Parent Traps

Happy Birthday Sunnie!

2011-06-06T16:12:00.000-04:00

Well, almost.

Our dog Sunnie (Who is a mutt: 1/4 poodle, 1/4 sheltie, 1/2 who knows what.) is turning a year old on the 13th. She sure has changed over the past year. I mean, when you buy this:

And end up with this:

Quite suprising. Her black nose turned pink, and she developed an orange/white coat. If you part her fur straight down the middle of her back, you see that she has two white stripes, like a skunk or chipmunk Even stranger, she closly resembles our previous dog, Buddy, who passed away a few years ago. Anyway, here's a few more pictures of Sunnie:

The Last Summer of Pirates?

2011-04-21T12:04:00.000-04:00

In our family we are big Pirates of the Caribbean fans. We can't wait til we can jibe ho the end of school along with immersing ourselves in the latest trevails of Jack Sparrow! Who else awaits this fate? Are you sad they didn't really film in Saint Augustine?

A Cute Christmas Gift

2010-11-13T18:03:00.001-05:00

I first made these when Annie was a baby, and then again with Emily. We made these our of baby food jars (This year we got 50 on craigslist. Score!), some christmas fabric, ribbon, candy, and labels. First, just wash the jars out. When dry, glue labels on it and fill with candy (I used a variety of M&Ms and Tootsie rolls). Then, cut circles out of the fabric, slightly larger than the lids of the jars (We traced the rim of a tupperware bowl). Glue it on the lid and tie with a ribbon. These are going to teachers & co-workers. It's a great cheap craft that everyone will love!

Top 5 Holiday Favorites

2010-11-11T14:09:00.001-05:00

With the holidays just around the corner, we're all looking for great gifts. Here are my top 5 favorite gifts and treats for the holidays that are guaranteed to bring holiday cheer!

5. Martha Stewart's Recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies

This recipe is fantastic for Christmas gifts for family, friends, and neighbors. It's also very easy to make, and uses ingredients you probably already have in the kitchen. Our family loves to make them whenever we have the time. The recipe makes 48 cookie, and is only 4 steps. Try it for yourself!

4. Ambient Fire DVD

We live in Florida, where in the winter, we rarely have cold weather. It can be really hard to get the mood for the holidays without a fire. That's taken care of with this great DVD which gives you lots of options of fireplace fires to enjoy on your TV. We'll crank this baby up on the 80 degree Christmas Eve we almost always have! Can Santa come down the DVD this year? Does that even make sense?

3. Insta Snow Fake Snow Powder

Living in Florida, snow is hard to come by. But we love the Insta Snow! We looked at this tiny bag of white powder with some trepidation. The simple instructions say to add 10 ounces of water and get instant snow! Well, that sounded good too, since we rarely see a flake in north Florida. Here's what happened...we added water to our little packet in a bowl and instantly it exploded into a giant bowl of snow! It feels soft and cool and really looks like snow! The instructions on the website said we could actually make a snowman so we tried this by freezing it for an hour, but the kids couldn't wait that long and hauled it outside to start playing! The photo shows my little one enjoying the Insta Snow in Florida! You could use this stuff to make snow for your little fake Christmas scenes, surround your model train sets, or just play with it. Some people actually buy a giant amount and throw it on their lawns! It is also non-toxic, so you could, theoretically, eat some (bleh). They actually sell a size that would make 8 gallons of fake snow - I think it would be funny to dump into someones hot tub! This makes the Fake Snow Powder a great little stocking stuffer for people who can't find the real stuff!

2. Smencils Scented Pencils

They are really strongly-scented usable pencils with the smells of gourmet foods. We tried out Rootbeer flavor. The kids thought it was cool, it smelled exactly like a freshly-opened can of rootbeer. Smencils are made from recycled newspapers and bathed in cool scents that last! Even the shavings smell good. This would be a really great stocking stuffer for kids of all ages, especially people who love scents. Or teachers!

1. Bob's Candy Canes

Okay, seriously, what's Christmas without candy canes?

Just In Time for Thanksgiving....

2010-11-07T14:35:00.000-05:00

It's the chocolate pie recipe! This was posted two years ago, but it's so great it had to be up again!

