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Pie Crust

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Sugar
6 Tablespoons Butter (not unsalted)
6 Tablespoons Shortening
6 to 8 Tablespoons Ice Water

Warm the butter in the microwave until it is soft but not melted.

Mix in a large bowl:

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Sugar
Then mix in:
6 Tablespoons Butter
6 Tablespoons Shortening
6 to 8 Tablespoons Ice Water

Wrap your pie crust in plastic wrap; then, place it in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes or as long as it takes you to make the pie filling.

Pecan Pie Filling

1 Cup White Corn Syrup
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/3 Teaspoon Salt
1/3 Cup Melted Butter
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
3 Eggs
2 Cups Roasted Pecans

Mix in Bowl:
1 Cup White Corn Syrup
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/3 Teaspoon Salt
1/3 Cup Melted Butter
1 Teaspoon Vanilla

Mix (slightly beat) eggs until they look like the ones shown in the picture to the left.

Add the eggs to the batter and stir until the batter looks as it did before you added the eggs.

Take your pie dough out of the refrigerator, and roll it out till it looks like the picture at the left. It should be about 1/8 of an inch in thickness. Then, apply more flour to the rolling pin. Wrap the dough around the rolling pin, and unroll it onto your pie pan. Cut the excess crust off around the edge of the pie pan so that the crust hangs 1 inch around the edge. We use a pan with a gully around the edge to catch anything that overflows.

Pinch around the edge of the pie dough so that it folds in half. If you did not leave a one inch border, you will not have enough dough to do this. If this happened to you, just take it out of the pan and roll it out again properly.

Now, go around the edge and pinch it as shown here to create a wave shape. This is an important step; it will impact the final look of your pie. Work with it a little to get the look you see at the left.

Pour the pecan pie filling into pie shell.

Sprinkle the 2 cups of roasted pecans on top of the pecan pie filling. Some pecans will sink into the filling; while, others will remain on top. Now, put your pie in a preheated oven set to 350F for 1 hour to an hour and 10 minutes.

After the pie has been in the oven for about 30 minutes, take it out, and put strips of tinfoil around the edge to keep the pie crust from burning. Be careful not to spill you pie! The filling is runny and quite hot. Then, put the pie back in the oven.

After you put the pie back in the oven, it will need another 30 to 40 minutes. After about 30 minutes (a total of 1 hour in the oven) test the pie to see if it is done. You can test the pie by sticking a knife in the middle. If the knife comes out clean, the pie is done; if it comes out dirty, it needs about 10 more minutes in the oven.

6 large potatoes (or a potato for every person you are serving)
salt and pepper
bacon bits
butter
milk
sour cream
sharp chedder cheese

1. Wash potatoes. Poke a few holes in skin with a fork and bake potatoes in oven until tender.

2. When potatoes are done take out and let cool for 5 minutes.

3. Cut potatoes in half and scoop out the middle into a large bowl. Place potato skins in a greased baking dish and set aside.

4. Mash the potatoes and add enough milk and sour cream to make creamy. Add a dash of salt and pepper.

5. Spoon potato mixture back into shells. Top with grated cheese. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until cheese melts.

Serve with your favorite topping – bacon bits, diced green onion, etc…

1 1/2 lbs of ground meat
1 large onion, diced
2 beef bullion cubes

4 carrots, sliced thin
1 6-ounce pkg. frozen green peas

6 large potatoes peeled, diced
1/2 cup sour cream
dash salt and pepper

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup cheddar cheese – grated

1. In a large pot boil ground meat, diced onions and bullion cubes for 50 minutes.

2. Add sliced carrots and peas. Boil for 15 minutes.

3. While meat is cooking start the potatoes. Peel and dice potatoes into 1 inch cubes. Place in separate pot. Boil in just enough water to cover.

4. When potatoes are tender, drain and mash them in large bowl. Mix in sour cream. Add a dash of salt and pepper.

5. When meat and potatoes are done, ladle out into a large casserole dish. Reserve 1/2 cup of broth for sauce.

6. Mix together Worcestershire sauce, beef broth and cornstarch until the gravy thickens. Pour gravy over meat and vegetables.

7. Take mashed potatoes and spread over the top of the Shepherds Pie casserole. Top with grated cheese.

8. Cover casserole and bake at 400° for 30 minutes.

Serves 6 people

* Originally Shepherds Pie was made with lamb, vegetables and “mash tatties” (potatoes).

1-1/2 pounds flank steak
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter softened
2 tablespoons scallions thinly sliced
1 cup dry red wine
1 head roasted garlic

Sprinkle flank steak with salt and pepper.
Heat a large heavy skillet.
Do not add butter or other fat.
When hot cook seasoned steak until seared and well browned on each side.
Reduce heat and add 2 tablespoons butter.
Cook 5 minutes on each side.
Remove meat from pan and keep warm.
Pour off any fat in the skillet and add scallions and red wine.
Bring to a boil and whisk in the garlic
Boil until wine is reduced by half, thickened and syrupy.
As it boils scrape up the browned bits in the skillet with a wooden spoon.
Stir in the meat juices that have accumulated under the flank steak.
Boil for a few seconds more then remove from heat.
Gently swirl in 2 tablespoons softened butter so that it incorporates into the wine. Quickly slice the meat against the grain into thin strips.
Arrange slices on a hot platter then pour sauce down center and serve at once.

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