Miss Anita's Cheery Cherry Almond Pie

One of the outings my little guys look most forward to is having lunch at Daddy's school. They feel so grown up eating their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at the junior high lab tables, with their little legs swinging from big people chairs. And after our bellies are full, it's time for the really fun stuff: looking through magnifying glasses, drawing on the whiteboard, completing "assignments" on pieces of binder paper and playing with Daddy's collection of stick bugs. One of our favorite parts of these lunch dates is making the rounds to see Daddy's co-workers. And the very last stop is always to the front office to see Miss Anita, the school secretary. 

Junior High can be an intimidating place when you are only two feet tall, but Miss Anita always bends down to talk to Henry and Wilson face to face. She happily sets aside the ringing phones and lines of students to truly spend time with us. When everyone else is asking Daddy if he got so-and-so's email or if he will be at the conference after school, Miss Anita makes a point to ask my boys what is going on in their lives. She is genuinely eager to hear about train rides, preschool and playdates.

This June, Miss Anita will be retiring after 18 years in her position. She has always taken care of Will, whether running interference for difficult parents or tracking down extra white board markers at a moment's notice. But the boys and I will most miss her smiling face and nurturing hugs.

A couple months back, Miss Anita mentioned that she especially liked cherry pie. So, for all of the times she has brightened our day, I present Miss Anita's Cheery Cherry Almond Pie.

Pulling up to the four-way stop on my way home from dropping off my oldest son at preschool, I noticed the familiar stenciled sign reading "Sweet Cherries." The first cherries of the season! So, I promptly pulled off into the gravel lot and purchased a huge bag of red, ripe cherries from the man working the makeshift fruit stand.

But, having never made a cherry pie before, I was slightly intimidated by the idea of pitting each cherry by hand. I decided it might be a worthwhile investment to purchase a handheld cherry pitter - and to my chagrin, they just happened to be on serious clearance. Don't you love it when a plan comes together?

As per usual, I had two eager "helpers." Wilson was fascinated by the trigger action of the pitter, but settled for prepping the cherries by pulling off the stems (and taste-testing a few along the way). Now, let's just hope that all those little "helping" hands don't mean a pit or two snuck in.

I had prepared the dough the night before, using my usual recipe with the addition of vanilla and almond extracts. So, I unwrapped the chilled dough, rolled out the crust, nestled it into the tin and trimmed and crimped the edges. Ten pies into the Bake Somebody Happy adventure, Will said this was my most "symmetrical" pie yet. Yay for progress!

I added sugar, cornstarch and salt to the heaping bowlful of pitted cherries and set them aside.

Then, I prepared the crumble topping, which is what really sets this cherry pie apart from most others. Instead of the traditional lattice crust, I opted for a streusel that highlighted the addition of almond. I coarsely ground slivered, blanched almonds and stirred them into a mixture of oat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Then, I worked in the melted butter, using the tines of a fork, until it came together in large crumbs.

I layered the crumble over the cherries and put the pie into the oven until the juices bubbled and the whole house smelled like summer.

When I asked my boys what their favorite thing about Miss Anita was, Wilson said, "She always hugs me," to which Henry added, "Yeah, she hugs me." Miss Anita has become an adopted grandmother to all of us and we will so miss her warmth and kindness. Happy retirement, Miss Anita!

"Life is just a bowl of cherries." - Proverb

Kathy's "Mint to Be" Thin Mint Pie

"I think she is about as big as you," my husband used to say as we drove past our new neighbors' house, commenting on her growing belly. It seemed as though our pregnancies were pretty closely aligned, but I wasn't about to just knock on her door and say, "Hi, I'm Erin. And look, I'm pregnant, too." Instead, I just silently hoped she was also having a little boy for my firstborn to play with.

Then, several months later, I saw her in the frozen foods aisle at the grocery store. The baby belly was gone. Instead, a little boy who appeared to be my son's age was seated in the cart. She also had an older daughter. Although I felt a little weird approaching a total stranger and saying, "I think we live on the same street," it seemed too perfect an opportunity to pass up. It turns out her name was Kathy, and her son, Corbin, was just a month older than my Wilson.

