Our Times with Tam Terrific: Chicken Pie

When my mother was small, she and my grandparents would spend Christmas with my grandfather's family. The Swarthouts were a large family, and the day's meal was done in three seatings. From what my mom recalls, there were fourteen adults and fourteen children and the children ate first, the men second and the women last. I can imagine how my sister would have reacted to that, if she were in attendance.

My great-grandmother Swarthout (Ma) directed the meal and chicken pie was the primary dish and often she made two of them. In addition to the chicken pie, a turkey would be prepared and on occasion a duck for my great uncle, Lawrence. The Swarthouts were farmers and all of this poultry was readily available to them. Also, my mother remembers a tree filled with gifts and homemade crafts. Back then, there were no Kleenex or Puffs, so the gift of handkerchiefs was always welcomed. These could be very ornate and made nice Christmas ornaments. I trust that there were new ones on the tree each year.

Many years have passed since those times, but we still have chicken pie on Christmas. My grandmother picked up the recipe and made some delicious pies of her own (she always used bones to hold up the crust!) and now my mother prepares them. Tammie would help from time to time and there were years, that she made her own. Today, we will carry on the tradition and eat some chicken pie.