Quarter-Life Crisis

Hey Guys!

2008-06-06T09:25:00.004-04:00

I just recently became a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. If you've never heard of Stampin' Up!, they specialize in rubber stamping, card making, and scrapbooking. You can check out the company's website here: http://www.stampinup.com/

I have never tried any of these in-home sales businesses before but I really fell in love with the Stampin' Up! products and have reconnected with the creative side of myself that I had forgotten about. If you are ever interested in learning more about Stampin' Up! and it's products, or are interested in hosting a workshop (you can earn TONS of free stuff - and I'm not just saying that!) please feel free to contact me. I have 2 special websites and a new special email just for my Stampin' Up! business:

http://stampofapproval08.stampinup.net/
http://stampofapproval08.wordpress.com/
stampofapproval08@gmail.com

ALSO! I am running a special promotion this month to celebrate my new adventure. During the entire month of June, everyone who requests to be on my Stampin' Up! email list will be entered into a contest to win a special prize!* The prize is Stampin’ Up!’s June ESCAPE bundle that includes the Circle of Friendship stamp set, the Love Notes assortment, the Rose Red Classic Stampin’ Pad, and a roll of Very Vanilla 5/8″ grosgrain ribbon! That’s a $30 value! And you could get it for FREE! People on my email list will receive special promotional offers and information from me as well as the latest information on products and promotions at Stampin’ Up! If you would like to be on my email list shoot me an email at stampofapproval08@gmail.com . Please be sure to add stampofapproval08@gmail.com to your Contacts List so my emails don’t get sent to your Spam folder!

I hope this message finds you all well and I'm sorry I've been missing for so long! I guess I just needed a long break. :)

*Only requests received prior to 11:59pm on June 30th will be eligible for the drawing. Drawing will be held on July 1st. Need not be present to win.

holy moly

2008-05-29T10:56:00.001-04:00

it's been quite a long time, folks, but here i am.

wow, we actually made the newspaper

2006-12-21T14:30:00.000-05:00

here's an article about the Christmas program i was working on this past month. just thought i would share. :)

Christmas Toy Workshop

Weight Loss Wednesday #7

2006-12-20T07:42:00.000-05:00

geez, can you believe this has been going on for 7 weeks now? and i still haven't gotten below my initial starting weight? the holidays suck. heh. anyway, here's the stats for this week:

current weight: 143
last week's weight: 142

i'm up a pound since last week. but i'm bloated and crampy and feeling all over yucky, so that's what i'm blaming the 1 pound gain on. it's certainly not the bowls of ice cream i've had the past 4 nights in a row. most certainly not.

that's about all i've got for today, kids. my brian is just wiped. the Christmas Toy Workshop program was finished this weekend and now i'm trying to get my own Christmas stuff in line. and all in 5 more days! oy vey.

Weight Loss Wednesday #6

2006-12-13T08:41:00.000-05:00

Alright. So. this week went well, actually. mostly due to the fact that i was throwing up for 12 hours on sunday/monday. but i digress. here's the stats.

current weight: 142
starting weight: 142

i've finally made it back to where i started this whole adventure. that's good, right? i hope the weight keeps going down, but with the way the rest of this week is going to go, i somewhat doubt it. we're all crazy busy trying to get the Christmas Toy Workshop all ready to go for Friday. we were able to get a bunch of food donated, but it's mostly pizza. don't get me wrong, i love me some pizza, it's just not very good at helping you lose weight. oh well, that's ok. this week i am down another 2 pounds and that's all i'm going to focus on right now. :)

oh so cute!

2006-12-12T15:25:00.000-05:00

i was just going through some old posts from my old blog and found some totally cute posts from when Dean and i first started dating. like this one:

oh! ok.. so i didn't blog about my birthday. i went to the gym for a while after work, then i went home to get ready. my bros gave me their presants (the Grand Theft Auto 2-pack for Xbox, the Max Payne game, and a 2nd controller). then i got all pretty-fied and Dean came to pick me up at 7:30pm. noone else was home, so he didn't have to go through the stress of meeting family members. anyway... Dean said i looked "amazing". after a quick tour of the house we set off to Bonefish Grill. Dean had my b-day card/gift sitting on the passenger seat in his car... he got me tickets to an Orioles game!! i am so totally excited... it's my first major league game ever! and with my most favoritest team! wheeee!!! can you tell i'm excited? hehe...

