Thursday, March 28, 2013

Pecan Pie

You know you're in trouble when your sister calls you to see if you're OK because you haven't posted anything on your blog for three weeks.  This actually happened tonight.

So, my apologies to my readers.  I know I've neglected you the last few weeks.  I had a car accident six weeks ago.  Car shopping (ick) and physiotherapy (ouch) have devoured my free time faster than grasshoppers chowing down on a field of newly headed wheat! 

I do intend to get back to regular posting!

On that note, this is the last week of the month and that means recipe week!  I wondered what ooey gooey delight I could post to serve as a sweet finishing touch to Easter dinner and the answer came in the form of pecan pie!

You can thank my husband for this recipe.  A few years back I discovered his favourite pie was pecan (a pie I had never made before).  The quest for a good recipe was on!  Everyone who's had the pleasure of tasting this pie remains eternally grateful to him!

A warning comes attached to this pie.  It's very sweet and rich.  A cup of tea or glass of cold milk are mandatory accompaniments to it.

For the really adventurous I'm including a never fail pastry recipe.  Guaranteed to be light and flaky every time - no concrete pastry from this recipe!  But, if you don't feel up to the challenge, just go pick up a frozen pie crust and throw in the filling.  People will think you slaved over a hot stove all day!

NEVER FAIL PASTRY
- one recipe makes enough for four covered pies - the extra pastry freezes well

5 cups flour
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
2 cups Tenderflake or Crisco lard (shortening)
1 beaten egg
1 tbsp. vinegar

Mix flour, salt, and baking powder together.  Cut the lard into the flour mixture until crumbly.  (HINT - if you have a Kitchenaide it makes easy work of this step, then you can hand mix the rest,)

Beat the egg in a glass measuring cup, add the vinegar, then add enough cold water to make 3/4 cup of liquid.

Add the liquid mixture to the flour crumb mixture and mix by hand - knead a couple of times on a hard surface to completely mix.

NOTE:  If you want to 1/2 this recipe use the whole egg and just half of the other liquid ingredients.

PECAN PIE FILLING


1 cup corn syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 tsp. salt
1/3 cup melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups roasted pecans

Roast the pecans:
Put 1 1/2 cups pecans on a plate and put in the microwave.  Microwave on high for two minutes.  Turn them over a few times, put them back in for one more minute.  Use a knife to cut pecan into large chunks.



Preheat oven to 350.

Mix together syrup, brown sugar, salt, melted butter and vanilla.

Beat eggs in separate bowl and add to batter.  Stir until it looks like it did before you added the eggs.

Pour the filling into an unbaked pie shell. Sprinkle the pecans on top.

Bake for one hour to one hour and ten minutes. Pie is done when a knife can be stuck into the centre of the pie and come out clean.

Enjoy!

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Difficult Prayer Requests

Have you ever been asked to pray for someone but weren't quite sure how?

Recently I’ve been praying for a little boy with heart problems.  The only option for medical treatment is a heart transplant. 

As I was praying for this little fellow I felt impelled to pray for the family of the potential donor, too.

It may seem obvious to you, but in my past prayers I hadn’t connected the dots.  Suddenly it became clear.  In order for this little fellow to receive his heart, another child would give up theirs.

The answer to this prayer would come through the selfless sacrifice of parents signing a donor card on behalf of their child.  In the midst of dealing with the death of their own child they would make the choice to save someone else’s.

The prayer stuck in my throat and tears of compassion overflowed.  How do you pray in that situation?  A scenario with death and mourning on one side but joy on the other.

I asked God for guidance. 

The parallel to Jesus’ sacrifice came to mind.  Didn’t Jesus sacrifice His life so we could live?  Wasn’t there death on one side of the cross, but resurrection and joy on the other?

Knowing His death is imminent, how does Jesus pray?

“Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.  Luke 22:42 (NLT) (I've added the emphasis.)

Jesus chooses to give up His life and saves ours eternally.  A family faces the imminent death of their child and chooses to save the life of another through organ donation. 

A life ends and life is given.

I realized that only God knows what's best in this situation.  So I prayed Jesus’ prayer.
 
I prayed for the family and the sick little boy waiting for a heart.  I prayed for the unknown family and their child, and the difficult decision they would face.  And I prayed that God would take a tragic situation and redeem it in His own special way.


THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
Are there prayer requests you struggle with?  How do you respond in these situations?

Share your thoughts by clicking on "comments" below.