Mini Apple Pies

Adapted from Paula Deen's Cookbook

You will need:

 4 teaspoons butter

3 McIntosh apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
3 tablespoons sugar (I used Splenda)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

15-ounce package refrigerated rolled pie crust
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

How to make it:

First, preheat your oven to 400°F. Spray a large sheet tray with nonstick spray.
Heat your butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until it has melted. Then, add the apples, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and lemon juice. Cook, over medium heat, occasionally stirring, until the apples are soft. This usually takes 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat; let the filling cool down some. (About 15 minutes.)

 

 On a lightly floured surface, use a circular cookie cutter to make nine circle cutouts in the dough. Spoon some of the filling onto each dough circle. Make sure there is room on the edges (1/2 an inch to 1 inch) so the filling doesn't leak out. Now, cut out nine more circles in the dough for the tops of the mini pies. Then, seal the dough together on the edges by pressing them with the tines of a fork. Prick the top of each pie two or three times to vent.

 Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Warning: some of the filling may leak out. Take the mini pies out of the oven so they can cool on a baking sheet rack for 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes is up, sprinkle with powdered sugar while still warm.  Serve them warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy!


Bible verse:

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

1 Peter 5:7

To me, this verse means that  you should not worry because God has it all under control. Even if your life seems like everything is going wrong, God knows what he's doing. Be calm, because God is taking care of all the things that worry you, big and small. This is a huge leap of faith, but you will feel so much better, and a lot calmer, when you are able to do this. So, start with the little things: Don't worry about what clothes you are going to wear tomorrow, or if a roof leaks after a storm. God has it under all control, you can trust him.

Recovery Challenge - Day 30

List your stats again. Did this help you at all?

Height: (STILL) 5'2"
Weight: 104
 I would say it helped a little. My life has actually been looking a little better lately. School hasn't been too bad, and my hair has started growing back. YAY! Sadly, my issues at home and with my family are still pretty awful... Over the course of my eating disorder, I have learned a lot of things that I probably would have never learned without these experiences. I wish it was easy enough to just flip a switch and turn off my eating disorder, but it isn't. I will continue to work on it, and dream about the life I want to have in my future, so hopefully it will eventually come!

Recovery Challenge - Day 29

Challenge yourself again in some way today. Whether it be being more social, eating more, eating another fear food, etc. Explain.

I have tried to be a little more social. Which, for me, that means going from "Not looking at anyone, talking to anyone, or acting like anyone is even near me." to "Looking more people in the eyes, smiling, and helping people on math questions they have (even though that one really annoys me)."
Plus my mom is making some kind of chicken recipe in the crock pot with chicken, onions, cheese, and rice. It smells super delicious, so maybe I will try some for dinner tonight too!

Day 28 - Recovery Challenge

What do you need to improve on in order to advance mentally and or physically towards recovery? Explain how you plan on actually moving forward with these goals!

  Since I have found out that it is impossible (in my situation) to try to change anybody else, or even try to get them to understand, I still need to do my best to heal. I can try to focus on only me, and not worry about anyone else. I can try to avoid arguments (even though some of them are extremely hard to avoid). I can work hard at everything I do now so I have the life I want to in the future (doing good in school, etc.). I can keep a positive attitude and look forward to the things coming. Finally, I still must try to convince myself that it is okay to eat all the yummy foods I crave all the time.

Day 27 - Recovery Challenge

Create a letter of everything you would write to your eating disorder as if it were a real life person.

Dear ED,
     You have come at the perfect time in my life. I was in need of a way to cope with all that was going on. You made me feel good... but only for a short amount of time. You have caused me a lot of misery, both physical and mental, as well as emotional. Turns out, you have done absolutely nothing to boost my self esteem or give me more friends or make me feel any better about myself. You are pretty much all I think about... which has made school so much harder, which I do not appreciate. Yes, you may be a coping mechanism... but a deadly one. I do not want to live with you any longer. This is easier said than done, as I know it isn't possible to just say goodbye and move on with my life. Yet, one day I will be happy and you won't have a part in my life. I will eat without worrying about you. I will exercise without worrying about you. You will not hold me back from the things I really want to do.
     Cassidy

Day 26 - Recovery Challenge

Eating disorders often come hand in hand with social anxiety and or depression. Start 1 conversation today with someone you don’t normally speak to. How did it go?

Oh gosh. Yep. Instant anxiety just reading this one. I might need a few days to complete it.

UPDATE: I have yet to complete this one...

Day 25 - Recovery Challenge

What are your ‘fear foods’? I CHALLENGE you to eat one today. Dare you. Do it.

Bread, anything with a lot of sugar or fat, anything fried, peanut butter, butter, ice cream, pizza, cheese,  pancakes, syrup, doughnuts, pasta.

UPDATE: I was really afraid of doing this challenge today.But I did end up completing it. My mom was watching TV on the couch, while eating chips and salsa. So, I had half of a chip, dipped in a little bit of salsa. It was good :) My mom was proud of me.