This chocolate pie recipe has been handed down on my father's side for at least 4 generations. His family is from eastern North Carolina, so all the food that comes from there is very yummy, very Southern, and not very diet. Keep this in mind as you prepare. (Also, keep in mind that you really have to stir the pudding while on the stove for a longgggg time before it starts to gel). We serve it in our family every Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is not a holiday without this pie.
The recipe uses a hand mixer to do the "mixing" part.

I call it Maw Maw's Chocolate Pie (we called our grandma - "Maw-Maw" ). So here's Grandma Maw Maw's pie recipe:

Makes 2 Pies
Preheat oven to 400 degrees to prebake the pie shells, drop to 350 degrees to cook the pie meringue.

Ingredients

4 small packages of Jello Brand Pudding & pie filling - chocolate
2 Pet Ritz Bake and Fill Pie Shells (regular size) or any other bake and fill regular pie shells
2 Tablespoons Real Cocoa - unsweetened
2Tablespoons Sugar
2 Cans of Carnation Evaporated Milk
4 Large or Jumbo Egg Yolks. Separate carefully and reserve the whites for meringue (may want extra egg whites to make taller meringue) Eggs should be at room temperature.
1Tablespoon Real Vanilla
1Tablespoon Butter
Pinch of Table Salt

Prick the unbaked pie shells all over with a fork. Pre-bake the pie shells until light brown. Set aside on a cookie sheet.

Beat egg yolks for a minute with mixer. Add the balance of ingredients, except butter, and mix with mixer until well blended.

Pour into a large saucepan, add the butter, and then stir by hand constantly over medium heat, approximately ten minutes until it starts to boil.

Reduce heat to low and continue to stir, it will be slightly lumpy when you take it off the burner

Remove from heat, continue to beat it by hand to smooth it out, then immediately pour into the pre-baked crusts, dividing evenly.

Set pies aside. Set your oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare meringue by beating egg whites until peaks start to form, adding ¼ cup sugar a little at a time as you are beating at high speed(4 to 5 egg whites) using mixer.

Feel free to double the amount of meringue if you want it to be thick on top of the pie. Divide your meringue mixture to top the two pies and cover the filling completely.

Set the pies on a cookie sheet. Place in the oven and bake at 350 degrees until the meringue is browned.

May be served warm or chilled. I think it is much better chilled. ;)

Easy as pie...

Our Puppy

2010-09-30T08:00:00.012-04:00

In August, we got a new puppy. She joins Jack the bichonpoo. Isn't she cute? Her name is Sunnie (my daughter's spelling). She's some kind of wire haired terrier mixed with I don't know. I do not recommend puppies! They are like getting a new kid! Drooling everwhere, pooping everwhere, draggin toys everywhere. Puppies. Isn't she cute?

Is Sam's Club Going to Bankrupt us?

2010-09-28T11:49:00.000-04:00

We've been shopping waaaaay to much at the local Sam's Club. We've had our membership for a couple of years now, but mostly to buy some batteries, General Tso's chicken, and cheap eggs. I think this month we've been ten times!

One problem is that now we've moved to Florida again, it is waaaay too close. Seven minutes. In seven minutes and I can be through the doors and then out with my giganto piles of food and oddities. I still hate that they don't give you bags. I wonder if they'd mind the Publix bags....maybe I'll bring them next time.

My receipt this time has everything from the batteries, to generic body wash (gotta get somethings cheaper), to a pile of sirloin steaks. Now if I were shopping at Publix, would I buy 7 steaks? I think not. This is the danger of club shopping. On a good note, I put back the giant gift bag of bath stuff I had placed in my cart. I'll just have to do my Christmas shopping in December, not September. That is the other danger, Christmas stuff out in September. Oh well, trip number 11.............

Navigating Health Insurance for Your Family

2010-09-28T11:32:00.003-04:00

There's been more than one time in our family's lives that we've gone without health insurance. It was really tough and we had to really struggle to find resources to help us navigate through information about it and how to make good choices with less money. Affordable health insurance is getting harder to find these days. Some people are lucky to have Cobra health insurance partially paid by their company when they get laid off and a lot of people are not. Affordable health insurance with pre existing conditions is even harder to locate when you are not employed by a company who provides a plan.

