It's a wonderful day in the neighborhood . . .

"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!
1 John 3:1

A Recipe for Family

Today is THE DAY; Thanksgiving!

We will sit down at Mom's table; vintage 1950.  She bought this table with dad when they were first married.  It has two corner cabinets that fit snuggly into her dining room.  Inside the drawer of one is a small metal plaque that states it is made "Expressly for Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Battaglia."  What a priceless family heirloom!  What a blessing that Mom, at 86 years young, will celebrate with us as we enjoy some of her treasured recipes!

Two of our four children will sit at our table.  Kate is traveling from her home in Alberta, Canada with her boyfriend Johnny.  Daniel is coming out to the burbs from the Southside of the City where he has lived these past few months with his fun, vivacious Aunt Dori. (Her house has become a launching pad of sorts for some of the cousins . . . THANK YOU Dori!)

Our other two children will be quite a distance from Chicago.  Jake and Amy are half-way around the world enjoying a much anticipated trip to Hong Kong & Macau.  Luke and his new little family will be with Erica's folks in Phoenix.

Looking back it seems that each year we assemble a different group of people to our Thanksgiving Dinner.  (We will surely remember good times with the Canales, Hughes and Jacksons today!)  In this current season of life, we seem to have a moveable feast as we have celebrated in a different city these past four years.  But no matter "who" or "where," we are drawn together by tradition and love.  All the preparation, anticipation and yes, sometimes anxiety, melts away as we take our places; passing plates, sharing food, telling stories.  This is the "stuff" that memories are made of . . .

My favorite memory of 2016 is about family.  I will try to set the scene with words but the image below says it all.  It was taken during the marriage ceremony of Luke & Erica this past July.  Little Anthony, Erica's son, was the ring "bear" (bearer).  As he walked down the aisle before his mom, Luke knelt down on one knee and spread his arms open wide for Anthony!  There was hardly a dry-eye among us.  A flood of emotion overwhelmed me as I thought of the unconditional love, acceptance and belonging that defined this moment   . . . a family was born!  We are so proud of the life that Luke, Erica and our new little grandson, Anthony, are making together.  And so the legacy continues . . .

Father God,

We thank You for the gift of family.  You bless us with precious loved ones that give meaning and purpose to our lives.  Thank you for the abundant love that is ours to share!   In Jesus name we pray . . .

Grandma Pearl's Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Dan's Grandma was famous for her Pumpkin Chiffon Pie.  Like, his other Grandma Sue, she did not have many written recipes.  So we received them by word-of-mouth and this recipe has been cobbled together from memory and the help of a magazine clipping that provided a good base.  It is a light compliment to a heavy meal ;)  

As I become older, I now recognize the importance of tradition.  We make the same foods each year not because of their culinary significance but because they connect us to people and places that are a sweet memory.  And this recipe is no exception . . . I remember a great lady with a tremendous heart for her family; Grandma Pearl!

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup granulated sugar

8 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

2 eggs, separated

1/3 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 pint whipping cream

Mix together graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter.  Press into 8-inch pie plate and bake for 7 minutes in a 350 oven.  Remove from oven and cool completely.

In a small saucepan combine brown sugar, gelatin and spices.  In another bowl, mix pumpkin, egg yolks and milk.  Pour into saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it boils.  Remove from heat and put into a bowl and refrigerate until it "mounds" when dropped from a spoon.

Meanwhile, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy.  Beat in the granulated sugar, one tablespoon at a time until stiff and glossy. 

Fold the meringue into the pumpkin mix.  Pile the mixture into the pie shell.  Chill a minimum of 3 hours.

Meanwhile, beat the cream until fluffy.  Gently spread over top of pie and chill for another hour.  Serves 8