No, not my fault. Clifford made me do it. He was my auto-pilot on the long journey home from Minnesota last week. Someone to keep me company on the long journey, compliments of a very sweet granddaughter who knows all about true love. Well, this determined dog suddenly steered toward the off-ramp at Osseo in Wisconsin.
“What? Norske Nook? You want to go to Norske Nook, Clifford?”
So , we did. I blamed it on Cliff.
It all started when Andra Watkins, author of “To Live Forever, An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis”, and I had a bit of an ongoing, online conversation about Norske Nook,. Her husband, MTM, a native of Wisconsin enjoys their pies. I asked dear son-in-law Tom, also a Wisconsin native, about which exit to take. Clifford must have been listening. Katy sure was for she piped in and said pie sounded good right then. Lickedy-split, the two us were out the door,, at 10 pm, on a mission to Baker’s Square, which led to this photo of me and cherry pie. Really.
The next day, enroute to the Cutoff, with Clifford steering, we took the road less traveled and ended up bringing this big box home.
Inside was this most delicious blueberry pie ever. THE BEST I’ve ever eaten. Not overly sweet, it was filled with the smallest of blueberries and had most tender crust. I shared half of it with a friend recovering from a hip replacement. I swear, she danced a jig with her walker after eating a slice.
With all this pie, I needed an antidote – eating veggies was imperative. I saw a cooking segment for stuffed tomatoes and this delicious entrée managed to make it to our table. I improvised, but, it is basically stuffed with some sort of sausage (I used Italian, chorizo would work, or stuff it with other seasonal vegetable, quinoa, you name it), cheese, bread crumbs, baked and topped with eggs, which slipped off of their perch because I zealously overstuffed the tomatoes. 350 degree oven, 20 minutes or so.
I need to go for a walk. My smart phone in my pocket. It very intelligently tracks my steps. I wonder if there is app for making supper. Maybe Clifford knows.
What is your favorite pie? Do you like stuffed vegetables? tomatoes, peppers, zucchini? What do you stuff them with? Are you stuffed right now?
Ah Penny, you were led astray in the most delightful way. What is life if we only steer on the straight and narrow? Clifford has such a mischievous expression on his face. I bet he loves blueberry pie as much as you do.
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Yes, indeed, Juliet; we all need to go off the path once in awhile, especially if we can blame our transgressions on a little stuffed dog. 🙂
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You definitely owe Clifford a show of gratitude! Blueberry pie? Oh my but it looks fantastic. I think you may have given me an idea for a post of my own, Penny. We are going to go up the coast this weekend and there is a well-known bakery in Cambria that bakes the best Olallieberry Pies. Before reading this post I wasn’t entirely sure we “needed” to make a stop, but I’ve just changed my mind! I will report back. 🙂
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Ooooooo. . . I look forward to that post, Debra. Olallieberry Pies. Now, that sounds very enticing, indeed. I think you definitely “need” to make a stop in Cambria. If you post about it, then there are no calories. They burn up when you write about pie (at least that’s what Clifford told me). 🙂
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The mere thought of eating the results of this delicious recipe makes me feel stuffed.
But that pie! How many weeks did it last before you finished it?
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Ha! We were both quite stuffed when we were through, Friko. It was a delicious experiment.
I only lasted one week – but, I did share half of it visiting a friend. It’s a good thing the bakery is 200 miles away.
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That pie looks amazing..but as you know, I am immediately biased in favour of anything from Wisconsin. Jx
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This place is the best, Janice. Bigger than most pies, and so many kinds.
Were you introduced to Kringles when you were in WI? Coffee cakes that come from Racine?
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Oh my, that pie looks delicious! I do love blueberry pie, let’s not forget pumpkin and of coarse apple and cherry ~ I just love pie. I prefer pie over cake.
I really enjoy stuffed tomatoes. I stuff mine with quinoa and vegetables. I find zucchini stuffed something like a pizza quite tasty.
I believe it to mandatory to occasionally take the road less traveled, it make life so delightful!
I am hungry~ right now, but it’s the time of day for a blueberry smoothie!
