This weekend marks the anniversary of one of the worst natural disasters this area has ever seen. On April 27, 2011, several tornadoes swept through Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama killing many people and destroying hundreds of homes.
Even though it has been a year since the devastating storms, there is still a large need for help in many of the towns where the storms hit the hardest. Last summer, I worked in Apison, TN where one family’s life was completely torn to pieces. Their home was decimated and the retired couple who lived there died along with their daughter and granddaughter. The group I was with spent the day sorting through the debris that remained. It was humbling to say the least, to pull apart books, clothing, and even toys that belonged to this family. In an instant, these lives were reduced to nothing more than a bunch of rubble and a few bits of tattered material possessions. It was possibly the most difficult work I have done, and yet it was also incredibly meaningful.
On Friday, I spent the day working at a home in Harrison, TN, an area which experienced a tornado just a month ago. Like in Apison, the destruction in Harrison is like something out of a horror movie. Trees were down all over the place and many of the homes in the area had tarps draped over them where the roofs used to be. Some of the homes had no tarps because the damage is beyond fixing. 
I don’t mean to make light of these two horrific disasters. Surely those who survived these storms are still dealing with the aftermath and will continue to rebuild their lives for years to come. I cannot even imagine what it must be like for these families.
It may seem petty, but I decided to make a pie in honor of these tornadoes and in honor of the people whose lives were affected in such a dramatic way. For information about volunteering with tornado relief, contact United Way’s 211 service which will connect you with an organization or area in need.
Tornado Pie
Crust
1 box Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies ( I decided to make this pie with Little Debbie’s since they are made near Apison, TN. It just seemed appropriate).
Did you know? If you lined up all the Little Debbie snacks that have been sold over the years, they would cover 9.9 million miles – enough to circle the earth almost 400 times! This crust is easy. Simply crumble oatmeal cream pies into a bowl. You can break them apart by hand or by using a fork. Then press the pieces into a 9 inch pie dish. Use your hand to press it evenly and up onto the sides. For more random Little Debbie facts go to this site.
Filling
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons chocolate sauce
Let ice cream soften so that it is easy to spread into pie. After the ice cream is spooned into pie, place in freezer. For whipped topping, pour heavy whipping cream into mixer and blend creating stiff peaks. Spread whipped cream onto pie and then drizzle chocolate sauce on top. Return pie to freezer until ready to serve.
Serves 8-10
Carpie Diem 