Family Recipes

What you see below is a delicious recipe.  I know.  I made it myself many years ago for the holidays. You see, I'm putting together a recipe book for family for Christmas gifts.  I have asked family to send a favorite recipe and a story as to WHY it is your favorite or why it gives you a pleasant memory.  I sent this on Friday, and I've received some wonderful ones that I have personally been a part of the memory, some not because they are members from my husband's side. Either way, they have all made me feel the love in our family.  Despite the fact that there is distance...marriages occur and your big brother goes from being your idol to the man that is idol to his own wife...there is a bond in my family, particularly between my older brother, Layne, and myself.  He will always be the funniest, most charming, kindest, most generous person I have ever met.  I am not saying this, however, I am bias...but others will agree.  

These things said, I had to display, not only a hilarious memory from our lives together, documenting true "Kieschnick" actions (my maiden name), but also how incredibly talented he is at painting a picture and telling a story.  Please enjoy as much as I did!  

The following story is from Beth Ann's brother, Layne Kieschnick.

Read the recipe for Fresh Strawberry Pie. 

A funny story goes along with this recipe.  You see, my little sister and I are close, but now live a few states away and it's hard to keep in daily contact.  But it's stories like this one I'm about to tell that remind me that she is, and always will be one of my best friends.    Around the holidays, my little sister (Who will remain anonymous) loves to cook and try out new recipes for family and friends. One year it will be a 6-layer chocolate dessert.. that would force an anorexic chick into early retirement, the next it will be a Louisiana chicken pasta dish that would make a Cajun's tongue slap his brain, then the next it will be succulent pork tenderloin that a hog himself wouldn't mind digging into.. or some other fine delectable that would peak the interests of even the top food critic.  You get the idea: she's a pretty damn good cook. 

Nevertheless, every Christmas or Thanksgiving holiday season, we are always in for a treat when my sister puts her talents on display for everyone to enjoy.  Did I mention she could easily do her own cooking show and put Rachel Ray out of business?  Yeah, it's that good and then again, I'm a very partial big brother ;)  The recipe my sister came up with this particular holiday season was a bit simpler, but was still just as delicious.  This day, as always, my sister and I were joking around talking about college, silly stuff and stories of friends and family while she was putting together her recipe for her "almost world famous" Strawberry Pie.  I was normally the guinea pig to taste the food before it went out on the display table at our grandparent's house...which I didn't mind one bit.  So there we were cutting up about God knows what...and I was fulfilling my duties as the food taster and we got to laughing so hard that a strawberry shot out my nose and hung there..which made us laugh even harder. 

At that same time, our dad came into the kitchen from outside and we were laying on the floor laughing so hard we were crying and I had a strawberry hanging out of my nose...and as I looked at our dad, I could see the wheels turning in his head as to which drug could have this type of effect on a human being.  Haha, it turned out to be a fun time, as always, and when we finally got cleaned up, explained what had happened to my dad and I got the strawberry out of my nose...we ended up going to our grandparent's house and all the aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and family went on and on about how delicious my sister's strawberry pie was.   For me, a simple dessert like strawberry pie will always remind me of good times with my sweet little sister..and the holidays.   

Cheers to a Happy Thanksgiving and a very Merry Christmas,  

Layne Kieschnick