Megan's Pumpkin is Thicker Than Water Pumpkin Cream Pie

Today I sat in the surgery waiting room at Kaiser for what seemed like an eternity - but in actuality was something like three hours. I am all too familiar with this room and it's black and white floral prints, hard, pastel vinyl chairs and extensive selection of magazines. Five years ago, I sat in the very same room, possibly even in the same chairs, breathing the same sterile air as I waited only to learn that my Dad's cancer had spread. Today I anxiously awaited the "all clear" that my Mom's fairly routine surgery to repair a broken collarbone went just as expected, all the while trying to ignore the pessimistic little voice in my head repeating, "What if they find cancer? What if the news is terrible? What if you lose your only living parent?" 

Thank goodness, I did not sit alone. Sure, there were many visitors that day: my Mom's sisters, her best friend, even a couple of her high school friends. But in that crowded waiting room, I sat with my sister - and that made all the difference. 

You see, Megan gets it. Because of our family's history, I know there is a crazy little voice in her head, too. And because of that, she doesn't judge me when I begin a sentence with "I know this is crazy, but.." Because she has been there. She is safe. And she is my rock in times like these. 

Megan and I have had our ups and downs over the years, as I'm sure most sisters have. And our relationship is far from perfect. But, you know what? When the chips are down, I know Megan will always be there for me. Even though I may completely aggravate her with my opinions or at times not use the kindest, most gentle words in expressing those opinions. Or even though, sometimes, she may just not honestly like everything about me, I know she always loves me. And that means more to me than I could ever express in a silly little blog post. 

God just created Megan and I differently. Our entire lives, I have heard, "You're sisters? You don't look anything alike!" Whereas I have always been tall(ish), Meg is vertically challenged. I'm blonde (with a little help from my hairdresser) and she's brunette. I have blue eyes, her's are brown. I am generally shy and a bit of a homebody and she is and has always been the life of the party - busy with a million activities. Certainly these differences (well, primarily the character stuff, but still) have impacted our ability to relate to one another over the years. Yet, we do share several very important things in common: we both love Jesus, our husbands and our children. And we love each other. No matter what. 

Megan has been by my side for all of the important events in my life. She was the one who first introduced me to Jesus. She stood next to me as my Maid of Honor when I said "I do" to my best friend. She graciously hosted my baby shower when I was expecting my first child. She literally pulled me up from the floor on that terrible, dark evening that I cried out to God that he absolutely could not take Dad from us. And she stood by my hospital bed, holding each of my sons and telling me how beautiful they were on the days of their births. She has shared my tears, held my hand and prayed for me when life was just a little too much. She has always been by my side - literally since I was two years old. And there is not a friend alive, no matter how close, that I can say that of.

Megan's pie has been in the works for what seems like ages. In the first month or so of Bake Somebody Happy, I just knew I had to bake her a pumpkin pie. Megan's love for all things pumpkin runs deep. As soon as there is the slightest chill in the air, her house practically overflows with the scent of pumpkin - in both the candle and hand soap variety. And from September to December, she can often be found sipping on a frouffy pumpkin-flavored coffee drink. So, when it came to what kind of pie to make, the choice was obvious - pumpkin. 

But then there was that small matter of when to bake Megan's pie. It seems to me that baking seasonally and with locally-grown produce is ideal. And it doesn't get much more local than my own backyard.

Each Spring, we dedicate an entire corner of our yard to our very own pumpkin patch. Typically, with a bountiful harvest of several dozen pumpkins come Fall. But, last year was different. A combination of weeks of extreme heat and some good old fashioned bad luck resulted in just one lonely pumpkin. One pumpkin that had my sister's name on it.

But, to be completely honest, Megan and I had hit a rough patch (no pun intended). So, I cleaned up that pretty little pumpkin, baked and prepped it into a lovely orange puree and set it aside in my freezer until the timing was just right.

