FEED YOUR FACE: Two styles of pie

Thanksgiving and Christmas meals would not be the same in our family if we did not have pumpkin pie. 'Course, any time is a good time for some homemade pie.

Good Old Pumpkin Pie

2 cups cooked and mashed pumpkin, or you can use a 15 oz of can pumpkin
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup whipping cream or 1 cup light cream instead
1/2 cup milk or 1 cup light cream instead
3 slightly beaten eggs
1 unbaked 9 inch pastry shell. Make your own or use store bought.

Combine sugar, pumpkin, spices and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Now blend in cream, eggs, milk.

Pour it all into the pastry shell.

Bake at 400 degrees, 40 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center of the pie comes out clean.

*********************************************
Now for a pumpkin pie recipe that my great grandmother used to make for the holidays. She would make it at her house then bring it over to my grandmother's house. Both of my grandmothers kind of had a pie rivalry going on. They never would allow the other to make and bake a pie in their own kitchen. This went on for years. My sister and I kind of would fan the flames every now and then. 'Course, by the time the holiday meal was done, the pies were brought out and they sure didn't last long.

Molasses-Pumpkin Pie.

In a mixing bowl combine
2 cups of cooked and mashed pumpkin, or a 15 oz can of pumpkin,
3 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 a teaspoon salt.

Beat mixture until well blended, pour into unbaked pie shell.
Bake at 400 degrees for about 55 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center of the pie comes out clean.
Let the pie cool.

My great grandmother was a farm girl and she loved to cook. If you walked away from the table after eating and were hungry in about two hours it was your own fault for not eating enough the first time. She always had a smile on her face and she would hum some tune from years gone by. She would let me and my sister in the kitchen to help her every time we came for a visit.

She taught me and my cousins how to cook some things. She would say that "boys should know how to cook too, just like girls do."

So, make some pumpkin pies for your holidays and smile when they say how good it is.

Now, whip up some whipped topping and FEED YOUR FACE!