Here's an oldie but goodie: Mock apple pie

Dear Readers: Here's a recipe for mock apple pie that uses crackers instead of apples! My mother first printed this recipe in 1959, and I have reprinted it occasionally through the years. So, here's your chance to give it a try, and don't tell anyone the ingredients until he or she is done eating a piece.
It's easy to make, so let's get started. You will need:
Pastry for a double-crusted 9-inch pie
2 cups water
11/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
20 single-stack, square soda (saltine) crackers (regular, salted)
Butter (1/4 to 1/2 stick for dotting)
Ground cinnamon or cinnamon sugar (for sprinkling)
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan with pastry. In a pot, boil water, sugar and cream of tartar, stirring until all of the sugar is dissolved. Add the whole crackers (do not break up) and boil ONLY 1 minute. Spoon the mixture gently into the pie shell, dot the top with butter and sprinkle on the cinnamon to taste. Now, cover the pie with the top crust and cut several vents. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. Let the pie cool completely so that it becomes firm before cutting the first slice. Heloise
P.S. We just made this without a crust, and wow! It looks and tastes like apple pie -- honest! You will fool a lot of people either way you make it.
Dear Readers: Did you know that the first pies were usually made with meat instead of fruit? When fruit pies were first introduced, they were usually served with breakfast. Now that sounds good, doesn't it? Americans' favorite pie is apple pie, followed by pumpkin. So, why not have a nice, warm slice of apple or mock apple pie right now? Heloise
Dear Heloise: I have found a good use for those sticky-backed notepads. I keep about 20 sheets of one inside my wallet and use them to jot down notes or grocery lists as needed.
Then when I go to the grocery store, I stick them on the handle of the grocery cart. This has eliminated hunting for lists. Marylee Berry, Stamps, Ark.
Dear Heloise: My husband and I enjoy a hot dog for lunch once in a while. When I buy a package, the first thing I do is get the hot dogs ready for the freezer. I lay out a piece of plastic wrap, place a hot dog on the end and roll it over, place another hot dog and roll it, using as many pieces as I need, then place them in a self-sealing, plastic freezer bag. Now, I can remove one or two as needed, and they don't stick together. Lorraine Morisi, Arlington, Va.
Dear Heloise: When you carve meat, first place a cookie sheet under the cutting board. Now, juices will go on the cookie sheet, and no more messy counters. Virginia in N.J.
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