APPLE PIE to say thank you for all that you do.
Sometimes I have the pleasure of shaking hands with someone that consistently reminds me that hard work pays off. Someone that goes above and beyond what is expected of them. Someone that wakes up in the wee hours of the morning and would work until midnight, if someone would let them. I see it all of the time, especially since i tend to work with mostly small, non-corporate businesses. But one section of those businesses have always tugged just a little harder on my heart strings, the non-profit sector. [Especially, the local ones :)] How can we not tip our hat to these people? How can we not donate some time and services? There are a million out there. My personal favorites: American Diabetes Association, Make A Wish Foundation and (locally) Children's Chance of South Carolina and Children's Trust of South Carolina.
It was an early, early morning at Panera near the beginning of September last year. I was meeting a client for the first time: Stephanie Amaker, Executive Director from Children's Chance. Stephanie was looking to find a way to update their website to accommodate the ability of online donations and a contact form. To be honest, the current web site at the time had been donated. [Thank you Josh!] It was very clean and professional yet didn't send the "interactive, user-friendly" message Children's Chance was quite looking for. Stephanie had just recently updated their marketing materials and had their logo re-done. Both of those items looked amazing and their web site also needed the appropriate facelift. We agreed, it was time to scrap and re-do. I spent most of the month of November with Stephanie hands on editing outdated text, taking and selecting new photography, writing code to add widgets that accommodated their fundraising efforts and other various edits to assure that their web site had the "WOW!" factor that matched their updated marketing materials.
This hands on time, let me see into Stephanie's world. I was in complete awe and envy of her class, poise, determination and caring heart for her organization and those families within our state that are dealing with pediatric cancer. Stephanie, is the woman of many hats. She currently is solely in charge of the marketing, fundraising, event planning, sponsorships, hospital partnerships and more. It's simply amazing to watch her work. She makes it all look so simple.
So this week, Mainly because i'll never respect the work that someone does for a non-profit more, i chose Stephanie Amaker from Children's Chance simply to say "Thank You" for all that you do within and for our community! You truly have a heart of gold. Many, Many families wouldn't be able to live a "normal" life without people like you.
To check out the updated Children's Chance website please click here. [a donation couldn't hurt either ;) Just $10 can provide a family with gas. $25 can provide a family with groceries.]
APPLE PIE :
1 CAN OF PIE CRUST [contains 2 per can]
6 CUPS THINLY SLICED, PEELED COOKING APPLES
1 TABLESPOON OF LEMON JUICE [optional]
3/4 CUP OF SUGAR
2 TABLESPOONS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
1/2 TEASPOON OF GROUND CINNAMON
1/8 TEASPOON OF GROUND NUTMEG
1/4 CUP DRIED CRANBERRIES (optional)
** Before we begin:: We opted out of the Cranberries but did add 1/4 a teaspoon of vanilla to apples and drizzled lemon and brushed butter on both sides of both pastries.**
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare and roll out Pastry. Line a 9-inch pie plate with a pastry circle. (I then brushed melted butter on both sides of this pastry. 1: So it wouldn't stick to the bottom and 2: because it'll make it taste better, who doesn't love butter?]
If desired, sprinkle apples with lemon juice. [Add Vanilla here, if you are following our "special recipe"] In a large bowl stir together sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add apple slices and gently toss until coated.
Transfer apple mixture to the pastry-lined pie plate. Trim bottom pastry to the edge of pie plate. Cut slits in remaining pastry circle; place on filling and seal. Crimp edge as desired. (Jason and I called this "Crimp" the "Cornrow Crimp" because i literally just twisted the top pastry underneath the rim of the bottom pastry)
To prevent over browning, cover edge of pie with foil.
Bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil. Bake 20 minutes more or until fruit is tender and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack.
Serve/Deliver :)
If you have a pie recipe that you'd like for us to make, please email it to me at [email protected]