Well, it seems to me - with all the craziness and sisterly bonding that the last month has brought our way - the timing couldn't be better for sharing a comforting, cozy autumnal pie. So, without further adieu, I give you Megan's Pumpkin is Thicker Than Water Pumpkin Cream Pie. 

I began with my traditional crust, working a combination of butter and shortening into a bowlful of chilled flour and salt with my fingers. I then gradually added ice water to bring the dough together and placed the resulting disk into the fridge to chill. Once cooled, I rolled the dough out into a thin, even sheet and placed it gently into the pie tin - trimming, folding and crimping the edges before blind-baking the shell.

For the pumpkin cream filling, I made use of the remainder of my homemade vanilla pudding mix, whisking the prepped powder into a combination of whole milk and heavy whipping cream on the stovetop until thickened. To the pudding, I added vanilla extract, home-grown pumpkin puree and my own pumpkin pie spice.

Because my 1960's galley-style kitchen is greatly lacking in storage space, I try to be resourceful when it comes to purchasing infrequently used spices. So I whipped up my own pumpkin pie spice using a handful of ingredients already tying up space in my spice cabinet - ground cinnamon, ginger, clove and freshly grated nutmeg.

As the pumpkin cream chilled, I contemplated how best to "dress" this pie. In my opinion, cream pies always call for a generous layer of whipped cream. So I took inspiration from my previous experience with honey whipped cream and decided to substitute organic maple syrup as the sweetener. The result was perfectly reminiscent of the holidays.

The rich creaminess of this pie was just screaming for a bit of unexpected texture, so I settled on a pepita (or pumpkin seed) brittle. I brought granulated sugar, butter, light corn syrup and water to a boil until lightly golden, before adding sea salt and a pinch of baking soda. Then I folded in a generous amount of raw, untoasted pepitas and carefully poured the candied mixture onto a greased and parchment lined baking sheet, spreading it evenly. When cooled, I scattered a handful of brittle bits atop the pie, setting aside a few for me, of course. I see several more batches of pepita brittle in my future...

Our Dad was known to tell the same beloved stories from our childhood over and over. In one of his favorites, Megan and I (roughly ages two and four, I believe) were bickering and squabbling and being generally unpleasant to one another when Dad suggested that we might just leave Megan out with the trash if we couldn't manage to get along. And wouldn't you know it - the big sister in me rose to the occasion, putting my arm around her and assuring her that I would never let Mom and Dad throw her away.

I guess some things never change. Even thirty years later, we sometimes need that simple reminder not to let our sisterly squabbles get the best of us. My relationship with my sister is a gift and her role in my life just couldn't ever be replaced. Blood is indeed thicker than water.

"Produce great pumpkins, the pies will follow later." - Unknown

Guest Post - Erin and Kelli's Life is "S'more" Fun When We're Together Pies

At the Pi(e) Day Party earlier this month, I sent each of the past years' pie recipients home with an empty pie box and small tag reading, "It's true what they say - it is infinitely better to give than to receive. That's why I'm passing the rolling pin to you. Here is an empty box, just waiting to be filled with your homemade creation and gifted to someone you love. And if you're up for documenting your baking endeavors, I'd love to share your story on the blog! So pie it forward. It's your turn to "Bake Somebody (else) Happy." 

In retrospect, I can see how this invitation to bake may have been perceived as homework rather than a party favor. But leave it to my good friend Kristin to be the first to take me up on my offer to pie it forward. I am so excited to be able to share her heart in my first official guest post! Enjoy!


I want to preface this blog entry with the fact that there is no way my words will ever be adequate to express how much the recipients of the pies mean to me.

Let's face it...it is not very often that parents of children get along with each other as well as their kids do. My husband and I feel so fortunate to know Erin and Will and watch our children grow up together to be the best of friends. As our friendship grows, our children's friendship has blossomed as well. 
 

