Starting to bake is easy as pie...

So what better way to start my baking experiment than with a little pear pie. It sounded like a good place to begin, as I have previously baked a pie without any serious mishaps, and our Green Bean Delivery had three pears included. So, reason dictated that pear pie was a safe and convenient starting point. I will admit that part of my preparation included the purchasing of pre-made pie crusts. Now, before you judge, hear me out: I am not pretending to be an honorable baker.

Moving on...
The recipe came from Southern Living. Who can go wrong with that? Backyard Pear Pie, I believe is the name. I am certain that my pears came from a backyard somewhere. I'm sure they did. Authenticity is of utmost importance in my kitchen and in my blog.

On a Friday afternoon I got home early from work and set myself to baking. Well, as I've learned from this experience, more prepping than baking is actually involved in baking; so, I set myself to cutting four pears into thin little slices, all the while telling myself, "This is calming. You like this. You are baking a pie and this is fun." Ladies and gentlemen, this was boring. However, I somehow managed to make it through the tedium and onto the good stuff of conjuring a kind of pear potion. The aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg filling the kitchen, bubbling in my Le Creuset (thanks Aaron and Malinda), and all during what would normally be my working hours. It was magic.

In the end, the pie was slightly under-baked, but beautiful in Grandma Amstutz's pear-decorated pie plate (I prefer to bake in themes) and yummy when partnered with some ice cream. And during a Sunday Colts' game in early autumn, it was just about perfect.