Ellie & Elizabeth

If you've been around here long enough, you'll remember that I went on a 21 day diet where you ate categories of foods in different sized boxes. You were allowed plenty of boxes of vegetables a day, but there was a TINY box for fats, including cheese, and you only got one of those a day. I did lose some weight, but really, I ask you, who can live long term with only a tiny box of cheese a day? (If you missed those episodes of fleeting nutritious eating, read Part I here and Part II here).

Most importantly, you know what they didn't even have a box for?

Pie.

Really.

I can't live in a world without pie. 1) Pie makes me happy. 2) Happy people live longer. 3) There has to be a box for pie, people. And there's no better pie than my mother's butterscotch pie recipe, which obviously will lengthen my life, making me happy and all.

Seriously. It's the bomb.

I can't give up my mom's recipe without a proper introduction...Some of you may remember I've mentioned my grandmother, MomB, and how she was a character? (If you missed it, read about her here). Well, my mother, Lana, doesn't fall far from the tree in that regard, although she's a character in different ways. She's fun, sassy, and is always on the go.

Mom and I at a Mother/Daughter Banquet several years back. I know, isn't she pretty?

When I say she's always on the go, I mean it. A few years back I called and said we were coming for a visit for spring break (she lives 12 hours from us). She paused and said, well, that'd be nice, honey, but I'll be in Spain. Most ladies her age are not dropping everything and running off to Spain. I don't have half her energy, but she keeps telling me she's just 29, so what do I know?

However, she does slow down long enough to cook when she's not jet setting off somewhere, and anything she makes is a treat. She is constantly entertaining and this is one of the favorites. Her cousin teases her that he's going to keep her locked up in a closet and only let her out to make this pie. (He's a little sassy, too, haha).

Here is her famous Butterscotch Pie Recipe, a perfect fall dessert. Delicious.

LANA'S BUTTERSCOTCH PIE RECIPE

Ingredients:

3/4 cup light brown sugar
3 tsp. Cornstarch
1/4 tsp. Salt
2 Cups milk
3 beaten eggs
3 tsp. Butter
1 tsp. Vanilla extract.

1 unbaked pie shell

Meringue
3 egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract
6 Tbsp. Sugar

In saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, & salt; gradually stir in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture boils & thickens. (Warning, if you don't thicken enough, pie will be runny!) Cook 2 mins. longer. Remove from heat; in a separate bowl, stir small amount of hot mixture into beaten eggs; return eggs to hot mixture. Cook 2 mins over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add butter &vanilla. Cool to room temp. You can pour directly into unbaked pie shell, or I like to bake my shell 10 mins. first, cover edges so it will be crisp.

Meringue: Beat egg whites with cream of tartar & vanilla until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beat until stiff. Layer meringue on top of pie filling and bake at 350 degrees for 12 - 15 minutes.

PIN IT FOR LATER!

Hope y'all enjoy the pie!

Love,

Elizabeth

P.S. I need help choosing Ellie's Halloween costume...I'll show you the choices over the next few posts. Let me know what you think. Choice #1:

Queen Ellie does have a nice ring to it.

And I couldn't resist posting a pic of Mom a few years ago on Halloween.

I told you she's a fun gal.  She says this year's costume is a surprise...I'm almost afraid to ask, haha — I told you she's a fun gal. She says this year's costume is a surprise...I'm almost afraid to ask, haha