Peanut Butter Pie


You aren't going to get a recipe from me today.

My rundown of what I made over the last few days is at the bottom of the post, but i just felt I had to take today to write a bit about why I cook, why I blog and why I took on this crazy challenge.

Why am I doing this?  Well if you aren't an avid food blog reader or active within this crazy community we've created, you may have missed the heart-breaking news that fellow blogger, Jennifer Perillo husband died so suddenly on Sunday night that she didn't even get the change to say good-bye or one last "I love you." She is now faced with finding a new normal for her and her girls without Mikey.


This story just touched me and so many in blogosphere.  It reminds us that you never know what tomorrow will bring so take time today to tell the people in your life that you love them.  Yesterday was Mikey's memorial service and Jennifer wrote a lovely post asking people to make his favorite peanut butter pie yesterday.  She had been meaning to make it for him and never got the chance.

To show my support I decided to make the pie.  Tons of people did.  Many didn't but made their loved ones favorites instead, which means just as much.  It's about taking the time for the people you care about.

The funny thing is and why I decided to share this with you is that, while my intentions were good in making the pie, it was actually an insanely frustrating experience. I'm not a cream or custard pie kind of girl.  I don't care for them as much as a fruit pies and I've never had any luck making them.  But that didn't stop me, I mean it sounded so very easy. And you don't need to even turn on the oven!  "Sign me up," I thought.

Cut to Thursday night when I was making my pie.  It was 9pm, I had just finished a super long day at work followed by cooking dinner and helping the boy clean the kitchen so I could get to my pie.  I was exhausted, but determined.  So I started with the crust, which bordered on disaster, I don't know if I didn't use enough butter or what, but it was not working for me.  Then I took I short cut in melting the chocolate which led to burnt chocolate, no good.  At this point my mojo was so off and my spirit so deflated that I began to get frustrated at the Boy for the silliest of reasons.

At one point I had to go into the basement to get something and I stopped. I took a breath and thought to myself this is ridiculous.  I am making this because I love my husband and he loves peanut butter.  I making it to support someone in my community.  I am making is because it's important to me.  And yet I'm letting a little frustration get the better of me.  So I bucked up, went back upstairs and finished the pie and while it's not as pretty as I would have liked, it tastes damn good and I loved sharing it with the Boy on friday night.

It's funny how even when doing something you love for people you love, that stress and frustration gets to you.  I'm proud of myself for not throwing in the towel and letting the frustration get the better of me. because I know it was appreciated by the Boy and my co-workers, who I also shared the pie with. And that's what really matters, that was why I made it.

How does this relate to our noREEATS challenge?  Well, I think all three of us cook to feed our families and doing that shows love.  We took on this challenge as a challenge to ourselves but also for the benefit of our families, to broaden our horizons food-wise and to keep it interesting.  In a way, doing this every day is a way to show love as well.  And boy does it get frustrating, but we buck up and push through just like I did with the pie.

So take some time this weekend to make this pie or if it's not your thing, make something else, show love to those around you.  Take the time, don't put it off.

To see some of the other pies that people made check out the following round ups on Food Network or see the post on my personal blog Piccante Dolce

August 10 - takeout Indian
August 11 - Fettucine with creme fraiche, lemon & arugula
August 12 - dinner out at the Fill Station

Comments

  1. What an amazing and heartfelt tribute. You've inspired me to make one today.

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