July 2016 - Saved By Grace

Triple Cherry Pie Recipe

July 14, 2024 Leave a Comment

I live in Washington state. For many people that means that our biggest harvest is apples, but something else Washington is known for is cherries, especially of the Rainier type. Rainier cherries were actually developed in the state of Washington in the 50’s and are a cross between Bing and Van Cherries. Cherries can be extremely expensive even when they are in season, which is just for a few weeks in the summer, especially if you want Rainiers and especially if you want them to be organic. Lucky for me, I live less than 10 minutes away from a cherry orchard that is open to the public and can get cherries for as low as $1.80 a pound. One of my favorite things to make is fresh cherry pies and with the three kinds I got at the orchard on my last picking day, I made this triple cherry pie recipe.

Cherry pie is very easy to make, even for the novice pie maker, but I have to be honest when I say I didn’t make my own crust. I can make a good crust, I just was feeling especially pained on that day as the day before I spent all day picking cherries and when you have chronic pain, an activity like that will leave you pretty useless the next day. I didn’t want my pounds of cherries to go bad, though, so I just opted for store bought crust.

My husband Spencer helped me pit all the cherries. There was so many of them! I wanted to make two pies; one with a lattice top and the other with a classic slit top. To get a bit more creative, I used leftover pie crust to make these cute cherry shaped cutouts using a knife. That’s totally optional, of course!

Triple Cherry Pie Recipe

To make Triple Cherry Pies (makes 2) you will need:

2 cups Fresh Bing Cherries, pitted

3 Cups Fresh Pie Cherries, Pitted

3 Cups Fresh Rainier Cherries, pitted

3 cups of sugar

3/4 Cup Cornstarch

2 1/4 Cup 100% Cherry Juice Blend (I got mine at Trader Joe’s)

1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

1 Teaspoon Almond Extract

1/2 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

1/2 Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice

Pinch of Salt

How to Make Triple Cherry Pie

1. Clean and pit all the cherries. Rinse well in a colander. It doesn’t matter if some cherries get smashed. I got my cherry pitter on Amazon. It works well and is easy to clean. Pre-heat oven to 400 F.

2. In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients. pour them into a large pot with a heavy bottom such as an aluminum one.

3. Slowly add in your cherry juice blend and Almond Extract as well as Vanilla and bring to a simmer. It should be thick enough that when it simmers, you have bubbles that are thicker in appearance, the way tomato sauce looks when it simmers. If it is not thick enough, give the cornstarch some time to work and if after 2-3 minutes it is not working, add in a slurry of 1 tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp water mixed well, slowly until thickness is there.

4. Shut off heat and add in cherries, coating.

5. If you did not use prepared crusts like I did, make your own crusts at this point. If you did, you can add the filling to them. Give the cherries a LIGHT dusting of sugar before covering. Brush on some melted butter lightly as well.

6. Place your pies on a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet and place in the oven. Set a timer for 10 minutes.

7. Pull pies out and cover edges with foil. Place back in oven and turn heat down to 375 F for 35-40 minutes.

8. Let cool before serving.

Filed Under: Desserts, Recipes Tagged With: cherry pie recipe, cherry recipes, fresh cherry pie recipe, rainier cherries, rainier cherry pie, triple cherry pie

FamilySearch’s Worldwide Indexing Event July 15-17

July 13, 2024 1 Comment

I really enjoy learning about my ancestry. It is so amazing to find out where your roots lie and what the people who came before you enjoyed doing, where they lived and how they worked. It gives you great insight into what shaped you and who you are.

With so much information available online these days, you would think it would be easy to access all this information and do research on your family, but the truth is, it can be quite a task and some sites want you to pay to even search and when you do, you might not even find much info at all. That’s why FamilySearch’s World Indexing Day is so important!

FamilySearch’s Worldwide Indexing Day Event July 15-17

FamilySearch is a non-profit (free) website run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints that will allow users to search out family history and see actual documents like marriage licenses and images for them to find their own family history. Currently, there is so much information that is being submitted to the site for indexing that those who do the volunteer job of indexing are having a hard time catching up. That’s where the World Indexing Event plays a huge role!

Now, YOU can help index family records so everyone can use the site more effectively! All it takes is a commitment to help others, about a half hour of your time (or more if you would like!) and a computer with an internet connection.

You could even make a party of it! Invite some friends over to index with you and relax with them and chat. If everyone did a batch, just think of how much could get done at just your household and then the world?! Join the Facebook event for even more info and ideas.

I did some sample ones and it was super easy. All you need to do is plug in the info that appears on the document. It requires no special internet skills. And, kids 12 and up can help! Doesn’t this sound like a great way to challenge each other to complete so many batches?

Make sure you sign up before the 15th of July so you can help with the FamilySearch World Indexing Event! Let’s make ‘history’!

