Can I write a post in 9 minutes?

We'll see.

That is how much time I have before I should wake Lucas up from his nap. I fear we will be venturing into 'no nap' territory sometime soon. The other day I tried (unsuccessfully) to put Lucas to bed for a nap for almost 2 hours. Sometimes I have to remember to step back from the situation and really think about how important what I am trying to do is. (I'm pretty sure that last sentence broke all kinds of grammar rules). No one died because Lucas didn't have a nap. In fact he was perfectly well behaved the rest of the day. This is what made me scared that soon he will not be having naps. Which isn't entirely bad because I won't be confined to my house for the afternoon all the time.

Time is up. Turns out one paragraph takes me 9 minutes. And now it is two days later....when I have finally had time to sit at the computer again.

When you have more than one child you learn fast that not everyone is going to get their needs taken care of immediately. The ability to multitask is a required skill, and if you don't know how to do it already, you will learn to in order to survive. You have to plan about 5 steps ahead, knowing that you only have a limited amount of time before Sesame Street is over or before a soother will no longer do the trick. All of this multitasking causes my brain to go into overdrive and sometimes I need to remember to slow down and just be in the moment. The other day I put in a movie for Lucas to watch while I fed Eli, grabbed my house phone to talk to my sister while I fed him and my cell phone to check my email. When I finally sat down to feed Eli I realized the insanity of all this running around and just sat and enjoyed. I listened to Lucas tell me all about the characters in his movie and what was going to happen next, and stared at Eli in amazement that I have this wonderful baby in my arms that will grow way too fast.

If I don't leave the house at least once I day I start to go stir crazy. So far this winter I have managed to still leave the house once a day, but we are running out of stuff to do!! I have no problems finding things to do on the days when Lucas is at daycare, but finding a fun activity for a 2 year old to do while I cart a newborn around is becoming a challenge. So far we have been hitting up the library and the play areas at both Lawson and Market Mall. I love those play areas. I can sit and watch from a close distance while Lucas runs around and burns off some energy. Any other great ideas to keep us entertained??? Preferably ones that are free/cheap??

New Year's Grinch

Day 4 of not being projectile vomited on....let's hope the streak continues.

I don't believe in New Year's resolutions. In fact, I am a New Year's grinch. Going out for New Year's Eve is always more trouble than it is worth and expensive to boot. Terry and I happily spent New Year's Eve at home and toasted with champagne at midnight. Terry asked me what I want to do this year - what I want to accomplish. I guess resolutions are just things you want to accomplish in the coming year, so maybe I'm not completely against them.

This year I would like to sell our house and get one that is more suitable for our family. These boys are going to need space to run or they are going to drive their mom crazy. There is nothing wrong with our house, it's just that we were not thinking of kids when we bought it. At the time, the market was just starting to get crazy and there was not much to choose from. So from the houses we looked at, this one was cream of the crop and we were lucky to get it. No regrets there, it's just that we have outgrown this space and need one that is more suitable for us. So in order to accomplish this one, we have a bit of work to do to get our house ready to sell. Not sure where we are going to find the time, but we have to!!

The other thing I would like to happen this year is a change in my career path. This isn't something I have a whole lot of control over. This past year at work was really a struggle but I have put it behind me and now I'm looking ahead. I don't want to think about going back to work anytime soon, but I will have to at some point this year. No matter what happens I know (or have high hopes!) it will be an improvement over my prior situation so that is something to look forward to.

Losing weight is everyone's resolution. It just happens to be that I had a baby in December and now in the New Year I am ready to get back into working out. I love to exercise. I love pushing myself and feeling good after a hard run or soccer game. I know I am going to struggle to find time to exercise. It's not an excuse, it's just an adjustment I am going to have to make. I am going back to soccer this weekend and starting Bellies and Buns with Baby at the Field House next week as well. I am really looking forward to both!! I loved that class at the Field House on my first mat leave with Lucas, and soccer is just an excuse to get out and hang out with the girls. Hopefully Eli will take a bottle so I can get to as many games as possible.