A great reference that answers questions that a lot of families like ours have about health insurance is www.medicalhealthinsurance.com. I found it to be helpful in answering common questions families have about the choices that have to be made when you're on your own and trying to find the best coverage. At the site information is covered such as how to find cheap family full coverage health insurance and medical insurance for pre existing conditions, locating short term health insurance and expat medical insurance to the best Medicare supplemental health insurance and even international long stay travel health insurance. They have a whole section about understanding the benefits of using COBRA insurance and how to come out ahead by participating in those plans when you are downsized.

When my husband lost his job a few years back, it was our second layoff in the family. We foolishly decimated our 401k money to pay insurance and to keep going. Looking back, I'm not sure we would have made the same financial choices about our bills. But we both agree we would never jeopardize having health insurance coverage during those hard times. Nothing would be worse than having a catastrophic illness or accident and not being able to pay for it. It could mean your life. This website helps each person to make good health insurance choices, based on your own situation, including if you ever have to deal with health insurance fraud. The best way is never to have to deal with it because you'll know the signs to look for to completely avoid unscrupulous doctors and medical facilities.
Finding cheap health insurance plans can be difficult, but not impossible. To stay financially viable in this economy, you just have get some great advice and do your homework

Back to the Blog!

2010-08-06T07:03:00.002-04:00

I see it has been a really, really, long time since I posted. Let's catch up! We left Alabama a month or so ago to relocate to Melbourne, FL. This is happily due to a new job for my husband which pays way more than the previous one. I hope this is indeed a good sign for the economy at large, as it is a really good sign for the family economy. The kids approached this move with much trepidation, as they always do. They have made nice friends at the old school and really enjoyed living in our Madison neighborhood, as did we. School starts here next week and we've already been to visit for open house. It seems like a great facility, newer with many cool things, like a state-of-the-art science lab. But it will all come down to the teachers and the kids, as to whether the kids feel like this was a good move for them.

It's particularly hard for Annie, who had to leave right at the end of elementary school for a new last year elsewhere. She seems to always have the harder time adjusting. As for me, it's back to a typical Florida-style neighborhood where the houses are just a little too close together, no trees of any size are to be found and people seem to stay more to themselves. On the other hand, to try to find the glass full, we are five miles from the beach - a status I haven't personally held since 1987 . That was a different life then. The area has wonderful cafes, diners and restaurants and people in the community seem very kind and personable. Only just recently, the neighbors are taking more of an interest in knowing more about us - so we'll see how that goes.......when you are a renter in a sea of decreasing valued homes, you tend to remind them of what they've lost. We just need to remind them of what they've gained - potential friends and good neighbors.

Fall Musings

2009-10-24T11:02:00.003-04:00

The leaves are finally starting to change in northern Alabama. Last year's change was so abrupt and colorful that we were stunned. This year is different. Apparantly when it's wetter, the leaves don't change as fast - so not so many vibrant reds and oranges thus far.

School has been going okay so far. Annie still complains that school doesn't challenge her enough and I'm really starting to think about home school as a viable option. A lot of gifted families do it, as do several families I know personally. They have been very successful at acceleration and offering options that just aren't in the school system, especially with budget cuts. It's something we might try next year. After all, I am certified to teach - but unable to get a job in this state because they don't accept the credentials for alternative certification I earned. Hey, I qualify to work in Florida and even Mississippi, not Alabama though.

Right now, I'm off to pick up Emily from a Halloween sleepover party - I wonder how much sleep they got?

Our Hail photos from today!

2009-04-10T16:33:00.002-04:00

We experienced a ton of hail today!

Old Navy Stuffed Animal Recall - USA and Canada

2009-02-20T08:09:00.002-05:00

This recall was announced this morning. I can attest to the problems of stuffed animal eyes. Emily had a beanie baby eye shoved up her nostril when she was about two years old. She came to us saying her nose hurt. When I looked inside all I saw was something black and shiny. To the ER we went! It took a loooooooooooong time for the doctors to extract that little eye using a long forceps while holding down my screaming toddler. How did she find the little eye? The dog had chewed up the toy and she found the eye and for some reason put it in her nose. Never take a toddler's curiosity for granted and look out for toys that can lose plastic tiny parts.

