Luby’s Pecan Pie

This is the pie my Grandmother bakes for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and any other family gathering.  It is my favorite.

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1 cup Karo corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 extra-large eggs, well beaten
1 cup pecans
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

Directions

  1. In heavy pot, bring sugar, corn syrup, butter and vanilla to boil.  Remove and cool.
  2. When mixture has cooled completely, mix in well beaten eggs.
  3. Mix thoroughly — the sugar mixture will be quite thick and sticky.
  4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  5. Arrange pecans in unbaked pastry shell.
  6. Pour mixture over pecans.
  7. Bake on middle rack of oven 50-60 minutes, or just until filling is puffed and set and nicely browned. Like custard pies, the filling will completely set upon cooling.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 50-60 minutes

Yields: 1 beautiful pecan pie

Description

This pie is rich, sweet, and quite frankly the ultimate pie.  It is great as is, or served with whipped cream or Blue Bell Home Made Vanilla ice cream.

This recipe came from Luby’s Cafeterias which at one time were found all over Texas with many in the San Antonio area.

Why does Rice play Texas?

Some may ask why a small school like Rice University plays such a big school like the University of Texas.  JFK said why…

… But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And
they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly
the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas?

We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this
decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because
they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the
best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we
are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which
we intend to win
, and the others, too.

John F. Kennedy – September 12, 1962 – Rice University Stadium

JFKatRice

Winston

This is another writing assignment from the writing class I took with Lauren.  It is about our dog Winston.  Winston has since passed away, but it brought back memories, so I thought I would share it.

Our Dog Winston

Our dog can leap higher than the railing and put his paws on your chest.

Our dog can bark so loud that he can wake the whole neighborhood at 2 a.m.

Our dog is chocolate, with a hint of honey in the summer and a little bit of white cream.

Our dog likes to run like the wind when it is cool, but will hide like a rabbit from the burning sun.

Our dog likes home cooking better than family.  He prefers steaks and spaghetti with meatballs.

Our dog has more hair than a bear, and likes to leave a trail of it when in the house. 


Winston

Winston

14 Feb 1990 to 09 Jan 2004.

I come from…

I took a writing class with my daughter a few years ago.  I just found one of the assignments in a stack of papers.  It struck me that it still holds true today.  So I thought I would share it.

I come from….

I come from a field that is sometimes plowed, sometimes planted, and sometimes hay.

I come from stacks of books filled with story upon story, fact upon fact.

I come from a list of schedules, all strung together to make things happen during the day.

I come from a house, next to a house, that is next to others, but to me it is home.

I come from three kids who define my evenings and weekends.

I come from my friend, who starts and ends each day with me and who warms me with her laugh and smile.

Foods for New Year’s Day

Are there special foods your family eats on New Year’s Day?  Each year my family covers the bases by eating several foods thought to bring good luck in the New Year.

First is Black Eyed Peas and Corn Bread. I was told growing up the more Black Eyed Peas you eat on New Year’s Day, the more money that will come your way in the New Year.

Next, from my German and Polish side, Sauerkraut and Pork or Pork Sausage was thought to bring good luck in the New Year. Cabbage could also be served instead of the Sauerkraut. My dad also ate Pickled Herring or sardines, but I could never get into that one.

And living in Texas, we add a few more. On the menu will also be Tamales and Chili. Both are thought to bring good luck in the New Year.

What food traditions does your family follow on New Year’s Day?

Big Red Ice Cream

There’s nothing better in the summer than a good bowl of home made Big
Red ice cream.  This is my favorite.  I can eat bowl after bowl of it.

Ingredients
1 quart whipping cream
2 cans sweetened condensed milk
1 ten-ounce package of frozen strawberries (optional)
3 cans of Big Red (36 fluid ounces)
Whole milk

Directions

  1. Mix whipping cream, sweetened condensed milk, strawberries (optional) and Big Red in a large bowl.
  2. Stir well.
  3. Pour into an ice cream freezer.
  4. Continue to fill freezer with whole milk to fill line (about 2/3 of freezer if not marked.)
  5. Follow the directions for your ice cream freezer
  6. (optional) For more solid ice cream, pour the ice cream into a container and place in your freezer overnight.

 

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Yields: 1 to 1.5 gallons

Description
The Big Red website is at http://www.bigredltd.com

Pinto Beans and Dumplings

This is a great dish to make in the winter when cooking warms the whole kitchen.