After that first meeting, our playdates were frequent. The boys hit it off immediately, or at least as well as almost one-year-olds can. It was so handy to have a playmate just down the street. The transition from working full-time to being a stay-at-home mom had seriously impacted my social life. Although I adored being home with my little guy, most of my friends still worked the 9 to 5. I soon found that I began looking forward to our regular playdates as much, if not more, than my son.

Kathy and I regularly spent weekday mornings taking the kids to story time, picnicking at the park, grabbing Starbucks while we ran errands at Target or just playing at each others' homes. She always seemed to understand when my little ones just couldn't sit still to make it through another story, had embarrassing tantrums in public or insisted on waiting in a ridiculously long line for the train ride at the farmers' market. I have never felt judged by Kathy, and because of that, I am probably much more authentic with her than with most of my other friends. When I have the occasional "I am thinking of running away to join the circus just for a break from the mommy madness" kind of day, I know Kathy will make me feel a little less alone in the journey.

Kathy even began walking with me in my attempt to shed pregnancy pounds following the birth of my second child, Henry. I so looked forward to these times together because it gave us a chance to really talk. The kids were strapped into their strollers or wagons and busy with juice and snacks, which gave us the rare opportunity for adult conversation. It was on one of these walks that Kathy off-handedly announced that there would soon be another little one in their family. I remember stopping dead in my tracks and asking "Really? You're pregnant?" She nodded and I hugged her. I was so excited for what was in store for her. 

But, Kathy's pregnancy was not easy. As the boys busied themselves at the park several weeks later, Kathy shared with me that their first ultrasound revealed that the baby girl had some medical complications. Again, the only thing I knew to do was hug her. All babies are a blessing. Having worked with special needs children for many years, I was no less excited for her and her husband. But I knew the road ahead would be challenging, with many difficult decisions to be made along the way. 

Earlier this week, baby Lara was born! She is so blessed to join such a wonderful, nurturing family. Kathy is quite possibly the most patient and attentive mother I know and her husband, Ben, is the only man I have ever met that genuinely loves newborns. Not to mention big brother, Corbin and big sister, Addy, who will be wonderful teachers and cheerleaders. Little Lara is already surrounded by so much love.

I think anytime you grow and carry another person for nine months, you deserve some pampering. But, in the craziness that comes along with any birth, mommies are often forgotten in leu of the precious new little one. How about we celebrate both mommy and baby with a pie?

Kathy's oldest daughter, Addy, is in a Daisy troop, which means we have several boxes of Girl Scout cookies around the house this year. I have a particular weakness for Thin Mints. Ever since I was a little girl, few things have tasted as refreshing as a Thin Mint straight from the freezer. So it is fitting that this classic cookie is the inspiration for my newest Bake Somebody Happy creation - Kathy's "Mint to Be" Thin Mint Pie.

I opted for a variation on a graham cracker crust, rounding out the traditional cracker crumbs with an entire sleeve of Thin Mints pulsed in the food processor. After adding the sugar and melted butter, I pressed the crumbly mixture into the pie tin, using the bottom of a drinking glass. I baked the crust until crispy and fragrant.

Then for the filling. I brought egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, salt and whole milk to a low boil, whisking constantly to avoid scrambling the eggs. Meanwhile, I melted a combination of semisweet and bittersweet chocolate in a double boiler. Once the custard had thickened to a pudding-like consistency, I pushed it through a sieve before folding in the melted chocolate, butter, vanilla and peppermint extracts.

Once cooled, I piled the thickened chocolate pudding high into the cookie crust.  

In a separate bowl, I whisked heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and peppermint extract until soft peaks formed.

I spread a generous layer of the peppermint whipped cream over the top of the pie and finished it off with a sprinkling of crushed Thin Mints. A whole cookie placed in the center of the pie gave a wink and a nod to its inspiration.

