Sunday, June 21, 2009

Just an Old Fashioned Girl

For some reason, summertime reminds me of the generations of women who came before us. The women for whom homemaking was not an art or a pasttime but a way of life that was necessary to make ends meet and put food on the table for the family.

For them, there was no fast food. For them, there was no convenience foods from the grocery store freezer section. No instant mashed potatoes. No frozen pie shells. Nope, they did things the old fashioned way, from scratch.

Today, I thought I'd follow in their footsteps.

Today, I got up early (10 a.m.) and got dressed (put on a nightgown). I completed my morning chores (read my emails and surfed a few blogs) and headed into the kitchen to do some baking--from scratch!

First, I ground my flour (no I didn't--I just opened the package), mixed it with lard rendered from the last time we killed a pig (actually, it was Crisco vegetable shortening from a can--I've never killed a pig in my life), and mixed in a little salt brought across the prairies by covered wagon (bought at the grocery store in a cardboard canister). I added a few tablespoons of water, fresh from the well (kitchen faucet), and in the twinkling of an eye (about an hour), I had dough for pie crusts!

Next I cleaned and pitted fresh cherries (yes, I really did!) just picked from the tree (last Saturday from my neighbor's tree). I mixed them with some magic cherry pie filling ingredients (flour and sugar), poured the mixture into the pie crust, and dotted it with fresh churned butter (at least I think that's how they make it).

Then, I went to a secret grove of blueberry bushes (refrigerator) where I picked just enough fresh blueberries to bake a pie (two packages of blueberries from the grocery store). I cleaned and mixed the blueberries with magic blueberry pie filling ingredients (flour, sugar, and lemon juice), poured the mixture into the pie crust, and dotted it with fresh churned butter (whatever).


Next, I stoked up the wood burning stove (gas oven) and once the oven compartment reached what experience tells me is the right temperature for baking pies (425 degrees according to the knob on the oven), I put the pies in the oven to bake. While they were baking, I did the rest of my morning chores (took a bath).

Yum! Fresh cherry and blueberry pies!


Can she make a cherry pie,
Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she make a cherry pie,
Charming Billy?
She can make a cherry pie,
Quick as a cat can wink an eye,
She's a young thing
And cannot leave her mother.

17 comments:

Orcsmom said...

Yum-o!!!I will have mine warmed with ice cream please!!!!!!!!!

Pam

Robin said...

Oh WOW, fresh cherries from a tree are the BEST!!! I was just thinking the other day that the cherries get from our local grove (Wal Mart) don't even really taste like the cherries of old...they're the right color, but that's about it.

Teresa said...

Hey, you made your own crust? I am impressed!

Yvonne said...

You old Pioneer Girl, you....lol The pies looks yummy....any left? I'm coming to visit. :)

Kelly Ann said...

Save me a piece...

Nancy said...

You have inspired me. I will get right in that kitchen, gather some wood for the oven (turn the dial) and get started on dessert for tonight.

Now what do I kill to make an angel food cake???

Anonymous said...

Pies look lush. Gotta question though. Why did you have to put on the nightgown after getting up? Is this another of your nude scenes?
LOL!

Linda Z

Lorraine said...

The pies look great!....sounds like you had a great day....and productive....I will be getting back into the kitchen to bake one day soon......it has become home to the furniture displaced from other rooms while the renos go on...and on....LOL Have a great week!

MichelleB said...

My goodness those look good! Wow, I hadn't thought of that song in years!

Judy in Michigan said...

I was also wondering about what you had on before you put on your nightgown?? Ha-ha! Did you ever make your pie crust in a food processor? It's the best way and you can freeze the dough. It is so easy and I make 3 batches in about 15 minutes. Let me know if you need to know how. Have a good day Kim!

Mumzie said...

We went to Marie Calendar's and picked up a fantastic "Apple Crumb" pie just like Marie made back in her youth in the 1940's. It came in a really cool box too. LOL
Great post Kim!

Tudy said...

Sounds like fun for me. I have not baked a pie in awhile, maybe I will this week. From scratch like you.

Busy Little Quilter said...

I make things from scrach just like you do.

The pies look delicious!

Shirley--Knot-y Embroidery Lady said...

Pie is the way to a mans heart. You sure made an impression on me and I kind of think one DH at your house!

LOL at your true to life commentary.

Julia from Thimbleberries said...

I am right there with you, Kim. I went out and planted the banana tree, made pudding from scratch, picked the bananas and made homemade pie crust....all for my father-in-law who likes banana cream pie. It was really a coincidence that it traveled to his house in a box that claimed to be Marie Calendar. It is pie month, so we bought a razzleberry pie to go with the banana cream...

It's hard being the perfect home-maker!

Sinta Renee said...

Ummm! Your pies look delicious Kim. Secret recipies???

Kim said...

You left my mouth watering .. MMMMM they sure do look good.. and they are my favs!!