Why Pie?

OK – The reason behind me doing this blog.

I was greatly taken with the movie “Julie and Julia”.  The idea that someone would set out to cook 1 Julia Child meal a day for a year was fascinating and then blog about it.  Awesome idea!  I thought of making a pie a week – a pie a day is a bit much – but I haven’t quite decided yet.

Why pie?  Well there are a lot of reasons.  Let’s begin when my two youngest sons were in about 5th and 7th grades.  “What kind of cake do you want for your birthday” I asked my youngest.  “I want apple pie”, he replied, “never really liked birthday cake”.

Not like birthday cake?  How does one go through life not liking birthday cake?  Well, apple pie it was!

Many birthday pies later………. I find myself in a new era of life.  Kids all grown and out of the house.  Went through the loss of our only daughter.  Moved to mid-west leaving grand children on east coast.  Sigh.  So many changes.  What to do now?

Well, I realized I have a great amount of creative juices boiling in me and spending the last 6 years working for a police department (so black and white) I was ready to burst if I didn’t do SOMETHING creative.  I gave a lot of thought about what I would LOVE to do ……. draw, paint, make cards (which I CANNOT do without my daughter-in-law present), pursue music for the 1,000th time, bake, cook, raise dogs, crochet, knit, …… WAIT! Back up.  Bake.  I LOVE to bake.  I LOVE to bake pies!

I got nostalgic.  Our family seems to gather together and talk about food – especially right after we cooked and devoured an incredible meal – we talk about how we’ll cook it next time!  And pie comes up a lot.  I thought back to my child hood – baby boomer – and gatherings.  The following song was popular, I think prior to my existence, but I remember it as a child.  The lyrics follow:

Irving Berlin:

[Verse:]
Why worry when skies are gray
Why should we complain
Let’s laugh at the cloudy day
Let’s sing in the rain
Songwriters say the storm quickly passes
That’s their philosophy
They see the world through rose-colored glasses
Why shouldn’t we?

[Refrain:]
Just around the corner
There’s a rainbow in the sky
So let’s have another cup o’ coffee
And let’s have another piece o’ pie!

Trouble’s just a bubble
And the clouds will soon roll by
So let’s have another cup o’ coffee
And let’s have another piece o’ pie

Let a smile be your umbrella
For it’s just an April show’r
Even John D. Rockefeller
Is looking for the silver lining

Mister Herbert Hoover
Says that now’s the time to buy
So let’s have another cup o’ coffee
And let’s have another piece o’ pie!

[Alternate Lines:]
Things that really matter
Are the things that gold can’t buy

Nice words, eh?  Whenever company came and mom made a pie it seemed to me, as a small insignificant observer in the room (seen but not heard), people were happier – much happier than if a cake was served!  Don’t get me wrong, unlike my children, I like birthday cake very much!  But pie seems to bring out the best in people.  Don’t know why but I am determined to find out on my pie making quest.

So, I will keep you “posted” on what I am doing with my pies.  So far I have created “Deb’s Chocolate Dream Pie” – a double chocolate pie served with Lime Sour Cream topping with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro on top!  Taste buds stand up and cheer for that one!

Until next time – Think Pie! 🙂