a child?
4. What's the best vacation you've ever been on?
5. Are you a morning person or a night owl?
6. What was the last book you read?
7. Were you named after anyone?
8. What's your favorite cereal?
9. What's your biggest pet peeve?
10. What's the best gift you've ever received?
11. Lastly, what was your AOL Instant Messenger screen name in middle/high school, and what did it mean?