Cherry Pie

Last week the girls and I went to my mother-in-law's house to pick cherries. (unfortunately I forgot my camera.) We had fun picking the cherries, and then....

We pitted the cherries.We baked the pie. We ate the pie.

Summer Fruit Pie

2 pie crust (I used frozen, just a bit easier than making your own.)

4 cups pitted fresh sour cherries

2 cups fresh blueberries

2 peaches, sliced

zest and juice from 1 lime

1 cup sugar

4 tablespoons tapioca

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 375.

Mix the cherries and blueberries with the sugar, tapioca, zest, juice and extract. Let sit for 15 minutes.Line the bottom of a deep 9 inch pie plate with first crust. Pour in berry mixture. Top with sliced peaches. Top with second crust, pinch edges together. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Cut 4 slits in the top crust.

Place the pie on a foil lined cookie sheet, there will be drips. Bake at 375 degrees for 55 - 65 minutes. After 20 minutes you may need to cover the outer edges of the crust with foil to prevent the crust from browning too much.

Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries

The girls and I recently picked cherries at my in-law's house. It was a comical experience to pick fruit from a tree with my two girls, aged 8 and 5 1/2.
Mary, my oldest, could reach higher than her little sister, and was able to reap a bigger bounty. But she would scrutinize each cherry for worm holes and scars from the bird's pecking. She tired of the job after 15 - 20 minutes.
Molly, my youngest, seemed busy as could be. Although she couldn't reach as many, she climbed the step ladder and I thought she was picking away.
After 15 minutes, I had several cups of cherries in my bag. Mary had some cherries, but her perfectionist methods limited her quantity. I asked Molly how many she had, her answer, "three." All she had was three. Amazing. It reminded me of my favorite childhood book, Blueberries for Sal, by Robert McCloskey.
Such is the life of a five year old.