September 17, 2009

And I'm making pie

And I'm making pie

I don’t make pie very often – but when I do make pie, it’s apple. Most fruits seem too sweet to me, but just-ripened apples, with some cinnamon and just a little sugar, make a wonderful pie filling. I use my mother’s recipe because her pie can’t be beat. She makes apple pie often in the fall: when she mentions to me that she’s been making pie, I always make sure to stop and visit, knowing that she’ll put the tea kettle on as soon as I pull in the driveway.

I’ve been making apple pie pretty often this fall, which is unusual for me. Normally, I just wait for mother to send over one of hers.

I’m not sure what started this surge of domesticity. My daughter blames Artist Friend, who made a blueberry pie when he visited this summer. (It’s true that every time I serve one of my kids a piece of pie, I say, “So my pie is better than Artist Friend’s, isn’t it?” Not that I’m competitive.) But a bigger factor is that Boy in Black and Shaggy Hair Boy are living up at Snowstorm University. When they stop home, I like to have homemade pie to serve them.

When my daughter came home for Labor Day, I picked her up at the train station, brought her home, and immediately put on the tea kettle. As she talked, telling me about her first week of grad school, I poured cups of tea and cut slices of pie. As I sat down at the kitchen table to chat, I had a sudden realization.

“Oh, god. I’ve turned into my mother.”

She laughed and took a bite of pie. “Yeah, a little bit.”

Then she added, as she continued to eat the pie. “But that’s a good thing.”

8 comments:

Queen of West Procrastination said...

It looks beautiful!

This has been the summer of pie, hasn't it?

AF said...

From her point of view, with all that pie coming, sure it's a good thing!

Lilian said...

I think I've kinda "been" my mother all the while. Ever since I saw that photo of her at 8 or 10 years old and it was as if I'd been looking in the mirror, only it was a tiny, 2X1 mirror.

Anyway... yeah, I do think it's a good thing. :-)

(and not that I'm not quite different from my mom, I am, but I guess that there are certain things that we just "inherit" or end up "copying," whatever... ;-)

BrightenedBoy said...

Aw, Jo(e). Your tendernes is so palpable in this post. Of course you're a mother, and have been for a long time.

And you serve as a prime example to the women of the Internet that they can be excellent parents without sacrificing their individuality.

YourFireAnt said...

Bring that over here RIGHT NOW.

;-)


T.

Unknown said...

Yum!

Liz Miller said...

It's a very good thing.

Lomagirl said...

You can't tell us about your mom's fantastic recipe and then not share it!!! Please?