anyway... dinner was absolutely wonderful. excellent food. excellent company. =) after dinner i said that i wasn't ready to go home yet, so we found this little bar that was doing Karaoke and hung out there for a while. then, finally, at 12:30am we decided to leave and we headed back to my house. on the way there Dean asked me to be his girlfriend. hehehe!! he was so totally cute, too. these were his words, exactly: "i'm not sure what the proper protocol is for this, and it is going to sound very middle school-ish, but i would really love to be able to tell people you're my girlfriend." hee! i told him that i would like that very much. so... yeah... =D

hehehe! and now we're engaged. *sigh* my how time flies.

worst episode EVER

2006-12-12T08:59:00.000-05:00

have any of you ever had food poisoning? my lord... i just had a bout of it sunday/monday. it was awful. one of dean's cousins had a family xmas party this past saturday, and apprently all but 4 people from the party got sick. mine started around 11pm sunday night; i thought i was hungry, so i had a little bowl of cereal. shortly after eating the cereal, the vomiting started. from there on out, i was vomiting approximately every 1.5 hours all throughout the night. and it didn't stop until 11am or so monday morning. then, of course, it started coming out the other end. lovely, isn't it?

all i've been able to eat so far is plain cheerios, toast, and plain oatmeal. i did try some chicken soup last night around 8pm, but i couldn't eat too much of it.

i tell you what... i wouldn't wish this on anyone. it sucks.

insanity

2006-12-09T18:21:00.000-05:00

hey, you know what? yesterday was my 50th post! hooray for little milestones! heh.

you want to know something else? today, i have successully sustained myself on Doritos and Utz Party Mix. and 2 Chicken Fingers for lunch. also a few cookies. this is what i call the Christmas Toy Workshop diet. unfortunately it rarely leads to weight loss, so that sucks.

tis the season

2006-12-08T08:37:00.000-05:00

ok, this is going to be short because i've got an incredibly busy day today, but, hi! i just wanted to pop in and say hi before the day was over with. in case you were wondering why i'm going to be so busy today, i will tell you. i'm going to be running around collecting xmas gifts for the Christmas program that my Jaycee chapter runs in our county. essentially, the program helps needy families during the holidays; we "adopt out" families to people among the community and they buy them gifts and/or neccessities that they couldn't have otherwise afforded. it's a really great program and i love doing it.

but today, i have volunteered to run around and pick up a good portion of gifts from people/businesses throughout the community. and since i have a little Toyota Corolla, i will be making several trips throughout the day. heh. oh well, it's all well worth it.

ok... i'm off! happy friday everyone!

uh... oh yeah... oops

2006-12-07T07:54:00.000-05:00

so, evonne reminded me yesterday that i signed up for Holidailies. i've already missed the first 5 days because i was busy and didn't post until yesterday. i suck so badly at posting every day! i'm just so busy. plus, without having a job and computer (with fast internet) to go to everyday, sometimes i just don't really want to post. i hate dial-up.

anyway... i am going to try (try very, very hard!) to post something every day from here on out. that's a promise. :)

Weight Loss Wednesday #5

2006-12-06T11:50:00.000-05:00

woohoo! i actually have some weight LOSS to report!

current weight: 144
week #4 weight: 146

i've had to force myself to calm down with the food/goodies; i've gone back to the point system with WW. there has been 2 days where i've strayed, but it hasn't been too bad. i'm happy to be down the 2 pounds, FINALLY. in the back of my mind i was secretly hoping for a 5 pound loss, or something crazy like that, but i've done this whole thing before, so i know that's rather unrealistic. especially with the minimal amount of weight i'm trying to lose. if i had 100 lbs, rather than 10 lbs, i could probably lose 5 pounds in one week. but i don't. so, shut up brain. slow and steady wins the race. or something cheesy like that.

as far as exercise goals? i went to the gym 3 times last week. it isn't five, but three is good. i'm right in the middle of a VERY busy time for me (volunteering for a Christmas program, holiday parties, family holidays, ACK!), so i'm hoping to get to the gym 2-3 days in a week. i might not even make that, but if i don't, i'll just have to watch what i eat even more (especially at those holiday parties!).

all in all it has been a rather good week. i'm happy with it.