Name of product: Stuffed Animal and Creature Toys

Units: About 35,500 in the United States and 5,400 in Canada

Retailer: Old Navy LLC, of San Francisco, Calif.Hazard: The stuffed toys have two button eyes that could detach from the toy, posing a choking hazard to young children.Incidents/Injuries: None reported.Description: The stuffed animal and creature toys are made out of cotton and have plastic button eyes. They come in a variety of styles, such as a rabbit, penguin and reindeer. The recalled toys and style numbers are listed below:Type of Stuffed Toy and Style Number:Brown Plaid Creature (Stubby Stuberson) 612756Pink Striped Dove 600571Grey Dog 600572Hot Pink Creature (Lucy Toothy) 612800White Dog (Dr. Poopsie) 612738Brown Penguin 612672Light Pink Rabbit 612671Brown Reindeer 612728Dark Pink Rabbit (Honey O'Bunny) 612806The style number is located on a white label sewn into the side seam of the toy.

Sold at: Old Navy stores and on the Web at www.oldnavy.com from July 2008 through February 2009 for between $6 and $10.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately take the recalled stuffed toy away from young children and return it to any Old Navy store for a full refund. If purchased online, contact Old Navy for instructions on returning the toy for a full refund. Consumers who return the toy before July 1, 2009 will also receive a $5 coupon toward a future Old Navy purchase.Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Old Navy toll-free at (866) 580-9930 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or between 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, visit the firm's Web site at www.oldnavy.com, or e-mail the firm at custserv@oldnavy.comNote: Health Canada's press release can be seen at http://209.217.71.106/PR/recall-retrait-e.jsp?re_id=666

To see this recall on CPSC's web site, including pictures of the recalled products, please go to:http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09134.html

Recall - Evenflo Activity Centers

2009-02-18T08:50:00.002-05:00

I have decided to go back to posting child-related recall information on this blog. A lot of people have told me that they read it here and it helped them. So starting today forward, you can keep up with child-related recalls at this site. You can find prior recalls for all products at CPSC's Web site at www.cpsc.gov.

Product Recalled: Evenflo Activity Centers

Units: About 213,000

Manufacturer: Evenflo Co. Inc., of Miamisburg, Ohio

Hazard: When used as an activity table, the cap on one end of the product can loosen and fall off, posing a fall hazard to a young child.

Incidents/Injuries: Evenflo has received 11 reports of dislodged end caps which resulted in nine minor injuries, including bumps and bruises. Evenflo has also received a report of a dislodged end cap that resulted in a child suffering a broken collarbone in Canada.

Description: The recall involves Evenflo ExerSaucer Triple Fun stationary activity centers made between October 2006 and December 2008. The model number is 6231711. Stage 3 position involves converting the product into an activity table. No other ExerSaucer models use end caps and, therefore, no other models are included in this recall.

Sold at: Juvenile product and mass merchandise stores nationwide, including Toys 'R Us and Burlington Baby Depot, from October 2006 through February 2009 for about $120.

Manufactured in: United States

Remedy: : Consumers should immediately stop using the activity table in Stage 3 and contact Evenflo to receive a free replacement end cap. The product may continue to be used in Stages 1 and 2 without changes.Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Evenflo at (800) 233-5921 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm's Web site at www.exersaucertriplefun.comTo see this recall on CPSC's web site, including pictures of the recall product, please go to: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09131.html

Parent Trap Post of the Day

2009-02-12T09:05:00.005-05:00

I think we should view our children through the eyes of today .... meaning that we really need to try to get from underneath the lens from which we view the world, usually our own childhood. We are always trying to edit kids, telling them how to do things and trying to tell them how much better our world was "back in the day". Well, this is their day!

Technology has changed, communications has changed, school has changed, clothing has changed, need I go on? But the basic needs of people have not changed at all. We all need love, acceptance, praise and security. How can you do a better job of providing these things in this newer, more modern world? Can you learn about Ipods or visit the Apple store with your kid? Can you read a new story with them? When was the last time you spoke highly of them to someone else? Let's not let their "back in the day" become a homage to our old times - create new times with your child. What do you think about this - how do you do it?

I'm back!

2008-11-17T10:47:00.006-05:00

Hi, Thanks to all the new and old readers who keep coming back to read my formerly well-updated blog! I took a bit of a break and now I'm back. I had to update the Thanksgiving Chocolate pie recipe for a reader and now I'm going to write more. Aren't you happy?! We have really been enjoying Fall here in northern Alabama. We've never really ever lived through a real Fall. Well, I haven't nor have the kids. Tim lived in New Hampshire for a year so I guess he did. Anyway, I've posted a few photos here of our street and how it looked last week. Today, the leaves are mostly falling and it's starting to look like Winter.

