America's Favorite Pie and a Giveaway!!

I am soooo excited to share this post with you all!! I have been provided with a great package from Pillsbury through My Blog Spark. I love it when I get to do one of these!! Blog Spark is one of the greatest things I've found in this blog world!!

I was asked to visit an apple orchard and make an apple pie using several items that were provided to me. Here's what was in the package:

Yep - A coupon for a free Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust, a Pyrex pie plate, an apple cutting board, a Pillsbury hot pad, the cutest measuring cups with an egg separator and an apple slicer/corer.  Love Love Love this package!!

Soooo, my daughter and I got started today and made an apple pie.  I will tell you up front that I am NOT an apple pie fan.  I am however a HUGE fan of my Mamaw's Famous Apple Pie.  You'll see what makes it so special in a moment.

First, the ingredients:

How can you go wrong with sugar, cinnamon, flour, butter and apples?  Got to be good!!!

First task is to core and slice all of the apples

This little handy dandy tool made it soooo easy!!

My daughter wanted in on the action as well!

Then I peeled all of the slices.

Oops.....BUSTED!

Now, hang on to your hats folks because this is where my apple pie is different from all the rest!!!  My Mamaw never cut up her apples into slices or into chunks and threw them into a pie crust and baked it.  NO WAY!!  That is why I do not like apple pie.  I HATE to bite into a big piece of baked apple.  Here is what my clever Mamaw did:

That's right!!!  She shredded the apples.  Back in her day she didn't have the convenience of a food processor.  She shredded them using an old cheese grater.  Trust me, IT'S TRULY DIVINE!!

Daughter again had to get into the action.  She only wants to do the "fun" part!!  haha

Then it was time to roll out the Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust.  This crust is so easy to deal with.  I must admit I love to make homemade crust and have a super easy recipe but using this product means NO MESS!!

I unrolled the pie crust from the package right onto the pie plate.  EASY!

This is what the apples look like all shredded. 

Now it's time to fill the pie crust with the shredded apples!  Yum-O

Then you completely SMOTHER your apples with a sugar, cinnamon and flour mixture.  Even bigger YUM-O!

Now I'm just covering the pie with a top crust.

I forgot a step here.  You're supposed to slice up half a stick of butter and put chunks all over the top of the smothered apples, along with a tablespoon of vanilla. 

Pinch the sides to make it look beautiful!

 

AND, there you have it!  A beautiful apple pie ready to bake!!

Here is the pie fully baked and a piece already stolen!!  This is such a delicious pie!  I can't get enough of it!!

A very special thank you to Pillsbury and Blog Spark for providing  me with this opportunity to review the Pillsbury pie crust and make a delicious dessert for my family to enjoy!!  I really enjoy using the pie crust that Pillsbury makes!! 

If you would like to make your own apple pie (or any other type of pie) you can find a coupon for $.50 off the Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust at Pillsbury.com/pie 

Pillsbury has generously offered to send a prize pack, through My Blog Spark, out to one of my readers.  Here's how to enter that giveaway: 

1.  Leave me a comment telling us what your all time favorite pie is.

2.  Follow my blog (if you already follow, just let me know).

3.  Post about the giveaway on your blog.

4.  Refer a friend to my blog - I will give you 3 entries for that one alone!

I will be closing the giveaway on Friday, January 14.  Good luck to all and ENJOY some pie next week!!

Febreze Set & Refresh Review & Giveaway

I love love love my home to smell fresh!! Sometimes I worry that I am too much a freak about how my home smells. Having a house with two cats and two children (one tween and the other a teen) it gets pretty bad sometimes! I was THRILLED when Febreze and BlogSpark contacted me to review Febreze's new Set & Refresh product.

When I received the product, I immediately started thinking of where to put them. The first went in the laundry room, where we keep the kitty litter. The second one went on the back of the toilet in the kids' bathroom. I must say that I am THRILLED with this product!!! I was a little hesitant at first that it wouldn't work well but I was definitely proven wrong.  The kids' bathroom has never smelled fresher!!  The laundry room is not as strong smelling but I think it's because the scent is not as strong as the one in the bathroom.

According to Febreze:  Set & Refresh lasts noticeably longer than cones because it slowly releases scented oils. Also, the cleanly-designed Set & Refresh looks attractive for the entire time it freshens your home.

It's such an easy product to use.  The scented oil comes in a small plastic cartridge that you just slip into the holder.  The scent is released automatically without having to use batteries.  It comes in six scents:  Meadows & Rain, Linen & Sky, Spring & Renewal, Apple Spice & Delight, Hawaiian Aloha and Thai Dragon Fruit.

NOW FOR THE FUN PART!!!!!!!!!  GIVEAWAY!!!!!

Febreze wants to give you an opportunity to have your own Febreze Set & Refresh. 

Three of my readers will receive a $5 Walmart Gift Card to use to purchase your own Set & Refresh. 

To Enter:

Leave me a comment letting me know what scent you would enjoy.

For Bonus Entry:

Become a follower of my blog & let me know.

Good luck to all!!  I will draw a winner on Saturday, October 9.