Winner

Reading about all your favorite pie made me hungry! Many of the ones I really enjoy were mentioned. It's great to know I'm in such good company. I may now have to see if I can bake a few this afternoon.

Using the random generator thingie the winner has been chosen. Congratulations go to:

Number 24

Gina said .............

My favorite pie is Coconut Cream.

Congratulations Gina! Please email me with your address and I will get the book shipped to you. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do.

Giveaway

Ah, The Pineapple Quilt.  The one book that I used to read several times a year. I still enjoy sitting down and spending time with Nancy Martin as she spends a year working for a family in a neighboring church district. The lady she works for doesn't make things very easy at times but at the other end of the house lives Mommy (Grandma) and her Pineapple Quilt. Join Nancy as she grows in her faith and learns some very valuable life lessons.

Reading this book also introduced me to the yummy Montgomery Pie that I had to try after reading about Nancy's efforts in baking them. They are good and I will share that recipe in a future post.

This is a true to life story in an Old Order Mennonite setting. Or what we used to call the horse and buggy Mennonites. Very similar to the Amish.

If you would like to have a copy of this book leave a comment telling me your favorite kind of pie.

If you would like a second entry blog about this giveaway then come back and leave another comment telling me you did.

I will choose a winner on Monday February 7 using Random generator.

Giveaway is now closed and the winner announced.  Thanks to everyone who entered!

Disclaimer:  The only compensation I receive from doing this giveaway is the warm happy feeling I get from knowing someone else will get to read one of my all time favorite books.

Snowy Announcement

The following Sunday LV came to pick me up to go to a neighboring church district. John decided he would attend that church as well and took Fern and the little buggy. It was a grey morning with a hint of a possible snow storm on the way.

There was a reason we had picked this particular district to visit. It was the day my best friend Rachel was having her engagement announced. Her wedding would be only two days before ours. She had asked me to have a special part in her wedding and I was happy to accept.

After church was over and the engagement announced I watched as Rachel drove off with her boyfriend.  LV drove up soon and we left to go to a friends house for lunch. Soon after lunch it started snowing, big flakes that immediately started piling up amazingly fast.

We decided not to stay for the evening singing and start on our twelve mile home. The snow was already deep enough that our horse couldn't run. Walking slowly he kept pulling the buggy through the snow. We had the whole road to ourselves since there was a foot of snow and growing deeper by the minute. By the time we got home there was almost thirty inches of snow on the ground. LV stopped by the house to drop me off and I floundered my way into the house while he went out to the barn to unhitch the horse.

Our horse had longer legs than the one John had been driving. We were starting to be afraid that the snow may be too deep for even a a horse to get through and when he finally showed up over an hour later we were relieved.

I hoped the roads would be open by the next morning because we had to go meet the bus. Aunt Lydia and cousin Esther were coming to help with wedding preparations since Mom had broken her foot.

Debunked

Growing up it was not uncommon to have visitors drop by unannounced and expect a place to eat and sleep. We didn't always have enough time or food on hand to prepare what we classed as a company meal.

Setting the table with our very best dishes was a way to dress up a common meal so that it still seemed special and everyone thought they were being served a delicious meal.

I recently debunked that theory when I tried to make octopus palatable by serving it on some good china.  Either I didn't try the right recipe or octopus is simply not made to be eaten.

Have you ever tried it?

Corn Bread

I am not a huge fan of corn bread at all. That is until I found this recipe. It isn't really like bread at all being more cake"y"  and solid and filled with things that more bland and boring corn bread is often missing.


Mexican Corn Bread

3 eggs
1 cup milk
1½ cup corn meal
½ cup vegetable oil
1-10 oz can Southwestern style corn
1 pod hot pepper (optional, can substitute with ½ tsp black pepper)
½ sweet green pepper chopped (again, optional)
1 tsp salt
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Mix in order given, pour into 8x8 pan and bake at 425º for 30-35 minutes.


I like serving it with refried beans. Simple, filling, and delicious!