11/26/15

Thanksgiving 2015

This is a special year for us, we have everyone in town. Nathan and Nicole's family moved back from Chicago so Nathan can work on a PhD at BYU. We are grateful for so many blessings: to be together with our family; our country; and the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

Karly's table setting

Katie ready for pie!

Grayson's Thanksgiving Feast

Here are the pies we made for this year's Thanksgiving. It reminded me of a Thanksgiving at my Grandma Murray's in Myton. It seemed that we wad a dozen of different pies. We cleaned out the garage and put up tables and chairs. And I finally got to sit at the adult table next to my Uncle Jerry.

Classic Apple Pie with leaf topping

Mariel and Kerry cutting out leaves

Pumpkin Pie with snowflakes

Mashing Raspberries through a fine strainer

Raspberry Cream Pie

Veyo Pie Bakery

When I was a young Boy Scout the Utah National Parks Council sponsored a hike on spring break. We would camp the first night near Enterprise, Utah, then hike south along Magotsu Creek. We would spend one more night on the trail and eventually finish at Veyo, Utah, with a swim at the Veyo Pool. We had some great adventures along the way. We did the hike twice, once with our scoutmaster Brother Walton and the second with Deward as our scout leader. Yesterday I read in the news that there is something else Veyo is known for besides the swimming pool: Pies! I can't believe I missed this. Check out this article in the Deseret News: Veyo Pies. Next time I am in the area, I think I will visit the bakery. It's only twenty miles from St. George.

Veyo Pool

Veyo Pies

Coconut-Pecan German Chocolate Pie

Thanksgiving 2014

We are hosting Thanksgiving this year for the Elison side of our family. Thanks to Lori for reserving a church to fit the 50 plus people attending. We used SignUpGenious.com to organize the dinner. We signed up for a couple of pies. We decided to make Kerry's favorite pie: Sour Cream Lemon. Natalie found a new recipe that sounded good so here it is.

Coconut-Pecan German Chocolate Pie

Ingredients

Crust: Basic Buttermilk

Filling:
4 ounces German sweet chocolate, chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans

Topping:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup butter, cubed
2 eggs yolks
1 cup flaked coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 400 degrees bake pie shell for 11-13 minutes until bottom is lightly browned. Cool on wire rack, reduce heat to 350 degrees.

In a microwave, melt chocolate, stir in milk, egg yolks, and vanilla, stir in pecans. Pour into crust and cool for 1 hour.

In a saucepan combine brown sugar, cream and butter. Bring to boil to dissolve sugar. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks, add small amount of hot mixture, pour into saucepan. Cook for 3 minutes until mixture thickens. Remove from heat, sitr in coconut and vanilla. Cool for 10 minutes.

Pour over filling and sprinkle with pecans

Movie Pies

Karly found this fan of the week pie as a tribute to the Hunger Games series. I read the books but I don't think I am interested enough to make a pie about it. But maybe a pie in honor of John Wayne?

Merry Christmas

Cherry Pie with Crumble Top

Jil brought pies to Grandpa Murray's on Christmas evening. They were very good pies: Chocolate Moose; Pecan; Apple with a crumble top; and my favorite Cherry with a crumble top. Jil and my other sisters are great pie makers.

My feelings at Christmas season has changed.Our children are grown and Nathan and Nicole and our two grandchildren were in Chicago this year. So Christmas morning wasn't as exciting as it used to be watching little children open their presents. My highlight is now Christmas eve - having as many of our family with us as possible. We had a wonderful dinner and afterwards played Sleigh Ride (Kerry and Natalie on the piano and the rest of us with bells, clapper, wooden block, and the triangle). We sang Christmas carols, read stories, danced the Merry Christmas Polka, told about Christmas' from the past, and finally read the Christmas story from the Book of Luke. For me Christmas is being with family and remembering Jesus Christ.

God lives and He loves each of us. God so loved the world, that he gave his Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish; but have everlasting life. (John 3:16). The gifts spoken of in the gospel are not material gifts but the gift given to us by Jesus Christ. We celebrate the Savior’s birth and remember that he was born to save. He gave us the greatest gift – he gave his life that we might have eternal life. May you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.