Jeff's Birthday and a Belly Full of Pie

Jeff's birthday was on January 2nd and I was feeling like Martha Stewart. Even though I asked him what kind of birthday cake he wanted, I really had already made up my mind that I was going to make my first ever apple pie. I figured if I paired it with vanilla bean ice cream then it would be a mega hit for Jeff.

Well rather than googling a sub-par pie recipe, I decided to look one up in one of Jeff's mom's Southern Living magazines. The first one I came to was a blackberry-apple pie. Sounded like a winner to me.

I was so antsy to start baking that as soon as Jeff's dad came back from HEB I began my attack. Thank goodness I did because it took me HOURS to make to make two pies. Holy heck, no wonder people buy dessert from the frozen section.

I first had to core, peel and slice about 24 pounds of apples. Luckily Leslie had a nifty Pampered Chef gadget to help (but that's an entirely different subject for an entirely different post).

Then I had to make the filling (which was supposed to have rested in the fridge for a week before use).

Then I had to hand make the pie crusts and let them rest (which were also supposed to sit for a day or two in the fridge). Then I actually had to make the things and pop them in the oven.

Needless to say I did not pick out a quick recipe. The end result though? Two beautifully delicious blackberry-apple pies and one satisfied birthday boy.

So was it worth it? Well, I think that might depend on who you ask - the baker or the eater. The pies turned out beautiful and they sure were delicious, but I'm just not sure the added flavor of the homemade pie outweighed the convenience/time factor of a store-bought pie. I mean you can really find some tasty stuff in the store these days (frozen or not).

But on a side note, Jeff's dad took the extra pie to work and it ended up scoring major points (for both him and I) with the Commissioner and his additional co-workers. It was nice to hear some raving compliments on what seemed to be a never-ending job!