Filed Under: Christian Living, Family Tagged With: ancestry, familysearch, free family history search, how to find my family history, indexing, world index event 2016

Do You Know What’s in Your Food? #KnowYourYogurt

July 7, 2024 Leave a Comment

This post contains content sponsored by The Dannon Company, Inc. The opinions expressed in my post are my own. For more information on Dannon’s move toward sustainable agriculture, naturality and transparency, and non-gmo ingredients visit www.dannonpledge.com and www.dannon.com/ingredients.

It used to be that I didn’t pay much attention to what was in my food. I figured if it was edible, I’d eat it. In many ways, I am somewhat still like that. I am not really that picky of an eater (unless it’s raw onions or peppers..*shudders*) and enjoy all kinds of cuisine and dining delights.

As I started to come down with symptoms of being ill from Diabetes, I started to make the connection between what I was eating and how I felt. This is when I started to eat better. Now, I will be honest and say I am not a huge food Nazi, that is, I still eat a lot of things many people wouldn’t, but I definitely try my hardest to look out for certain things and for me, one of those things is GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms).

Dannon IS listening!

I first heard about GMOs when I went to college and attended culinary school. We discussed it very lightly in nutrition class. I didn’t form a strong opinion then, but as I have done more research, I have decided to try to eliminate them from my diet if at all possible.

I love when companies care what consumers have to say and take action to remove GMOs from their products. One such company is the Dannon Company. You know them as a yogurt company that makes Danimals and Oikos as well as the regular Dannon brand. Dannon has pledged that by the end of 2017 they will remove GMO feed from their cows for the previously mentioned product lines and thus making these 3 Dannon product lines GMO free! (yay!) They plan to accomplish this by working closely with the farmers who produce their feed to plant GMO free feed. And since Dannon is the only major Yogurt brand that sources their milk for their yogurt products from farms they know, this will be something the can definitely accomplish.

On top of removing GMOs from their three flagship brands, Dannon has also pledged to label any of their products that contain any GMOs by December 2017, regardless of what the government decided to do in regards to laws. I love companies that are totally transparent this way and are working to bring consumer awareness to the front lines.

Animal welfare is something else that is important to me and I am happy to report that Dannon has been working on it for a while now. By this month, (JULY 2016) Dannon has planned to have all their farms Validus Certified. The Validus Certification means that the farm must meet certain standards such as good feed and water supply, animal health as well as many other key points in animal welfare.

Thank you Dannon for allowing consumer voices to be heard and be the driving force in changing your labeling and practices! Let’s hope more companies follow suit! #KnowYourYogurt

Want to win a Trip to New York City?! Or other great prizes? Make sure you join me at the Dannon #KnowYourYogurt Facebook party! It’s on Tuesday, July 12 at 10 AM PDT. The grand prize is a trip for two to New York City with spending cash as well as a trip to see the Dannon Headquarters in White Plains, NY an hear the Dannon Pledge in person!

Make sure you find out how to RSVP here on Mamavation!

Filed Under: Health Tagged With: danimals, dannon pledge, dannon yogurt, gmo free yogurt brands, non-gmo

Get Back to Nature on a Boat

July 2, 2024 1 Comment

It’s no surprise that I love nature. Being someone who enjoys living as natural as possible in my every day life, being in nature itself is truly what I long for. I was raised in Montana and this meant we spent lots of time on lakes. I remember being able to get out on some motor boats when I was younger and one time, I even got to sit on the back of one of those huge inner tubes that the boat tows. I fell off almost immediately because I lacked skills but I had a blast! Getting out on the lake in a boat is almost a right of passage when you are a kid growing up around so many beautiful opportunities to do so. Here is my daughter when she was 5 on a boat and she had so much fun. I am sure it is something she will remember for the rest of her life. (On a side note, I can’t believe she is 13 now!)

Another memory I have is watching fireworks on Independence Day on a lake in a boat. It’s like nothing you have ever experienced! The reflection off the water makes it truly magical.

In any case, getting out on the water is always exciting and you don’t even have to have skills or lots of money to do it. Here are some ways to get back to nature on a boat.

Get Back to Nature on a Boat

Look into renting a boat if you don’t have access to one- Many people don’t realize that you can actually rent boats and other water sports equipment such as jet-skis. If you have a lake near you, you can almost bet there is a company that rents them out. While you may think the cost is a lot, it can be easily split by a group and you can all have a blast out on the water. Check out the Get on the Water tool from Discover Boating to find out where you can rent near you!

Get your kids involved in a youth boating organization- There are many organizations from Boy Scouts to Youth Sailing Clubs that can help your kids not only develop a love for boating, but also give them some great skills as well. Some of these programs are low cost or even free! Check around your area for youth boating programs.

See if a boat could fit your budget- Many people don’t even consider that they may be able to afford a boat. While boats were once thought of for only the super rich, they are more affordable than ever now so it is worth looking into the different kinds of boats and what can fit your budget. Know that all boats aren’t the same! There are many kinds of boats that can fit your needs from slow movers to turbo fast and they come in all sizes.