Weight Loss Wednesday #4 (one day late)

2006-11-30T20:37:00.000-05:00

ok, so I completely forgot to do my Weight Loss Wednesday yesterday! i weighed myself in the morning so that i was ready to go, but then i forgot. i don't know what i was thinking...

anyway...

current weight: 146
starting weight: 142

so... i gained 1 pound, overall, from last week. not bad considering it was Thanksgiving and all. but i'm still up 4 pounds total, which SUCKS. but that's alright.... just keep pluggin' away.

i have started doing the WW plan again. today was pretty difficult, but i stuck to it and did well. i remember the first week or two being the most difficult when i first started way back in 2001. i'm really tired of my extra pudginess right now so i've gotta get my eating back in control. it'll get easier.

holy crap!

2006-11-27T20:50:00.000-05:00

eek! you guys! guess what??

I'M ENGAGED!!!!

WHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[will fill you in later after shock and excitement subside]

i don't do this often enough

2006-11-23T20:14:00.000-05:00

I don’t take enough time to be thankful for all of the wonderful things in my life. I tend to dwell on the negative things, which is never a good habit. When I was growing up, my siblings and I always had to talk about the things we were thankful for at the Thanksgiving dinner table. Back then I thought it was lame and I would roll my eyes every time my dad started with his little speech. But now? I really realize just how important it is to stop and be thankful. I should really do it every day, but I’ve got to start somewhere, right? And I guess Thanksgiving Day is a good place to start.

First of all, I am thankful for my parents. The older I get, the more I realize just how much they did for me. How much they sacrificed. How much they worked.

I’m thankful that my parents are still together after 31 years.

I’m thankful that my parents loved me and that they taught me to love all others, too.

I'm thankful for all of my extended family who, despite being far away, has always been so loving and open.

I'm thankful for Dean; the most patient and understanding man I have ever known. I'm thankful that he is so supportive and that although he's a bit strapped for cash as well, he's helping me through this whole unemployment thing.

I'm thankful for my new "adopted" family. The family I have become a part of because of Dean. The family that, from day 1, has welcomed me like a daughter.

I'm thankful for my cat, Charlotte, who is more of my baby than a pet. I'm thankful that I can still afford to care for her and give her the things she needs.

I'm thankful for the unwaivering love Charlotte shows me. The way she curls up in my lap while I'm watching TV or working on the computer. The way she begs me to hold her when I come home after being away, even if it was only a few hours. The way she looks up at me when i'm holding her in my arms.

I'm thankful for my friends. We've been through a lot.

I'm thankful for Erin who I consider my sister, not just a best friend.

I'm thankful for TiVo because, duh!

I'm thankful for getting laid off my job. Even though I'm still unemployed, I was given a fabulous opportunity to try my hand at teaching. And, not surprisingly, I adore it.

I'm thankful that I've finally found a job that I actually love.

I'm thankful I haven't needed any medical attention seeing as I don't have insurance! (Let's hope I continue to not need medical attention!)

I'm thankful for love.

I'm thankful for the good in the world.

And, lastly, I'm thankful for all you guys, too! If it weren't for you, I'd be here talking to myself. haha. seriously, though, it's been great getting to know you guys and I hope it can continue!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Weight Loss Wednesday, week #3

2006-11-22T17:20:00.000-05:00

ok, so let's get the hard part out of the way, shall we?

current weight: 145 lbs
week 2 weight: 145 lbs
starting weight: 142 lbs

so, i didn't gain any weight. that's good. but i didn't lose any weight. that's not so good. i had a rough week with food last week, but hey, i was PMSing. and that's a tough time to conquer.

anyway... i did make it to the gym 5 days last week so at least i reached that goal. so far this week? i haven't been to the gym yet. i'm obviously not going to reach my gym goal this week. what's my punishment, Frema?

tomorrow is Thanksgiving. usually Thanksgiving is the one day during the year that i allow myself to eat whatever the heck i want. i'm usually quite disciplined during the year with food, so at Thanksgiving i tend to go hog wild (no pun intended). this year? i'm going to have to restrain myself. i've eaten enough cholesterol-rising, artery-clogging junk food these past 2 months to last me a few years. so my goal this week (since the workout thing just isn't happening)? to eat sensible portions of food at Thanksgiving and to limit the desserts. this is going to be quite difficult because we will be visiting both Dean's parents and my parents tomorrow and will be exposed to lots and lots of food and goodies. but i've really got to remind my brain what real portions are and how much food is "just right" rather than "too much". i also need to eat more slowly so my brain can get the message from my stomach that it's done.

so... yeah... not too exciting this week, but what can you do? :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

why hadn't i tried this before?

