Happy National Pie Day!

According to the American Pie Council(A.P.C.). Yes, there really IS a "council" on pie! Anyway, according to the A.P.C., January 23rd is National Pie Day.

National "Pie" Day? What is that? Well apparently it has quite a bit of people busy! There are National Pie Day sales. Carrows Restaurant and Coco's Bakery in California devotes a whole week to National Pie Day. Ind Dubois, ID stop by the Clark County District Library and feed your mind and your tummy. They are handing out slices of pie as well as information about this delicious slice of history. If you are in Rockland, Maine don't forget the "Pies on Parade". No this is not an actual Pie Parade, it is actually a tour of historic Inns with delicious pie to warm you up at each stop. Why even down here in Texas you can attend a "Pie Social" in you are in the Austin area.

I am sure you are all familiar with the term "As American As Apple Pie," but is pie actually an American invention? The answer is no.

Pie actually originated with the Ancient Egyptians. Of course back then the outside was merely a vessel in which to cook and hold the filling. Not actually to be eaten. Of course the Greeks liked the idea and took home to their country, and then the Romans too decided it was a great idea.

It wasn't until around the 12th century that Pyes (or pies as we know them) becan to have an edible crust. This crust was referred to as a "coffyn" and were more on the savory side. What filling there was in them was generally meat or poultry. English history actually credits Queen Elizabeth I with the first "fruit" pie. It was cherry.

We can credit "American Pie" to the early English settlers. They brought their pies to America. Over the years it has evolved into the delicious treat that we know today.

So break out your mixer and your pie pans. Pre-heat your ovens and enjoy a slice of history today on National Pie Day!

Happy National Pie Day!

Denise (aka littlesnowflakes)

Standing Rib Roast for that Special Christmas Dinner!!

Good Morning to all of you Foodie's!!


Being a foodie I love all things food, so I am always doing research (actually it's me time) on different tips, gadgets etc to use in the kitchen. While I have a knack for throwing together some scrumptious dishes, somethings still allude me or I have the "Angelica" way of doing things, which is not necessarily the right way (wait did I say that, my way is always the right way......hehehe).

So we are going to find the right way to do things together!! If you have a dish that you just can't get right and can't figure out why or you are thinking to yourself there has to be some kind of gadget to make a process easier, email me!! I will do the research and then your question and of course the answer will be featured on the blog!! Until I start getting those questions I will delve into the culinary arts on my own!!



So this brings us to today's Tip, the all intimidating Standing Rib Roast!!! For those of you that do not know what a standing rib roast is, it's that sheek hunk of meat that you see on all those Holiday food commercials, you know the hunk of meet that looks like a crown!!! Yes your family will ooooooooooh and ahhhh if you prepare one of these!!! Well did you know that you can actually stuff one of these puppy's to really impress your family?? Yes I said stuff it, like a turkey!!!

This technique comes to us from one of my fav magazines, Bon Appetit!! Ok here are the steps to stuff your own standing rib roast!

1. Position roast on work surface with bones up right. With a long, sharp knife, start at the top and work down, cutting a five - to- six inch crevice between the bones and meat. Be sure to keep the bones attached. Basically what you are doing is cutting behind the bones to create a pocket for the stuffing, when you are creating the pocket make sure that you don't cut it all the way down, I would say leave a good 2 inches at the bottom!

2. Gently pry the bones away from the meat, creating a space. Fill the crevice with the stuffing, making sure to pack firmly. Basically you are going to take the side with the bones in one hand and with your other hand you are going to pull the meat away from the bones, be careful not to pull to hard, you don't want to have a rip in your pocket!! If you are having trouble pulling the meat away, take your free hand and make a fist and fit it into the pocket to help stretch the meat.

3. Once you have inserted all the stuffing press the bones in to compact the stuffing. Tie the bones back in place with three to four loops of kitchen string. Bring the string completely around the roast to secure it and to keep the stuffing in place. You can buy butchers twine at Fry's or any of your large grocery stores. Basically you are just trussing this puppy together, cut 3 to 4 strands of the butchers twine that are long enough to go around the roast (vertically) and long enough to let you give it a good tight knot. This also depends on how big the roast is, if your roast is larger you may need more twine!!

