Pie Pie Me oh My

As a child I played "cafe" not restaurant, because I did not want a restaurant. I wanted a little cafe, where I could bake. I always had cute little menus with whatever my mom was fixing for dinner, and my pretend shop was named "gerts". (my dad always called me gert as a child, and I'm not entirely sure why.)

In the 5th grade we had a school program where we all lined up and told the audience what we wanted to be when we grew up. I'm sure we did some other stuff too, but thats not important. As I stood at the back of the line, not really sure what I wanted to be. I was feeling all sorts of conflicted about what I would say. Every girl in front of me wanted to be one of two things: a nurse or a hair stylist. Apparently my 5th grade class was dreaming big. Because everyone was destine to wear scrubs or trim hair, maybe thats what should be too. But I didn't want to be either of those things. I really wanted to be a baker; and with sweaty hands, thats what I told the audience.

Through school my answer to "what do you want to be when you grow up?" was always owning a bakery. I wanted a little shop where the locals could come in and order the usual, and I wanted to know what that was. Always. When I was in High School I had an itch for a video camera. Because they were cool, and social media didn't exist nor did cell phones with cameras on them. I didn't have enough money for a camera but I figured out a way. I sat down with my parents one night and we mapped out the cost of pie. I broke it all down to the ounce then figured out a menu. I went door to door to all my neighbors, members of our ward and even my school teachers, selling them on homemade pies to be delivered to your doorstep. I had a great little sales pitch and I sold pie.  I would wake up early, mix crusts together and chill them. Then after school I would bake them and deliver the pies of the day. I had this awesome little scooter that I drove around and it had a perfect box on the back for pie. I remember it took me 3 weeks and 55 pies to earn enough money to buy that video camera. After I made my purchase, my mom kicked me out of her kitchen. I can't blame her, there was flour everywhere.
Always in the back of my mind there is pie, and ways to bake it. I enjoy a slice of pie, but rolling out crusts and filling them with amazing ingredients is what makes soul happy. I named my girls after potential bakeries. When my babies are scared at night I sing them the pie song. When I am looking for forgiveness from my husband I bake him a banana cream pie. I haven't always made successful pies. I have tweaked and studied custards until they were just right. I just keep trying until the perfectionist in me is satisfied.
Regardless of the time and place in my life, baking pie has always been my happy. They are a thing of beauty, but simple. They don't take days to bake, or have any fancy ingredients, but they are always a crowd pleaser. Everyone loves pie. I'm pretty sure you could change the world if you showed up with a handmade pie.

After 15 years of obsessively baking pies,  I've decided to sell them all over again.  I won't be delivering them on the back of my scooter anymore and maybe someday there will be a shop. But for now, there is "June Pie". One flavor, five pies and it changes daily. I'm only gonna bake five a day, but i'll announce the pies of the week on Mondays via Facebook and Instagram. You can reserve your flavor there and pick it up in the evening. I have never been so excited about something in all my days! I haven't slept in weeks, I find myself dreaming of pies!

I love to bake pie, and I hope you enjoy it too!  Head on over and like the Facebook page, start following me on Instagram and get ready for pie! Maybe you'll get lucky and find your hands on some of my "test pies"

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