Papa's Pies

For most families, the holidays are all about tradition, and this is one of my favorites.

Papa Bear's Infamous Pies

In the history of Papa Bear and I, I have cooked a total of one Thanksgiving dinner, and that was before we were married. When My Love announced shortly after we were married that he would like to be in charge of the Thanksgiving meal, I was more than happy to step aside and let him have his way with dinner. It's not that I dislike preparing meals, but since I do it sooooo often during the year (two or three times a day, every day), it's kind of nice to have someone else do it.

So, usually the day before Thanksgiving, Papa Bear get's busy in the kitchen making pies. The first several years, it was a pretty small operation; a pumpkin, a mince meat, and a cherry. Enough to fill everyone up post-dinner, and provide a week or so of left-overs for breakfast....and lunch....and dinner. Once we moved to Georgia, I managed to talk him into adding a pecan (one of my favorites) which he makes from scratch, and we started using fresh pumpkin instead of canned. I'm in charge of cooking and pureeing the pumpkin; he does the rest. And all at once it seems, the pie baking operation went LARGE because we've got some pretty nifty neighbors we like to share with. Each year Papa seems to make a few more pies than last. So this year, not only did Mimi get enough pies to feed her volumous visiting family, but there were four more to take to the firestation where her son works. And, four for us.

Christmas is the REAL pie-making operation, though. I think we're going to have to get a second "cooling rack" (actually a paper-organizer I found at an office supply store). Having distributed pies to several neighbors last year on The Eve, I'm pretty sure additional pies will be eagerly anticipated this year. Then there's the firestation. And our homeschooling friends.

I think we're going to need more pumpkins.