Coming back from vacation with a ton of appointments is no fun, no fun at all I tell ya. Buuuut it has to be done. My week will consist of dentist appointments for five kids and a orthopedic appointment for a cast. Can I tell you something? I really. really dislike appointments. 
You know what else my week will consist of? Getting back on the treadmill. I officially pulled out my fat pants stretchy pants. Time to work off all the goodness I’ve eaten ALL.WEEK.LONG.
We had a wonderful stay-cation that consisted of hanging out, good food, waking up late and a broken thumb. Jay, One of our five, broke his thumb on Thanksgiving evening. We took him to the ER the following morning and sure enough x-rays revealed a broken thumb, (that the little stud popped back into place I might add.) When he came in with tears streaming down his face and his heart beating rapidly after a family friendly basketball game, he said, “Momma, my thumb was hanging off to the side and I put it back into place and heard a pop.” I know, TMI. but. well. that’s the skinny of it. The kid is a stud. If it happened to me, I’d of let it hang there. The Dr. told him, “He did the right thing by the looks of the x-ray and it saved him from doing it.” I have one question for that Dr., “Will that take $$$ off my bill.” Thought not! 
I’m pretty much immune after having four boys. This isn’t our first dance with a broken something or other. But the mommy in me grabbed him tight and held him close to my chest comforting his pain the best I could aaaand the Advil helped too. Coach went into trainer mode and started icing the kid twenty minutes on twenty off. We tagged team the poor kid all night. 
Let’s get to the Cherry Pie shall we?! This pie hit our table on Thanksgiving evening. And I’ve been mackin’ on it all through the week. Think that’s why I’ve had to pull out my stretchy pants?! Anywaaays, we enjoy the frozen Pacific Northwest Dark Sweet Pitted Organic Cherries that are heart healthy and high in antioxidants that are all natural with no preservatives. No, this isn’t a commercial or me promoting a product. ;) I just really love the frozen Organic Cherries from Costco. Although, I bet they’re not so heart healthy after eating the buttah crust that I poured these babies in along with the buttah crumb topping. But they are great to snack on just the same. Have a great week!
- approx. 4½ cups dark sweet pitted cherries, frozen
- 1 cup white sugar
- ¼ teaspoon pure almond extract
- 3 tablespoons minute tapioca
- 1 (9inch) pie crust
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- ½ cup salted butter, room temp.
- ½ cup white sugar
- In a medium sized bowl, bring cherries to room temp. Pour 1 cup sugar over cherries, stir. Add almond extract, stir. Now stir in minute tapioca.
- Meanwhile preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Pour cherry mixture into a prepared 9 inch pie crust. Set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, combine 1 cup flour, ½ cup butter and ½ cup white sugar with a pastry blender or fork until you get course like crumbs the size of peas. You’re now ready to top the pie with this buttery crumbly goodness.
- Bake pie in your preheated 400 degree F. oven for one hour or until filling is bubbling over the sides of the pie and top is a lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and place pie on a cooling rack.
Ingredients
- approx. 4 1/2 cups dark sweet pitted cherries, frozen
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 3 tablespoons minute tapioca
- 1 (9inch) pie crust
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup salted butter, room temp.
- 1/2 cup white sugar
Directions
- In a medium sized bowl, bring cherries to room temp. Pour 1 cup sugar over cherries, stir. Add almond extract, stir. Now stir in minute tapioca.
- Meanwhile preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Pour cherry mixture into a prepared 9 inch pie crust. Set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, combine 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup white sugar with a pastry blender or fork until you get course like crumbs the size of peas. You’re now ready to top the pie with this buttery crumbly goodness.
- Bake pie in your preheated 400 degree F. oven for one hour or until filling is bubbling over the sides of the pie and top is a lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and place pie on a cooling rack.
Notes You can make this pie a head of time without baking and stick it in the freezer. If doing so, wrap pie well with a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. To bake, bring pie to room temp. Remove plastic wrap and foil, bake as directed.
to make Texas sized muffins for my family when making muffins. It just makes sense to use a large sized muffin pan for this gang, especially how they eat.