Well there you go, now you can stuff your own Standing Rib Roast!! Now I know what your thinking I don't have a recipe to make one of these, well Angelica is here to please!! You need to visit one of my favorite web sites, Food Network!! There is a video that Tyler Florence has and also the recipe for the roast! His version is not stuffed, but you can apply the technique above and stuff it!!

Video Link

Recipe

Well I hope this helps to inspire you to do something different on Christmas!! It will most definitely become a Christmas tradition if you prepare this for your family, give that tired old ham and turkey a rest already!!! Check back on Wednesday when we tackle how to make clarified butter, yes something that a TON of recipes call for!!! See you then, be safe and kind!!


**Hugs,

Angelica

Bake Sale Today!!

Still need a few gifts on your Christmas list this year? Make them edible! Have them shipped directly and save yourself some time. Today Team EEAT is having a virtual bake sale!! Come prepared for great food, games and discounts!

When:

8:00pm Eastern Standard Time(EST)
7:00pm Central Standard Time(CST)
6:00pm Mountain Standard Time(MST)
5:00pm Pacific Standard Time(PST)
4:00pm Alaska Standard Time (AKST)

Where:

Etsy virtual labs: http://www.etsy.com/virtual_labs.php

GAME RULES:
Trivia is what we will be playing! The Game Person will announce the question and what shop the prize is being given from, the first person to correctly answer the question will be the winner! Once you have been declared the winner, please convo the shop that you have won the prize from.

BAKE SALE CONDUCT: If you have questions for a specific shop please wait til after their presantation. Also when asking a question please you the hand icon provided in the VL so that you can be called on. We don't want to miss any questions! Please be aware during presentations you will only be able to whisper others people in the VL, this is so that our Members all have an oppurtunity to get through their presantations.



SALES AND PRIZES!!

Shop Name:LittleSnowflakes
Shop Addy: http.www.littlesnowflakes.com
Sale: 1 FREE dozen Holiday Peppermint Cookies with every $10 order(not including shipping)placed in the Littlesnowflakes Etsy shop*.
Spend $10(excluding shipping)= 1 Dozen Holiday Peppermints
Spend $20(excluding shipping)= 2 Dozen Holiday Peppermints
Spend $30(excluding shipping)= 3 Dozen Holiday Peppermints*Limit 3 Dozen FREE Cookies per Order. Additional Shipping Will NOT be charged for the Free Cookies.
Prizes: 1 Order of "Twelve Days of Christmas Conversation Cookies"


Shop Name: Nicole's Homemade Treats
Shop Addy: http://www.nikid.etsy.com/
Sale: 10% your entire order (excluding shipping) Refund via paypal
Prizes: Two 1/4 Lb. nut clusters

Covered In Chocolate
Shop Addy: http://www.coveredinchocolate.etsy.com/
Sale: 20% OFF for any item over $10 in shop (does not include shipping in discount or spending amount)

A Thyme To Bee Comforted
http://www.athyme2bcomforted.etsy.com/
Sale: 15% off entire order, excluding shipping
Prizes: 2 10% off GC's

Come get to know the team and have a blast! We look forward to seeing you all there!

Edible Gifts!

Looking for the best in edible gifts this holiday season? Then look no further than the Etsy Edible Arts Team! We have quite a variety of decadent treats for your holiday party, your loved ones and even mans best friend! Check out some of the delicious treats that are offered by Team EEAT.




Want to see more wonderful treats? Them please come join us for our annual winter bake sale this Friday December 4th!

When: 8:00pm EST
Where: The Etsy Virtual Labs: http://www.etsy.com/virtual_labs.php

Guaranteed to be fun! There will be trivia, prizes and some AWESOME sales in your favorite Edible shops! There is truly something for everyone on your shopping list. So why battle the malls this holiday season? When you can shop from the comfort of your own home!

We look forward to seeing you there!