Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Peachy

I seldom bake pies in the summer. In fact, I rarely bake pies at all. Ever. (I think the last time--and perhaps the only time, come to think of it--that I made a homemade pie was before I was married, when I made a lemon meringue for my favorite priest on his birthday because it was his favorite, and because it was what his mother had always made for him.) But ordinarily, I'm much more a cake and cookies kind of girl. Easy, uncomplicated. Yesterday, however, baking a pie in the middle of the afternoon seemed like the perfect thing to do.

On Sunday morning, you see, just as we were leaving for church, our very kind and generous neighbors (the same ones who gave us their Christmas tree last December) brought over a large bowl full of beautiful peaches from their tree. They were small, but plentiful. I wasn't sure how we'd ever eat them all! That night, Darren prepared a delicious topping of peaches and cherries to serve over the vanilla ice cream we had for dessert, and it was amazing. Still, we had many more peaches than I ever thought we'd eat. I couldn't bear the thought of them going bad before we had a chance to enjoy them all, and I was so pleased with them that I wanted them to be put to very special use. So, pie it was. Something new, and, (hopefully) beautiful, too.


I thought about my mom as I got out one of the two old porcelain pie plates she gave me while packing to move away last month. She never baked many pies, either, but I remember these pie plates being nestled together in their rightful cabinet throughout my entire childhood. They are a sweet reminder now of a time long past, a familiar comfort much like the memory of the sunny kitchen itself in which they once belonged. It made me happy in a sad, nostalgic kind of way yesterday to lovingly wash, once again, one of the pair, and to fill it with the generously offered fruit of kind neighbors who, too, will soon be moving away.


It was a lovely way to spend the day with my kids, filling our home with the aroma of spices and fruit and delicate pastry, evoking remembrances of days I thought I'd long since forgotten and was so happy to recall once more. I hope that one day, years from now, the memory of baking with their Mommy will cross my own kids minds, and that, remembering, they'll be happy.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oooh, that pie is beautiful!

Jill said...

I am totally a cookie, cake, and muffin person as well. But, yum! Can I come over this afternoon?

mom-in-training said...

My mouth is watering! Peach pie with vanilla ice cream - one of my favorites!!!

Charlotte (WaltzingM) said...

What a lovely memory you have made! I am green with envy over your pie plates. If I had beautiful dishes like that, I would make a pie every day... but then I would weight 400 pounds, so maybe it's best if I don't. Still, gorgeous!!!

He who wears the most black wins. said...

I am totally salivating. No kidding. How beautiful and YUMMY looking!!

Alice Gunther said...

Peach is my favorite!!!

This is fantastic.

Celeste Creates said...

Yum! Yum! YUM! Thought shalt not tempt Weight Watchers ladies! He he

Unknown said...

Oh what a beautiful pie!
The lattice work is so precise.
You look like you make pies more than rarely!

Anonymous said...

Ahem. . . How did I miss out on this confectionary success?

Jane Ramsey said...

Oh, it looks soooo scrumptious, Melissa! And that pie pan is beautiful. I love baking pies--brings back fond memories of my Aunt Pat--appple was her specialty!but I've never tried a peach pie, or the lattice top. You have inspired me!