French Silk Pie

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
3 heaping tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla

3 Eggs

Baked Pie Shell

Mix all ingredients, except EGGS and shell, well. Add one egg, beat for five minutes. Add a second egg, beat for five minutes. Add a third egg, beat for five minutes. Pour into pie shell and chill overnight - if you can wait that long to eat it!

Mom's Broccoli Salad

2 bunches fresh raw broccoli (2-3 c chopped)

1 cup sunflower seeds
½ cup chopped red onion
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

1 pound bacon, cooked crisp, cooled, and drained

Mix all ingredients together in large mixing bowl. (Either cut the bacon in small pieces before cooking or crumble before adding to mixture.)

Sauce:
1 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar

Mix together with wire whisk and pour over vegetable mixture, stirring to coat thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Joan's Pie Crust

2 C flour

2/3 C butter-flavored shortening

1 t salt

(up to) 6 T cold water

Combine salt & flour. Cut in shortening (can do in food processor). Sprinkle on water lightly and toss with fork until begins to stick together and make a ball. Roll between two pieces of wax paper. Roll to 1/8 inch thick. Peel off one side of wax paper. Place paper back on crust and flip over. Peel off other side. Put crust in pan.

To pre-bake - preheat oven to 425* and bake 8-12 minutes (poke with fork or use pie weights).

PS - THANK YOU to Joan Justis for teaching me how to make this pie crust. My husband will be forever grateful.

Whit's Cinnamon Pie

1 c. sugar

2 Tbsp cinnamon
2 tbsp. flour
2 tbsp. cornstarch
Dash salt
1 c. evaporated milk

1 c. water
4 egg yolks
1/2 stick (1/4 c.) butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 baked pie shell (9-inch)

In double boiler (I make my own) combine evaporated milk and water. Mix together the 1 cup sugar, cinnamon, flour, cornstarch and salt. Stir into milk/water, then very gradually blend in slightly beaten egg yolks. Cut the half stick butter into several pieces and add to milk mixture. Cook in top of double boiler over simmering water, stirring constantly, until thick (consistency of pudding). Stir in vanilla. Cool.

Pour cream mixture into pie crust. Delicious!

Thanksgiving Menu - Whit

1. Cornucopia
2. Turkey - Alton Brown's recipe (Romancing the Bird)
1. Make the turkey early!
3. Stuffing
4. Mashed Potatoes
5. Gravy
6. Corn on the cob
7. Maddox Rolls
8. Strawberry Jello Salad (with pretzel crust)
9. Baked Beans
10. Broccoli Salad
11. Sparkling Drinks
12. Banana Cream Pie
13. French Silk Pie
14. Marie Callender's Dutch Apple Pie (yes, I buy this frozen)
15. Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream - Also an Alton Brown recipe - Churn Baby Churn
16. Cranberry something (changes)

Baked Beans

1/2 lb. diced bacon
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped

1 - 16oz can kidney beans, drained
1 - 16oz can pork and beans, undrained
1 - 15oz can butter beans, drained

3/4 C packed brown sugar
1/2 C ketchup
1 T prepared mustard
2 T vinegar
2 T molasses

Fry bacon and drain pan. Remove bacon and brown beef with onion.

Combine all ingredients in crockpot, mix well and cook one hour on high. Then turn to low or "keep warm" until time to eat!