Pie Party

 We prepared for the Pie Party this last week.

On Friday, Hurricane said he didn't feel very well. I thought he wanted to stay home and help make pies. He went to school and after school we took him temperature - 101.6. He went to bed and wasn't allowed out or around any of us. His fever broke the morning of the Pie Party and hasn't returned. He reported that he only ate 4 pieces of pie and loved running around the backyard with friends.

Hurricane enjoyed being at the Pie Party and "set up" the table and pies at 10 am. When told he couldn't bring the pies out until 4:45, he asked how many hours until the event. We worked on telling time. He didn't report on how many pies he ate but made sure he had the first piece of Grasshopper Pie.

Previous to the Pie Party we made a list of pies we would make. The goal was to make 12 pies. Normally I make 36 pies. I made 15 different kinds of pie. We had 6 whole pies for left overs which Lance shared with people today after church.

On Veterans Day, I asked for the youth to come and help me clean our house and yard. Eight youth came and cleaned the inside and the outside of our home which took a huge burden off me to have a clean space ready for Saturday.

My college roommate traveled from Phoenix to come to the Pie Party. She has usually lived in Japan, Washington State, or Oklahoma. We are so thankful for all the people who came and shared their yummy food and friendship.

10th Annual Pie Party

We are blessed with friends, food, and a wonderful evening. 

Many people helped us get ready 

by helping clean, make pie, and set up. 

We didn't start anything for the pie party 

until about 72 hours before the event.

 We were trying to put everything away 

in our house from room shifts/painting. 

Counting how many come in and out is futile. 

Our home was full.

*****
Pie Party 2013
Pie Party 2012
Honorable Mention 2011
Pie Party 2010

The Pie Report

The Pie Report.....

German Chocolate Pie

Instead of a book report or some other boring report 

I thought I should bring you pie.

Double Layer Pumpkin (I think)

Last November 17, 2012 

our annual pie party was held.

Here we are just as the party begins.

We had some surprises like.....

 My first roommate drove down with her family from Phoenix area. 

She is amazing!

Here is her Hubby and 2 of her sons with Sweetheart.

This is Miss J. She amazes me every time I'm with her!

She teaches music in Primary!

I asked a friend to come and take pictures of the action. 

She captured some of the greatest moments.

I love the flying hair!

Miss K with her sweet Babe.

"Mom - Let me G-O!"

\

Climbing on the new play set....

This is a great shot! 

She caught the sword and young man in action!

He is a sweet boy!

He brought his own scooter to go as fast as he could.

She is racing on the speedway (or the race track.)

My happy man

We had such a great time! It is a tradition that we love!

Classic Cherry Pie

One year ago I made my first pie crust with butter that was delish! I took pictures and then it has been in my drafts ever since. I made this pie again this year. Yet I unfortunately had some "help" from Hurricane to "make" the pie.

The recipe calls for cornstarch which I was out of. I called my neighbor who had an extra box. She sent it up along with the baskets she had used and other miscellaneous items. Hurricane took the cornstarch and used it like baking soda on the carpet and SPREAD THE ENTIRE BOX. I called Dr. Daddy who chuckled and asked if he could buy some more.

He bought me more around 7 pm. After dinner, baths, beds, and cooking we had a completed pie around 10:30 pm. We couldn't go to bed without a piece and ate hot pie around 10:45 pm. It was still delish.

So even though the pictures are 1 year old, the pies were both wonderful.

Classic Cherry Pie
Source: Martha Stewart
Ingredients

• For the filling
• 2 pounds fresh sour (tart) cherries (or drained thawed frozen), pitted (6 cups)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• For the crust
• Pate Brisee Pate Brisee
• All-purpose flour, for surface
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon heavy cream, for egg wash

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make the filling: Toss together cherries, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla extract, and almond extract in a bowl.
2. Make the crust: Roll out 1 disk pate brisee to a 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Fit dough into a 9-inch pie plate. Pour in filling; dot top with butter. Refrigerate while making top crust.
3. Roll remaining disk pate brisee to a 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut out 4 or 5 holes using a 3/4-inch round cookie cutter. Place on top of pie.
4. Trim bottom and top crusts to a 1-inch overhang using kitchen shears, and press together to seal around edges. Fold edges under; crimp as desired. Freeze for 20 minutes.
5. Brush crust with egg wash. Bake pie on a parchment-lined baking sheet set on the middle rack, with a foil-lined baking sheet on bottom rack to catch juices, until pie is bubbling in center and crust is golden, about 1 hour 45 minutes. Transfer pie to a wire rack, and let cool before serving.

