Pie Day 2011

I can smell my kitchen just posting this.

The aroma of fresh baked pies.

Be still my heart.

We had this discussion . . .

Pie or Cake?

Pie beats cake any day!

Everyone agreed.

I tried to figure out just how long this tradition has been going on.

Since before Des was born.

And she's been in the kitchen with now 19 years.

In fact I was making apple pie the day I got the horrific news

that my good friends daughter had been killed in a car accident.

I still remember standing with pie dough all over my hands 

taking that phone call. That was back in 89. 

So for at least 22 years I've been making pies.

Somewhere in between 1984 and 1989 I took up serious pie making.

Thank you Marie Loyd! (My teacher)

Pie day is now a ritual in the Crow's nest.

It's one of the funnest days ever.

And we go through a lot of flour!

Sometimes we spread it around like good cheer.

Our pie day ritual starts with the Bethany Board.

Worth it's weight in gold!

There's always Christmas music, lots of singing

and

Dancing!

Man with a drill lucked out.

Pie day fell on his day off.

He didn't make any pies and we managed to keep his fingers out
of the pots, but he got in some serious country swing dancing with Des.
They're good!

Des has shown us that not only does it help to be a good cook,

but it's lots of fun to be creative and design your pie with 

artistic flare!

The little one's love pie day. They even demand their own personal apron for the work.
You can't come to pie day without an apron.
It's the law!

And we not only turn out some spectacular pies,

but there are some pretty fancy cookies that take shape as well.

Cute little munchkin elves do the making and the baking of our Christmas cookies.

Yummy

I wonder what my grandkids will say years down the road

when they think of pie day and I'm old and gone.
I hope it becomes an iron clad good memory.

It's turned out to be a priceless tradition so far!

This year we made 23 pies total.

I'm surprised our newest little Crow didn't have flour all over him.

After all, you had to stop what you were doing and kiss the baby 

inbetween rolling out a crust or two.

I never thought about this before

but I think some little wife in the far off future

is going to thank me when her husband can make great pies.

Because my grandsons come to pie day.

I wonder if they are going to want to stop

coming to pie day.

This will be interesting to watch as they grow older.

I never thought about whether pie day has to be

just for girls???

And while every year we get better and better at it

Every year we learn something new too.

The designing and creating is as fun as finding a good recipe,

and I just know soon I'm going to need a bigger kitchen.
One that's industrial sized.

You don't have to be very big to learn how to make a good pie.

K-Tot is going to be a pro when she gets big.

I'm sure you'll see her on Martha Stewart someday soon! 

This year we used my neighbors ovens which really helped.
Thanks J & P!

Every year I swear I'm going to put double ovens in my basement.

It's on my top priority list now.

I know I say that every year, but I'm serious. 

This was Haley's first year with us but her mom makes

great pies so she jumped right in.

Pumpkin, Apple, Triple Berry, Pecan
just to name a few. 

And, every year Des has to make Goose a Cherry Pie.
Here she's making Triple Berry.
Where's the Cherry Des?
Goose is still waiting . . .

And we can't forget my favorite,
Raisin! Everyone turns their nose up at raisin.

Not me!

Well it was another successful year.

The other day I found this beautiful pie you see featured above.
Next year I'm making it.

Yum, wish I had a piece right now!