January 23, 2017 - National Pie Day - Elisa & Tanya's Pie Experiences

Elisa's Daily Scoop
NEXT TRIP DEPARTS IN: 81 DAYS

Fun Facts about Pies & A Special Birthday

Happy Monday!  

It's the start of a new week - lots of excitement for me because I just love the energy of the new work and school week!!

Today is also a very special day in my family -
​it's my mommy's birthday!!!

A big shout out to my Mom today - 
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

The bond between a mother and daughter is something that cannot be explained. As a mother of two daughters, I experience first-hand the joy and the challenge of this special and complicated relationship - and I wouldn't have it any other way!!

And for all those times I opened a fresh mouth or expressed a know-it-all attitude to you mom, you will be happy to know that there is poetic justice in the universe and I get it all back from my own girls! LOL.

Motherhood is a thankless job but one that none of us would ever trade, because the joys of those bonded and pride filled moments far outweigh anything else in life!!

Thanks for putting up with me mom!  Thanks for loving me and supporting me and mostly, thanks for just being you and being there!!

​I love you!!
(this is in green since it's your favorite color)

A few special memories of me and my mom!

AT THE EIFFEL TOWER IN 2013 (c)travelincousins.com

MOTHER'S DAY 2016 - LONG ISLAND (c)travelincousins.com

AT GIVERNY (NORMANDY) CLAUDE MONET'S HOUSE IN 2013 (c)travelincousins.com

SUMMER 2015 - EAST ROCKAWAY, NY (c)travelincousins.com

GONDOLA RIDE IN VENICE - SUMMER 2014 (c)travelincousins.com

PARIS OUTSIDE THE HOTEL REGINA 2013 (c)travelincousins.com

LEAVING JFK INTERNATIONAL FOR ROME (SUMMER 2014) (c)travelincousins.com

AT NOTRE DAME, PARIS (2013) (c)travelincousins.com

Did you know that today is also National Pie Day??

Why is it that Tanya and I are always celebrating food? Could it be that we absolutely love it and we love sharing the history of it, where in this great world it originated and understanding the impact on our culture and the culture around the world.

So, let's take a look at the history of pie and 17 Fun Facts about Pie

1. The Ancient Egyptians are thought to have been the first to make pies, from a pastry of oats or wheat around a honey filling.

2. In the Middle Ages in England, thick pie crusts were mainly seen as dishes in which to cook meat.Originally, the pie's pastry shell was designed to be used as a baking dish, storage container, and a way to serve the filling and was often tough and designed to be thrown away.


3. Records show that Romans would use meats, oysters, mussels and fish as the filling and a mixture of flour, oil and water to keep it all in place.  

4. While the gentry ate the meat, the crusts, known as coffyns, were given to servants or to the poor or beggars.

(credit: bibliophemera.blogspot.com)

5. Pumpkin pie
was first introduced to
the holiday table at
the pilgrim’s
second Thanksgiving
​ in 1623.

6. In the 19th Century, fruit pies were a common breakfast food eaten before the start of a long day.

7. Oliver Cromwell banned the eating of pie in 1644, declaring it a pagan form of pleasure. For 16 years, pie eating and making went underground until the Restoration leaders lifted the ban on pie in 1660.

8. “As easy as pie” is an American expression. In the 1890’s, “pie” was a common slang expression meaning anything easy, a cinch; the expression “easy as pie” stemmed quite readily from that.

9. The airplane Buddy Holly died in was named the “American Pie.”
​

Apple Pie (credit; food network.com)

10. According to a 2008 survey
by Crisco® and American
Pie Council,
nearly one out of five (19%)
of Americans prefer apple pie,
followed by pumpkin (13%),
pecan (12%),
banana cream (10%)
and cherry (9%).

11. Approx. $700 million in pies (approx. 186 million units) are sold in grocery stores every year. This does not include restaurants, food service or price clubs, only grocery stores.

12. The world record for eating apple pie is 4.375 three-pound apple pies in eight minutes.

13. In 16th century England "surprise pies" where live animals would jump out when the pie was cut open were strangely popular among the upper class.

(c) pinterest.com

14. All kinds of creatures could be placed inside the pies, including frogs, squirrels, foxes and, as one nursery rhyme says, "four-and-twenty blackbirds."​

15 Held at Harry's Bar in Wigan, the annual World Pie Eating Championship has been going since 1992. Originally, contestants had to attempt to eat as many pies as possible within the given time limit, but this was changed in 2006 - in order to meet government healthy eating guidelines - to a race in which competitors vie to eat a single pie in the least amount of time.

