It's Fall, Y'all

I think fall is my favorite season.  I loved fall when I was kid growing up because it meant that school started which meant new clothes and new SCHOOL SUPPLIES!!!  I love school supplies, and that might have to be a topic for another time.  As a kid growing up in Texas, fall meant nice weather, but as I got older, fall meant HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAMES!  Ah, some fond memories there of a certain #34......  oh well.  And that WON'T be a topic of another time.

After I moved to West Virginia and discovered that there really are four seasons, fall became my favorite because of the beauty.  If you haven't watch a Sugar Maple's leave turn to bright yellow, oranges, and red, you have indeed missed something.



Fall is just now getting started here in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, but there is enough that I need to do fall cooking today.  This Sunday evening supper consists of chili and pumpkin pie.  My mom has a wonderful recipe for Dallas Jailhouse Chili. In fact Momma's original handwritten copy is framed and hanging on the wall in Brett's apartment.  I didn't really want to go to all the trouble of measuring out all the ingredients, so I did the next best thing.

I found this stuff is pretty darn close.  I use the entire salt packet and the entire cayenne pepper packet.  I make a few other changes, too. I use a 15oz. can of tomato sauce, only 1/2 a can of water, and my secret ingredient,

 If this surprised you, you don't know me very well.

This pumpkin pie recipe is an old one.  It is the only on my mom ever used.  I'm not even sure how old the original copy is or where it came from.  I know it isn't my mother's handwriting; possibly her mother's.  I just don't know.

Pumpkin Rich Pie
2 eggs (slightly beaten)
2/3 cup sugar (One thing I like about this recipe is that it isn't overly sweet.)
1tsp. allspice (Usually, like today, I don't have this, so I substitute nutmeg)
1tsp cinnamon
1 3/4 cup pumpkin (I use one small can)
1/2 cup cream (I always use 1 1/2 cups of half and half instead of the cream and the milk)
1 cup milk
3/4 tsp salt
Combine sugar, salt, and spices.  Add eggs. Mix well, stir in pumpkin. Add milk and cream.  Stir until smooth.  Pour into pastry shell.  Bake at 425 degrees for 45 minutes.

As I've said before, I usually don't follow the order that the recipe suggests.  Again, I have an "everyone-in-the-pool" philosophy.

Ok, confession time.  I can't make pie crusts.  My mother could make the best, flakiest, most perfect pie crusts ever.  I can't make a good pie crust to save my life, so I use frozen pie crust.  They aren't as good as my mom's, but they are a hell of a lot better than mine.

Here's a trick to tell if a pumpkin, or any single crust custard pie is done.  Stick a knife in it.  If the knife comes out clean, the pie is done.