Christmas was fantastic. My sister came home from Vancouver and stayed with us for 10 days and was a tremendous help. Lucas misses his buddy Auntie Amy. When I win the lottery I think I'm going to hire her as our live-in nanny!! Don't worry Ames I will get you your own guest house. We were back and forth between here and my parent's house all week and it was so nice to get together with our family. I think I was a bit stressed out just trying to leave the house with everything in order and trying to keep Eli happy and fed. I'm sure I was a bit snappy or short-tempered at times, and for this I apologize (Amy and Mom this is mostly directed at you!). I have to try and not let the little things bother me or I'll go crazy before the year is over. So Amy, thank you so much for all of your help. And to Mom and Dad for hosting us so many times over the holidays. In fact that thank you should be an ongoing one for the tremendous amount of help with both Eli and Lucas all the time.

Eli is doing great. His eyes just melt my heart and I forgot what it was like to have a baby fall asleep in my arms and cuddle in to my chest. I am so incredibly fortunate to have two healthy, wonderful boys. I just might need to be reminded of that during the trying moments that are sure to come this year.

Super Amber

OK so I kind of feel like a superhero today.....

Today was the first day (and only day until January) that I am entirely on my own. Terry is at work for a few days this week, leaving me to tackle taking care of two kids on my own for the first time.

I'm not sure what possessed me to schedule my first outing with two kids on my first day alone with them at home, but everything turned out alright. I ventured out today to see my friends at work and get some groceries for Christmas Eve dinner. Leaving the house with a newborn and a two year old in the wintertime is a marvelous accomplishment. For those of you with more kids who manage to leave the house from December to March....not sure how you do it. I think today was a fluke of nature, because none of the following happened while I was trying to leave the house:

-A wrestling match trying to put Lucas' jacket on (thankfully this has only happened a handful of times)
-Eli spitting up everywhere
-Seeing Lucas' poop face after I just put on all of his winter gear
-Forgetting an important item inside the house and realizing just as I get into the van
-A meltdown because a certain blanket is not allowed outside the house

These things are bound to happen, I'm just thankful none of them did today.

I would like to thank the following for helping me accomplish my first outing alone:

1. My iPhone. For entertaining Lucas while I am loading up Eli into the van and also while waiting in the drive thru line at Tim's. No matter what Terry says, you were certainly a worthwhile investment.

2. David from Safeway for taking my groceries out to my van.

3. Most of all, my two wonderful boys who were so well behaved while I got groceries.

Now both boys are having an afternoon nap. I should really be ironing, washing my floor, doing my dishes, vacuuming, etc etc etc. Relaxing on the computer while watching What Not to Wear seems like a good use of my time.

Looking forward to many more outings like today, but trying not to get too cocky.....I know not everyday will go as smoothly!!

Over and out....Merry Christmas.

Baby Eli

Eli John Terry Fusco was born December 11th, 2010 at 11:36 am. Weighing 9 lbs 5 oz, 21 inches long.

These past couple of days have been a complete whirlwind. My doctor made the decision to induce me on Friday, since Monday would have put me 2 weeks over my due date of November 29th. I went into the hospital Friday morning and they gave me Cervidil and sent me home to wait to go into labour. I started having contractions around 3 pm or so and at 8 pm we made the decision to go to the hospital. This delivery was completely different than Lucas. Things were very slow going this time and they really had to try a lot of things to get him to come out. The contractions were manageable at this point and when I had my last one right before my epidural kicked in at 3:30 am I thought I had felt the last of the pain I was going to feel from delivery. I was sadly mistaken. They broke my water at about 5 to get things going and when that still wasn't moving things along they gave me some Syntocin to make my contractions stronger. At this point I was still at around 5-6 cm and had been like that for hours. At about 11 am I started feeling very painful contractions only on one side, and when I told the nurse I could feel them she wasn't too concerned. She checked me and I was 9 cm. I think this sent her into a bit of a panic because she started grabbing stuff and moving things around. All of a sudden I had two really painful contractions and then PAIN LIKE I WAS GOING TO DIE. Earlier in the morning Terry and I had heard a woman down the hall sounding like she was in obvious pain and we were both glad I was not that lady. I was worse than that lady. I have never screamed so loud in my life. I told the nurse I had to push. I guess there was no doctor in the room (I pretty much blacked out at this point....so I had no idea), so she told me not to push. Too bad lady. The resident got there just in time and after 3 pushes he was out.

