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.