Zapekanka-yummy treat of an ethnic origin

When I pack to leave the house for any amount of time I try to use up any food that will go bad while we are gone. My husband thinks I become OCD totally. I think it's a hangover from my birth country-no throwing food away. Use every bit that is possible. Well, we are really gonna be gone a long time this time. We are finally moving out of our "base" home that's been a returning point for the last 11 years. So, I had some cottage cheese I've made last week (or maybe even a week before that) and I knew it was going bad finally. So, i googled for a recipe my mom used to make called zapekanka! Oh, this one was soooo good! Even my American husband liked it. I commented on the blogger's recipe thanking her for such a great recipe! I substituted apples for the pears in her recipe. Cottage cheese is also easy to make if you have a gallon or even half of old milk and some buttermilk and cheesecloth!I didn't make the cream. Just gobbled it up plain. I so miss my ethnic foods. American food is so bland. The other nite I ate out with my sweet homeschool mom friends at a local Mexican restaurant and had a quesadilla that my 10 yo can fix with much more flavor. Maybe America influences even ethnic cuisines?! I don't know. But it was so bland and flavorless :(
I think my car's bumper sticker should read "I'd rather be cooking than packing" because that's what I do when it's time to pack-I cook.  I also made a fabulous mushroom and cheese pie (blue ribbon winner from an ad in RR's magazine) because my over was already pre-heated to the same temp zapekanka needed to be baked at and I already had all the mushrooms and ingredients necessary. I'll have to share the recipe later since I am running out of daylight for a quick walk up our hills. But it was delish! It'd be perfect for a baby or bridal shower brunch table.  Keeper. So, please, don't ask how much laundry or packing I got done for I got those done too!  I am grateful my neighbor delivered 2 more dozen eggs so kids can have bfast tomorrow!!! I used the last dozen today!  Be blessed and happy cooking!