Pumpkin Pie 101

Anyone can bake a pie, and if you’re just starting out, a pumpkin pie is a perfect place to start! The ingredients are simple and little tweaks can make it better than the store bought version!

Here’s how I make mine: firstly, I make things easy on myself by using pre-rolled refrigerated pie crust. None of my friends can tell the difference between it and my from scratch version (but if you want to do it, here’s a great recipe). I also don’t bother with fresh pumpkin - the canned stuff has a good texture and is so much less hassle. Some people used evaporated milk instead of condensed, but I like the latter better. Here’s my full shopping list:

• 1 Pre-Rolled Pie Crust
  
• 1 Can of Pumpkin Puree (not filling)
  
• 1 Can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
  
• 2 Eggs
  
• 1 T of Pumpkin Pie Spice
  
• Dash of Freshly Ground Nutmeg
  
• Heavy Whipping Cream
  
• ¼ C Powdered Sugar
  

Set your over to 425 F and take your chilled dough out of the fridge. I like to grease my pie plate but if you forget your pie will still come out nicely (there’s fat in the crust). Now crimp your edges and put the pie crust back in the fridge.

Now mix together your pumpkin puree, sweetened condensed milk, egg and spices until smooth. It’s my personal pie making philosophy that you can taste fresh nutmeg and I put it in almost all of my pies. Just a dash will do and it’ll make all the difference!

Next pour your mixture into your chilled crust and pop into the oven for 15 minutes. Lower your temp to 350 and cook for another 45. I usually put on a pie shield on my crust now (you can also just use aluminum foil!). When cooked, the center should still be slightly jiggly (technical term). Now turn the oven off and let the pie cool slowly. This will help any cracks from forming on the top. 

Once your pie has completely cooled, you can top with freshly made whipped cream. That’s just heavy whipping cream and a little powdered sugar beat on high until stiff. If it starts clumping together you’ve gone too far and made butter, so keep an eye on it! In these pictures I was low on time so I just used store bought whipped cream, which is fine too! 

I also like to top with candied pecans which are just melted butter, brown sugar and chopped pecans. 

See! You can make a pie! And it’ll be delicious! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Inspiration | Midcentury Modern Farmhouse

Hi! Hello! After a week of living in sawdust, I’m still living in sawdust! But now we have beautiful new floors (mixed width ash, finished with oil and wax) and a new dining room table! It’s really looking great but there’s still drywall to be hung and finished, base boards to be milled and installed, walls to be painted, new lighting, etc. We’re getting there! 

Wanna know where I’m going with all of this? I thought I’d help myself get visually organized and share a little of my vision with you guys. A quick catch up - our farmhouse was built in 1942 and a large renovation and addition was added in 1965 - which is why I call it my MidMod Farmhouse. Luckily MCM is my go to for furniture, so we’ll keep most of what we have and add to it where we need!

Last week I asked for your opinions on some brands and furniture companies and here’s where I stand - I bought a 1960s Broyhill Brasilia dining set off craigslist which was delivered yesterday. It’s a dark solid walnut and really lovely. The chairs will be recovered down the road.  I also took advantage of the pre-black Friday sale at Article and bought a chair from them. I’ll have pictures one of these days, but as I said, I want the literal dust to settle (slash be swept away!) before I do that. I also bought some rugs and a light fixture, but I want to check the quality before I five a review (ditto on the Article chair, but you guys gave me resounding cheers for their pieces)

So… here are some images that have elements I like or a vibe I want to capture in my own home. To me, there’s a common thread in the MCM furnishing, the natural elements (wood, plants), the bright walls and the mix of textures. I’m going to start out pretty neutral and add in color when I’m drawn to it. You can see the huge board here if you want to see more!

And if you want to see any of the rooms I’ve already started on, check them out here!

Jotting it Down | 005

Good morning all! We are in full renovation mode here at Quirk HQ, so I’ve been putting most of my creative energy into picking out treatments and trims (and not much blogging). I did want to hop on here to give you a little update if you’re interested in that sort of thing!

Over the weekend my folks came to town and my dad demo’ed all of the tile in our hall and kitchen and together with Adam tore out the carpet from the dining room. They also took down the large iron railings that were along the edge of the dining room, next to our sunken living room. The space looks so huge and I cannot wait to see what the finished flooring looks like! 

We found an amazing deal with remnant ash and it’s so so gorgeous. My last house had all of the original floors so I never had the chance to pick out anything new and I really enjoy making the updates and changes I’ve always dreamed of for this home. I originally wanted to stain it an English Chestnut color but now I’m leaning towards something closer to the natural color. It feels very appropriate for our farmhouse!

The railing will be replaced with horizontal black metal (steel I guess?) that our friend is making for us. We’re also re-engineering a portion of the floor, but that’ll be easier to show you in photos later. My goal is to blend elements of a farmhouse with the midcentury style I gravitate towards in design. The addition in our home was done in the mid 60s, so it all kind of works in a quirky sort of way.

I’m in the midst of picking a new dining table, rugs and light fixture as well. If you follow me on Instagram, check out my stories (I’ve posted some photos there!)

That’s all for now! My darling daughter needs some attention so I’ve gotta jet! Talk soon! 

What I Wore | Back to Basic

WhatIWore: After this week of Halloween and vampy lips, here’s a basic B everyday look! I made this faux shearling jacket last year when I was pregnant and I’ve been playing around with ways to wear it this season. It’s pretty cropped and needs a longer layer underneath, otherwise it feels a little too top heavy. 

Honestly guys, I’m just feeling a little brain dead lately and can’t think of anything else to write. Hope you have a beautiful weekend! My folks are arriving today and we have lots of house projects to work on and celebrating for my mom’s birthday!!

When: Last Thursday

What:
Shades: Karen Walker
Sweater: Lands End (similar)
Jacket: Self Made (longer option)
Jeans: Crafted by Lee (online only - and $23!)
Boots: UGG (similar here)
Bag: Frye (older style)

Where: Coffeeshop