I love to plan surprises. Sometimes they are happy surprises, other times they are simply funny surprises. Take for instance the day I had dinner with my friend while wearing a hippie costume. I gave her a long, intricate story about why I was dressed in costume, why she needed to drive me to her house, why she needed to change course and instead go to her parents' house, and how it was that Perry ended up in costume inside her parents' house. In the end, the surprise was her hippie-themed 30th birthday party. She was VERY delighted!
Another surprise I can remember happened when I was a kid. I really wanted to think of a good April Fool's Day joke to play on Bret (the guy featured in week #4). Every day he would wake before dawn and do the dishes in the sink. I knew that this would be my chance to get him - I would be tucked safely in bed and he would never suspect me! So, after he had gone to bed on March 31, I colored a rubber band black and tied it around the sprayer in the kitchen sink. I can't remember if the plan worked or how much trouble I was in, but the idea of the surprise still makes me laugh!
It is in this spirit that this week's pie was created. Knowing that the Stopher's are due for a visit at the end of the week, I found just the right pie. However, there was a bit of unfortunate timing in that the Leatherman's were to visit today! Having only 9 years of surprises together, I wasn't sure that I could serve them surprise pie in case it turned out poorly. I was in a bit of a pickle! To make a long story short, I ended up making 2 pies: Surprise Pie and second Blueberry Lattice Pie. In doing this I knew that at least one of them would turn out!
The problem with surprises is that I sometimes have trouble keeping them a secret. I toyed with the idea of posting a partial blog today with a picture and pie review, and then posting the surprise ingredient and full recipe later in the week. However, I'm SO excited about this pie - perhaps because it's a surprise or perhaps because I love how it tastes! Thus, you will get the full scoop immediately!
I wish I could make you promise that you'd try the pie after revealing the surprise ingredient. However since no one is forced to read this blog (let alone make any of the recipes), I guess I'll just say that this pie is a keeper. And now the secret ingredient...ZUCCHINI!
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Zucchini Pie
Ingredients:
1 pie shell
1 c. zucchini (2 small ones will work)
1 c. sugar
1 c. evaporated milk
1 egg
1tsp. vanilla
1 T. margarine
2 T. flour
1/2 t. salt
Pie Algorithm:
1. Peel, seeed, and chop zucchini. Cook in small amount of water for 10 minutes and drain. Measure after cooked.
2. Put all ingredients in blender and mix. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg on top.
3. Bake at 400F for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350F and bake for 30 minutes. Pie will be slightly wiggly, but should be mostly firm to ensure that it is cooked through.
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Another surprise I can remember happened when I was a kid. I really wanted to think of a good April Fool's Day joke to play on Bret (the guy featured in week #4). Every day he would wake before dawn and do the dishes in the sink. I knew that this would be my chance to get him - I would be tucked safely in bed and he would never suspect me! So, after he had gone to bed on March 31, I colored a rubber band black and tied it around the sprayer in the kitchen sink. I can't remember if the plan worked or how much trouble I was in, but the idea of the surprise still makes me laugh!
It is in this spirit that this week's pie was created. Knowing that the Stopher's are due for a visit at the end of the week, I found just the right pie. However, there was a bit of unfortunate timing in that the Leatherman's were to visit today! Having only 9 years of surprises together, I wasn't sure that I could serve them surprise pie in case it turned out poorly. I was in a bit of a pickle! To make a long story short, I ended up making 2 pies: Surprise Pie and second Blueberry Lattice Pie. In doing this I knew that at least one of them would turn out!
The problem with surprises is that I sometimes have trouble keeping them a secret. I toyed with the idea of posting a partial blog today with a picture and pie review, and then posting the surprise ingredient and full recipe later in the week. However, I'm SO excited about this pie - perhaps because it's a surprise or perhaps because I love how it tastes! Thus, you will get the full scoop immediately!
I wish I could make you promise that you'd try the pie after revealing the surprise ingredient. However since no one is forced to read this blog (let alone make any of the recipes), I guess I'll just say that this pie is a keeper. And now the secret ingredient...ZUCCHINI!
This recipe came from Ilene Nofziger and can be found in West Clinton Mennonite's 100 Years of Recipes and Reflections cookbook.
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Zucchini Pie
Ingredients:
1 pie shell
1 c. zucchini (2 small ones will work)
1 c. sugar
1 c. evaporated milk
1 egg
1tsp. vanilla
1 T. margarine
2 T. flour
1/2 t. salt
Pie Algorithm:
1. Peel, seeed, and chop zucchini. Cook in small amount of water for 10 minutes and drain. Measure after cooked.
2. Put all ingredients in blender and mix. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg on top.
3. Bake at 400F for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350F and bake for 30 minutes. Pie will be slightly wiggly, but should be mostly firm to ensure that it is cooked through.
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| painting by Noah Yoder |
It turns out that I would have been safe simply making the surprise pie for Marv and Kathy. It tasted a lot like Sugar Cream Pie (a.k.a. Old Fashioned Cream Pie), and they both seemed to enjoy it! While I really liked the blueberry last week, this also ranks as one of my favorites so far! I guess there won't be such a big surprise for Bret after all!
Sounds delicious! I've never even had Sugar Cream Pie, but that sounds yummy, too. I love the versatility of zucchini for sweet or salty dishes.
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