- 1 cup of sugar
- 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
- 4 tablespoons of strawberry jello
- 1 cup of water
- 1 teaspoon of red food coloring
- 1 pint of strawberries
After you get out the strawberries, wash them and set aside to dry. Strawberries are one of the last, but most important ingredients in this pie.
I think back to when the family would get together at my grandmother's house for birthdays, holidays, or some special occasion. I was just a little girl back in these memories. Me and my cousins loved to run around the house playing hide and seek. The feeling of being surrounded by people that love me has always comforted me. The women of the family, such as my mother, aunt, grandmother, and great-grandmother hang around in the kitchen as they socialize and cook.
My great grandmother, whom I called Maw Maw, will always be a very special woman in my life. It has been about three years since she passed away. She was wise and religious in everything she did. I spent most of my time goofing off with my cousins, but I did occasionally sneak in the kitchen to taste the dinner and desserts. After getting out the necessary utensils, my Maw Maw would get out the ingredients for her amazing Strawberry pie. You need sugar, cornstarch, strawberry jello, water, red food coloring, and strawberries.
Mix 1 cup of sugar, 4 tablespoons of strawberry jello, and 3 tablespoons of cornstarch together. Next, you add 1 cup of water and 1 teaspoon of red food coloring.
I sit on the kitchen bar stool and quietly watch the women cook until I hear my cousins shout, "Kassidy, come play a game with us!" Then I would take off running around the house some more. All the grownups would yell, "Ya'll stop running! If you hurt yourself do not come crying to me!" We would all laugh, and us being kids would say, "We are being careful. We just wanna have fun!" Then me and the cousins would run up the stairs.
I remember constantly slipping in the kitchen to ask the most annoying question ever. "Is it ready yet?" The women would laugh, and then they would tell me to have patience. That is one thing I have still not managed to grasp. I do not have patience. Maw Maw was the professional pie maker. She would share her recipes and secrets with the rest of us. I absolutely adore those sweet, fun moments spent with the family. They never fail to cheer me up when I am having a bad day.
You cook the pie mix over medium heat until it gets thick and smooth. Finally, after it cools, slice berries into the cooked pie shell and pour the filling over the strawberries.
Now we all run to the kitchen, racing each other to the plates. My grandpa was always there to stop us so he could bless the food. Then we all sit at the table and eat our dinner as we share stories and thoughts. After dinner comes what we have all been dying to get our hands on. Maw Maw's pie is one of the family favorites. The pie is served with whipped cream and cherries if desired. My memories of these great times will forever be with me, just like the sadness I felt when it was time to go home. This is one of the many family traditions we have, and it wouldn't be the same without it.