I was not expecting the pain at all and I think that's what made it so much worse. With Lucas, I didn't feel a thing and was expecting the same thing this time around. I felt everything. I know what all of you natural birth superheros are saying in your heads right now (Boooo hooo.....I felt every contraction right until the end) but I had no intention of being a superhero.

9 lbs 5 oz. The exact same as Lucas. We grow 'em big over here at the Fuscos.

Today he is great. Yesterday was absolutely terrible. In the hospital I got a few stretches of uninterrupted sleep while Eli slept in his little basket and I thought "Oh great, this baby won't need to be picked up all the time like Lucas was at the beginning". Again I was sadly mistaken.

Breastfeeding with Lucas was a huge struggle at the beginning. It was incredibly painful for almost 6 weeks. I really, really, really did not want to go through that again with this baby. I asked every nurse to come in and help me feed Eli while I was in the hospital and things seemed to be going OK. The Healthy in Home nurse came yesterday morning and also gave me some really good pointers. But nothing I tried seemed to be working, and everything hurt. Eli was very unsettled and looking back he was obviously hungry. He was very demanding and cried every time he was put down. He barely slept at all. I cried pretty much all day. I cried because I was overwhelmed that I would not be able to care for two kids. I cried because I was so busy trying to console Eli that I hardly got to be Lucas' Mom at all. I missed him when he was right there next to me in the room. I cried because I love Lucas so much and hadn't yet bonded with this new baby like I had with Lucas. I cried because Terry is an amazing husband and just kept everything going while I was having a meltdown. I cried because I was not going to be able to breastfeed if this is how things were going to be and that made me so sad. Then my milk came in. Last night at about 11 pm feeding Eli finally felt right and comfortable. He has been a completely different baby since then. He sleeps. He slept in his crib last night for 2 almost 4 hour stretches. He cuddles. He is calm and seems happy. Happy baby, happy Mom.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Relief.

I have a good friend who has always been very honest in the struggles she faced when she had her second baby. Why is that the exception to the rule? Whenever you ask a new mom how she is doing, 99% of the time she says "I'm great. Everything is going swimmingly and I love being a Mom." or something to that effect. I would guess we do this because it is a front we feel we have to put on to make it appear as if we know exactly what we are doing and of course we are not having any problems. I thought about this friend a lot yesterday and it really helped me get through the day. Knowing that someone else had felt what I had felt and I wasn't the only one. She sent me a very nice message last night that cheered me up immensely. Thank you!!!

Hopefully this new version of Eli is here to stay. I am very lucky that I have a lot of help and support these first few weeks. January is going to come as a bit of a shock when Terry goes back to work full time but I will try to enjoy and appreciate these first couple of weeks having so much family around. I'm sure there will be times when that feeling of being completely overwhelmed will return, and there will be times when there is so much to do I don't know which kid to look after first, but hopefully I can take everything as it comes. For now I am a happy Mom of two beautiful boys.

Christmas Baking

Well....this baby is taking it's sweet time making it's arrival. Last week Lucas spent some time at daycare so I could "get some rest" before the big event.

I am bad at resting. I get bored easily. As soon as my PVR was empty, and my book was finished (Lisbeth Salander.....I bid you adieu) I was at a loss for what to do. I KNOW that there is always stuff to do in my house (my Mom: Go clean out a drawer or something. Are your windowsills wiped???) but that is neither restful nor enjoyable.

So I resorted to Christmas baking. Not restful but definitely enjoyable. I am taking a cupcake hiatus for Christmas to direct my energy at other baking projects. I have been collecting online recipes and finally had the chance to make some of them.

My baking list:

Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispie Squares
Marshmallow Crunch Brownie Bars
Sugar Cookie Bars
Peppermint Balls
Coconut Balls
Peanut Butter Kisses Cookies
Butter Tart Squares

A trip to Bulk Barn was definitely in order to get all of the ingredients. YOU GUYS. Bulk Barn is like baker's paradise. Anything you could ever need for baking IN BULK. BULK ICING SUGAR. Awesome. It's probably a good thing that it is so far away from my house. A lot of unnecessary cash would be spent there otherwise.

