THANKSGIVING!! Arguably the best holiday of the year, because it is a day dedicated to food, football and family. I've been pretty excited for Thanksgiving this year for a few reasons.
First, the Steelers will be battling it out with our most-hated division rivals for a second time this season, in primetime. The Steelers came out on top in the teams' first meeting. As these games usually go, the previous game against the ratbirds came down to a field goal, and Suisham was our hero.
The second reason I am pumped and thankful this Thanksgiving - all the fooood! I came home to the Boyd household with a few contributions: sweet potato hummus, brussels sprouts with bacon and Terry BradShawberry Pie!
The Steelers are 1-5 on Thanksgiving matchups. They haven't played on Thanksgiving day since 1998 against the Detroit Lions. That game would go down in history as the Phil Luckett/Jerome Bettis overtime coin toss debacle. The game was tied 16-16 at the end of regulation. Jerome Bettis called for the Steelers on the second coin toss of the game. He allegedly called something that sounded like "hea...tails!" The coin toss ref confirmed the call as heads, it came up tails, and the Steelers never saw the ball again. Final score, 19-16, Detroit. That was a terrible Thanksgiving.
This game was just as $Bill predicted it would be - a heart breaker. As Josh predicted, the Steelers got Charlie Browned. It was so close, with a weird blown field goal attempt (which, let's be honest, was a stretch at 50 yards anyway), sideline shenanigans from Coach Tomlin...
...huge plays by Heeeath, Cotchery, Brown and Bell, and ultimately, a gut-wrenching injury to rookie running back Le'Veon Bell in the final minutes. Here's hoping Bell comes out of this one okay. Final score: 22-20, BAL.
Okay, the pie. Kathy makes pumpkin, lemon and toll house. I wanted to make something different. Strawberries aren't very autumnal, but I've been thinking about making a berry pie for a while now. How can I make a strawberry pie appropriate for the Thanksgiving table? For starters, I decided to add a little nutmeg and ginger. I've read that the flavors can pair well and thought it was worth experimenting with. Then, when I was grocery shopping, I couldn't resist picking up a bag of fresh cranberries. Cran-strawberry pie? I think this just might work.
P.S. Terry Bradshaw rules.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Terry BradShawberry Pie
A Stiller Nation Snacks N'at Original
For the crust
3 cups flour
2 tsp salt
2/3 cup vegetable shortening
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup cold water
1 tbsp vinegar
For the filling
2 cups fresh cranberries
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup corn starch
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 pints strawberries, hulled and halved
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp water
Combine flour and salt in large mixing bowl. Mix in shortening with pastry cutter or single beater until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Stir in egg, water and vinegar until dough forms. Half and form two balls. Set one aside and place the other on a lightly-floured surface. Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness and place in pie plate.
Combine sugar, cranberries, corn starch and lemon juice in saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until sugar dissolves and cranberries begin to pop, about 10 minutes. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low and cook for another 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Stir together strawberries, nutmeg and ginger in medium bowl. Once cranberry mixture has reduced, remove from heat and allow to cool for 8-10 minutes. Stir strawberry mixture into saucepan, then pour into pie shell.
Roll out second dough ball to 1/4 inch thickness. Place over top of pie plate, pinch edges together and discard excess. Cut steam vents in center with paring knife (in the shape of the steel mark, if you like). Bake for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees, then bake for another 25 minutes. Remove from oven, cool and serve.