Surprise Cakes as in "Four & Twenty Blackbirds" (credit: pinterest.com)

16. The Guinness World Record for the most expensive meat pie ever sold goes to the Fence Gate Inn in Lancashire which sold its pie for £8195 - or £1024 a slice - to eight guests on November 14, 2005. ​It was made from £500 worth of Japanese wagyu beef fillet, Chinese matsutake mushrooms (which are so precious, they're harvested under guard), Winter Black truffles, French Bluefoot mushrooms (sold at £200 for 1kg), gravy made from two bottles of vintage 1982 Chateau Mouton Rothschild wine, topped with edible gold leaf.

17. ​Mini, sliced and half pies made up 24 percent of those pies bought, moving up 2 percentage points from 2010. ​


I had no idea that the origin of the pie was as a sort of "container" to cook items such as meats!!  I guess I take for granted that baking pans with covers always existed!!


Well when it comes to pies, my all-time favorite is Pecan pie, so I'm one of the 12% of pie lovers. In honor of my mom, who loves blueberry pie, here are a few little known facts about Blueberry pie...

Blueberry Pie (credit: simplyrecipes.com)

Did you know...
Blueberry pie was first eaten by early American settlers and remains a popular dessert in the United States and Canada.
 

(credit: amazon.com)

The Appledore Cook Book
written in 1872
and published in Boston,
was authored by renown
cook and writer,
Maria Parloa,
as a "go-to" cookbook
for new brides
and housekeepers.

Parloa was inspired
by her time cooking
at the
Appledore House Hotel
on the Isles of Shoals
in Maine.  

Interestingly,
Blueberry pie
made with
wild Maine blueberries
is the official
state dessert
of the state of Maine.

WILD BLUEBERRIES OF MAINE (credit: wildblueberries.com)

Yesterday was a busy day.  

First we had a mass celebrating the 5th Grade which we attended in the morning.

Then, Kelsey and I went food shopping while Gianna stayed home with her friend to work on homework and school projects.  

I decided to change our usual Sunday dinner of sauce and pasta up a bit, and instead, I made Maple Mustard Glazed Chicken with Brussel sprouts, shallots and butternut squash and yams on the side Yummy!!

Today I have my usual Monday morning errands and I'll be working on our blog for tomorrow - Tanya and I will be chatting about our upcoming road trip later this June...New York to Chicago!

Lastly, I realized after we posted The Daily Scoop yesterday, part of my blog was missing and I believe it may have emailed with the missing parts so here is a link to the updated Scoop:
January 22, 2017 - The Day in Travel History

​See ya tomorrow!
-E
xoxo

Tanya's Daily Scoop
NEXT TRIP DEPARTS IN: 14 DAYS

It's time to get your Pie on!

Well hello there!

I had a lovely weekend and a rather relaxing Sunday.
​
Yesterday there was a big upset for Green Bay Packer fans as it was almost like their team hadn't even shown up for the playoff game against the Atlanta Ravens. 

And with the New England Patriots winning the second game of the day against the Pittsburgh Steelers, it's going to be the Patriots vs the Ravens in Super Bowl 51 on February 5th (the day before our BIG trip).  

​We are over here prepping, not yet packing - just prepping and getting mentally prepared for all the winter fun that we are about to experience!

Meanwhile here on the home-front I was examining my calendar (of course in attempt to schedule a new weekend outing/trip/getaway) and I had quickly realized that all my weekends are booked from here out until after returning from Hawaii and after Mother's Day...
I actually seem to have a semi free weekend in mid May! LOL
But then after that it's GO GO GO all over again with more trips and more fun!

​I've gotta spend most my day working on our Chinese New Year Menu - we like to celebrate it all!

I also need to focus on the agenda for tonights board meeting. And do some oh so fun food shopping! WooHoo!

The kids are back to choir rehearsal tonight after having about a month off, and then of course they will be having another hiatus while we are traveling through Europe.

Please take a read through Elisa's column, as she has done a fine job at listing 17 fun Facts about Pie.

Today is National Pie Day!

And just like my cousin Elisa, my very favorite pie is also Pecan Pie.
Not to say that I haven't or won't indulge in other yummy sweet and/or savory pies. 

Here's a glace at some of my vegan pie findings during my travels:

Berrylicious pie in Costa Mesa, CA (c)travelincousins.com

Blueberry Pie from Seabirds in Costa Mesa (c)travelincousins.com

Apple Pie in Iceland (c)travelincousins.com

Berry Pie from Seabirds Kitchen (c)travelincousins.com

Chocolate Pie in Los Angeles (c)travelincousins.com

I'm keeping things very short and apparently sweet today.

I'll be back with plenty more in tomorrow's Daily Scoop, where the theme is Travelin' Tuesday!

I'm outta here,
​-T