Walnut Pumpkin Pie

A slightly different pumpkin pie as it has a crumb topping. Prep time does not include making a homemade pie crust.

SERVES 8


Ingredients

* 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shells

Filling

* 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin

* 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
* 1 egg
* 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
* 1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping

* 1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
* 2 tablespoons unsifted flour
* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
* 2 tablespoons butter, cold
* 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. In large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, milk, egg, 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt; mix well. Pour into 9-inch, unbaked pie crust.
3. Bake 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine sugar, flour and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; using a pastry blender, cut in butter (as you would for biscuits) until crumbly. Stir in walnuts.
5. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
6. Sprinkle walnut mixture evenly over pie.
7. Bake 40 minutes or until knife inserted 1 inch from edge comes out clean.
8. Cool. Garnish as desired.
9. Refrigerate leftovers.






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Sweet Potato Pie With Walnut Crunch Topping

This pie is so good, I had to share it.

1 9″ unbaked pie crust
2 16 oz. cans sweet potatoes, drained
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
2 T butter or margarine
2 T lemon juice
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Walnut crunch topping:

2 T butter or margarine
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

In large bowl with potato masher, mix sweet potatoes with the remaining pie ingredients until smooth; spoon mixture into pie crust.

Bake 45 minutes at 400°F or until knife inserted comes out clean. Remove to wire rack to cool.

Prepare walnut topping; In pan over low heat, melt butter. Remove from heat, stir in walnuts and brown sugar.

Preheat broiler; spoon walnut crunch topping evenly over pie. Broil for 2 minutes. Cool on rack.
Share and Enjoy


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Wedding Dress

My fiance and I are committed to paying cash for our entire wedding. I have already mentioned looking at the possibility of putting a tux on layaway to make this happen. Yesterday, she and I went and looked wedding dresses at the Salvation Army Thrift Shop. One of the three was beautiful and would really need to altered a lot to fit her (as any dress we looked at would). The problem is the store was selling any one of the dresses for $200. Even the crummiest one that looks like it has a stain on it. On the other hand a new dress at David's Bridal start at $249. Would buying a used one for almost the same price as a new one, really be economical? Besides, the alterations for her should be included, if we went the new route. Still though, there might be someplace to find a used one much cheaper then those at the Salvation Army Thrift Shop.

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Bathroom Repairs

For some time, my bathroom has needed a bunch of repairs. Keeping to my goal of paying for cash (including my wedding), I went to Lowe's to look for a new toilet last Wednesday. My fiance and I found one that was clearance for $46, however when we got to the register with the toilet, lid and wax ring, the toilet rang up for $29. Not only that the lid rang up as on sale for $1.88 off to. So over all, I got the entire toilet set for less then the marked toilet price on the shelf (including tax).

I also had a tub faucet that no longer diverted the water to the shower head like it was suppose to. So today, I went out and bought a replacement faucet for $16, while there I also bought the two additional pieces to install on the shower arm, so that a hand-held could be used by the fiance. Preparing for when she actually moves into this house. All in all I spent an additional $57 cash today to get the bathroom closer to completion. I still need to paint, tile and put in new vinyl flooring. Thankfully the bathroom is getting closer to being done. All with cash.


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More Wedding Thoughts - Tux and Dress

The other day, my fiance and I went to Mens Warehouse to look at
Tuxedos. We actually found one that was only $199. However, that was just for the suit. The shirt and vest are extra. Since we had decided red, black and white would be the wedding colors, we briefly looked at the ties, which are also extra, but decided since we both liked a full tie rather then a bow tie, that we really didn't need a tie. Especially, since I already own a solid red tie. The nice thing is they do offer a layaway option. So, Tuesday, after I pay my regular bills, I think I may go back out and start the layaway process. Which is 20% down now, and the rest paid off in the next 60 days. That will also give me something to those occasional formal dinners that I get invitations to.

As for the wedding dress, we are not sure where or what to do there. We heard about a giveaway in Florida for brides like her that are unemployed. However, neither of us live in Florida or anywhere close. So that doesn't seem to be an option. Though, it would be nice, that option seems to be only a pipe dream.


Currently though, we have $1.44 saved up for the wedding and honeymoon. Our plans are for a simple wedding, without anything to extravagant. In fact, the planned honeymoon destination, would cost more then the planed wedding.

Current Weddings Savings: $1.44
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Lost Your Job? Wait 11 Weeks For a Check

State and federal unemployment systems are facing rock-bottom funding, forcing states to distribute benefit checks with money they do not have. According to the New York Times, sixteen states are relying on borrowed money to fund their unemployment programs. That number is expected to double by the end of the year.

The unemployment system also is failing to comply with federal standards. Thirty-eight states have failed to make jobless benefits decisions by the federal deadline.
- New York Daily News

I first became aware of how serious of a problem our unemployment system was having, when my fiance became unemployed about two days, before we got engaged. When she called to get her benifits started, she was told that they were 11-weeks behind.

Eleven weeks? Almost 3 months, how is a person to survive that long with no resources of any kind? Obviously, her best bet is to find a job before her unemployment even begins. Still though, that is way to long to make the unemployed wait.

Sure, once the unemployment starts, there is 26-weeks of payments, but what good is that if you are homeless by the time the checks start.


Of course there is another angle to look at this to. One which, Dave Ramsey preaches relentlessly. That is having an emergency fund of 3-6 months saved up. If she had that savings, she would have that to fall on while she waits on the unemployment office and looks for the new job. Unfortunately she finds herself in the same boat as millions of others, with no savings, due in large part because of their spend now, pay later lifestyles that have left them deeply in debt.



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Economic Crash

I received my quarterly statement from TransAmerica yesterday. It shows that I have not fully recovered from the crash yet, in that fund. The fund, which I have not added any additional funds to since, I rolled over my 401k, at one point $4,761.93, but as of 9/30/2009 it was only $3817.19, which is up from the last quarterly statement by $512.48. Which is good, but still a long way from where it should be.


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