Strawberry Pie

This week has been something else! The community we live in- Ooltewah, TN was hit Easter night by an F3 tornado. We took cover that night at 11:25 pm as the weather anchor broke down crying telling everyone a confirmed deadly tornado was on the ground and headed straight for us. It was terrifying. Although tornadoes are not common in our town, we knew there was a chance for them Sunday night. We stayed up late watching the weather. We were fortunate that the storm turned 1/2 mile from our neighborhood. I spent the next hours texting friends and checking facebook and watching the weather to see if the next round would produce tornadoes. It was a long night. The devastation to our community is unreal. Our family headed out Monday to help some friends with trees down on their property and home. Every where we looked it was like a war zone. Hundred year old oaks with the tops twisted off like a toothpick, roofs completely gone, metal buildings blown blocks from their original location. It was shocking. We continued to help friends with cleanup, opening our home for a hot shower, a place to rest and a hot meal. I wish we could do more. It doesn’t feel like enough. I feel so heartbroken for everyone and yet so thankful that they are physically ok.

So why Strawberry Pie? In the midst of Coronavirus and Tornado damage, our daughter is celebrating her 22nd Birthday. She wanted to wait to celebrate but she did ask me to make this pie- her favorite! I’m so proud of her. She has given tirelessly all week- helping our friends and even complete strangers who were hit by the tornado. She just drove around yesterday looking for God to show her who needed help. She helped the sweetest family. The tragedy of the tornado and the Coronavirus are all around us today. In a world full of darkness she is shining brightly the pure love of God. Hours on end she has lifted logs and limbs. I’m so very proud of her character and love for others. She’s going right back out there to help clean up today, on her Birthday. She is such a gift. So Happy Birthday to my girl! May God bless her always!

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Strawberry Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 prepared graham cracker crust
• 6 Tbsp Cornstarch
• 6 Tbsp Strawberry jello mix (the powder in the box)
• 2 Cups granulated sugar
• 2 Cups hot water
• 2 Cups fresh sliced strawberries

Directions: In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and jello mix. Stir this well and then add the hot water. Using a whisk to stir constantly, cook the mixture on medium high heat until it thickens. If it coats a spoon and stops dripping as it cools, it is sufficiently thickened. Remove from heat and allow the filling to cool completely. Meanwhile, prepare the strawberries by washing, drying and slicing into bite size pieces. When the filling is cooled, stir the sliced strawberries into the filling until combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared graham cracker crust, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. This makes one pie. Serve with a dollop of cool whip or homemade whipped cream.

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