I have to admit - during my entire second pregnancy, I had an idea that a little boy would be in our future and from my experience with most little boys, it brought me much anxiety. Fear of the unknown and the "typical" busy and rambunctious toddler boy left me a little concerned and thinking I may not be cut out for this challenge. Every time I started to feel uneasy, I thought back to what a wonderful little boy Wilson was/is (and now Henry also). His sweet nature always put my mind at ease - plus I loved that he had a bit of a cautious side that I secretly hoped our little boy would share. As Erin mentioned in a previous blog, Wilson is "the apple of her eye," so it's not surprising I fell in love with this little boy as I feel the same about his mom. Paige also loves Wilson to a fault and there have been many talks about Wilson and Paige still sharing experiences when they are all "grown up" well into adulthood. Erin eased me into my first experience with boys and I am enjoying the truly magical experience that is "boy" (especially the trains). (P.S. I will never forget sobbing the ugly cry through the "Love you Forever" book she gave me after meeting Grant for the first time.)

Erin and I met in junior high. During a time of extreme awkwardness and insecurity - in which nobody wanted to be different in any way - Erin was always herself, which was something I admired then and something I strive for now. She never attempted to be fake just to "fit in," which to this day continues to stand true. Erin is the most genuine, sensitive and kind person I know. She has always understood and listened to me, even when her opinion may differ. I feel so fortunate to have her as a friend. Some people say that relationships succeed not because of what a person says or does for you but by the way a person makes you feel. I have always felt cherished in our friendship and only hope I do the same for Erin.

 

As Erin mentioned in her blog, we were old friends reunited with common interests and experiences. We have so many similar experiences prior to us reuniting and then we have been so fortunate to share in so many first motherhood experiences together. I can remember the nervousness I felt the first time we got our husbands together for our first trip to the snow, hoping our husbands would get along as well as Erin and I did. I remember thinking that Will would probably think we were crazy driving forty minutes just in order for our three and four month olds to experience snow, but then Will got out of the car with a smile and a snow saucer.

I have so many vivid memories similar to this of all the firsts we shared together...we visited almost every museum in Sacramento, zoos, fairs (I will never forget the wonder on our kids faces when visiting the animals at the State Fair), fishing, train rides (so many train rides), birthday parties (her creativity cannot be matched), parks (including Livermore where our kids experienced water for the first time outside of the bath) and even established many yearly traditions such as Bishops' Pumpkin Patch (I love our photos of the kids with the pumpkins), Christmas caroling, Christmas light viewing, Christmas Eve with Santa (one of our favorite traditions), Apple Hill and berry picking. I will treasure the memories of all these firsts and the many more memories our families will make together.

Although we have busier schedules that do not allow us to spend as much time together as I am sure both of us would like...life is always "s'more" fun when we do get together.

Kelli and my friendship developed under unusual circumstances. Kelli and I did not really know each other well until my junior year (her senior year) at Del Campo High School. I had recently asked a mutual crush to TWIRP (a girls ask boys dance) in which - to put it lightly - Kelli was not really excited about me asking him before she got the chance. We found ourselves sitting at a basketball game next to each other and amongst the awkward silence Kelli asked about what creative way I had asked Mike to the dance. After that day, we knew we had met our friend "match." 

She and I conversed about creative projects we planned to do and what we had done in the past. This was the case of foe turned friend. To this day, there is not a birthday party or shower that Kelli does not help me do the cupcakes. Not only has Kelli been my person to bounce creative ideas off of, she has been there for me during every pivotal part of life. She knows as much about me as my family. In fact, when I went away to college, my boyfriend hacked into her email account to find out what I was up to while living in the dorms - he knew I told Kelli everything.

There have been so many laughs during our 17 year friendship. In particular, I remember falling down a flight of stairs just to provide some comic relief before a first date for her. I used to have to use the restroom before we attended our line dancing classes, or I would pee my pants. And then there were oh so many dance parties (I can still pull out a mean shopping cart), overnight trips, camping trips, casinos ("put it all on black") and our love for San Francisco (Asia SF and Kareoko stand out in my mind).

