Third Winner in the Great Pie Giveaway

Giving away prizes?  Almost as much fun as the entries I've gotten.  Today's winner (you have to read to the end) receives the third of four boxes. 

Inside?  A porcelain pie bird (for venting pie crusts) and a pewter pie charm.  A signed copy of Sunset Bridge, a pie top cutter, a Wanda's Wonderful Pies apron, Key lime pie soap, Key lime pie mix, Martha Stewart's Pies and Tarts,  and a silly Florida watch to wear whenever she needs a trip to Happiness Key. 

And don't forget when all the boxes are gone, there's still a grand prize, the winner's choice (depending on availability) of a Kindle or a Breville Pie Maker from Williams-Sonoma– with the results of the pie maker pictured here.

Did you miss the rules?  You'll find them here and here.  There's still time to enter, and it's both simple and fun.  Just think pie.  Winners are chosen randomly from all correct entries.

When I was writing Sunset Bridge (at your favorite bookstore on June 28th) I needed the name of a new specialty pie for Wanda, and decided on Million Dollar pie.  Of course I had to check to be sure there wasn't a Million Dollar pie in existence, and of course, there was.  My Million Dollar Pie then became Pie in the Sky.  This week Madonna entered the pie prize giveaway with exactly that pie, which she says has been passed around her church for ages.  Have you had this one?

Million Dollar Pie

8 oz. cream cheese

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup Eagle Brand milk

1/4 cup lemon juice

Blend ingredients together until smooth. Then blend in:

1/2 can drained, crushed pineapple

1/2 cup pecans

Pour into baked pie shell and let

set in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Top with whipped cream which has been

blended with 1/2 can drained pineapple

and 1/2 cup pecans

Kay from Minnesota's Raspberry Pie comes with a story attached.  I'm posting exactly as I got and enjoyed it.  What a summery treat this one is.

"To me, summer means fresh fruit pies, complete with whipped cream. My first attempt at baking a pie by myself was fairly dismal: my great aunt's recipe simply said, "make a crust." My aunt decided I needed more detailed instructions, so provided me with the following recipe. Her extra comments make me smile every time I pull out this recipe! And that is what family recipes are all about: cherishing old memories and making new ones."

Raspberry Pie

Crust: Mix together 3 cups of flour and 1 tsp. salt

Cut in 1 & 1/3 c. of shortening

Mix together 1 tsp. vinegar, 1 egg, and 6 TBSP cold water

Add to dry ingredients

You can work the crust all you want and its not suppose to get tough. I can patch tires with mine.

Roll out, fit into a pie plate, and bake@ 425 for about 8 minutes. If you smell it burning, tooooo late!

Makes 3 single crusts. Refrigerate what you don't use – it will keep several weeks.

Fresh raspberry filling (for one pie)

1 quart of fresh raspberries

Cook together until thick:

1 cup water

3/4 c. sugar

2 TBSP flour

1 TBSP cornstarch

When this mixture is thick, add one CUP of the fresh raspberries. Cook a little bit longer. Cool.

Place the remaining fresh raspberries in a baked and cooled pie crust. Pour cooked berry mixture over the top. Chill and serve with gobs of whipped cream and watch the hips grow!

And the winner of the third Great Pie Giveaway is StichnRN, who sent this story about her daughter's piemaking adventures.

"When my daughter was in 4-H, and the year came around for pies, she was given a blue ribbon in the initial judging. She got a phone call that afternoon asking where her pie was for final judging for champion etc.  Someone had "lost" her pie, so she wasn't eligible for any higher awards, and it was a delicious fresh blueberry pie. next she entered the open pie contest the fair does every year for 4-H scholarships. This is open to anyone who wants to bake and donate a pie. She won it. Our local congressman bought her pie for $600. She had made a total of 6 pies by then, and won over many skilled, experienced bakers."

I think it was no accident that blueberry pie disappeared.  I bet it ended up in somebody's grateful tummy.  So glad your daughter went on to other honors, and she sounds like a great daughter to have.  Congratulations and enjoy your prize box.