Why Is This So Hard?

2008-10-13T11:14:00.003-04:00

Annie isn't happy with school. She is complaining about being bored in class daily. She was telling me how much happier she was in a full-time gifted classroom, which is not offered here in Alabama public school. We can't afford private school, as we can barely afford to live.

I am enlisting the help of her gifted teacher to try to see what we can do to improve the situation. She tested with Belin-Blank on the EXPLORE ACT test last January, as was working at two to five years ahead of 4th grade in every subject. Being stuck in regular 4th grade must be mind-numbing to her. She needs more than what the school seems to be able to provide. I am frustrated.

Talk Like A Pirate Day- Ye Scalliwags!

2008-09-18T14:12:00.003-04:00

Avast! It be talk like a pirate day today, if ye had not heerd. Grab yer sailor or yer lass and revel in all that is pirate! Yer supposed to let out yer inner pirate, what'er that means. Aye, I shall hoist my grog high and drain it to celebrate this vile day! I shall view the reviled pirate king, Johnny Depp, in his arrgggg, dvd videos thru the nite in adulation! Hear ye - raise up yer scabbard, get yer little rugrats to help ye and pass the word to Talk Like A Pirate today!

Haikus by My Daughter

2008-09-18T14:12:00.002-04:00

Haikus (done in class for her own amusement) by Annie, Age 9. I think you'll see recurring themes here. Too bad it is not graded :) p.s. Orpheus and Elmo are both hamsters.

Orpheus is cool
He is a cool black hampster
Elmo is now dead

Lunch is real awesome!
I love lunch it is tasty!
It is almost time.

The bathroom stinks bad
The toilet is real dirty
It is real stinky!

God, I am tired!
I want to go to sleep now!
I am real sleepy!

The baby went Poop
He just pooped in his diaper
It is real stinky!

My class is crazy
We are extra superreally loud!
Save me from this place!!!

Math totally stinks!
So does reading and English.
Get me out of here.

Remembering 9/11

2008-09-11T10:36:00.003-04:00

The memories are always fresh and I'll always have the memories of the last part of my pregnancy with Emily clouded by the horrors of 9/11. Please take the time to remember everyone who died that day, especially the innocent children on those planes.

My Daughter is Raising Money to Go To Space Camp!

2008-09-09T10:13:00.003-04:00

My oldest daughter, Annie, is set on going to Space Camp this summer. She's a bright, motivated girl with interests in science, computer science and engineering for her future. We are fortunate to live right around the corner from Space Camp. We are not fortunate, in that because of our financial situation, we can't afford to send her there for that great opportunity.

Years of layoffs and the resulting excess debt still plague our family and we are digging out now that Tim is fully employed again. I am doing my best to manage being "mom" and working from home so I have time to take care of the needs of the the children. I have tried to get full-time work, but no one is calling me back, despite my years of human resources experience and banking experience. So here we are....

Annie is trying to raise money herself and increase her knowledge of space and general science by creating a blog called Send Me To Space Camp. We told her that she has a chance to work hard, learn more and create awareness about herself and her goals through this blog. It also gives readers a chance to support her and her goals by soliciting sponsorship and/or donations to help her fulfill her goal. Kind of like a virtual lemonade stand.

Take a look and give her feedback. She'll be adding new content weekly, so add her to your favorites list. Thanks for supporting the future scientist!

It's A Good Thing I Was The Lucky Egg!

2008-09-03T12:03:00.003-04:00

I was commenting to Tim in front of Emily how nice it was to have such a cheerful, happy, child skipping around the house and that she is such a nice child. She turned to him and said, "it's a good thing I was the lucky egg!"

She knows that she was the last "egg" to come down the pike before I had my hysterectomy. Too funny! (note: Photo is a collage of the lucky eggs in our family by Annie)

The Bathroom Door is Closed

2008-08-29T09:51:00.002-04:00

This is really funny. I found this sign you can print out and put on your bathroom door to keep the children at bay when you do your business. Check it out, Mom!

