PIES IN MY SKY

Some days I rise with the ease of a seasoned mother, greet my sweet baby with enthusiasm, nurse my baby, get myself washed up, make-up on, clothes on, change and dress my baby, go downstairs to feed the baby breakfast, make and feed myself breakfast, pack baby’s milk and lunch, pack my own lunch and belongings, and get out the door before 7:30AM. Today was not such a morning. It was one of those mornings where the baby gets up at 5AM instead of 6AM, and is bright-eyed and chipper as can be, while I felt smothered with exhaustion and was bleary-eyed and half asleep even as I finally stumbled out the door. Tough mornings usually aren’t the majority or the norm, but on days like today, when I finally did get into the office clutching my giant cup of coffee as if it is the only thing that will save me and then got to my desk to find TWENTY DEAD FLIES strewn all over the desk, I was like, IS THIS SOME SICK JOKE? Everyone has rough mornings now and then, I don’t’ describe mine for any other reason than to point out the fact that sometimes it is funny in the way that it is only funny if you are reading it like a story, and can decide for yourself it is a comedy or tragedy. And if you were wondering, I have no idea why my desk was chosen to be the dead fly zone, we think a bunch of them fell dead from the ceiling and just happened to land on my desk.

Flies aside, I keep meaning to post photos of the pies that I have been making but I realized the longer I put it off, the less chance I will do it, so this post has a bunch of photos of pies, you’re welcome.

That up there is a fresh strawberry pie that I have made about three times in the past two weeks. And yes, I would eat most of it myself.  That’s what happens with me and this pie. It is just graham cracker crust, fresh strawberries tossed in a sugar, cornstarch, water, sure-jell mixture that turns into a glaze, topped with whipped cream (i made the filling like the one here). The simplicity of the pie somehow justifies into me sometimes eating the whole thing.

Down there below is my venture into lemon pies during my lemon phase that I ate through last month. I made Bill Smith's Atlantic Beach Pie after listening to this NPR news segment. This pie calls for a really simple saltine cracker crust, which I love for its salty contrast to the tart lemon, and so I used that crust to make a lemon meringue, which was way too edible, even without the meringue topping which never peaked albeit my constant whisking.

atlantic beach pie above, meringue-less lemon meringue below

Making simple fruit pies like these is the kind of simple that I can get my mind around even while navigating the busy of the everyday. It also offers a welcome respite, whether it be in the form of enjoying it with friends over tea and coffee, or eating by myself standing over the pie on the kitchen counter with a fork while waiting for Sloane’s baby food to finish steaming.