My Aunt Nita has volunteered us to make six Shoo Fly pies for the church homecoming supper. Not to mention a few extra ones for our company.

I am particularly excited because the Rutherfords will be staying on at our house for the entire weekend. I was best friends with Charlene Rutherford when they lived down the block. Seems like they moved on to Houston just yesterday. In reality, it has been two years since Mr. Rutherford was hired for his computer knowledge by a company that even paid for moving him and his family across Texas. Aunt Nita said that he must be a right smart feller for them to pay for his move and all. Aunt Nelly said that iffen he was all that smart he would have stayed in this here small community so as not to expose his family to the wilds of the world, which were most likely found in a town the size of Houston. Ever since I have heard that conversation between the two of them I can not wait to question Charlene about the wilds of the world. My ears are itching for every tiny detail. I shall never confess this desire to anyone for fear I will be accused of hanging out with our nosey neighbor Ginny to long of the evening after I have fetched her paper. I have already been chastised by Grandma for hanging around over there listening to gossip. Yep, I will keep my itching ears to myself. At least until Charlene arrives.

The Rutherfords will be pulling their rig into our driveway any minute now. They drive a bus as big as Grey Hound, them being a gospel singing group and all. It always causes a commotion when they drive up the road to park in our driveway. I wish they would hurry and get here cause my imagination is driving me bananas about what Charlene will tell me about the wilds of the world in Houston!

Grandma and the Aunts have kept me busy all morning, and now half of the afternoon is gone. We have been preparing one of their companys coming to supper meals. The smells were beginning to draw a crowd. People were just popping over to say hello from a block and a half away. Grandma says that good cooking always extends its own invite to people through smells. Thats what the aromas of Roasted Pork, Dinner Rolls, Garlic Smashed Potatoes, Fresh Picked Green Beans, Frog Eye Salad, velvety brown gravy, and SHOO FLY PIE do. They meander down the driveway, travel on down the street, and extend invites to taste buds from near and afar.

I extend an invite to your taste buds to try some SHOO FLY PIE for your self. Your taste buds will think that the prize patrol has done stopped by and awarded them the big prize.

Shoo Fly Pie
1 unbaked 9" pie crust

Topping

C flour

C light brown sugar (firmly packed)
tsp. cinnamon
tsp. nutmeg
tsp. ground clove
C butter

Mix the crumb topping ingredients together with a pastry blender until well mixed. Set aside. When you put this on top of the basic pie as directed it will NOT sit on top. Do not be concerned. It will bake up perfect!

Basic Pie

1 C boiling water
1 C. dark corn syrup
tsp. real vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1 egg,

Garnishments

Pecan halves
Carmel

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Mix corn syrup , boiling water, & vanilla, stirring to mix. Add to the mixture, baking soda and egg , mix well. Pour into unbaked piecrust. Sprinkle crumb topping mixture over the top. Place pie on a foiled lined baking sheet, bake for 40 minutes or until pie is medium set and dark brown.

When pie is cooled DRIZZLE with a small amount of Carmel and a few pecans over the top of each slice before serving.

From a collection "Tastebud Tidbits" by Joyce M. Edwards