Teeny Pies

Well my first week in Florida has been a success! I’ve worked every day this week, with the loveliest of ladies and reveled in the simplicity that is Terry’s Key Lime Pies. Olla (I think that’s how she spells her name, but I could be wrong), who has been with the company for at least fifteen years is the person I spend most of my time with. She reminds me of a little mother hen, clucking around the kitchen, calling me bebe, insisting that I sit down and take a break when I drink my coffee, cutting my grapefruit for me, and teaching me how to make beautiful pies. Of everything that Olla does, and trust me she does everything exceptionally well and with an ease that only comes with fifteen years of experience, I love to watch her pipe the whipped cream onto the top of the pies. She’s so fast, and each one ends up looking like a pie shaped, whipped cream picasso painting (ok, maybe that doesn’t make any sense at all because whipped cream pies are about as far from cubism as you can get, but I like alliteration and… you know what I mean!) Each pie ends up looking like a piece of art. As pretty as a picture. Practically perfect, in every way.

I mean, come on! Lovely. Each day Olla insists that I at least attempt to decorate a few dozen pies. And while I may not be the fastest, I’m certainly getting there, and I’ve yet to have a whipped cream catastrophe. Olla keeps trying to assuage my fears by telling me that if I were to mess anything up in a major way we could always scrape it off and start all over. But I don’t want to mess up… I want to be just like Olla! Before I leave I will be a master key lime decorator, just you wait.

I’m actually not working next week, as I will be at a wedding! I know what you’re thinking… such a pie slacker… but being at a wedding doesn’t mean that I won’t be baking while I’m there. One of my loveliest of friends, Katie McKenzie,who took my pie photos and also helped me through the ‘pain in the butt (ovary) process’ that was karl, is the lucky bride and Justin Para, who recently hinted that he’d like to try a tiramisu pie, is the lucky groom. I’ve known Katie’s family for years and years, her sister Mallory being one of my bestest of friends and all, and they are like a second family to me. I am just thrilled to be going to the wedding and there just might be a few teeny pies making an appearance at the rehearsal dinner. 

Lots of cute dresses, good food, family away from family time, pie, pictures and wedded bliss to come! I’ll keep ya posted.