Does anyone else out there feel the pressure to start fun traditions with their kids but the thought of trying anything from Pinterest completely stresses you out?
As a working mom with three super fun and rambunctious young boys, the step-by-step process of creating new décor/recipes for every holiday is extremely daunting. Most of the time I give up in minutes after scrolling through the perfectly crafted and curated photos.
However, this week I felt a pang of nostalgia while reminiscing over my own amazing childhood where my mom had traditions set for every holiday and season throughout the year. What fond memories I have of those fantastic traditions and how our house felt – so I decided to attempt to recreate a bit of that magic for my own kids.
With Valentine’s Day coming, I chose to make “Love Pies” with my boys and it was so much fun! Basically, a home-made spin on yummy “hand-pies,” I couldn’t believe how simple it was! The recipe didn’t have a long list of complicated ingredients — plus these treats were not too sugary – qualifying as a semi-healthy snack. These mini pies call for pre-made piecrust (to make life simple), strawberries, strawberry jam, and eggs.
The pre-made pie crust comes with two crusts and with this particular brand, I was able to make 6 pies.
Cut circles out with this circular cookie cutter but have seen similar pies made with heart shaped cookie cutters as well.
Place a small spoonful of jam on each circle.
Cut strawberries to place on each circle as well.
Cut circles out of the other pie crust and place those on top.
Press the dough together around the edges.
Press the edges with a fork.
I cut little hearts in the pies for Valentine’s day, but simple cut marks are perfectly fine.
Mix an egg with a tablespoon of cold water and brush it on top of all of the pies to give them a nice glaze.
And Voila! The final product!!
I baked these cuties in the oven at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes. I would adjust the time per the size of the pie. These pies were about 3 inches in diameter and a perfect size for one person. As you can see, one of the pies didn’t even make it onto the plate as it was devoured right when it came out of the oven!
All-in-all, this was a successful recipe that didn’t create too much of a mess – even with three young boys and their six busy little hands! I have not only proven to myself that as a busy mom I can handle creating something fun for my children to do with me for years to come, but I also think of all the possibilities with creating more than just this simple recipe … such as, chicken pot pies, or maybe something with chocolate … If I can do it, just about anybody can!
Happy Valentine’s to all the moms and dads out there!