2006-11-17T11:32:00.000-05:00

i just tried a new food! astounding, i know. want to know what it was? I just tried a pomegranate! the grocery store had a little "user guide" on how to prepare a pomegranate, so i took one and decided to buy a pomegranate to try it out. it was kind of fun picking out all the little juicy seeds (the part you eat). you have to do it all under water so that the membrane floats to the top and the part you eat sinks to the bottom. then you just collect all the membrane and throw it away.

a pomegranate is juicy and yummy. slightly tart, yet sweet. you eat the whole seed, too, so it's packed with fiber. i give it two thumbs up! you should definitely try one!

Weight Loss Wednesday, week 2

2006-11-15T15:17:00.000-05:00

welcome to the second installment of Weight Loss Wednesday! i've got good news and i've got bad news. which would you like to hear first? the bad news? ok, then.

starting weight: 142
wk 2 weight: 145

yup. i gained 3 pounds. i'm a little embarrassed, but i am PMSing, so that's a big factor. and, as Frema said, "water retention from your cycle adds five pounds, so take those away and you actually lost two!" i like the way you think, kid. :)

anyway... the good news? i met my exercise goal last week! i was at the gym 5 days last week and kicked butt with my running. in fact, i hit 4.5 miles yesterday! i've already noticed that my runs are getting easier. i'm starting to think that maybe, just maybe, i can do this running thing after all!

Look! A post that's NOT about my weight and/or exercise!

2006-11-14T08:22:00.000-05:00

ok, so, i've been doing the Substitute Teaching thing, right? it's been going great except for the fact that i've only had 2 placements so far. i'm getting rather frustrated about that. last week i didn't have any placements and so far this week i haven't seen anything available either. i know it's still somewhat early in the school year and that once the holidays are closer people will start taking days off, but i am so anxious to work it's insane. i never really thought that i could be excited about work, but here i am. i'm sure it's a combination of loving the job and the fact that i go a bit more insane with each day i am stuck at home. but i digress.

at this point, i am secretly wishing for all the elementary teachers to get sick so i can sub for them. not seriously ill, of course, just sick enough for me to have a placement every day. :)

holy cow

2006-11-11T14:32:00.000-05:00

i ran 4 miles today.

let me repeat that...

I. RAN. FOUR. MILES.

it may not seem like a lot to some, but let me tell you, that is HUGE for me.

also, i ran the first 3 miles in 37 minutes. that's about 4 minutes off of what i ran last week. i had to slow down after i hit 3.25 miles in order to keep going, but i did it.

4 miles.

*whew*

surprises

2006-11-09T21:41:00.000-05:00

ok, so i'm supposed to be honest and upfront about all my food and weight loss stuff right? i mean, i did promise Frema. well, this morning was a rough one. i was having crazy cravings and COULD. NOT. STOP. i can eat enormous amounts of food some times. i guess it's technically called binging, but i've never called it that. people really do have that sort of condition and mine has never quite been like that, so i wouldn't want to belittle their situation.

ANYWAY. today, i had a bowl of ice cream at 9AM. 9am! with chocolate syrup and nuts! was that really necessary? no, but i was on a roll. i had about a dozen Fun Size pieces of halloween candy. a toasted english muffin with strawberry cream cheese. half a roll of life savers. a cup of applesauce. not to mention the 2 serving sized bowl of Fruity Cheerios i had for breakfast first. by lunch time i was getting a little sick so i forced myself to find things to do around the house. i cleaned the bathroom, picked up the kitchen and tv room and worked on a Sudoku puzzle. i did have a turkey sandwich some time in the middle of all that.

but, all that aside, i did get to the gym today and had a great workout. first, i worked on the elliptical machine for 45 minutes with the tension up a few notches. after that, for some reason, i had a second burst of energy and recided to go running for a bit on the treadmill. i ended up running for 2.5 miles before i just couldn't keep my legs moving. but, i ran my first mile in 12:00 minutes, which i was quite happy with. the rest of the 1.5 miles i ran faster than i normally do, so overall i was pleased. and then, when i got home, Dean was working on a dinner of tuna steaks and grilled asparagus. it was HEAVENLY. and soooooo yummy.

so... at least i'm still getting the workouts in. that's the first thing i need to get back.

