Festive Strawberry Pie & Coconut Crust & Santa

Every year since November 1983,  my Grandma Bodell would gather all her grandchildren for a picture. It became a yearly tradition. The first year it was just the Grands (her grandchildren). The next year her Father, Gramps, posed with us as Santa Claus. He loved to dress up as Santa Claus and be Santa's helper. He would go "though out the valley bringing oranges and hard candy" to many different groups - church groups, children's groups, even older adults. He did it for as long as I can remember.

Circa 1988

The tradition continued until 1994 when he passed away. Every year after Thanksgiving, my Mom would display each year's picture. As we would look down the row, we could see how our family had changed. We could always see who had grown taller, who had been born that year, and who had grown up. Even though it is a Christmas photo, it was a good time to get together as cousins.

My Family - 1994

Being the oldest of the brood, I remember my Mom and Aunties standing behind the camera with big smiles and big eyes encouraging each child to smile and stop crying. As we got older, there were no more tears and big smiles. Maybe just maybe one day we'll ask Cousin Dave who loves to play Santa now to come and join all of us cousins and take another picture in honor and memory of Gramps and to see how much we've all changed and grown up.

Gramps loved to eat anything. He also love to cook and bake. He didn't make this, but I come by my culinary gene naturally from many Grandmas and Grandpas.

Baked Coconut Crust

Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter
3 tablespoons sugar
1 egg yolk
1 cup sifted flour
1 cup cut coconut
Combine butter and sugar and blend well. Add egg yolk. Mix thoroughly. Add flour and mix again. Add coconut.

Pat mixture into greased 9-inch pan. Chill 30 minutes.

Bake in moderate over (350 degrees F.) until brown. about 25 minutes.



Festive Strawberry Pie
Ingredients:
Coconut Pie Crust
1 1/2 quarts Strawberry Ice Cream
Whipped Cream (optional)
Strawberry Sundae Sauce (optional)
Loose Coconut (optional)
Fresh Strawberries (optional)

Make a coconut crust. Cool the crust and fill with 1 1/2 quarts strawberry ice cream. Garnish with fresh strawberry halves. Top center with prepared whipped topping and sprinkle with additional coconut. If desired, serve with strawberry sundae sauce.

Notes: My Sweetheart loves chocolate and topped his pie with chocolate syrup instead of strawberry sauce.