what's more american than apple pie? i made these saturday night in honor of the usa! they played england saturday afternoon and tied 1-1 (which we were very lucky to do). i sure hope our team plays better at their next two match ups, than how they played against england. come on guys, where's the fire? where's the intensity? anyway, back to food blogging - thought i was a sports writer for a brief moment. i love making these quick and delicious pies. i purchase frozen pie shells and fill them with whatever fruit i have around. they are great with blueberries, cherries, peaches, and blackberries. i start by blind baking the pie shells in a 350 degree oven for 12 minutes. this ensures a crusty bottom. if you were to put the filling in without this step, the bottom of the pie shell would stay doughy. while the pies shells are in the oven, peel and slice 1 apple (for 2 pies) and throw the slices in a skillet with about 1-2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and about 2 tablespoons of water. cover and simmer until the apple slices are soft, about 20-25 minutes. check on the apple slices every now and then and add more water to the pan if needed. the water creates a nice sauce. once the apple slices are soft, scoop into prepared pie shells and bake for another 5 -7 minutes. top with a scoop of ice cream or frozen yogurt and you've got yourself one patriotic, portion controlled dessert!