By Heidi Bell Gease
Behold the power of pie.
That’s what had people lined up at the front doors of Pinedale Elementary School last Saturday, waiting for the annual Pinedale Bazaar to begin.
Along with nice crafts, it seems the bazaar is well-known for its homemade pies. A lot of the folks who were first in line were after something specific: strawberry-rhubarb, key lime, sweet potato.
I’ve never been a big pie person though I’ll eat it if it’s there. Up until last week I had made a total of one pumpkin pie in my life.
But being the mother of a kindergartener, I did my duty and baked a lemon-chess and a butterscotch pie to help the PTA, which is largely funded through the pie sale.
I also managed to get home with two pies made by other parents: a lemon meringue and a super yummy one labeled “Rag Top Apple Tart.” (Or maybe it was “Torte.”)
At any rate it was delicious. And it didn’t have a top crust on it, which means I might actually be able to make it myself.
Has anyone heard of this? And do you have the recipe?

Here’s a recipe I tried on my family this weekend. It would be especially fun for Halloween night.
This is adapted from a recipe from cooks.com.

Dinner in a Pumpkin
1 small or medium pumpkin
1-2 lbs. ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 c. green pepper, chopped
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 T. brown sugar
1 8-ounce can water chestnuts
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 4-ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained
2 c. cooked rice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut top off pumpkin and clean out insides. Draw a jack-o-lantern face on pumpkin with a permanent marker, if you’d like.
Brown beef, onion and green pepper in skillet; drain. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, soup, rice, water chestnuts and mushrooms. Put into pumpkin and replace pumpkin lid. Place on baking sheet and bake 1 hour.
When serving, scoop out pumpkin with meat mixture.
Serves 6-8.

By Tanya Manus

In these days when everyone is trying to stretch their money, and their groceries, as far as possible, my mother has revisited one of my grandmother’s often-used penny-pinchers: Thursday Casserole.
On Thursdays, my grandmother cleaned out the refrigerator and used up leftover meats and vegetables, then paired them with rice or macaroni, in a casserole to feed her growing family. Then Friday was payday, and it was time to buy groceries again.
My mom’s most recent Thursday Casserole was a meat-and-vegetable mixture topped with mashed potatoes, served along with homemade gravy. To get started on your own Thursday Casserole, try this recipe that can be made with a lot of things you’ve probably already got in your refrigerator or freezer.

Leida’s Potatoes Pie
1 lb. ground beef
1 can beef broth, divided
3 bay leaves
2 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1 lb. potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon green onion, minced 
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 medium onions, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 large carrot, sliced
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
2 tablespoons flour
 
     In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in 1 cup of broth, bay leaves, cloves, pepper, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, place potatoes in a large pot; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and cook 15 minutes or until tender. Drain. Mash potatoes with milk, butter, green onions, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in cheese; keep warm.
Add the vegetables and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt to the beef mixture. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk the flour  and remaining broth until smooth. Gradually stir into beef mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Discard bay leaves and cloves. Transfer beef mixture to a greased 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Top with mashed potatoes. Bake, uncovered, 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until heated through.