Saturday, May 30, 2009

Snakes, Squirrels and Pies... Oh My

We have some baby chicks in a cage in the house until the hen has finished hatching her other eggs. Was afraid if we left them she would come off the nest to feed the chicks. Couple of days ago William was moving the towel we had over one end of the cage to check on them. As he moved the towel a snake dropped on the floor. I scream snake and William being barefooted and startled from my scream started screaming like a girl and dancing all over the floor. I had retreated to the sofa with my feet nicely secured under me. I was laughing so hard at William dancing and screaming I almost fell off the sofa. The snake darted off behind the file cabinet and William darted off to put on his heavy winter muck boots and grab a couple pair of kitchen tongs. Armed he went after the 2 foot snake. I would have taken pictures of this oh so funny adventure but the camera was on the diningroom table and I of course was still safely planted on the sofa. I was cheering William on inbetween laughter. After about 5 minutes of chasing and trying to catch the snake William finally got it out the door where it slithered off the porch and hurriedly made its escape. Turns out Whiskers had brought us a water snake as a gift for feeding him. The next day I am rushing around the kitchen trying to get things done for a upcoming craftfair when I step on something soft and furry. I scream like a girl and look to see Whiskers sitting beside a live squirrel! I pick the squirrel up and set it on the porch railing hoping it will get over its fright and make a break for it. But seems Whiskers must have injured it internally when he caught it as it died a little later. Whiskers is a big fat spoiled cat. He comes crying and whining to you every couple hours for something to eat. He gets a tablespoon of canned food when he cries and has dry food out all the time plus he gets extra for breakfast and supper. He is so fat I don't know how he can catch snakes, squirrels and field mice but he does and he always wants to bring them as gifts. Last year he was carrying a huge black snake to me while it was biting him on the face. He just kept walking with it right to me. I took a hoe and picked it up and let it go over the fence. We are working on breaking him from these gifts but so far the gifts keep coming... ALIVE!

When I was a kid (way back when) I loved going to my Aunt Lola's. She was the best cook! She made melt in your mouth biscuits and pound cakes but the absolutely best thing ever was her pineapple icebox pie. I emailed her daughter (my cousin Jan) to ask if she knew the recipe. My aunt is now in a nursing home in frail health. Jan was hoping her mom would remember the recipe but she didn't and Jan didn't know it either. Aunt Lola had given it to me when I was a young newlywed but I had misplaced it. Well cleaning the kitchen and going through cookbooks I found the recipe written on a envelope inside one of my mothers cookbooks. I am so excited and look forward to making these pies today. They are soooooooo good so I am sharing the recipe with you. I bet you will be addicted to them too!

Aunt Lola's Icebox Pie
20 oz pineapple juice
2 eggs
1 c sugar
1 box cherry gelatin
1 large can of evaporated milk, chilled
vanilla wafers

Heat pineapple juice, sugar, and eggs to boiling; remove from heat and add gelatin. Cool. Whip milk; fold into mixture. Line bottom and sides of pie or cake pans with vanilla wafers and pour mixture over them. refrigerate until congealed. makes 18 servings.

My mouth is watering now so I am off to make pies and enjoy the memories that will come flooding back. Have a blessed weekend.

12 comments:

Kristie said...

Do we share the same cat???
Ours is constantly carrying in animals. Mostly mice! Fast, hopping, fast running mice. He loses them 95% of the time now! He wants to play with them before he kills and eats them. When he was younger he never let them get away. Now he's the ripe old age of 4 and his concentration isn't what it used to be. =( (I HATE MICE!)

He also brings in baby rabbits, squirrels, BIRDS, and the very occasional snake. Like maybe one per year. Thank goodness they've all been really small, like no bigger around than a pencil, but still....EWWW, screech!

Kritter Keeper at Farm Tails said...

daddy cat who is fat as well has been on a killing spree but thankfully he lives in the barn. he beheaded a chipmunk yesterday and left me a baby starling last week. i don't like water snakes. i found a huge one that coiled at me when we first bought the farm...it was so thick and long! i quickly ran away and never saw it again.

Brenda Eason said...

Sound yummy. I hope I get a Chance to try this.Thanks for sharing.

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Hi Peggy, That pie sounds YUMMY... I am going to copy the recipe and try it sometime. Thanks!!!!

Funny story about Whiskers --and all of the 'gifts' he brings you.... I wish you had videoed William and his dance... I'm sure I'd be doing just what you were doing---staying FAR away from the snake.

We got home this evening and had a wonderful couple of days in the North Carolina mountains.

Hugs,
Betsy

Woody said...

I leave the house for work around 1AM with coffee in hand and my brain trying to kick start for the drive. The last thing I need is to step on a "gift" opossum, which I have had the pleasure of doing twice now. Seems my dogs are pros at getting them to the door step alive. I empathize with Williams dance.

Terri said...

Don't you love generous pets? :)

The Raggedy Girl said...

My hungry cat is actually two big old dogs who think they should get a dog cookie for just coming in the door. Thank you for the nice recipe.

The Raggedy Girl

amelia said...

OMG I laughed so hard reading this!! Too bad you didn't have your camera closer. I would have been doing the same as William if there was a snake loose in my house! I don't mind them if I'm prepared but to be surprised like that would be too much.

Diane said...

We are thinking about getting chickens and never thought about snakes! Yikes!

Tracy Bruring said...

I got a really cool rat snake one year that my cat dropped on the living room floor. I kept it for about a year and then it escaped into the house never to be seen again.

OMGoodness. I really really really wish I could have been there to enjoy William screaming like a girl. Now why don't things like that happen when I come to visit????

chrisshoe@comcast.net said...

Regarding the recipe - Is the box of jello the smaller size or the big box?

Thanks.

Jeanette said...

Gday Peggy, Yikesssss did you say snake! I would be on the table if it was meI loathe them..

My Daughters cat constantly bring home dead presents to her mainly field bunnies Plague proportions around them ..and leaves her gifts at the side of her bed.
I must try out that Icebox Pie in summer when family arrive...