Your Baby's First Words

2008-08-27T13:25:00.007-04:00

One of the joys of parenthood is certainly hearing the first moment in your young one's life when they finally utter the word "mama" or some variant of Mom. But we often don't get what we wish for. I was recently following a discussion on one of the Gifted and Talented boards about baby's first words. They had some oddities - like "cheese", "dump truck", etc.

It took me back to nearly nine years ago when our eldest started to finally talk. She was about ten months old and finally started to utter things that sounded like actual words. I recall "kee" for kitty and "Buddy, no" being nearly first. "Buddy - No" was actually said more than any other phrase around our house at that time. Buddy is our dog and he was admonished quite often around the baby. I also recall us on a stroller walk and got "tree" in response to the beautiful surroundings. The single words didn't last long and they quickly progressed to the current, "get me some more now!"

We had also used Baby Sign Language early to encourage language development. I think at around 7 months we started getting signed responses "more" "eat" and "milk". We never moved on to "I gotta poop" because she started talking after that. This article just came out that says there's really a science behind what your children say first.

I am curious what other first words have been uttered by your progeny? Please share here!

Crocs Shoes are Dangerous - Don't Lose a Foot!

2008-08-26T08:07:00.003-04:00

Croc shoes or similarly styled shoes are a proven hazard on escalators, as the kids who accidents on them can attest. Some children have lost toes or mangled their feet while wearing Crocs and getting their feet stuck in the escalator stairs. They are also very ugly. Since when did we and our children all decide we needed to look like longshoremen or hairdressers everyday? What happened to cute shoes? You might consider looking at similar shoes that work better overall.
Take extra care if you are in a location with an escalator and maybe take the elevator or the stairs if you or your child wears Crocs around the mall. And just be careful around escalators in general - it's easy to fall down them like I did as a kid.

Grandma's Chocolate Pie Recipe

2008-08-24T20:00:00.005-04:00

I am updating today to fix a step where the butter goes in!

I am highlighting my family's Chocolate Pie recipe in honor of grandparent's day. I have added photos and more details to help you make this the way we do in our family. Please feel free to email your comments, suggestions, and photos to me and I will share them with our readers.

This chocolate pie recipe has been handed down on my father's side for at least 4 generations. His family is from eastern North Carolina, so all the food that comes from there is very yummy, very Southern, and not very diet. Keep this in mind as you prepare. (Also, keep in mind that you really have to stir the pudding while on the stove for a longgggg time before it starts to gel). We serve it in our family every Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is not a holiday without this pie.

The recipe uses a hand mixer to do the "mixing" part.

I call it Maw Maw's Chocolate Pie (we called our grandma - "Maw-Maw" ). So here's Grandma Maw Maw's pie recipe:

Makes 2 Pies

Preheat oven to 400 degrees to prebake the pie shells, drop to 350 degrees to cook the pie meringue.

4 small packages of Jello Brand Pudding & pie filling - chocolate
2 Pet Ritz Bake and Fill Pie Shells (regular size) or any other bake and fill regular pie shells
2 Tablespoons Real Cocoa - unsweetened
2Tablespoons Sugar
2 Cans of Carnation Evaporated Milk
4 Large or Jumbo Egg Yolks. Separate carefully and reserve the whites for meringue (may want extra egg whites to make taller meringue) Eggs should be at room temperature.
1Tablespoon Real Vanilla
1Tablespoon Butter
Pinch of Table Salt

Prick the unbaked pie shells all over with a fork. Pre-bake the pie shells until light brown. Set aside on a cookie sheet.

Beat egg yolks for a minute with mixer.

Add the balance of ingredients, except butter, and mix with mixer until well blended.

Pour into a large saucepan, add the butter, and then stir by hand constantly over medium heat, approximately ten minutes until it starts to boil.

Reduce heat to low and continue to stir, it will be slightly lumpy when you take it off the burner.

Remove from heat, continue to beat it by hand to smooth it out, then immediately pour into the pre-baked crusts, dividing evenly.

Set pies aside. Set your oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare meringue by beating egg whites until peaks start to form, adding ¼ cup sugar a little at a time as you are beating at high speed(4 to 5 egg whites) using mixer.

Feel free to double the amount of meringue if you want it to be thick on top of the pie. Divide your meringue mixture to top the two pies and cover the filling completely.

Set the pies on a cookie sheet. Place in the oven and bake at 350 degrees until the meringue is browned.

May be served warm or chilled. I think it is much better chilled. ;)