Cook's Note

Pie can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Simple and Sweet: Family Mission Statement

Sweetheart and I talk every once and a while about where we want to be in 5 years, 10 years, and farther into the future. We begin the discussion and then one or both of us gets frustrated with the topic [usually me] because the vision he doesn't exactly match the my ideal. We revisit this topic almost ever time we travel any distance over an 1 1/2 hours.

When we moved the moon, I decided on a family mission statement without much input. I had vinyl letters made and put it up on the wall. [by golly we are going to have a direction....]

This is by our front door.

Sweetheart loves me and supports the idea's of my mission statement for our family. But it is not OURS.

This hangs in the laundry room just before we leave the house.

Tonight. We will begin again. Not the car. But at our table. As a family. With our boys. Something we as a family sink our teeth into (like key lime pie for dessert with coconut in it) and memorize and work toward.

And then after the discussion, we will revisit it again. Until it ours. Together.

~~~~~~~~~~

Join a few others who are considering their family's mission vision.

Christmas Pie

So this summer we drove 18 hours to visit family. At one point during the adventure, we rode on the 1923 La France Fire Engine for an impromptu parade. The parade was just us. We drove around the block waving American flags and greeting people! We loved it.

Last Friday was a "Light Parade." We rode the Fire Engine again as a parade entry per request of the City Zoo. It was a contrast in temperature from a balmy 90 degrees to a frigid 19 degrees. We bundled up and waved at people. K2 sat like a statue while Underfoot waved and shouted, "Merry Christmas!"

After we were done, we had supper and hot chocolate and our Christmas pie like Little Jack Horner! The nursery rhyme is said:

Little Jack Horner 

Sat in the corner 

Eating his Christmas pie. 

He stuck in his thumb and 

Pulled out a plum and said, 

"What a good boy am I."

The tradition started on the Morgan side of the family over 70 years ago. I remember doing the "pie" as a little child with my great-Grandpa Christensen making all the preparations. The pie consists of small and simple presents. The presents are tied to a string with one end tied to the present and the other end labeled with the recipient's name. The string is poked through the "crust," and the "crust" is taped down. When it is time to open the pie, each person holds their own string, and everyone recites the poem as a practice. The practice is essential because everyone needs to know to put their thumb down to the pie when saying, "he stuck in his thumb" and then tucking slightly when saying "and pulled out a plum." There is always a joker in the group that reminds everyone this is the rehearsal and another person tugs on their string hard. The second time is the real pull. The presents are pulled through the "crust" and enjoyed. The strings are usually pretty tangled to it causes for some Boy Scout knot tying skills. My Grandpa Christensen kept the strings from year to year. You knew when a new person entered the family by the newer twine.

One year after my Grandma Christensen's death, Grandpa tied a note saying to come to the kitchen and pick a glass item that was Grandma's. It was serving dishes and little figurines. It was quite memorable.

Ingredients:

1 Basket or bin
1 small present per person participanting
Twine
Butcher Paper (or the like)
Tape (Duct tape or masking tape works best.)
Pen
Scissors

1. Wrap the package and tie the twine around the package. Write the person's name on the package as well as on the end of the string. The presents can be anything you like. Since there is pulling involved a heavy package like an anvil are not recommended. We have had candy, socks, ties, scarves, hair ribbons, and a note at the bottom to claim a heavier or more delicate present later.

2. Poke holes in the crust and thread the strings through the top.

3. Pass out the labeled pieces of twine.

4. Grab your twine and place thumb down. Recite the rhyme for the practice round.

 5. Recite the poem the 2nd time and pull when the rhyme says "pull."

6. Untangle the presents.

7. Open to see the surprise!

It is a fun end to an evening and
a fun end to a month of pies.

Peppermint Fudge Pie & Giveaway

***Giveaway*** 

I know that I didn't  the giveaway posted last week. 

I forgot to take the picture before we left town. 

It was a little hectic!

So......

Here is what I'm going to do. On Wednesday December 1, I will announce giveaway winners. 

I have two sets of holiday cards made by
Cyndy at Life Is A Great Adventure. 

