my first pie!

Admittedly, I am not much of a baker. Not because I can't, more because I don't want to. I don't follow directions well and like the freedom of throwing together a meal. Exact measurements are just not my thing.

But, that may change.

Last week was my Dads birthday. As I was weeding my garden the morning of his birthday, I looked over at my very small rhubarb bush. As I continued on with my gardening chores, I thought back to when I was a child. Every June, this older gentlemen from our church would bring a bundle of rhubarb to my dad. They sang together in the choir and my dad must have mentioned how much he loved strawberry rhubarb pies. My mother would bake him one every year for his birthday, until the old man died. Then the pies stopped.

So, then it dawned on me. Why not make him a pie? Well for one, not enough Rhubarb. But then I remembered I had loads of frozen blueberries from last season in my freezer. And I had a whole pile of fresh strawberries. I hurried with my chores and then ran to my sisters house next door. She can bake.

She instructed me on a quick pie lesson. Line the oven with tinfoil, it will blow. Don't grease the pie pan. Wash top crust with milk and sugar. All the stuff us non bakers don't really know. And with that, the invention of my strawberry blueberry rhubarb pie.

5:00 came and the pie was fresh from the oven. It looked good. It smelled good. We loaded up the car and I made my husband drive 5 under the speed limit all the way to my parents house as I held the pie on my lap. Then I realized. Would people even eat this? I don't bake! They may not trust my first attempt. I told husband he should try it first- no way! was his response. Nice.

Well, I have never seen a prouder father! He was surprised and was tickled that I remember his love of rhubarb pies. He loved my addition of the blueberries. We made him try it first (it was afterall his birthday!) and he loved it! We didn't believe him, but he didn't keel over, so the rest of us dug in. Perfect! So, maybe I can bake after all!