Mom's Apple Pie

GRANDson Gavin was riding with us last weekend to Mom and Dad Tilton's house. It's a small trip, about 25 miles over to Fayetteville. We were trying to get him to do a little math in his head so we asked, "How many pies do you think Great~Grandma has made in her lifetime? She's 86 now and hardly a week goes by that she doesn't make a pie (or 2) a cake, or cookies. Great~Grandpa is nearly 90 but his appetite is mid~30's! They have been married 63 years and if she has made two pies a week like I'm guessing, that's 6,552 pies! Some weeks she didn't make any though, but she made up for those weeks when the church had a potluck and she took 3! Anyway you figure, she has had a LOT of practice!

They have an Arkansas Black apple tree in their backyard and it really did well this year with a bumper crop. Arkansas Blacks are an antique apple, an heirloom variety that has stood the test of time for keeping well and staying firm as long as they are stored in a cool garage or basement. She's been putting sliced apples down in the freezer for weeks now for pies.

I've watched as she put on her apron with the big pockets, pulled out the green Tupperware bowl and started peeling apples, one by one. She never measures anything so it's a handful of sugar and sprinkling of spice. A few turns of the apples and she places them into an old Pyrex pie pan that she's used hundreds of times. It didn't take her more than 10 minutes to stir up the crust and roll it out, into the oven it goes and it's not long until the house smells of cinnamon and goodness.

Life zips by us, this year especially. Don't let another day go by without a slice of pie. Make one or just buy it and bake for the ones you love. It's one of the memories that you'll hold close to your heart!