Archive | November, 2011

Day 218: Lessons Learned

10 Nov

Today I shared a few lessons I have learned from being on this pie journey with the Ashland Rotary Club. I am about 60 percent of the way into my year of pies and have discovered some truths along the way.

The first lesson is that my words have little to do with the gift of pie that I bring. All that I need do is give my gift with sincerity and love and the rest will fall into place. People can see the spirit behind the gift and that is what matters.

A second lesson I have learned is that it is very important that I give my gift of a pie in person…. and 98% of my pies have been delivered this way. However, there were a few that were left at the doorstep because of a missed connection, etc. The lesson is that by being present with the gift, the recipient gets to see that you have made an effort on their behalf, and that is hard to overlook.

The third lesson is that it does not matter who gets a pie, but rather the important thing is that I give a gift each day. While I may think of honoring one person with a pie, if it is impossible to connect with them, then I should find another recipient. This project is about giving… not about a perfect plan.

The last lesson for this evening is that it is impossible to know the impact of our actions and that I should not judge a reaction at all. The most important thing is that I give my gift with love and the energy from this will continue on in some way or another.

Today’s pie recipient was determined quite randomly. At this afternoon’s Rotary luncheon, cards were passed out with the name of this website on the front, and only one of those cards had the number 218 written on the back. Gloria was the Rotarian that had that card and she received a Pear, Almond and Cream Cheese Tart… just because.

Tags: , , , , ,

Day 217: Marcia

9 Nov

As a response to the post I wrote yesterday, I received a recommendation from Mary for a pie recipient whose name is Marcia. Marcia is the reading specialist at Walker Elementary School in Ashland and here is what Mary has written about her:

I would like to recommend a colleague that I work with. Her name is Marcia. She is an incredible force at Walker School. Marcia is the reading specialist and has an amazing gift to ignite children. And when a child is struggling to read, she is tenacious in advocating for that child to get the help that they need. Also, she is getting remarried this Friday, 11/11/11 and she is like a teenager all over again.

What a wonderful suggestion! I love that Marcia “ignites” children to learn to read. Having been a SMART (Start Making a Reader Today) volunteer for many years, I am delighted that Marcia is driven to helping her students crack the code to reading. And I am tickled to know that she is “in love” and getting married.

This afternoon I brought a warm Apple Pie to Walker School for Marcia to share with her family (many of whom are flying in for the wedding). I wish her the very best this weekend… and always. And I thank her from the bottom of my heart for unlocking the mystery of reading for her students.

Tags: , , ,

Day 216: Leslie

8 Nov

We moved back to Ashland about sixteen years ago. Not long afterwards, I was driving around town and saw a sign for a garage sale. I followed the sign to a street by Ashland Community Hospital and parked my car. My children were with me and as we got out of the car I noticed a sign for “free kittens.” Before we went another step, I told my children that we could pet the kittens but we could not take any of them home. I waited until they agreed before we proceeded into the garage.

Once inside we met a friendly lady who turned out to be Leslie, and my daughter Alexandra went off to play with the kittens while my son took off to play with Leslie’s son. Leslie and I chatted for quite a while and I thought, “she’s got things to do… we should go” and I found my daughter and gently extracted her from the kittens. When I asked where my son Coco was, Leslie brought me to her son Dylan’s room and we found the boys playing together nicely. Leslie then said, “If you’d like, you can leave your boy here for a while since they are playing so well.” I thought, “Really?” It was such a nice offer… and they seemed so engrossed in what they were doing… and so I said “okay.” It was a few minutes later when I was driving home that I started to wonder, “what have I done?” After all, I didn’t even know Leslie’s last name!

But anyone that knows Leslie knows that this was an easy offer to accept. She is warm and kind and gentle and somehow I “knew” that my boy would be safe with her. And as it turns out, her son and mine have been friends ever since… as have Leslie and I.

When I think back to that day, I can’t help but think “what a lucky day that was!” And that is why tonight I brought a Pecan Pie to Leslie and her family. I am very grateful to her for a friendship that has continued to grow over these many years… and for her welcoming spirit that invited us into their lives.