Kelli was there to meet me at the airport when I told her that I met the "guy of my dreams" in Costa Rica - we "painted the town" for my Bachelorette party, she stood by me as one of my Maids of Honor at our wedding and she has been a huge part of both of my children’s lives (attending baptisms, coming to sports events, buying Girl Scout cookies and taking an active interest in everything they are). She even brought me a bagel the morning I was in labor with Grant and offered to drive me to the hospital, assuring me that he would not come out if I used the restroom (haha). My children love her like family because really that is what she is. I laugh more with her (sometimes at her) than anyone I know.

Along with all the wonderful times we have had together, our friendship has endured more obstacles in life than one should - including a cancer diagnosis/treatment, driving in San Francisco, miscarriages, really bad New Years Eve's (I think that Tahoe one topped the list - remember the burnt pillow?) and bad breakups - but we always come out stronger because of it. Kelli is my perfect friendship match and I cannot imagine my life without her. Life is just "s'more" fun when we are together. 

After leaving Erin's wonderful "Pie Party," my mind was running wild with ideas about the assignment attached to the empty pie box she gave to each of her guests. The card on the box read, "It's true what they say - it is infinitely better to give than to receive. That's why I'm passing the rolling pin to you. Here is an empty box, just waiting to be filled with your homemade creation and gifted to someone you love. And if you're up for documenting your baking endeavors, I'd love to share your story on the blog! So pie it forward. It's your turn to "Bake Somebody (else) Happy."
 

I knew I wanted to reciprocate and attempt to "Bake Erin Happy" (in addition, I needed a little redemption for the Blueberry Sour Cream Pie debacle). I knew there was no way anything I could bake could match Erin's pies, but hey I had nowhere to go but up from my last pie blunder and I wanted to bake a pie to honor Erin. The problem is...the assignment was for me to "pie it forward" not "pie it back," so I came up with this: I am going to bake two of the same type of pie and tweak the recipe a little (as Erin would say) to make each one a little unique and as special as the recipient. So I made Erin and Kelli's Life is "S'more" Fun When We're Together Pies. 

Since attending Erin's "live" debut, I learned a few things from her that I wanted to try out. I found a few recipes for similar pies and "tweaked" them. (Don't worry Erin - I steered clear of too much salt.) I also avoided traditional crust, as I knew if I was going to botch something it would be that for sure.
 

I started with a traditional graham cracker crust with a little twist. I accidentally bought a box of cinnamon graham crackers and a box of original graham crackers, so I used a cup of each, crushed and mixed with one stick of melted butter. I placed it in a greased pie dish and pressed it with the bottom of a cup and baked for 12 minutes at 325 degrees.
 

Then I worked on the pie filling. I took a ten ounce semi-sweet chocolate bar and used a grater to chop. (This was certainly a labor of love project - I don't know how Erin does this as often as she does.)

Then I whisked a cup of heavy whipping cream and 3/4 cup of milk in a saucepan over medium heat while adding the chopped chocolate slowly and stirring. I then added one teaspoon of vanilla extract, a pinch of salt and two eggs (whisked) in a saucepan and continued to stir.

Then I poured the pie filling over the graham cracker crust and baked at 325 degrees for 15 minutes (until the pie was solid, but still jiggled a little).
 

Kelli and I share the same love for Easter (I think it is because of our Spring birthdays). Kelli is obsessed with "Peeps" (for every season she gets packages and waits for them to harden for future enjoyment). I actually pondered naming the pie "Peep-A-Ru," as Kelliru is her nickname. So for Kelli, I added a layer of golden Peeps (or two packages). 

Erin made the most meticulously designed pecan pie for her mother's Not Your Mama's Pecan Pie that I have admired since seeing the pictures - therefore, I decided to attempt a design top with marshmallows for Erin. 

 

"Nothing is as good for the soul as a marshmallow roast." - Jonathan Lockwood Huie