Well-intentioned resolutions:  We all know them, remember them from earlier Januarys.  Like neighbors you never really liked but who live nearby, unfulfilled resolutions keep showing up.  Sometimes those noisy old resolutions even party together into the night, keeping you awake. 

Usually, we want to look better, feel better, do better.  We want to be better. 

But beware "pie crust promises."  Guess who said those words?  Mary Poppins, the movie nanny who flies with her umbrella, guiding the young children under her care.  Julie Andrews played Mary Poppins in the old movie with Dick Van Dyke, where they created a world of belief and magic.  The family she comes to help is dysfunctional in Part 1, with the father figure working too much and ignoring his family, especially the children.  In Part 2, Mary imparts wisdom along with playful imagination, and in Part 3, healing occurs and the dad comes around to value his children.  Then Mary Poppins flies off.

So how are New Year's resolutions like pie crust promises?  As Mary said, they are, “Easily made.  Easily broken.” 

It's true that we only get to be humans on the planet when we have a body with which to do that.  Going back to the idea of resolutions, then, "being better" for me this year is about just gently (so as not to break it) agreeing with my Self that I'm going to love this body better.  I'm going to listen more to what it needs and wants and less to what my mind says “I” need and want.  

So, I know that my body loves:

• sleeping for 8 or 8 1/2 hours almost every night.  I can do that.
• sinking into warm water and drinking lots of clean water.  I can do that.
• getting low-impact aerobic exercise almost every day.  I can do that
• sipping the green juice from Trader Joe's that I thin out a little with sparkling water.  I can do that.
• releasing stress and embracing creativity through meditation.  I can do that. 

And my mouth loves good pie, of course!  And sometimes my mind likes a glass of cool, dry champagne.  I can do those, too.   That’s all part of being human. 

This year, I'm being careful about promises to myself.  I'm only making ones that are positive and loving, ones that are easy to keep and less likely to be broken.  Then I know I will look, feel, do better.  

Join me?  Let's be better, together!

I'll be your pal,

Rebecca

Nothing like smashing your index finger in a car door to set back blogging and pretty much everything else you do with your primary hand.  So, Deep Dish friends, let me keep this brief!

The Fall season is upon us and it’s definitely pie time.  Here are my top 8 recommendations for pies to enjoy this season in no particular order:

• Becky Appleseed
• Dutch Apple
• Nutty Caramel Apple
• Easy as Apple Pie
• Silky Pumpkin
• Honey Nut Tart
• Sweet Potato
• Maple Cream

Pick one or two and go!  All recipes are free at www.piepals.com

Watch for the November “Pie Pals e-Newsletter,” coming soon, where you’ll get suggestions on how to make and freeze fruit pies for easy holiday desserts, info on the Slow Food movement, Q&A on tapioca in pies, and the recipe of the month.  Not already getting the newsletter?  Sign up here.

Here’s to cozy and sharing pie love with family and friends,

Rebecca,

Your Pie Pal

It’s Labor Day weekend and time to chill a little.  It’s time to spend time with family and friends, maybe enjoy some really good food.

Easy as pie, as they say, and this one surely is as easy as they come.  Try Angel Pie and see if you don’t agree that this is one of the better treats you can make for a warm weekend of kicking back.  It’s light, fluffy, lemony and fruity all at the same time.

An added bonus:  it’s gluten-free!

While relaxing this weekend, I’m going to appreciate especially those who have been or still are part of labor unions.  They help make for a middle class in America.  Here’s to everyone who works hard and contributes to their families and community! 

What would be the perfect pie for sharing at an Oscars party?  What would celebrate the stars, the golden statuettes, the talented filmmakers and crew members who make that magic happen?  What would celebrate a good story well told, a story that moves us more than just excites our nerves for 2 hours?

How about a Life of Pi Pie?  Irresistible.  It would have to feature stripes, like Richard Parker (the tiger).  Maybe be blue like the ocean and sky?  Maybe rich brown, like Pi’s dark eyes?  Yes, that’s it:  chocolate chess pie – rich, dark brown -- with orange stripes. 

What would the stripes be made of, to have them be orange like the stripes on the tiger?  We want to complement the pie and not make it overly sweet like a frosting would.  So, start with orange juice, stir in just a little creamy peanut butter to give it body.  Maybe a little powdered sugar, but not too much, just enough to make it the right texture for making stripes.  Add a tiny touch of yellow & red food coloring to brighten the color a bit. Below is a little recipe.

This is easy!  Bake and let the chocolate chess pie cool entirely, then drizzle wide bands of the orange mixture to create the “stripes.”  Let it chill.  Roar when you serve it.

There you go:  Life of Pi Pie.

Have fun, Rebecca

Life of Pi Pie

Chocolate Chess Pie, made ahead and cooled completely.

For the “Richard Parker” tiger stripes – approximate proportions:

2 T.      orange juice

1/2 t.    creamy peanut butter

3/4 c.   powdered sugar

Tiny touches of yellow and red food coloring.

Mix the juice and peanut butter until smooth.  Stir in enough powdered sugar until the mix is about as thick as you would make the frosting for sugar cookies (thick enough to stay where you put it but will still drizzle off a spoon or pastry brush).  Using the tip of a toothpick dipped into food coloring, add just a touch of food colorings to brighten the color to orange. 

Make stripes using a spoon or pastry brush, and chill until they set.