Tags: , , , ,

Day 215: U.S. Bank Tellers Rock!

7 Nov

This morning in my email I received an offer to buy a bamboo rolling pin recommended by Cake Boss Buddy Valastros on a site called Open Sky.

This bamboo rolling pin was $20 and that’s not a lot of money really. But I would like to suggest is that before you go out and spend money on a brand new rolling pin, try checking out your local good will, thrift shops, yard or estate sales. Over the years I have found rolling pins at all of these places… and they can usually be purchased for a few dollars or less.

For me there is something kind of cool about using a kitchen tool that has been used (and loved) before. It’s as if the tool has been passed on to you from someone on purpose… and you get to use it for a fraction of the cost of buying new. Now, if you are sure that you will be using that rolling pin for years, and money is not an issue, by all means by a new one. But if you are only going to make one or two pies a year, why bother?

Now I will get down off my soap box and tell you about a technique for making pie dough that I learned in a class I attended this past weekend. It was lead by Cory Shreiber. He and pastry chef Julie Richardson recently co-authored a rustic dessert cookbook. One of the suggestions for making flakier pie dough was to use a grater for the butter (as opposed to cutting it into small chunks) before mixing it with the flour.

I hope that you are able to see the marbling of the butter in this piece of pie dough. That marbling is what gives the dough it’s flakiness. For more tips on pie crusts, check out this page.

This afternoon I delivered my pie to the tellers at US Bank in Ashland. We have been customers of this branch for quite some time and have always enjoyed a very good relationship with the staff there. They have made the extra effort to make us feel valued and and always show an interest in our lives by asking about our family, work, etc. I want them all to know that we really appreciate the personal touch that they offer.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Day 214: Andy

6 Nov

Yesterday my daughter Alexandra ran into Andy, one of her friends from Ashland High School. Andy mentioned that he and his wife were in town for a family reunion because his brother was going to be moving away for a new job. This special family gathering seemed like a perfect occasion for a pie!

When Alexandra was in high school, she was a reporter for the Ashland Daily Tidings. As her Mom, I was impressed that she was confident enough to go out and meet people that she did not know and conduct the interviews as a professional. And on several occasions, Andy accompanied her as the photographer. Knowing that Alex had a friend with her on those outings certainly gave me greater level of comfort.

In those days, Andy was one of a group of Alex’s friends that would come to the house, say hello to me on the way to her room and feel totally comfortable walking into the kitchen and checking out the food situation in the fridge. In other words, these friends seemed to feel at ease in our home – and that felt pretty good.

Early this morning I brought an Apple Blueberry Pie to Andy’s house so that his family could have a surprise treat for breakfast. I wanted to wish them all a wonderful reunion and to thank Andy for being an important part of our lives.

Day 213: Amey

5 Nov

When I am preparing a pie for someone I try to consider what their dietary restrictions might be. Sometimes I know that a person is gluten-intolerant or that they are a vegetarian. This information helps to guide my choice of pie (or quiche) and I do my best to meet or exceed their needs.

Occasionally a person’s needs challenge me to create something that I have not made before. Such was the case today when I needed to make a pie that was both gluten and sugar free. It took a little bit of thought but this is how I went about it. First I needed to make a crust without flour… and so I chose to grind up almonds and add a bit of butter and pressed that into my tart pan.

Next, I added a mixture of cream cheese, egg, and apple juice concentrate to the crust.

Finally, I arranged sliced apples on top of the cream cheese mixture. The apples had been tossed in a syrup made from apple juice concentrate and cornstarch.

The tart baked for about 45 minutes and when it was done it had a lovely golden brown tint on the apples. It looked and smelled quite nice… if I do say so myself.

Today’s pie was made for Amey, one of the department managers at the new Medford Food Coop. Amey was one of the first managers hired, and she has been an incredible asset to the Coop. I know I speak for everyone involved when I say that we are very lucky to have her on our team.

