Frugal tip Friday - a frugal tip for your Easter Pie

Last year I attempted to make my own pie crust with a blueberry pie. I made them in a smaller cake tin and then in a pie tin. It didn't work out, the crust turned out too thick. I tried and tried and the crust just kept becoming too thick once I baked it. It made the kitchen smell nice though, and the blueberry filling still tasted pretty good! I knew that the typical pie crust just wasn't meant for me, but I didn't give up! I turned to an ingredient that has been with me since childhood, once that I've always loved the taste of, more than the typical bready pie crust... The Graham Cracker. Mmmm the graham cracker. It reminds me of the crunchies in an ice cream cake. Adding a graham cracker crust to any pie just makes it taste better, and top the taste off, its also less fattening than the full blown doe used in regular crusts. Graham crackers usually contain graham flour, molasses, with maybe some honey and cinnamon, definetly check out everything thats included in the ingredient list on the box because sometimes additives can be found and you don't want to buy the crackers with the additives.   To make your own:

"To make graham crackers, whisk two and one half cups graham flour together with one teaspoon salt, one half teaspoon baking soda, and a pinch of cinnamon, if desired. In a separate bowl, cream four tablespoons of butter with six tablespoons brown sugar, and then add one egg. Add one quarter cup of molasses or honey, stir to combine, and then mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients to form a stiff dough. Roll the dough out to the desired thickness, and cut it into rectangles. Pierce each rectangle with a fork so that the graham crackers will be crispy when they are finished, and bake them at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius) until golden brown, around nine minutes. Lining the baking sheets with parchment paper will make it easier to remove the finished crackers." (from Wisegeek.com)

To make your own Graham Cracker Pie Crust:

You will need:
1 packet of graham crackers from box (about 10 sheets of graham cracker)
1/3 stick of butter.

Melt your butter.

Use a blender or a food processor to blend your graham crackers.

Mix your butter with your graham crackers in your pie pan.

Use your fingers and mush the graham cracker/butter mix against the pie pan.

Put in oven at 350 for 15 minutes. Its that easy!!!

You've made your own pie crust with less additives and money than store bought!

Stop by on Monday to see how my lemon meringue Easter pie turns out! (hopefully it will be better than last year and I won't burn the meringue:))

Happy Easter and Happy Friday Follow!!