I tried to pick recipes that weren't too complicated or involved a lot of work. Lots of squares. Pour into a pan, cool and cut. Easy!! No messing around with cupcake tins, or cookie cutters.

So far I have made the PB Rice Krispie Squares, Marshmallow Crunch Brownie Bars, Sugar Cookie Bars and Butter Tart Squares. The butter tart squares were a special request from my sister, and turned out to be my favourite of the things I have made so far.

I wouldn't recommend the marshmallow brownies....the marshmallow layer was problematic and they don't look nice. But they taste good....which should be all that matters.

Terry's one request for Christmas baking was Sugar Cookies. UGGGGGGHHHHHH. Making dough, rolling it out, cutting out cookies, baking them, making icing, then decorating the cookies?? NO THANK YOU. Does not fall into my theme this year of easy, non-time consuming recipes. So I found a compromise. SUGAR COOKIE BARS. They taste just like sugar cookies, with none of the work!!! I would highly recommend them. Recipes below.

Sugar Cookie Bars

1 cup butter (room temperature)
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
5 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp almond extract

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Add vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda and stir with a whisk to combine. Add to wet mixture and mix just until combined. Spread into a 13 x 18 pan. I didn't have this big of a pan so I used a 13 x 9 inch pan and an 8 x8 inch pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 min, until light golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean (they won't look done so do the toothpick test). Cool completely and frost.

Frosting

4 cups icing sugar
4 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons light corn syrup (this makes the frosting all shiny....just add more water if you don't care about shiny-ness)
1 teaspoon almond extract (or to taste, I probably used 2 teaspoons)

Ta-da!!!

Butter Tart Squares

Crust:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup butter

Filling:
1/4 cup melted butter
4 eggs - lightly beaten
2 cups brown sugar (packed)
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups raisins (I used golden ones)
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (I used pecans)

In bowl, mix flour with sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly using pastry blender. Press into a 13 x 9 inch pan and bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Filling: In bowl, mix butter with eggs. Blend in sugar, flour, baking powder, vanilla and salt. Stir in raisins and nuts and pour over crust. Bake at 350 for 20-25 mins.



Mmmmmmmmm!!!!

Hopefully I will have time to make the rest of my list this week. But then again....hopefully this baby comes and I won't!!

Dear Lucas

You are two!!!

(Or at least you will be in about 10 days....we had to have your party early because of your new little brother or sister.....hope you don't mind....)

I can't believe you are two. You have grown so fast, too fast for Mom. We had your birthday party yesterday, and Grandma Jackie, Grandpa John, Grandma and Grandpa V, Uncle Lee and Kate all came to celebrate with you. You are such a spoiled little boy and loved by so many. You have everything a little boy could wish for and more. Your favourite gift? A harmonica from your Uncle Lee.

Even though you are a big boy now, you still love cuddles from your Mom and you are such a sensitive little guy. You don't like getting into trouble, and you are sad when Mom and Dad tell you "No". You love love love playing with all of your cars and trucks, and even take a few to bed with you each night. You know all the letters of the alphabet, and you are getting really good at your colors. You are so smart and make Mom and Dad so proud. I know you are going to be a fantastic big brother to the new baby.

My favourite time of the day is when you wake up in the morning and say "Mommmy mommy" and run into my arms when I go into your room. You are the sunshine in my day Lucas, and Mom and Dad are so lucky to have such a special little boy. We love you so much!!! Happy Birthday!!!

Sometimes you just have to make a snowman

Sometimes you can't drop everything and play trucks, you just have to get the dishes done. And sometimes you are too tired to do anything but snuggle on the couch and watch Cars for the 100th time, even though you know there has been too much TV watched today.

But sometimes you have to leave the dishes and the laundry and the vacuuming and just grab your coat and boots to go make a snowman:

Forced Nesting - Chicken Mushroom Rigatoni

That is what I have been doing. Forcing myself to get things done around here in fear that I won't be ready when the baby arrives. Still so much to do!!! Plan a 2 year old's birthday party (sniff sniff.....does 2 mean he isn't a baby anymore????), and clean clean clean clean clean. Thank goodness I have the cooking done.