Have a wonderful day!
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All favorites of mine, Melissa. This blueberry was delectable!
Oh, yum; these all sound so good. Quinoa was in one of the recipes I consulted. My grandmother would stuff tomatoes with whatever was in the garden; wish I’d paid closer attention and knew what she seasoned them with.
Hope you had that blueberry smoothie.
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Wow, that blueberry pie sounds, and looks, worth a trip up to Wisconsin! You’re a kindred spirit Penny, I can totally identify with your ability to make a pie stop into such a pleasant adventure! 🙂
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It really was delicious, Janet. I especially enjoyed it as it wasn’t too sweet and the berries were the smaller ones. Let’s go in search of some good pie one day soon (after all your festivities).
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Yum! I’ll take a piece of pecan pie, please!
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The pecan pie looked absolutely sinful, Jennifer. Some time, I’ll bring you one. By-the-way, it is only about two miles off the interstate. Just saying’. 🙂
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My mouth is watering…..blueberry pie, oh my! And, I have to say your stuffed tomato looks pretty yummy too. I am pretty stuffed still from yesterday’s indulgence as middle son wanted a typically English meat and potato pie for his birthday lunch. It wouldn’t have been my choice, but it was rather a good one…Axxx
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Yum! That meat and potato pie sounds delectable, Annie. An interesting b-day lunch. It’s often challenging, but fun, to comply with our kids choices for special days. Loved hearing about it today. 🙂
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Oh, all of your pie and your baked tomato look lovely and delicious! Yummy stuff. How sweet that Clifford was sent with you. It was so sweet to send some company for Yia Yia’s trip home. I am thinking that I might need a pie finding Clifford. Although, Clifford turned into a giant sized dog and I don’t want to turn into a giant sized Grandma Mouse.
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“a pie finding Clifford” There’s still time to promote it for Christmas, Janet. It can be as possible, no, more so, that Tickle Me Elmo. 🙂
It was, indeed, sweet of Kezzie to send Clifford home with me. She is so very thoughtful this way. Pumpkin pie season is coming soon.
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Oh, Penny. I’m so jealous that you get to drive by Norske Nook often. We last passed in late December. I ate two pieces of pie. I think their cherry is my favorite, but they have SO MANY. It’s hard to say without trying them all.
Clifford is a very good dog. 🙂
Norske Nook’s lefse is tasty, too.
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See what you started, up in MN, no less?
I’d like to try their cherry pie, Andra. Maybe next time, we can stop at the Norske Nook, and have a lefse, or two, and then some cherry pie. 🙂
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Never had a blueberry pie. That looks delicious!
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Oh, you must try blueberry pie sometime, Nicola, for it is even more delicious than it looks.
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I do love stuffed things (stuffed stuff… this is silly). But I always have the same problem as you did, putting too much filling in. I’m happy that the local Farmer’s Market still has peppers, corn, and tomatoes (now that we’re back from our travels). I will stuff the peppers and try the tomatoes, your recipe sounds wonderful. And what about baked apples — those are stuffed.
I’m not even going to talk about the pie. Unless you e-mail me a piece.
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Stuffed stuff – I love it! I even overstuff pies, and wonder why my oven looks like it does. 🙂 Still time for the bounty at Farmer’s Markets, isn’t there, Sallie? Enjoy whatever you stuff.
Yum. We love baked apples, came back with several pecks worth from a long weekend and I may just stuff a few with tomorrow night’s supper.
haha! I wish I could email you a piece of pie, Sallie. Since I cannot, I won’t mention it either.
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Aunt Penny, see you and Tom Saturday. I’m stuffed with stuff except blueberry pie: worth a thousand miles from Miami ! Love, Uncle Mike
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Hi, Mike! We are looking forward to seeing you for some “tricks: on Route 66 on Saturday. Sorry to say, the blueberry pie is all gone, but, I’m sure we will all be sufficiently stuffed with more stuff, as well as some laughter and catching up. Love you, too, Uncle Mike. 🙂
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Ohhh….yummm….
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