She is super creative and a great friend to boot.

Aren't they super cute?

 

HOW TO ENTER:

1. Become a follower and leave a comment saying that you have started to follow.

2.  Comment on the different recipes.

3. If you have been making comments in the past week, you are automatically entered.

How easy is that?

Tomorrow is my last pie recipe post and it is not traditional in any way what so ever. It is a family tradition that is over 70 years old. I'm very excited about it and hope you will be too!

The following pie is a mixture of chocolate, marshmallow, and peppermint - all the good things in a cup of hot chocolate!

Peppermint Fudge Pie

Source: Newspaper Clipping from Grandma's recipe box

Ingredients:

24 filled chocolate cookies finely crushed

1/4 cup butter, melted

4 cup miniature marshmallows

1/2 cup milk

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup of peppermint stick candy, crushed

Combine cookie crumbs and butter. Press into 9-inch glass pie plate. Chill.

Melt 3 cups of marshmallows with milk in double boiler. Chill until slightly thickened.

Fold in whipped cream, 1 cup marshmallows and candy.

Pour into crust, chill.

Serves 8. Can be doubled in a 9-by-13-inch cake pan.

Pecan Pie

I love that my Sweetheart likes to hold hands.

Still on the road. Home tomorrow.

Pecan Pie
Source: Newspaper Clipping from Grandma's Recipe Box

Ingredients:

Pastry for 9-inch on-crust pie
3 eggs
2/3 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup pecan halves or pieces

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter and set aside to cool. Beat eggs, sugar, salt, butter and syrup with hand beater. stir in pecans. Pour into pastry lined pie plate. bake until set, 40-50 minutes. Cool slightly. Serve warm or refrigerate.

Do ahead tip: After baking, cool pie 2 hours. Freeze uncovered at least 3 hours. Wrap and return to freezer. Store no longer than 1 month. Unwrap pie and thaw in refrigerator 20 minutes.

Peppermint Candy Pie

These are my Grandpa's great-Grandchildren. They are Dark Hair, Liv, Spice, Hurricane, Smiles, Bubba, and Underfoot.

We are traveling today. I'm trying to get pack and cleaned up so that we can get on the road. This pie is very labor intensive and if not careful it will turn out the color of Pepto. This is another pie that I didn't get a picture of from the Pie Party. I put it in a spring form pan, and it turned out lovely.

Peppermint Candy Pie
Source: Newspaper Clipping from Grandma's recipe box

Ingredients:

1 package pie crust mix
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy (6 to 8 sticks)
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon red food coloring
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 egg whites
1/4 cup sugar

Prepare pastry for one-crust 9-inch pie as directed on package of pastry mix. Roll out and shape into pie pan. Prick. Bake in hot oven (450 degrees F) 9 to 11 minutes golden brown.

Soften gelatin in cold water.Crush peppermint Candy to make 1/2 cup. Combine milk, Sugar, egg yolks and salt in sauce pan. Stir until well blended. Cook over boiling water or over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture coats a metal spoon.

Add food coloring, the crushed peppermint candy and the dissolved gelatin. Stir until dissolved.

Chill, stirring occasionally, until thickened and partially set. Fold in cream which has been whipped very stiff. Beat egg whites until mound forms. Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff glossy peaks form. Gently fold into peppermint mixture and spoon into baked pie shell. Chill until set. Several hours before serving spread with chocolate topping.


Chocolate topping:
4 squares melting chocolate
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
1 unbeaten egg

Melt chocolate. Cool Cream butter and confections' sugar in small bowl. Add cooled melted chocolate and egg. Beat until well blended and smooth.

Butterscotch Pie

I love this 4 generation picture! We were so lucky to have it taken and to enjoy their company!

Butterscotch Pie Filling
Source: Vernie Mabey from Grandma's recipe box
Ingredients:

1 pint milk
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons flour
2 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Heat milk in double boiler. Mix sugar, cornstarch and flour. Add milk to sugar mixture.

Stirring. Pour into double boiler. Stir and cook until the mixture thickens. Cover and cook 10 to 15 minutes. beat egg and add salt. stir into milk. Add butter and cook until thick. Add vanilla. Pour in shell.

Merigue
Ingredients:
2 egg whites stiff
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Beat egg whites. Then add rest of ingredients. spread on pie and brown 10 minutes at 350 degrees.