Are you hearing this??? Cooking and cleaning??? Since when have these ever been important to me?? Soooooooooooo lame.

Anyway, I had a few requests for my Chicken Mushroom Rigatoni recipe. I took this recipe from Canadian Family magazine and adapted it a little bit by adding chicken and mushrooms. I am planning on serving it for Lucas' birthday meal. I wanted to make the main dish ahead of time so I didn't have to stress out too much about supper and I could just relax and enjoy the party.

Chicken Mushroom Rigatoni

1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots (who ever has shallots on hand???? I used an onion.)
1 tbsp minced garlic
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
2 cups soy milk (I used 2% milk)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper (which is not nearly enough. I am a pepper freak and probably used close to 2 tsp or more)
Pinch nutmeg (hmmm....I just realized I forgot to add that when I made it)
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb rigatoni
4 cups baby spinach (I think they mean fresh, I used frozen and just added some until I thought it looked like enough)
1 cup grated mozza cheese
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
chopped mushrooms - however many tickle your fancy

Preheat oven to 425. Lightly grease 9 x 13 inch pan. Cube chicken breast, and saute it in a large skillet until browned. In a separate frying pan, saute garlic and onion in oil until translucent. Add butter; when it has melted, whisk in flour. Add milk and whisk until smooth. Continue to cook until sauce thickens to the consistency of yogurt. Stir in salt, pepper, nutmeg and Parmesan cheese. Reduce heat to minimum and stir occasionally.

While making sauce, bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add rigatoni and cook for 8 minutes; drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. (The pasta will not be fully cooked but not to worry you are baking it in the oven later). Add spinach to pasta pot and top with just cooked pasta. Add sauce and cooked chicken and stir until well combined. Transfer to prepared pan and top with mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Delish!

Maybe I will post some of my other recipes from time to time. And by my recipes I mostly mean my mom gave them to me.

Now just to make Lucas' cupcakes. I am going to try my best to keep it simple because......

a) Lucas doesn't care if there are little fondant cars on his cupcakes. He only cares he gets to eat them.
b) I am 9 months pregnant for Pete's sake and cupcakes are the last thing I should be worrying about. Still.....I probably will be going to sleep tonight thinking of ideas.

Home stretch!

5 more weeks to go, 3 more weeks of work. Hopefully I can do it. I remember last time I pushed myself a bit too far and was so exhausted and sore by the time I was done working. I told myself I wouldn't do it again but here I am. I'm starting to retain some fluid, and the doctor says if it gets any worse I will have to be done sooner.

I had also better be done before I start putting someone's life in danger because I have a serious case of baby brain going on. A few of my follies thus far:

1) While staying at Terry's parents for Thanksgiving, Lucas wet the bed. I threw his sheets and PJ's in the washing machine for a quick wash, along with his wet diaper. Don't do that ever. It leaves little white pieces of disintegrated diaper all over everything.

2) I picked up Lucas from daycare last week and looked back at him in his car seat, only socks on his feet. Forgot his shoes at daycare.

3) My daycare lady told me the other day that Lucas came with his pants on backwards that morning. Who is dressing this kid?!?!?

Also, I drop vials and pens at work almost every 5 minutes. Butterfingers.

Terry's cousin remarked that you would think for safety's sake you would get smarter during pregnancy to protect the baby and all that. No such luck over here.

Amber's Apple Pie

I hate making apple pie. Apple pie is the most work of all pies. Well pies that I've attempted anyway. All the peeling and coring and cooking and blah blah blah. Too much work. Pumpkin pie is more up my alley. I volunteered to bring pumpkin pie to Thanksgiving dinner at my in-laws and didn't want to make JUST pumpkin pie, I need two pies.

Apple pie is Terry's favourite dessert, and he doesn't even like dessert for the most part. When I met Terry he often had an apple pie in his fridge and thought that a piece of apple pie made for a legitimate breakfast. Just to be clear.....Terry didn't ask me to make him apple pie.....because he knows how much I loathe it. But how can I not when I know it's the only dessert he loves?? This apple pie is his anniversary present from me.

