Thanksgiving was a varied family affair. Some years we were on the road to, or in, North Carolina at Grandma Ollie's. I was so young, and film so expensive, I didn't take photos. Other years we were busy with high school activities: the boys were playing for the school bands, so were up at the football games, while I might have had to rush out later in the evening for choral activities - like the lighting of the town Christmas tree. If I was home from college, I was probably sacked out with a cold (I always got sick on vacations), off to visit friends or boyfriend(s), or my senior year - locked in my room for 5 straight days studying for my upcoming 6 hour comprehensive exams that were to be followed, in a week, by a 4 hour GRE subject exam. That year, I only came out of the room to go to the bathroom, shower, or to eat dinner and then head back to the books.
The one yearly constant (and still exists to this day) in the craziness was Mom busily preparing the various family dishes of turkey, sweet potatoes, potatoes, rolls, pies, green bean casserole, and the "Warmadorf" (Waldorf) salad - while yelling at us not to pick at the cooling turkey, or to stop snitching marshmallows out of the salad, or the "crunchies" off the casserole.
For many years, it was just the five of us celebrating and eating. As we got older, the day began to encompass other friends and family. There were the missionaries from church, the local college students - with their spouses or family in town, other church families and friends, and sundry other "specials" or "orphans." The CT house wasn't that large, but it always worked. The dining room table became the buffet spot. A few 6 or 8 foot tables were set up in the living room and piano room, with chairs of all kinds, and piano benches leaving room for folks. After the main course, there was a break for clean-up, football, walks, digestion, chats, etc. Without it being planned, the guys might end up on one floor watching football while, somehow, the ladies cleaned up, did dishes, and/or dispersed to other floors of the house. Potluck was the order of the day, with lots of extras brought for re-distribution into Tupperware, serving pans, or Ziploc containers for next-day (or next hour) leftovers.
There were always pies. Lots and lots of pie. There had to be "spare" pumpkin pies for my brother to eat for breakfast the next day. Apple and pecan pies for other traditionalists. For me though, the highlight was, and continues to be: Donna's Fudge Pie - seen below in a photo from 2010.
How fortunate I feel that I actually have photos of Donna (above left) at our house for Thanksgiving, from many years ago. Even more special was that last year, when Mom and Dad were moving West prior to Thanksgiving, she came down from MA to say goodbye, and brought the Thanksgiving Chocolate Pie along with the recipe card. I didn't get to bring the whole pie back to NYC, but I got most of it. IT.IS.DIVINE!
Even if my new Thanksgiving traditions include Chinese food for a smaller group (Auntie Nettie, Party of 1, your Beef and Broccoli, Egg Rolls, and Dim Sum are ready!), lots of time on Skype talking to friends and family rather than dealing with crowds and travel, and no pumpkin pies, I will have to learn to make this pie. It's not my Thanksgiving without it.
Chocolate Pie
6 tablespoons butter
2 cups sugar, white
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
4 squares chocolate (unsweetened?)
2 teaspoons vanilla
In a double boiler; cream sugar, butter and flour. Mix milk and eggs together. Add to sugar mixture. Stir in chocolate and vanilla. Cook until thick. Pour into a 9 inch baked pie shell. Let set. Serve with whipped cream.
This photos from 2010 don't do that pie justice. So much better than the instant chocolate pudding pies in the shells, this is decadent fudgey, sugar-coma-y, goodness.
Dang it. Now I want pie.
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