by Heather Horrocks
One of the best holiday traditions I ever started (or copied, however you want to look at it) is our Thanksgiving Eve Pie Party.
I read about the concept in a magazine and was intrigued. After all, on Thanksgiving Day, we’re way too stuff with turkey dinner to eat nearly enough pie. So why not eat dessert first? Now we do.
We invite family and friends. I spend several days baking pumpkin pies (best recipe is on the Libby’s pumpkin can, using 2 T. pumpkin pie space instead of the spices, and using butter in the crust instead of shortening). I keep hearing how good my pumpkin pies are but, since I don’t like pumpkin pie, I’m not sure I believe those rumors.
If I can get my friend Marie (Callender) to sell me her pies cheap enough, I enlist her help. This year, my sister is coming for the week and I don’t want to spend days preparing for the party. I want to visit with my sister. So I found good deals on MC pies and bought 6 (two cherry, two apple, two chocolate cream). I’ll bake the pumpkin pies tomorrow and freeze them, along with the key lime pies. The only pie I’ll need to actually make on the party day is the banana cream pies.
Our rules? Pretty simple. People come, with their kids (but we let them know they have to come with their kids because the first year one couple sent their kids in and then went to a movie while we tended their kids). If they want to bring a pie, they can (whatever kind they choose), but they don’t have to (though if they’re bringing a large horde, I do ask that they bring a pie).
With grown kids, it’s nice to have an event they can come to even if they’re going to the in-laws’ home for Thanksgiving dinner. We have friends who come every year. And one little boy in our neighborhood makes his family put off leaving for Idaho until after the pie party! (This year, we’re having a mini-party for their family, so they can leave for Idaho earlier.)
We’ve had great fun doing this and I highly recommend it (or a version of it). Several friends of mine who live in another city have also started doing this and are having a great time.
Happy Turkey Day. And may I suggest that, this year, you eat dessert first.
A great idea. I know, because we do a version of it. The only time of year I regularly bake pies is for Thanksgiving, and we make up for the loss by pigging out then. Loved your inclusion of bits, like which pies you like, recepies, timing, children left to be baby sat, but bewst of all the child who insisted on the pie party BEFORE the trip. I hope your guests also help clean up. And do you serve ice cream with the pie?
ReplyDeleteWhat fun, Heather! I think I would like to try it with a twist. What if everyone that came brought their turkeys ready to be cooked in a big coal pit. You could share pie and fun while you bury the turkeys and then in the morning everyone could come get their birds...all cooked and ready to be devoured!
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