Consider buying used- A used boat can be a great investment and you may be able to pick up a real bargain. Just as with buying a used car, though, there is the potential for there to be many issues. Make sure you do your research before purchasing used and consider both private and dealer sales.

Ask family and friends- Sometimes, the easiest way to get on the water is to just hitch a ride with a family or friend. If you know someone who enjoys boating, drop a bug in their ear that you would love to go next time they hit the water. I bet they would love to share the fun with you!

Filed Under: Family, Frugal Living, Green Travel Tagged With: boating, discover boating, how to rent a boat

DIY Gemstone Soap Amethyst

July 1, 2024 17 Comments

I was so excited when I first saw these gemstone soaps available at my local farmer’s market a few weeks back. Being a rock hound, and a person who loves DIY projects, I decided to embark on trying to make them myself. The first attempt was a failure as I just swirled some color in and placed it in molds. All the color kind of settled at the bottom and it looked like a popcicle. Then, I saw a post on Savvy Homemade about suspending objects in soap and decided I could do something similar with a bit more chunks in it and have it look like gems. I got it right the first time, I think!

While my soaps don’t look exactly like the ones I saw at the farmer’s market (they were a bit less chunky), I personally think they look great!

Here is how you can make your own gemstone soaps. I made mine purple because I love amethysts and they are my birth stone, but it would really work well with any color. I am thinking of making them a deep green next time. Oh and in case you are wondering, I haven’t had any issues with staining from the dye. I think it’s important that you mix it well, though.

DIY Gemstone Soap Amethyst

You will need the following items to make your soap. It cost me approximately $30 to make this, but that’s because I had absolutely none of it on hand other than the essential oils, and I was too lazy to shop around. However, if you do shop around, you will probably find better prices. I have provided some [affiliate] links to good prices I found on Amazon to help. The recipe for this makes about 8-10 soaps though, so $30 wasn’t much to invest for all these lovely gifts!

Please note, too, that you can use glass as your molds and your small portion cups, but you must lubricate is very well with oil or it will be very hard to remove. I didn’t do this because I didn’t have the money to buy so many small portion cups. I am not a big fan of plastic, so it was a hard choice.

2 lbs Opaque Goat’s Milk Soap Base, Melt and Pour

2 lbs Clear Glycerin Soap Base, Melt and Pour

Liquid Food coloring or Soap Dye

Essential Oils in Your Favorite scent

Disposable plastic Cups, 9 or 12 oz size

Disposable 2 Oz Portion Cups

Bamboo stirring stick

Glass Measuring cup

Chef’s Knife

Cutting Board

Paring Knife

Microwave

How to Make DIY Gemstone Soaps

1. Start by splitting your soap bases into halves. Set aside one half (approximately 1 lb) of each. Chop your soap and place one kind into your glass measuring cup (do not mix them!) and microwave in 30 second intervals until completely melted, about 3-4 minutes. Stir between stops. While it is microwaving, set out 12 portion cups in rows of 4 each.

2. When it is melted, pour into your portion cups carefully. You may need a pot holder to hold your glass measuring cup. Be sure not to spill any. Quickly, add 5 drops of coloring to each of the cups in the first row, 3 drops into the second row and 1 to the third row. Stir them up so they are completely mixed well. Place them into the fridge to harden.

3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for the other soap until you have a set of opaque dyed and a set of clear dyed.

4. With a cutting board and chef’s knife, start taking out the opaque out of the portion cup molds. Chop them into smallish pieces, irregular as possible. This will make it look more realistic. Set them aside in a bowl. Do the same for the clear and set them aside in a separate bowl.

5. Take your plastic drinking cups (I used the shorter ones so I could have fatter bases, but the taller ones would be lovely as well), and randomly add both clear and opaque soap pieces to fill to the top. Make sure there is enough of both.

6. Repeat step 1 in regards to microwaving, then add about 30 drops of your favorite essential oil, mix it, and carefully pour it over the top of your cup molds to make a solid chunk. Your molds may melt a tiny bit and warp, but this is OK as you will be shaping them later anyway. Do the same for both the clear and opaque soap bases you have left (1 lb each, separately).

7. Place your molds into the fridge again and about an hour later, they should be hard.

8. Peel away the plastic cup molds and get out your paring knife. This is the fun part! Look up some images of cut gemstones and try to replicate it. To do mine, I simply started at the top and shaped them at about a 45 degree angle. Use the shavings to create more soaps or simply throw them in an old sock, tie it off, and lather up with them!

This was a fun thing to make with my teen stepdaughter. Making crafts together is one of our favorite pastimes. Here are some more crafts and DIY things to make with teens and tweens:

-No Sew Tote from a T-shirt

-DIY Lotion Melts

-Peppermint Hot Chocolate Whipped Sugar Scrub

-Vanilla Coconut Mint Lip Scrub

-Pumpkin Pie Lip Balm

-How to Make Sugar Skulls

Filed Under: Crafts, Crafts & DIY, DIY Beauty Tagged With: diy gem sopa, diy soap, gem soap diy, how to make gem soap