Good Eats

For years as Youth Counselor at our church, I had to make two turkeys a year for the Sunday before Thanksgiving, but left the cooking to someone else as we'd travel up to our cousins' in Sioux Falls. Neither happened this year. Instead, I volunteered for pie duty! Nothing disappoints me more than a holiday with cake or bars or dishes but no pie.

I've made pumpkin pies for years, but I pretty much just use the pie in a can from Libby's and get it done easy. This year we had put up tons of apples from a visit to Small's Fruit farm in October and of course I'd found out in August that I'm diabetic, so I went through a lot more work. They turned out great- ( all the non-diabetics in the family said they were good, anyway) so I'd like to share the recipes here.

First a turkey hint that my mother-in-law tried that made this year's some of the most succulent and moist we've ever had: "Brine." You take a 5 gal. pail, fill it with 4 gal. of water, 4 cups salt and 2 cups sugar. Then you soak your frozen turkey in it all day, drain it and let it sit overnight in the fridge.- then just bake it the way you normally do any other year. Google it for better instructions if you don't believe me, it was great.

Mal's All American Apple Pie

• 6oz frozen apple juice (this is the secret)
• 2 tbs flour (I used stone ground, but I'm really into my low carb diet right now)
• 1 tsp cinnamon (heaping, frankly 2 won't hurt anything)
• 1/4 tsp salt (aka "a pinch")
• Apples ( I used a 1/2 gallon pre-cut and frozen)
• 1 tbs butter or margorine
• 1 tsp nutmeg (but a pinch is fine, just less nutmeg than cinnamon- are you getting that cooking is more art than science for me?)

Stir together on low heat for 3-5 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Pour into ready made pie shell, cover with another pie shell, pincing together around the edge. My wife taught me to cover the outside edge of the crust with aluminum foil to prevent it from burning. Her grandmother says to drizzel a little melted butter on top and sprinkle with sugar to make a prettier, tastier crust, but she didn't tell me that until they were done already so I'll take her word for it.

Bake for 15 minutes at 450°, lower heat to350° and bake another 30-40 minutes, check to see if crust is just right.

Great served either hot or cold. This was a BIG hit. Michigan Mallorys would top with sharp cheddar cheese, but Iowa Neddermeyers made homeade whipped cream (which I skipped for sake of the old blood glucose levels, already peaking from all the trukey & stuffing.)

It's Ted's Great Pumpkin Pie, Charlie Brown

• 2 cups (one 20 oz can) of pumpkin ("all natural," not "pie mix." You could also puree your own if you want to go to the work. One year I tried a different recipe that you bake in the actual pumpkin shell itsef, it tasted grate, but wound up being really runny- but trust me, THIS recipe sets up perfect)
• 1 tsp cinnamon (heaping)
  
• 1/2 tsp "pumpkin pie spice"
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp ginger (generous)
  
• 2 tsp Splenda sugar substitute (other recipies only call for one, but that's gonna be too bland- frankly, I think you can boost the cinnamon and/or ginger a little too if you want)
• 1 cup milk ( I suppose you can use condensed or evaporated, but watch the sugar levels if you're diabetic)

Simply pour into a ready made pie crust, level and let sit for a while, cover the edge of the crust, and bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes, checking it with a toothpick. Let cool over night.

We had it with home made whipped cream- not diabetic, but Jeez, did it make it awesome!