Benbow's Farmhouse and the Mormons

This past Spring, a friend of mine, Judy Z, gifted me with a piece from her David Winter Cottages collection. She gave me "Benbow's Farmhouse" and described it as having a very interesting connection to the Mormon church.

Researching further, I found that Benbow's Farmhouse by David Winter Cottages was a commemoration piece to honor the 150th anniversary of the arrival, from America to Britain, of the first missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormon).

In 1840, Apostle Wilford Woodruff of the LDS Church arrived at Worcester, England in a horse-drawn carriage and then walked about fourteen miles to Hill Farm (Benbow's Farmhouse) at Castle Frome, Herefordshire. There he presented his Gospel message to John and Jane Benbow, members of the United Brethren. In a barn at the Benbow's farm was held a religious revival, in those days a huge event. At three meetings that day, over a thousand people heard the message of Apostle Wilford Woodruff. In John Benbow's farm pond more than six hundred converts were baptized by immersion into the Mormon faith. Many of these converts soon made their way to America to join the Mormons in Missouri, Illinois and later in the Utah Territory. John Benbow himself was instrumental in the first printing of the Book of Mormon in Great Britain.

The image, David Winter - Benbow's Farmhouse, was originally uploaded by Edna Barney. It is posted here from Barneykin's account.

BEST BLUEBERRY PIE EVER

This is the pie that I made for July 4th, 2010. It is the Best Blueberry Pie Ever!


CRUST: One double recipe for Edna’s Perfect Pie Crust.(Here are some good substitution recipes: Simply Recipes)

FILLING:

• 2 pounds (6 cups) fresh blueberries, rinsed and stems removed
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (for thickening)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

PREPARATION:

1. Prepare the crust, doubling the recipe. Roll out half of the dough on a lightly floured work surface, about 13 inches in diameter. Fit the dough into a 9-inch pie pan, and trim the edges to a 1/2 inch over the edge all around the pan. Chill in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, mix sugar, flour, cinnamon and lemon zest. Place blueberries in a separate large bowl and add lemon juice. Gently stir the dry ingredients into the large bowl and then transfer the entire mixture to the bottom crust of the 9-inch pie pan. Roll out remaining dough to the same size as the first. Place on top of the berry filling. Tuck the top dough over and under the edge of the bottom dough, and crimp the edges with your fingers. Sprinkle the crust with granulated sugar.
3. Optional for Superior Results: At this point you may place the entire pie to the refrigerator to chill until the dough is firm, about 30 minutes.
4. Heat oven to 425°F. Remove the unbaked pie from refrigerator. Score the top pie crust with three cuts to allow steam to escape during baking. Place the pie on the middle rack of the oven with a lined baking pan on the lower rack to catch any spills. Bake for 20 minutes at 425°F. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake for 40 minutes more or until juices are bubbling and have thickened. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before serving. Makes 10-12 servings.

Slice of Blueberry Pie Originally uploaded by Edna Barney

Neddy's Easy Chili Recipe

•  2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey 
•  1 onion, chopped 
•  1 bell pepper, chopped 
•  1 carrot or celery stalk chopped (optional) 
•  1 can stewed tomatoes 
•  2 (16 ounce) cans tomato sauce (chili-flavored) 
•  1 can diced Rotel tomatoes (mild or spicy according to your taste)
•  1 can ranch style beans
• 1 can pinto beans 
•  1 can kidney beans 
• Dash of dried Italian Seasoning to taste (optional)

Cook and crumble ground meat with onion and pepper. If you used lean meat, there will be little or no grease, however if you used lower quality hamburger, drain grease before proceeding. Add tomato sauce and canned tomatoes. Simmer for one half hour (30 minutes). Add all remaining ingredients, partially draining canned beans if you prefer a less soupy chili. Mix all together in a big pot, and simmer at least another half hour or longer.

NOTE: If I have it on hand, I will add a small smoked sausage (sliced) with the ground meat. I usually freeze half of this to serve later in the month. When I get to the remainder of the leftovers, I often add cooked elbow macaroni when reheating to stretch it a bit (Chili-Mac).