Nana’s Pies

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and I recall my mother’s flaky pie crusts and tasty pies. Blueberry, apple and pumpkin to name a few.  She learned from her mother, my Nana Mooney.  Admittedly, I love cooking and won the Colorado State 4-H Champion purple ribbon for the dinner I prepared for four on a budget of $2.50.  This was in the early 60s and hence the price.  Somehow I did not inherit the pie-making craft from my Nana and my mother.  I tried my fair share of lemon meringue and chocolate cream pies, but the crusts were not as flaky as Nana’s.  At least one of my sisters inherited the pie-making gene!

Grandmother, Mother and Daughter

Since we just had a brief family reunion for one of our friends in West Virginia, my husband and I will go out for our festive dinner. No mess.  No fuss.  No cleanup.  The cooking will be done by the pros although by now, I should also be one.

We wish everyone a lovely Thanksgiving with family reunions, laughter, conversation, music, dancing, sharing meals and wonderful family moments. I have fond memories of family Thanksgiving dinners in Pueblo, Colorado.  After saying grace, we enjoyed a simple meal of turkey, dressing, stuffing cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes and relish dishes of carrot and celery sticks with a dash of salt and lemon juice plus dishes of black and green olives.  For dessert, we had pumpkin pie.  We played a family board game of Monopoly some years or Scrabble.  Or one of us played the piano and the family sang a few songs.  Just simple times of a loving family making memories.