Great Grandma Goldie’s Burnt Sugar Pie

Growing up, we always went to Grandma’s house for the holidays. This included usually several generations and was always at her house when they still lived on the ranch. As is typical (I assume) for most people’s holidays, we usually had the same things to eat. Many of those things were pretty much set in stone like the stuffing. No matter if someone wanted to try something new, it had to be “that one”. My kids still feel the same way with some things we make, you don’t change the recipe!

One of the desserts that was always served was Burnt Sugar Pie. It was made by my Great Grandma Goldie, and then later made by my Grandma Sara. Goldie was born in 1895 in Nebraska, and I don’t know if it was from her family, or if it was something that she found later, but everyone loved it.

Great Grandma Goldie Nachtman

Grandma Sara Nachtman

As I grew older and got married, I wanted to make it myself, so I asked them for the recipe. Neither of them had it written down, they just did it the same every year and it worked. With both of them getting older, I thought we had to have it written down, so I went to Grandma’s house one day and Great Grandma came over to show me how to make it, and I wrote down the recipe as they did.

Sadly, they are both gone now, but the Burnt Sugar Pie lives on. In case you want to try it yourself, here is the recipe:

Burnt Sugar Pie

Ingredients

Pie:

3/4 cup Sugar up to 1 cup

2 cups Whole milk (room temperature)

2 ea Egg yolks

1/4 cup Sugar

1/4 cup Cornstarch

1 teaspoon Vanilla

Prebaked pie crust (cooled)

Meringue:

2 ea Egg whites

1/4 cup Sugar

Instructions

Put 3/4-1 cup sugar in cast iron skillet. Cook over med heat until sugar melts and turns golden brown. Stir often and be ready to remove from heat if it gets too dark. You want a nice caramel color. Remove from heat. Add 2 cups milk. Do this carefully, as it will splash when the milk hits the hot sugar. Stir well with a whisk. When the milk hits the sugar, it may (probably will) set up, just keep stirring and it will melt back into the mixture. Meanwhile mix 2 egg yolks, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup cornstarch & a little milk together.

Add to 1st mixture (slowly) and cook & stir until thick (like pudding) over low-medium heat. Add 1 tsp vanilla. Let mixture cool “some” (to room temp). Pour into baked pie crust.

Meringue:

Beat 2 egg whites until frothy (stiff peaks), add 1/4 cup sugar.

Put on top of pie and bake until lightly browned.

1st Annual Salsa Shootout

We decided our next family contest was going to be salsa. There are so many different recipes out there it would be an easy one to do and have lots of different ones to taste. Since we were planning our trip to South Dakota with our Wyoming family, we thought that would be a great time to do it and let them participate with us.

It was definitely more challenging to do this with 9 different contestants and it was much more hectic with so many people judging, but I think it turned out great with lots of yummy salsas to try.

My aunt Susie definitely won the presentation award. She had a great set up, even down to pepper painted fingernails.

We had a wide range from sweet with ingredients like rhubarb, blueberries and cranberries (not all together!) to savory with several different tomato salsas that ranged from mild to spicy.

The grand champion was my cousin Mandy with her “Wyoming Caviar”.

In case you want to taste the champion’s salsa, here you go:

Mandy’s Wyoming Caviar

1 green bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1 onion

1 bunch of green onions

1 pint of cherry tomatoes (quartered)

2 jalapeno peppers

3 stalks of celery

1 bunch of cilantro

2-3 TBSP minced garlic

1 can of black beans (drained/rinsed)

1 can of black-eyed peas (drained/rinsed)

1 16-oz bottle of Zesty Italian dressing

Sprinkle of sugar

Salt/pepper

Chop all veggies, add to large bowl

Add beans & mix all together

Add whole bottle of dressing, mix together

Add sugar, salt & pepper to taste

Let sit for 24 hours in refrigerator

You could probably put this on fish or steak and it would be good as well. It was really good and was by far the favorite.

What were you doing at 4:15 am?

Probably sleeping, right?

We were groggily getting out of bed to go watch the latest multi-billion $$ rig as it went by town on it’s way to go suck up more oil out of the ocean floor. Why? Because we could!

It is really amazing how large these things are, the photos don’t really show how large they are. Especially when they are being towed down a ship channel that isn’t very big (figuratively speaking).  You have to excuse the photos, I only had my phone with me.

I was surprised how many people were out and about at that time of the morning just to watch it go out.

For more in depth info in case you are interested, go here: http://gcaptain.com/signet-crowley-tugs-get-big-foot-underway-corpus-christi-images/

And here: http://fortune.com/2014/06/09/chevron-goes-to-extremes-in-the-gulf-of-mexico/

Biology 105: What do you call a group of vultures?

On our way to our final Texas destination, we stopped for a couple days at Matagorda Bay along the Gulf of Mexico. One of the days was rainy and gloomy so we took a drive to see what we could see. There were a couple vultures flying around and Al (always the Park Ranger) asked me to look up what a group of vultures was called. We found several terms: committee, venue, volt, wake and kettle.

We came around a corner and what do we see but a large group of vultures doing what they do best: eating road kill!

What do you call a group of vultures?

They are a committee, venue or volt when they are a group in the trees:

They are called a kettle when they are a group in flight:

And they are called a wake when they are feeding together on a carcass:

Here are 20 “fun” facts in case you need to more about vultures: http://birding.about.com/od/Bird-Trivia/a/20-Fun-Facts-About-Vultures.htm

The vultures we saw that day were Black Vultures: https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/black-vulture

See….I taught you something you didn’t know!

It’s been a very long time

I’m not sure why, but I stopped updating my blog 18 months ago. I sat down tonight and read through every single post over the last few years and the memories came flooding: Ava and Ryleigh as little ones, Trevor as a brand new baby, the many trips to Texas or Wyoming or camping, Joe & Lauren’s beautiful wedding.

I had forgotten about many of the posts and they made me smile. Some posts were completely mundane and about nothing special, but it all adds up. It is life and even the mundane things need to be recorded and remembered.

I’m starting again, if for nothing else then to have something to look back on someday. It’s my personal scrapbook, but shared with whoever wants to look at it.

Here you go…..a pictorial look at our life since the last post:

I turned 50 (WOW!)

We finally finished the outside of the house and added an awesome deck

Where we get to watch the wildlife around us. We are so blessed to be able to live here!

There was a wonderful wedding and we welcomed Erin & Ryleigh officially to the family

We also welcomed my nephew Leo

And we were blessed with our beautiful grandson Colin

We hatched new chickens

And celebrated our 30^th wedding anniversary

Al moved a cabin

We went to Texas

We watched Matt & Erin do part of RAGBRAI

We had a great trip to Lake McConaughy in Nebraska to meet up with our family from Wyoming

And went to Octoberfest in Amana

And Pella

And the state fair

And the pumpkin farm

And the American Gothic farmhouse

Bode broke his leg and had to have it amputated (he’s doing great!)

And we had some very crazy kids around sometimes

We have been blessed with many great times, and there are many more memories to be made that need to be recorded. I’m vowing to be diligent and keep it up!

We are 30!

How can it be? Sarah and Joe are turning 30 today.

Where oh where has the time gone?

Happy Birthday!!!!! Love ya!