In searching for a playmate for my son, I found a friend myself. Whether it's meeting your dearest friend in the young family who just moved in five doors down or welcoming the sweet new soul that adds a "plus one" to your family, the best things in life are just meant to be.

"The Thin Mint's sleek simplicity is its greatest virtue. No fillings, chips, or nuts distort the message, one of mint, pure and clean, fused with rich chocolate." - Forbes

Kaci's Sweet Strawberry Pie

The first time I met Kaci, I was handing my little one over to her care at our church's nursery. I noticed what appeared to be a baby bump and against all of my better instincts, I asked "Are you expecting?" Thankfully, she said yes and that she would be finding out the baby's gender later that week. She already had twin boys at home.

Well, a year and one more boy later, our bible study play dates were heavily male, with five energetic boys between us. We have both bonded over our not so secret desires to dress a little girl and simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief that God gave us boys.

In the three or so years that I have known Kaci, we have fellowshipped together in four bible studies, transitioned from our cozy, one hundred person church to a much larger congregation and began serving together in our church's children's ministry.

Over time, we have created one of those wonderfully rare friendships that takes place largely outside of our children. This means we are actually able to have real and complete conversations, without interruptions for more Cheerios, a nose wipe, a kissed boo-boo or a potty-training trip to the bathroom.

I am acutely aware that when any of my friends' parents experience an illness, I am probably the last person they want to talk to. My story does not end well - my dad lost his battle with cancer nearly four years ago. Yet, Kaci and I have bonded over cancer. She is the rare friend who doesn't avoid talk of chemo treatments, hospice and how her boys will remember their grandfather when he is gone. I know this cannot be easy for her and I am grateful for her vulnerability and trust in me.

But, sharing with Kaci has been healing for me, too. I have been able to confide in her about so many things in my life: my anger, sadness and eventual acceptance at losing my father, complex and changing family relationships in the aftermath of his passing and even my "Mommy guilt" when Wilson knocked out his front tooth. She has always been a calming force in my life, speaking truth in love.

One of my favorite parts of Bake Somebody Happy is pairing people with their pie. When I was pondering what to make for Kaci, one word kept resounding in my head - "sweet." Then, it hit me - it was like a sign. Ok, it actually was a sign. Kaci's "Sweet Strawberry" pie.

I splurged a whopping $10 and purchased a half pallet of beautifully ripe strawberries from a local roadside stand. I am so spoiled that I can walk just a few blocks from home to buy berries from the very person who grew and picked them fresh from their field earlier that day. And as an added bonus, the recipe only called for four pints of berries, so I was looking forward to a little mid-day snacking.

I prepared my usual pie crust with a combination of butter and vegetable shortening. After several hours resting in the fridge, I plopped the chilled ball of dough out onto my heavily floured cutting board and began to roll it out.

This seems like as good a time as any to mention that I absolutely love my cutting board. Will made it from a slab of butcher block leftover from our kitchen remodel several years ago. It is large, hefty and solid and looks just like the fancier and much more expensive versions you find at any housewares store. I have such a resourceful husband!

When I began researching strawberry pie several weeks ago, I was both surprised and bothered to find that most recipes called for strawberry "goo" from the produce section. Well, no shortcuts allowed here. I mean, by the time you fill a prepared pie crust and pour prepackaged glaze all over the top of a pint of strawberries, have you really made your own pie at all?

So, I attempted to perfect my own glaze. Puréed strawberries seemed like a natural base, so I whipped up a few less than attractive berries in the blender and added the purée to a saucepan of sugar, cornstarch, salt and gelatin. I boiled the entire mixture until it began to froth, then calmed into a dark, thick gel.

While the glaze cooled, I rinsed and stemmed the remaining berries, cutting the larger strawberries in half and leaving the smaller ones intact. Then, I folded the berries into the glaze until they were all sticky and glistening.

I scraped the entire bowl of strawberry goodness into the pie crust, taking extra consideration to carefully arrange the berries face up. Then, I placed the pie into the refrigerator to chill.

