Wednesday, November 24, 2010

The Family Crust

Last week when we arrived at my Mother's house, she had just taken an apple pie out of the oven and had sat it aside to cool.  For some reason the design on the top caught my eye and I asked her if it was something new she had just come up with.  Well.  Let me tell you I was caught off guard to find out that it was the same design that my Grandmother and perhaps even my Great Grandmother had always done on all their double crust pies.  I never even knew there was a family crust! 


Tonight in the midst of my Thanksgiving preparations, it was as if I could feel the presence of both my Grandmothers peering over my shoulders as I set off to recreate this family tradition in the blueberry pie I was baking.  I suspect they would be smiling and nodding to each other as they patiently waited for me perform this rite of passage. 



Could I get it right the first time?  Could my Grandmothers really be watching me do this?  I actually felt a bit nervous. 




It reminds me how thankful I am to still have my Mother.  Someone I can still see, hear and embrace in real life.  Who I can still share giggles with and memories of growing up and spending Thanksgiving as a child at my Grandmother's house.  The white farmhouse with the beautiful floral pattern wallpaper in the dining room where we sat at the long wooden table, together, so many years ago.  With pies that all had that same distinctive family crust of which I realize now I hadn't remembered as a child. 


As I add my own touch to the family crust,  a sprinkling of coarse sugar crystals, I snap a quick picture to document it for future generations that may wonder what that shiny stuff was on the pie. 


 Wishing all my sweet readers out in blogland a very blessed Thanksgiving Day and hoping you always leave enough room at Thanksgiving for some pie!

17 comments:

Heather Baird said...

That's so neat! What a wonderful discovery. This made me think of our family crest. I'm much rather have a family crust!!

Delightful post. Happy Thanksgiving!

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

How neat - a family crust - now you must incorporate that into your art too. I guess we sort of have a family crust - a letter of what the pie has inside ( "A" for apple, "B" for blueberry, etc.) and then arrows going around in a circle around the letter. Not so fancy as yours - but always the same on any pie for three generations now. So tomorrow I shall announce the family crust so our family remembers it. Happy Thanksgiving.

jennyfreckles said...

Such family traditions are lovely and worth keeping going. The pie looks yummy too! Wishing you a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving, Lili. Hope it's full of precious moments with those you love - and good food too!

Elenka said...

A family crust!! That is just too precious. I could see that pattern embroidered in the center of a tablecloth...that's what I thought that was on that white paper.
Wonderful story.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. Thanks for your blog.

Privet and Holly said...

Thanks for sharing
such sweet memories,
dear Lili! I could
just picture your
grandma's house and
feel both grandma's
spirits guiding your
crust along....It looks
amazing! Happy,
happy Thanksgiving!
xx Suzanne

Sunny said...

Family. Traditions. Memories. Sounds like a wonderful Thanksgiving Lili, shared with your loved ones and remembering special gatherings of years past. I think both generations of grands-mères are smiling down on you and your sparkly sugarcoated crust version. Happy Thanksgiving!

Sandy, Sisters of Season said...

Hi Lili, I hope Thanksgiving was everything you wanted to be. You have been blessed with such a beautiful life . . visiting your blog is always a treat. Love, Sandy:O)

Ro said...

What a beautiful thing to discover a family tradition you weren't aware of before! And that pie looks so delicious too. A very heart-warming post! :)

Low Tide High Style said...

What a wonderful family tradition Lili, so glad you found out from your mother so that you can now pass it down to your own children!

I wonder if we had a family crust?!

Kat :)

pam @ iLoveShelling said...

I couldnt make it "home" this year for Thanksgiving and I so missed my mom's pie crust. This is such a special post and I will tell my mom we need to put our family crest on the crust.... it's a winged scallop shell. Perfect!

Barry said...

Lili, adding beauty to everyday life as usual. I think you belong to the "upper crust" hehe! By the way, first my mom and now my aunt follow your adventures in your blog. Wonderful!

Sharon Lovejoy said...

Dear, dear Lili,

I LOVED this. Boy, did this ever bring back memories. My Gram McKinstry did a similar top crust using the side of a fork. It was a flourishment, very twiny, and looked like vines and flowers. She did it as quick as lightning and I used to stand there with my mouth agape-as filled with wonder as when I saw fireflies.

The crust is passed!

Thank you, thank you for this,

Sharon Lovejoy Writes from Sunflower House and a Little Green Island

Unknown said...

how sweet, your pie looks wonderful! i miss my grandmothers too. i just said to my husband the other day i wished i'd paid more attention to how they cooked and crocheted when i was in my 20's but it never occurred to me that i would long for a day in the kitchen or a day to crochet with them. xo susan

Unknown said...

A family crust...I love it! :) Family traditions are one of the things that make holidays so special! I made kugela, a traditional Lithuanian potato dish, for the first time this Thanksgiving and it felt so wonderful to think of all the many, many years my grandma had made it for us with so much love...

Hugs ~

:) T

Pamela said...

Such a special memory. Blueberry is my favorite. The crust looks wonderful! My mother had that rolling pin and I can still hear it as she rolled out a crust.

Anonymous said...

loved your story; reminds me of my mom making apple pies with "bird's feet" decorating the crust...and of sharing apple pie with her for breakfast. Yum!
BTW she was a native of Caribou, a bit north of Bangor.

Vicki Boster said...

This is a beautiful story Lili - one that is full of both tradition and love. The crust is truly lovely - a signature of your heritage that compliments your exquisite pies. A family crust is a wonderful tradition indeed!

Vicki