Tags: , , ,

Day 212: Friends of the Ashland Library

4 Nov

Last evening we had dinner with our neighbors Deb and Armo and I was reminded that tomorrow (Saturday, November 5) the Friends of the Ashland Library will be hosting one of their biggest fundraising events – the Annual Book Sale and Silent Auction. The hours for this event are from 12:00 to 4:00 PM on Saturday (with a members only presale from 10AM til noon – and yes, memberships are available at the door!) and from 12:00 to 3:00PM on Sunday.

This is a wonderful chance for you to purchase gifts for the holidays and feel good about the money that you are spending because it will benefit our beautiful library. There will be hundreds of books available for purchase in new or nearly new condition. In addition, many local businesses have donated goods or services to the auction and the volunteers have put these items together in a number of themed gift baskets for you to bid on.

Since I knew that the volunteers would be working long hours today finalizing preparations for this big sale, I sent a Bacon and Cheddar Quiche to the library so that they might have something to sustain them. This afternoon I received a text from Deb with these words: “If it hadn’t been for your quiche, we’d’ve not had the engergy to still be working… we are so lucky.” Actually, we the people of Ashland, are the lucky ones to have such dedicated volunteers working to keep our library as wonderful as it is.

Tags: , , ,

Day 211: Beau Club Bob

3 Nov

Today when I was preparing my pie, I thought of Bob from the Beau Club. We’ve known Bob and his wife Annie for more than 20 years having met them when we worked at Geppetto’s restaurant. Bob was (and still is) the owner of the tavern that was right next door to the restaurant. After work we would often go to the tavern to have a drink and play cribbage and listen to the juke box. Sometimes we might even play a game of pool. It was a comfortable place to unwind from our kitchen or wait shifts.

One memory I have from those days is from when I organized a 5 mile walk to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis that asked people to get pledges per mile walked. When I asked Bob if he would sponsor me, he took the form and wrote $20 in the per mile box. When I explained that maybe he meant to make that the total donation, he confirmed that he knew it was per mile. I could have hugged him because it was such a generous thing to do.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been to the tavern, but I still see Bob around town, and he always makes me smile for a couple of reasons. The first is because Bob always seems happy to see me and asks about my family. The other is because Bob is one of those quick-witted folks that can make jokes out of an ordinary conversation and he helps to keep me on my toes.

Today I brought Bob a warm Apple Pie to say thanks – for the fond memories from those long ago days and for being the generous gentleman that he is.

Tags: , , , ,

Day 210: Coach Tim

2 Nov

When my daughter Alexandra was a young girl we lived in Portland.  On a few occasions we took her skiing on Mt. Hood.  It was really just an introduction to skiing but it was a great ski area and we wanted her to feel comfortable on the mountain.  A few years later, we were back in Ashland but Alex still had little skiing experience.

One day I read a story in the  Ashland Daily Tidings that stated if you brought 5 cans of food the next day you would get a day pass for Mt. Ashland; and for another 5 cans you could rent gear.  This was such a great opportunity that I kept Alexandra out of school for the day and took her skiing.

As luck would have it, when we arrived at the ski area, the Mt. Ashland employee told us that the newspaper had made a mistake and that “special” was for Mt. Shasta.  Perhaps it was my disappointed look, or maybe it was divine intervention, who knows, but  that same employee said, “Since you came for the special, we will honor it.”  In no time at all,  Alexandra and I were outfitted with skis and went out onto the mountain on a perfect blue sky day.

Later when Alexandra and I were on the bunny hill, I was desperately trying to explain the “pizza wedge” to Alex and she was becoming more and more frustrated with me.  At one point I told Alex that I would leave her alone to think about what I’d said and meet up with her in a few minutes.  As I was riding the chair above Alex a few moments later I overheard a teenaged girl explaining to Alex how to make a wedge wtih her skis.  For some reason the light that would not go on for me was flashing with this young gal, and Alex finally understood how to position her skis to get down the hill!