Weight Loss Wednesday

2006-11-08T17:22:00.000-05:00

ok, so i haven't really talked about this yet, but Frema, my Internet Exercise Buddy, and i have started a workout plan. i've been unemployed for just about 2 months now and have spent a majority of those days cooped up in the house eating all the junk food i can manage. it's a sad sight.

so! with the help of Frema i am recommiting myself to healthy foods and gym time. i don't have a whole lot of weight to lose, but a little bit of weight is harder to lose than a lot of weight. so, first thing's first.

STARTING WEIGHT: 142 lbs

according to both Weight Watchers and the BMI chart, someone of my height (5'3") and age range (25-45) should have an upper target of 135 lbs with 141 lbs being the absolute maximum. since i have always been a bit more muscular than most females, i am going to shoot for 135 lbs.

GOAL: 135 lbs

i got down to 125 lbs when i was 23-24. i really miss that weight but i don't think it's feesable now. so 135 is my goal. for now. we'll see if it changes.

anywho, i have already been to the gym 3 days so far this week and i'm feeling a lot better than last week. i had to force myself to go to Spinning class on monday night, but i went and felt so much better. now that i've gotten over that first hump, it's been easier to get moving. my exercise goal?

GOAL: workout 5 days a week

i'm already pretty used to working out, which is good, so that's why i'm aiming for 5 days a week. also? 2-3 of those days are going to be running days. i ran 3 miles on tuesday and it was TORTURE. i couldn't get into a rhythm at ALL and i constantly wanted to stop. i didn't get any cramps, which is good, but those 3 miles were rough. it will get easier the more i do it, so that's what i've gotta do; keep on doing it.

so... that's it, i suppose. oh! except for the picture. since Frema was brave, i will be, too.

PS: thanks to Lizzie for allowing Frema and I to copy her Weight Loss Wednesdays!

Election Day

2006-11-07T16:36:00.000-05:00

just a quick note to say that I hope all of you have voted / will be voting today! i did my duty this morning (heh, i said DOOOTY). you know the craziest part, though? Virginia apparently had a gay marriage ban on the books to be voted on and i didn't even know it! it was not publicized at ALL where i live. i'm glad i voted, though. i really wanted to cast my vote for that one [i voted 'NO', by the way, and i'm not afraid to say so].

so, no matter what your beliefs/opinions, get out there and vote today!

well, so much for that

2006-11-05T10:36:00.000-05:00

i failed NaBloPoMo on Day #4. isn't that sad? oh well. now i won't feel so bad when i'm out of town the last weekend of this month.

anyway... we finished up the Haunted Hayride this weekend. it's quite a relief to have it finished; especially for Dean. he was in charge of the whole thing this year and he's quite happy that it's finished. he had a great time planning it and running it, but he's happy to have the pressure off. we took a couple group pictures but i don't have them. i'll post them once they're emailed to me.

now we all get a chance to relax for a week or so before it's time to start working full force on Christmas Toy Workshop.

NaBloPoMo - Day #3

2006-11-03T16:47:00.000-05:00

i just recently got back from my 2nd official day of Substitute Teaching. yes, i went with the subbing. and you know what? i love it. i really do. today i subbed for the Gifted and Talented teacher; those kids were awesome! smart and well behaved.

anyway... i'm exhausted and hungry so that's all i can muster up for tonight. later. :)

NaBloPoMo - Day #2

2006-11-02T14:58:00.000-05:00

Day 2 and i've already got writer's block. is that a bad sign?

i just found some yummy pie recipies online and figured i would share. :)
(all recipies courtesy of Better Homes and Garden and MSN... here)

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Caramel-Apple Pie
Makes: 10 servings
Prep: 35 minutes
Bake: 55 minutes

Ingredients

1 recipe Piecrust (see recipe below)

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

6 cups peeled and coarsely chopped Jonathan apples

1/2 cup caramel-apple dip

2 tablespoons milk

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

Directions
1. Prepare Piecrust. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough from center to edge into a 12-inch circle. Wrap pastry around a rolling pin. Unroll into a 9-inch pie plate. Ease pastry into pie plate. Trim to 1/2 inch beyond edge of plate. Fold under pastry; crimp. Don't prick pastry.

2. For filling, in a large bowl, combine granulated sugar, the 1/4 cup flour, and the cinnamon. Add the apples and toss to coat. Transfer to pastry-lined pie plate. Combine 2 tablespoons of the caramel-apple dip and the milk; drizzle over apples.