And while I was at it, why not tick another box off my checklist of baking firsts - homemade whipped cream. To my surprise, I had all of the ingredients on hand. So, I whisked the heavy whipping cream into soft peaks before adding a sprinkling of powdered sugar and a splash of vanilla extract. 

Now, I am not typically a fan of whipped cream. In fact, I always order my Grande soy iced mochas sans whip. But, I have to agree with my boys on this one - whipped cream from scratch is pretty "yummy."

Strawberry pie has always been my personal favorite. I have looked forward to the arrival of strawberry season since childhood dinners with my parents at Marie Callenders. Just seeing those beautiful pies piled high with red berries in the pie case made me want to skip straight to dessert. But, as this pie journey is teaching me, homemade is nearly always better, especially when shared with a good friend whose natural sweetness gives me a reason to bake.

"All we ever have is one wonderful now after another. So in this one golden moment of precious life — pick the strawberries." - Kate Bartolotta

Pie it Forward Chocolate Pecan Pie

When my brother-in-law, Brad, asked if I would be interested in donating a pie to raffle off at the Orangevale Food Bank's first annual Spaghetti Feed fundraiser, I was both flattered and nervous. Up until now, only friends and family had eaten my pies. And let's face it - they are probably not going to tell me that they are anything other than good. But strangers?

So, I was going to play it safe and bake my first repeat. The criteria: 1) I had to have tasted the completed product, 2) it had to be a crowd pleasing flavor and 3) it had to have eye appeal. That left my two-crust apple (Bye Bye Miss Megan Apple Pie) and the chocolate pecan (Mom's Not Your Mama's Pecan Pie). Both winners in my book. But the pecan had a slight advantage. While the base recipe is my grandmother's, I have added several of my own twists to make it a true Bake Somebody Happy original. So, Pie it Forward Chocolate Pecan Pie it is.

I have to admit, it is so much easier baking a repeat. There is a comfort level in knowing how things are supposed to look every step of the way. For example, this particular pie puffs up like a marshmallow in the oven. And although the deflating is alarming at first, it eventually settles down uniformly. Still, I held my breath.

I am so inspired by the wonderful work the Orangevale Food Bank is doing in our community and I am honored to be able to use my humble little pie for a greater good. When you think about it, baking pies for those you love and helping families in need are not so different after all. It's really all about blessing and nurturing those around us - with our resources, our time and our words. And a little pie never hurt.

"Never doubt that a small, committed group of people with pies can change the world. 

Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Subcomandante Tofutti

Pie it Forward Update: In what I can only explain as total kismet, my one and only blog follower, Jaime, had the winning raffle ticket for the chocolate pecan pie at the food bank fundraiser this evening! Thank you so much for your kind words and loyal blog reading, Jaime. I hope you enjoyed your pie (and also that Grant realized he can pick the pecans off the top fairly easily). Cheers!

Brad's Boozy Caramel Apple Pie

I had just graduated from college and moved back home to look for a job when my sister, Megan, and I began attending our church's young adult group. Megan quickly caught the eye of a college student named Brad and they soon began dating. Being single myself, I was often the third wheel to their lovebird activities. But while Megan was away at school, Brad and I were left to fend for ourselves.

The more time I spent with Brad - playing Scrabble (he never let me win), eating sushi and even camping - the more he became the little brother I never had. He took note of all my irrational fears and never missed a chance to poke fun at me. We even bickered like brother and sister.

In 2003, Megan and Brad were married, and I officially gained a brother. Brad has been there for all of my adult life. He was an usher at my wedding, came to the hospital to meet both of my boys the day they were born and was by my side when my dad lost his battle with cancer.

But, as the years have passed, the time we spend together seems to have dwindled to holidays and the rare family get together. Brad is quite possibly the busiest man I know, married to the busiest woman I know. There just isn't time to play Scrabble the way there was before mortgages, children and family obligations. But, that doesn't mean I don't miss those days.

Brad is also the most generous person I know. It is so rare that those who have been so richly blessed bless others in the capacity that he does. My family and I have been the recipient of Brad's generosity countless times. But, the real mark of a giver is giving to strangers when you have nothing to gain.
 