Ingredients

Beans:

  • 2 cups dry pinto beans (about 16 oz)
  • 1 teaspoon of garlic powder or 2 garlic cloves slightly crushed (optional)
  • 1 small chunk white onion (optional)
  • 1 tsp Black Pepper (optional)
  • ¼ lb. ham chunks, ham fat, deli ham, ham bone, salt pork, or bacon
  • 6 to 8 cups hot water

Dumplings:

  • 6 eggs
  • 2 cups flour, divided
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder

Directions

Beans:

1. Rinse and sort beans in cold water once or twice until water runs clear.
2a. (Traditional Soak) Cover beans with hot water and soak overnight.
2b (Quick Soak) Cover with 2 inches of hot water. Bring to boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 1 hour.
3. Add the other ingredients to the soaked and rinsed beans in a 6-quart pot with 6 cups of hot water. The water should cover beans.
4. Bring to a boil and lower heat to medium, keeping it at a simmer. Simmer gently with lid tilted until beans are tender, about 1.5 to 2 hours. Warning: If more water is needed, always add hot or boiling water, a cup or so at a time.

DO NOT ADD COLD WATER TO HOT BEANS — IT WILL CAUSE THE BEANS TO SPLIT.

Dumplings:
5. When beans are almost done, begin to make the dumplings.
6. Beat the eggs
7. Add 1 cup of flour, salt, and baking powder and mix well.
8. Continue to add the remaining flour until mixture is a very thick dough. A good rule of thumb is that it is not thick enough until your arm hurts trying to mix the dough.
9. Add HOT water to beans until there is about 2” to 3” of water over the beans. Allow the beans to resume simmering.

DO NOT ADD COLD WATER TO HOT BEANS — IT WILL CAUSE THE BEANS TO SPLIT.

10. Use a large spoon to transfer the dumpling dough into the bean broth. Before each dumpling, dip large spoon into bean broth (this helps keep the dough from sticking to the spoon.) Then dip one spoonful of dough into bean broth. The dumpling should separate from the spoon. Repeat until all dough is used.

11. Cook 10 minutes, stirring dumplings occasionally.

Prep Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours and 15 minutes

Description

This is a old family favorite that both Daddy and Grandma Voigt would make for our family. We could make several meals from one pot of beans. In that one pot you have beans, the bean broth – which is like a soup, and the dumplings. The dumplings were a favorite. These are not your typical fluffy dumplings. These are hearty dumplings that will put meat on your bones and fill you up. My sister and I would fight over who would get the last one. If we still had beans left, Daddy would sometimes make a second batch of dumplings.

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin

This prayer has helped several in the family during times of need.

PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN

OH MOST BEAUTIFUL FLOWER OF MT. CARMEL, FRUITFUL VINE
SPLENDOR OF HEAVEN BLESSED MOTHER OF THE SON OF GOD,
IMMACULATE VIRGIN, ASSIST ME IN MY NECESSITY.  OH, STAR OF THE
SEA, HELP ME AND SHOW ME HEREIN YOU ARE MY MOTHER.  OH,
HOLY MARY, MOTHER OF GOD, QUEEN OF HEAVEN AND EARTH! I
HUMBLY BESEECH YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART TO SUCCOR ME
IN THIS NECESSITY.  THERE ARE NONE THAT CAN WITHSTAND YOUR
POWER. OH, SHOW ME HERERIN YOU ARE MY MOTHER.
OH MARY CONCEIVED WITHOUT SIN, PRAY FOR US WHO HAVE
RECOURSE IN THEE (3X).  HOLY MOTHER, I PLACE THIS CAUSE IN
YOUR HANDS (3X).  HOLY SPIRIT, YOU WHO SOLVE ALL PROBLEMS,
LIGHT ALL ROADS SO THAT I CAN ATTAIN MY GOAL.  YOU WHO GAVE
ME THE DIVINE GIFT TO FORGIVE AND FORGET ALL EVIL AGAINST
ME AND THAT IN ALL INSTANCES IN MY LIFE YOU ARE WITH ME,
I WANT IN THIS SHORT PRAYER TO THANK YOU FOR ALL THINGS
AS YOU CONFIRM ONCE AGAIN THAT I NEVER WANT TO BE
SEPARATED FROM YOU IN ETERNAL GLORY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR MERCY TOWARD ME AND MINE.

*Say this prayer 3 consecutive days.  After 3 days, the request will be granted.
Publish this prayer after the favor is granted.

Madonna

It is not the critic that counts…

This quote was given to me during a particularly trying time at work.  At the time, it felt like I was in the center of a storm dealing with issues from everywhere and everyone.   A good manager slipped this on my desk one day…

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points
out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives
valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who
knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly,
so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

– Theodore Roosevelt, 26th US President, From CITIZENSHIP IN A REPUBLIC, Delivered at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910.

Roosevelt, Theodore. History as Literature. New York:
Charles Scribner’s sons, 1913; Bartleby.com, 1998. http://www.bartleby.com/56/ .
27 Oct 2000.