Chapter Fifteen: Horsing Around

I am hesitant to share a lot of personal information in such a public space, considering breaches in internet privacy and the inevitable moment I say something I regret. People, if I've learned anything it's that the internet never forgets. You might notice the absence of names for my husband and children in these posts, for that very reason. I'm not at all saying my internet use is the most careful, but there are some lines I've drawn. But here's a little tidbit:

Hats (or fascinators) are required Derby attire

Chapter Fourteen: Overcoming Adversity

After my trials of last week I was very happy to be back in the kitchen. My oven decided to stop working (in the middle of baking bread!) and so I wasn't able to post a recipe last week. I'm so happy to be back to it this week though!

Every Easter, my family has always had the tradition of making Scotch Eggs. It's a great way to use the hard boiled eggs that were dyed, hidden, and found! If you don't know, a Scotch Egg is a hard boiled egg wrapped in sausage and coated with crumbs. I've seen several places deep fry theirs, but I've always baked them. Usually they're served with hollandaise sauce, but my family has always made a white gravy. 

Chapter Thirteen: Pie Planning

I've had a huge pie block. Like writers block, but with pie.

I had a crisis mid March, that derailed me around  Pi Day, then the next week I had an event that consumed my time but also my headspace, then I got sick. Ive been reeling from a sinus thing for a week when my tough-love husband told me (twice) to get off my butt and do this or call it a failure. I'm not giving up and I'm not giving excuses.

Chapter Twelve: Math Problems... or Just Problems

This week (when it was meant to be posted on March 20) I was going to commemorate both PI Day on March 14th and St. Patrick's Day on March 17th. I like to start drafting my posts in advance and this is what I had down already for my blog:

3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993751 

Thanks to Archimedes for our celebration of Pi Day! 


But life doesn't always go as planned.

This week has been a really hard week all around. I started it with a complete emotional breakdown about finances (who can't relate to that?), Husband went out of town for four days to a conference, and frankly, I have felt creatively and emotionally drained all week. I blame it all on Wednesday (being the Ides of March, that we should be so keen to beware.)

So instead of a pithy post this week, it's a list of apologies as to why there isn't a pie this week.

My anxiety got the better of me. There were a few days where my stomach was so tied in knots that I wasn't able to eat and making it to the end of the day without shedding a great many tears seemed an unreasonable feat. I count myself lucky that I don't suffer from depression, because if this week is what my life would feel like daily I couldn't cope.

So this week, there isn't a recipe. There aren't pictures of my kids or a beautiful slice of pie. There isn't a long explanation about process or interesting facts that I dug up. This week, I'm laying myself bare before the internet community that I'm not perfect. Really, there isn't a soul who walks this world who is. My hope is that admitting my imperfection will make me more driven to work on the things that tie my stomach in knots.

Chapter Eleven: Who Runs the World?

On my honor I will try to serve God and my country, to help people at all times, and live by the Girl Scout Law.  -Girl Scout Promise

At this very moment, my daughter is at a Girl Scout meeting. This is her first year and she rocks the blue Daisy smock like a pro. It was a little selfish on my part because Husband and I hunt for Girl Scout cookies every year at this time… but no longer! We have an insider now, and as a result, ordered so many more boxes of cookies than we need. But it does need to be said that I am proud of her initiative and excitement about scouting. Especially coming of the International Woman's Day high, I see the need for this organization to promote confidence in women of all ages and teach all kinds of skills.

Chapter Ten: Pop Culture Piedom

There are two pop culture characters I'm feeling particularly entwined with since starting my blog. They're both from much beloved screen things. The first is Jenna Hunterson, the pie-making maven in the movie (and now, Broadway musical) Waitress. The second is the regenerative Ned, the pie-baker of The Pie Hole in Pushing Daisies.

What I think I admire from both of them is that they can make sweet delights from difficult circumstances. Jenna creates pies in her minds eye to cope with a loveless marriage, an unwanted pregnancy, and crises of conscious. Ned brings life from death, baking it into pie and enriching lives (sometimes by solving crime) with sweetness and quick wit.

Chapter Nine: A Little Help From My Friends

A few weeks ago as my daughter was watching me make a pie, she asked when OUR pie making day was and I realized that for a month plus I had been a little remiss in proper parenting. She and my son both love pie day, in part because it's fun and in part because they know at the end of pie day they get pie. I started baking thinking this was for me, as a new experience throughout 2017. Then I realized it was as much for me as those around me because they got to enjoy the fruits of my labor. But I hadn't really considered it being for my kids, hands on. Bad mommy.