Fast forward to a few years later.  By this time Alexandra has been involved in the Mt. Ashland Racing Association... and the tables have been turned.  I am still a tentative skier and Alex wants me to ski with her.  When she tells me where she wants me to go, I tell her that I am not sure I can handle that slope and she says,”Don’t worry Mom, I’ll ski with you. ” And she did…. downhill and backwards, coaching me all the way.

To do this she had to have had some good coaches… one of whom was Tim.   I am so grateful that he was able to encourage her to be the fearless person she was… because I don’t know that I could have ever done that.  It certainly was not something that I learned, for my Mom had already lost one child; and there was too much fear that she might lose another.  She could not be fearless because she was always aware of the dangers.   If only for that reason, I wanted my daughter to be brave.

Tonight I made an Onion, Bacon and Cheddar Quiche and brought it to Tim and his wife to thank him for giving Alexandra the permission to be as fearless as she could be.  It was an important trait for her to learn and I am very grateful for his part in her development.

Tags: , , ,

Day 209: Mr. Bill

1 Nov

It seems like it was a million years ago when my Uncle Tommy introduced me to Mr. Bill Lambert.  He was a baker and he owned a shop called “Raymond’s Bakery” in Stapleton, Staten Island.  My Uncle knew that I loved to bake and he was willing to help me out by suggesting to his friend that I might be a good apprentice.  Up until the time I set foot into Bill’s bakery the only baking I had done was in my Mom’s kitchen – and soon I was to find out how small scale that was compared to the production that went on inside that shop.

Soon I learned that real bakers begin their day long before the rest of wake up… and sometimes before others of us go to sleep.  It was a crazy schedule but it was kind of exciting to see the inner workings of a bakery. .. and to smell those smells wafting from the oven in the early hours was too much!  Before I knew it I had gained five pounds just from “tasting” things – the old fashioned donuts, the breads and rolls hot from the oven,  the cookies….  Yum.

Even though all the tasty treats were a delicious part of that experience, I would have to say that the best part was working with Bill and the other bakers – including Bill Jr., an older German man named Karl, and a man  (I think his name was Jimmy) who was really a policeman but who would stop by in the mornings to help out and talk with ‘the guys’.

I remember one day when I was learning to form rolls for the first time.  Bill set two small balls of dough in front of me and told me to roll them both at the same time.  That sounded like rocket science!  But I tried it and when I was done I looked at the bottoms of the dough balls and they looked wrinkly and I thought, “Is this how they’re supposed to look?”  Well, Jimmy took one look at my rolls and made some kind of remark about how I had made a big mistake.  And for a moment I thought – uh oh – here is when Bill tosses me out… and then Jimmy picked up a few rolls on the baking pan to show me that they all looked like that!  Of course I felt like punching him…. but it also felt good to be kidded and one of the guys.

Bill had such an interesting way about him which I think had something to do with the times in which he was raised.  He was a very quiet man and said more with his facial expressions than he ever said with his words.  That was hard for me – a natural born chatty-cathy.  But he didn’t chide me… he just let me figure out a way to find my place in the shop.  I was definitely the chirpy one – especially after a cup or two of coffe – but he didn’t seem to mind.

The only thing I remember Bill complaining about was when I washed out his coffee cup – the one that was really white but looked brown from all the coffee stains on the inside.  One day I just decided to clean it out with baking soda to surprise him… which I guess I did.  Bill teased that I had washed away all the “coffee flavor” – just the same, I never washed his cup again.

When I left the shop to go to the Culinary Institute of America, Bill and his wife gave me a copy of my favorite book at that time (the Sherlock Holmes Complete Collection) and when I was married a few years later, Bill made (and did not charge me for) my wedding cake.  And the very last time I visited him he searched for something to give me despite my protests.  He didn’t realize that he’d given me so much by just letting me spend time with him in that bakeshop all those years ago.

This afternoon, I brought a Dutch Apple pie to Bill’s son in honor of his Dad and brother, and all the love that they showed me without ever mentioning the word at all.

Newer Entries →