Brad's giving recently reached new heights with the fulfillment of his passion to open a local food closet. Now, he literally helps feed hundreds of families in need as the Director at the Orangevale Food Bank. I think anyone who is that dedicated to making sure other's bellies are full should be fed, too. So, Brad, grab a fork. There's Boozy Caramel Apple Pie coming your way.

The thing that sets this pie apart from any other apple pie, or caramel apple pie for that matter, is the addition of red wine. Now, I am not a wine drinker. I couldn't tell a Cabernet from a Merlot to save my life. But, Brad sure could. Good grief - the man has his own wine cellar and tasting room in his home. And did I mention he grows his own grapes and bottles his own wine? Yep, he knows his stuff. So, red wine caramel sauce was sure to be a hit.

But, I was clearly going to need some advice from a more sophisticated palette, so I picked my mom's ear about inexpensive red wine varietals. She suggested a bottle of Layer Cake. Okay, maybe I could get on board with the wine thing after all. I mean, anything named "layer cake" must be yummy, right? The lady in the wine department at Whole Foods confirmed that she thought the Malbec would be a delicious addition to a pie. And bonus points for a pretty label. Sold!

I find that a lot of my pie-related stress can be traced back to the fact that I typically begin baking at 8:00 pm, after the boys have gone to bed. Although this schedule enables me to bake without the ever interrupting "Mommy...," after three hours of pie, I am usually totally exhausted and ready for bed myself. So, this time, I planned ahead. I prepared my pie dough early in the morning, wrapped it in Saran Wrap and put it back into the fridge to chill until I would roll it out that evening.

This was also the first time my children have seen me prepare a pie. Typically, they wake up and Voila - the pie fairy has paid us a visit. As you can see, my four year old, Wilson, was fascinated by the yummy, sticky mess. He is a regular "pie maker" in training.

I also planned ahead by beginning my caramel sauce in the morning. Or, at least, I attempted to. Pinterest taught me to make caramel by placing an unopened can of condensed milk in the Crock-Pot on low for eight hours. So easy. Alas, this technique does not work with evaporated milk, which is what I mistakenly grabbed off the grocery store shelf amidst breaking up fights between my boys and trying to keep Henry from climbing out of the cart altogether. I did not realize the err of my ways until I opened the can at 8:30 pm and found unaltered evaporated milk. Not caramel.

The insecure baker in me said, "See? I told you you couldn't do this. You clearly don't know how to bake. You should just give up." But, my husband, who is usually wiser and less hard on me than my inner voice, said, "I never really did like that Crock-Pot caramel sauce anyway. I think this is a happy accident. Let's make caramel from scratch." Armed with an online tutorial, a cup of sugar, several tablespoons of butter and some heavy whipping cream, we somehow ended up with caramel. Not just any caramel mind you, but amazing, delicious caramel! Caramel you can't stop dipping your finger into. The addition of several tablespoons of red wine only heightened it's richness. Happy accident indeed!

While the caramel cooled, I cored and thinly sliced several peeled Granny Smith apples before tossing them in a large bowl with flour and cinnamon. Then, I stacked layer after layer of apples and caramel sauce until the pie crust was overflowing.

But, the pie was missing something. It seemed naked. It was calling for a streusel topping. Let's be honest, what dessert is not enhanced by a little extra sugar and butter? So, I mixed together flour, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. I drizzled in the melted butter, grabbed a fork and stirred until the crumble came together. Then the whole pie was covered in a blanket of sugary crumbs. Much better.

I baked the pie for the first half hour covered with foil to prevent the streusel from burning. Then, I removed the foil and baked it for another thirty minutes. And, again, that familiar smell of pie wafted throughout the house. Is there anything better?

I have seen Brad grow from an enthusiastic 20-year-old, madly in love with my little sister, to a confident and successful businessman, husband, father and servant. I am honored to call him my brother. In a day in which a lot of people talk about doing, Brad does. All while making it look as easy as pie.

"The older I get, the more I become an apple pie, sparkling cider kind of guy." -Scott Foley