Chapter Eight: Opposites Attract

This weekend I had to flip my usual schedule apart. Usually, as I mentioned before, Sunday is for pie baking so I can post the blog (in a usually timely manner) on Monday, because #MondayIsPieDay! But this week I had a short trip planned out of town for the weekend, so I baked on Friday.

My sister Lisa celebrated her birthday last week, as did my sister from another mister, Bridget (or sister-in-law, more formally.) So coming from three different cities, we all came together in St. Louis, Missouri for some birthday festivities. Me, being the sweetest sister of the three who is also chronicling pie, I couldn't show up empty handed! I spoke briefly with both, in what I thought was a very innocent manner, around Christmastime about their favorite types of pie. (Just gathering information on different pies, you know.)

Chapter Seven: A Little Romance

Since I started planning the pies for the blog, I have been so excited to dish this "Lover's Pie" up!!!

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and I was brainstorming what delightful things to make in pie for a romantic evening. Chocolate, obviously. For the holiday, chocolate covered strawberries seem appropriate. Pretty Woman taught me that if you have strawberries, you really should have champagne. And if we're being honest, what would Valentine's Day be without whipped cream?

Chapter Six: Ingredients Make the Pie

This week I hadn't planned on a particular recipe, but I've been baking up a storm! On Friday I made a "chicken pot pie" for family dinner and on Sunday, Asian Banana Rolls for a get together on Monday. I had planned on the banana rolls to be my highlight recipe, but due to issues in the construction, I had to rethink that!

In light of having a double pie experience week, I'd like to stay a word about ingredients. On the whole, this experiment is meant for me to try new techniques and recipies and discover new ingredients. I prefer making everything from scratch, but sometimes I opt to shop for pre-made items. I do this for a number of reasons....

Chapter Five: Pie Management

Thursday is Groundhog Day. On February 2nd some men donning top hats and tails will pull a woodland creature out of a stump in Pennsylvania so we can divine whether we will start to enjoy the rebirth of spring or if winter will stay its icy grip on our lives for six more weeks.

That's a lot of pressure for a little guy yanked out of hibernation a month early.

Since we're on the topic of stressful situations, my pie a week endeavor has started turning more into work rather than the fun activity I had hoped. Pies require a lot more than I expected with far more steps than I usually have in my baking forays.

Chapter Four: Food for Comfort

I've done a bit of work trying to make each recipe mean something in regards to the blog. I've talked about how crazy I was about starting it, dished on my past and present, and explored idioms of pie (something I've been cooking (har har) since I started thinking about this endeavor.) I've been coming up short on what to tie this week's pie to because, frankly, I'm feeling big emotions about the future.

Chapter Three: Pie-dioms

Language is full of statements that, frankly, make no sense out of the context of culture.  This is as true in other languages than my own. I didn't know the word for them until I was about twelve, but I learned when I bought a novelty deck of cards about idioms. Then I knew that "the check's in the mail" didn't actually mean that someone was sending you money. I admit I (am) was a little naive. The phrase "the proof is in the pudding" still befuddles me.

And pie is crumbled though idioms like fish are in a barrel. I'm happy to share some phrases, their meanings, and a little about where they come from.

Chapter Two: Process of Growing Up

When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.  First Corinthians 13:11, New Living Translation

When I read this verse in my youth I thought that becoming an adult would be a decision made and... BAM... now I'm adulting. But as I look back on my experiences, I feel like I should have known all along that growing up is a process and adulting doesn't just happen, it happens in gradual stages.

Chapter One: Completely Nuts!

As promised, I began researching in earnest on pie-baking and pie variances. I was excited and engrossed, determining that for my first post I wanted to ease into 2017 with a fairly simple pie. Starting with an American classic, Apple, sounded perfect. I'd finished my research (which will be featured later this year, I assure you) when my husband, the dear voice of reason and enlightenment, suggested that perhaps I shouldn't start quite so simple since I have baked before and besides, isn't apple pie more of a summer thing?

So I went back to the drawing board. I really asked myself what I was getting into with this project. What is pie?

I didn't realize the scope of the rabbit hole I had sent myself down until I came across this article from UK based publisher, The Telegraph. The article tells the tale of a petition drawn up to present to Parliament to lawfully define pie. I suppose it's better for me to deal with this issue at the beginning rather than later.