This is how I made my apple pie today. I no longer have the luxury of completing a task from start to finish without long breaks in between.

Amber's Apple Pie (adapted from Gesine Bullock-Prado's "Confections of a Closet Master Baker"):

Makes two double crusted pies. Because if you are going to go to all that work to make pie, why not just make two at once.

For crust: 8 cups all-purpose flour 5 cups cold butter (eeep!....no one said pie is good for you) 2 teaspoons salt (only add if you are using unsalted butter, I used salted butter so I omitted the salt) 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice stirred into 1 1/2 cups cold water Place the flour in a large bowl. Cut the butter in to 1-inch pieces. Add to the flour and incorporate with your hands, pinching and massaging the butter into the flour, making sure to leave discernable chunks of butter intact. Chunks of butter are good. Add the water/lemon juice to the flour and butter and mix gently until dough comes together sllightly. Shape the dough into a rough square and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Play trucks and barn animals while you wait.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into 1/2 inch thick rectangle. Give the dough 3 single turns, followed by one double turn. Cover and refrigerate.

Then Lucas and I went for a walk to the park. I have to remind myself that these times of just him and I are going to become fewer and fewer, so I have to take advantage of these last few months just the two of us. I thought I could also walk to Tim Horton's after the park and maybe to the mall to get a few things I needed, but being 8 months pregnant makes you tired apparently so I had to hop in the van and drive the 2 blocks to the mall. Sad.

That was enough for one morning so Lucas and I laid down for a loooooooong afternoon nap, sleeping together in Mom and Dad's bed. He never sleeps in our bed, so this was a special treat. When we got up, I continued my pie.......

For the filling:

17 apples (I used Royal Gala because they were on sale, but Spartan or Granny Smith would also be fine)
Lemon juice (just enough to toss with the apples so they don't brown while you are spending an eternity peeling and coring and slicing)
1 cup packed brown sugar 1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon cloves 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup heavy cream

Peel and slice the apples. You actually only need 16 apples for the pies, but another one if you have a little guy like I do that wants to pick up the apples you have peeled and sliced and take a bite out of each one. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

This is probably the part I hate most about making apple pie. It takes forever and it is tedious. So I needed a break after this to cook supper and play with Lucas before I put him to bed. He is SO MUCH FUN right now. I love this age. He still loves his mom and wants me to be with him all the time, and he is talking a mile a minute, pointing out everything he sees.

Combine the sugars, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves into a large bowl, add the apples and toss to coat. In a sturdy pot large enough to hold all the apples, melt the butter with the vanilla and cream. Add the apples and cook until the fruit is soft and the mixture thickens, about 20-30 minutes. While the apples are cooking, do the dishes and clean up the kitchen because it is probably a disaster right about now. Pick up toys off the floor and check on your buddy to make sure he is sleeping.

To assemble the pie:

Take your pastry and cut into fourths. You should see layers of dough and butter (I didn't see this, which made me really worried that my pies weren't going to turn out). When you roll, you want to press down on these layers. You don't want to lay the cut side down; make sure the layers are parallel to the rolling table and you are pressing the layers down into each other. Roll each piece into a 1o-inch circle. Transfer the first two circles to pie plates and crimp the edges. Freeze for at least a 1/2 hour. Wrap the other 10-inch rounds in plastic and refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the pie.

When you are ready to bake (and have almost lost your sanity from all of this work, and you don't even have any idea if this is going to turn out or not), preheat the oven to 350. Take the frozen pie shell from the freezer and stab the bottom of the shell with a fork a few times. Line the shell with foil or parchment paper and fill it with pie weights or dry beans or rice (so the bottom doesn't puff up like the rest of the crust). Bake until the edges are slightly golden, and the bottom of the shell no longer looks wet and raw, about 15 minutes. This is so the bottom of your pie won't be soggy.

Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon water to make an egg wash. Remove the foil and the weights/rice/beans and transfer the filling to the shell. Place your second dough circle on top of the filling. Brush the top of the dough with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 350 until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.

Stand back and marvel that your pies actually turned out. Vow to only make apple pie once a year to save your sanity. Go pass out in bed after your long day of pie baking.