Mary Kay's Cookbook

This is my first page on my second blog...wow that's two lifetime goals fulfilled. Sounds like Martha Stewart's Dreamers into Doers right?

Let me tell you a little about me- in case anyone really reads this besides friends or family I might tell about it. I was born the third child of an amazing woman who was one of 14 children born on a farm in Cabery Illinois back in the days of the great sections of land.
My mom, Berneicium Clodi( sorry mom I don't remember your middle name)was also a latter born child and it's a good thing too. Back in my Mother's day( she lived to be almost 100) and died in 2006- 7 days before my Father who was also in his late 90's. The thing that finally slowed them down was a return of prostate cancer in my Dad and a California intentionally misdiagnosed congestive heart failure. Many too many old people outliving their benefits in
California and Florida.

Back to my Mother- she learned to cook like any farm girl- their mother was always sickly- turned out she had probably had heart trouble- rapid heart and finally she died of a cerebral hemmorage. My mother was very like her mother it turned out but she got off that farm early.
The children and especially the girls worked from the earliest possible hours in the morning to the latest at night..she learned everything there was about cooking very early in life but also was put in charge of one of her brothers- the girls were expected to do all the cooking and cleaning as well as take care of the personal needs of their brothers.when she was given a scholarship for high school they ripped it up in front of her and she was told that she would stay home and take care of the house and her mother and brothers.all this at 14- so she left home...getting to northwest Indiana where she lied about her age and got a job working for a dr.'s family- his wife was dead and he needed a woman to help raise his two children and cook and clean.for this girl off the farm this would be a very posh job easily done and finally financially rewarding.

This woman could cook anything- pies by the dozens, biscuits,all the basic vegetable dishes, and great homey meals like turkey, whole chickens, lots of fancy desserts she would make up for friends parties or funeral meals.to be a friend of my mother's meant you would never be at a loss during crisis or death or illness in the family.she was incredibly hard worker and because of a diagnosed heart murmur was not able to beome a nurse- so she opted for a beautician's career and married the son of one of her best friends (My Father's Mother). she had lost her first love when she worked for the dr- they were engaged but he was standing next to his car but on the street side when he was hit by another car and killed. This man had already taken out life insurance and named her as it's recipient- my mother turned this insurance over to a child he had from a first marriage.. This was a very special lady and raised Catholic- but more importantly she actually lived her life doing for others and trying to do the right thing. But don't let the church or it's nuns call her and try to tell her how to run our home..that was tried..no boy girl parties, conduct on the playground by my overly exuberant sister supposedly...she told the nuns to mind their own business and she would run her home the way she liked and not to call her again with such complaints.these nuns were Franciscans and they all were I'm sure 10 feet tall and incredibly mean..taking girls out of classes and scrubbing all sources of lipstick off their lips, making whole classes kneel next to their desks until they confessed who left the milk in the carton.sexually frustrated is what I say about these women and let's not even go into the incident of the priest who finding a guy sleeping during his once weekly religion class picked the kid up and slapped him against the blackboard...there we a lot of things that went on in those days when post ww11 classes were filled to the max- truly the baby boom and we are talking 60 kids per room...and teachers complain about class size these days..those nuns had no relief..and more importantly equal outlet.my mom was always convinced that is what made them all so crazy. When my brother decided he wanted to become a priest she quickly forbade it and when my mother made a decision we all knew there was no discussion.

All this and I haven't given you one recipe! Sorry here it come...

My Mom's Pie Crust

1 3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup Crisco ( can substitute half butter but mom never did)
1teaspoon salt
1/4 baking powder
5-7 tablespoons ice cold water
I sometimes throw in a little sugar even raw sugar


And the really big secret she never gave me until right before her death- she buttered both sides of this party before she put it butter-side down..her pies were always everyone's favorite ESP in her retirement condo in Oceanside California where she learned to cook with wine and sometimes drink a little while cooking if you know what I mean.

Here are the directions for making the pie dough itself directly from her lips:

Sift together all dry ingredients.. Remember sitters? She used hers religiously. Cut in the shortening( hint Crisco ) - she always blended the flour and Crisco together with her fingers..rubbed it thru her fingers til it was the size of peas. She put the tablespoons of water in a Pyrex measuring cup already filled with ice cubes...


This is also another huge hint. Getting that really Ivey cold water makes a huge difference in the rising power of the dough. That and the baking powder..I never saw that in any other crust recipe but my mom was an expert.after all they would be making lots of pies to feed a family of 16. Can you imagine all of them tucked into a farm kitchen..probably fed the men and boys first..it was not huge.her oldest brother inherited the family farm and we went there for
supper most times we were down home as my mom called it mostly for funerals..those Irish farmers smoked and drank themselves silly sitting and playing cards all winter..we
are talking serious second hand smoke!

Back to the directions: add the water to the mix til holds together..test by gripping dough together with your one hand fingers to thumb.if it holds together you are ready to roll..roll it out that is! Mom never rested the dough etc as they do these days.she divided the dough and rolled each half laying bottom crust in glass Pyrex pan..forked the bottom..use fork to vent dough and then added mostly pie filling from the can and then laid the top sheet in half and cut slits on the edge and then put it over the filling. But remember the biggest secret and trick was to butter both pie dough rounds and maybe she even sprinkled on some sugar.I myself have been know to add crushed nuts walnuts or better yet Hawaiian macadamia nuts to the bottom or both crusts.have you ever had those fabulous nut crusts on the german tarts filled with jam.they are the best and it only takes a tiny slice to fulfill that need for a sweet( as my quickly disappearing waist line can attest). one of the best pies I have made lately was the butter version of my moms crust and I bought a sour cherry filling at Costco. I usually do a strudel crust on top ( a to the taste combination of pie dough ingredients with more brown sugar for crackle) because my 10 year old grandson loves that style. I was severely disappointed in the soupy appearance of the filling when it was baked..turned out it set up on cooling and was one of the best pies ever.you never know!

Pretty long directions aye?!

Excuse me now while I go off to make apple and raisin oatmeal for our breakfast- and pack a lunch..maybe I'll give you this recipe next..hope mom is happy with this story!

Mary Kay of Mary Kay's cookbook and memoir