3. In a mixing bowl, combine the 1 cup flour and the brown sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over filling. Cover edge of pie with foil to prevent overbrowning. Place on a baking sheet.

4. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes more or until golden. Cool 10 minutes. Drizzle remaining caramel dip over top. Cool pie on a wire rack.

Piecrust: In a medium bowl, cut 1/3 cup butter into 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour with a pastry blender until pieces are the size of peas. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon milk over part of the mixture; gently toss with a fork. Repeat moistening the dough, using 3 tablespoons more milk (1 tablespoon at a time), until all the dough is moistened. Shape into a ball.

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Peachy Cranberry Pie
Makes: 8 servings
Prep: 40 minutes
Bake: 40 minutes
Cook: 2 minutes
Cool: 2 hour
Stand: 2 hour

Ingredients

1 29-ounce can peach slices in heavy syrup

1 12-ounce package fresh or frozen cranberries (3 cups)

1-1/4 to 1-1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup shortening

6 to 7 tablespoons cold water

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degree F. Drain peach slices, reserving 1/2 cup syrup. Cut the peach slices crosswise into thirds; set aside. In a large saucepan, combine reserved syrup and cranberries. Bring to boiling; reduce heat to medium. Cook, uncovered, until the cranberry skins pop, stirring occasionally (about 2 minutes).

2. In a small bowl, stir together sugar and cornstarch. Add sugar mixture to the cranberry mixture. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat; stir in the peaches. Set aside and keep warm.

3. In a medium bowl, stir together flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening until pieces are pea-size. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the water over part of the mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to side of the bowl. Repeat moistening dough, using 1 tablespoon of the water at a time, until the dough is moistened. Divide in half. Form each half into a ball.

4. On a lightly floured surface, flatten one dough ball. Roll from center to edges into a 12-inch circle. To transfer pastry, wrap it around the rolling pin; unroll into a 9-inch pie plate. Ease pastry into pie plate, being careful not to stretch pastry. Trim bottom pastry to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate.

5. Roll out remaining pastry to a 12-inch circle and cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Fill pastry-lined pie plate with cranberry mixture. Lay half of the pastry strips 1/2 inch apart on top of the filling. Arrange remaining strips 1/2 inch apart on top of the first strips in a diamond-shaped pattern. Trim ends of strips even with edge of bottom pastry. Press ends of strips into crust rim. Fold edge of bottom pastry over edge of strips; seal and crimp edge as desired.

6. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until filling is bubbly and pastry is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack at least 2 hours. Serve warm, or to store, cover and let stand at room temperature for up to 24 hours.

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Autumn Apple Pie
Makes: 8 servings
Prep: 35 minutes
Bake: 50 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup shortening

6 to 7 tablespoons cold water

2/3 to 3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Dash ground nutmeg

6 to 8 medium apples, peeled and sliced (7-1/2 cups)

1/4 cup dried cranberries or cherries, or snipped dried apricots or figs, or raisins (optional)

2 tablespoons margarine or butter

Milk

Sugar

Directions
1. For pastry, stir together 2 cups all-purpose flour and salt in a medium bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening until pieces are the size of small peas. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cold water over part of mixture, then gently toss with a fork. Push to side of the bowl. Repeat, using more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until all is moistened. Divide dough in half. Form each half into a ball.

2. On a lightly floured surface, flatten one ball of dough with your hands. Using a rolling pin, roll dough from the center to the edge, forming a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Transfer pastry to a 9-inch pie plate. Carefully ease pastry into pie plate, being careful not to stretch it. Roll out remaining ball of dough to a 12-inch circle.

3. For filling, stir together sugar, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Add apples and dried fruit, if desired; toss to coat. If apples lack tartness, add 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Transfer apple mixture to pastry-lined pie plate. Trim bottom pastry to the edge of pie plate. Cut margarine or butter into small pieces; place on top of apples.

4. Make decorative cutouts in top crust to allow steam to escape. Place top crust on filling. Trim to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold top crust under bottom crust; seal and flute as desired. Brush top crust with milk and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Cover edge of pie with foil to prevent overbrowning.

5. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil. Bake 20 to 25 minutes more or until top is golden. Cool on wire rack. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers, and use within 2 days.

Make-ahead tip: Prepare and bake pie. Cool. Cover and chill up to 2 days.