The Monumental, All-Important First Post

Since it's Thanksgiving I thought I'd start this blog off right- with the recipe for my Harvest Pie.  We're actually doing our Thanksgiving dinner Sunday, so I haven't made mine yet this year.  But I'll post pictures after dinner. 

This recipe came about 12 years ago when I was trying to think of a way to celebrate all the food elements of Fall.  My ex husband and I had been invited to a holiday pot luck and I wanted to bring something special.  So I thought about what fall foods people enjoy, and how they could work together.  And after thinking about it for a bit, this is what I came up with.

Harvest Pie

*note:  I have never had good luck making a pie crust from scratch, so I buy the 2 pack of refrigerated, already cut out pie crust from the store.  If you happen to be one of those folks who makes a stellar pie crust, could you please comment with your recipe and technique?



3 large granny smith apples, cored and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup cranberries, cut in half
1/4 cup raisins
2 oz. chopped walnuts
2 oz. chopped pecans
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground ginger


Combine apples, cranberries, raisins, and nuts in a mixing bowl. Add sugar and spices, and mix thoroughly. 

At this point you have two options depending on your pie pan.  You can either pour it all into a pie crust in a deep dish pan or pour half into two pie crusts in two shallow pie pans.  Either option is fine.


Now comes the fun part.  Lay your top crust out on a flat, lightly floured surface, and use your favorite fall themed cookie cutter to cut a couple of leaves from the dough.  Set the cut outs aside- you'll need them in a minute.


Place your top crust over the pie and use a fork to crimp down the edges.  Take the cutouts, brush one side with a little bit of water, and place them on the pie.  Be creative!  Presentation is half the fun of great food.


You can now brush the whole thing with a touch of melted butter and pop it into the oven.  Bake the pie(s) at 350F for about 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.


That's it!  All you have to do now is serve it up to your diners and enjoy their reactions.