Another Christmas has come and gone and no coal in the stocking for me. Santa is sure getting easier to fool in his older years. However, the reindeer poo on my doorstep maybe a warning and cause to err on the side of caution this upcoming year.
Christmas was good, I do miss secretly peaking outside throughout the night for signs of a shiny red sleigh dashing through the air. I miss the ritual of leaving cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer on Christmas Eve. I miss the 4:00 a.m. pleads to get out of bed and squeals of delight as each present is opened. But…that was so last year. Obviously, I’ve done some growing up!
After receiving a phone call that put the “icing on the cake” so to speak, (more on that as time permits…) we were off to spend the day at my mom’s surrounded by family, minus my sister and her family. My sister did however fly in from Seattle for a surprise visit the week before. Surprises are always nice. Seeing my sister is always nice!
Along with the deviled eggs I am assigned to bring each year, I decided I want to bake a homemade pie. Originally I had found a recipe I wanted to try out, but both my boys wanted apple, so apple pie it was. It was going to be my first homemade and I was so excited to use that ‘apparatus’ that my mom had handed down to me awhile back. I remember watching my grandma peeling apples with an old ‘apparatus.’ As I caught and ate each peeling she would say, “Annie, (my nickname growing up) you’re going to get a bellyache if you eat too many…” now it was my turn to use it…minus the grand kids!! How proud grandma would be of me! As I took the ’apparatus’ out of my china cabinet earlier in the day to wash and inspect it, it became clear it was missing a part, or something. I called my mom who assured me everything was there. Hmmm. I had to make a quick stop by my aunt’s house, I would just bring it with me and she could look at it, because clearly something wasn’t right! I visited with my aunt for awhile and had forgotten all about the ‘apparatus’ until she asked what kind of pie I was going to make. I told her apple. Homemade apple. My first one. Ever. I then explained my ‘apparatus’ dilemma. You know what she said? “That’s strange because I have grandma’s apple peeler.” Ummm no you don’t! Obviously I have it, obviously it’s missing a part or something. My aunt still seems a bit confused over the whole ordeal, so I ran out to my car to retrieve my ‘apparatus.’
To be quite honest, I was a little hesitant to bring it in. What if she tried to take it from me? What if me and my aunt were found on her living room floor on Christmas Eve wrestling over an “apparatus?” I will share it with her but she can’t have grandma’s apple peeler! I calmly walk in setting the bag on the table. So far, so good. As I slowly pull it out of the bag, coffee spews out of her mouth and she breaks in to hysteria. What? What’s wrong? What’s so funny? Why in the hell are you laughing at Annie? I looked at her in horror as she said, “That’s not an apple peeler, it’s a meat grinder.” Huh? How am I supposed to peel apples with a meat grinder? I picked up the phone and called my mom, “You gave me a meat grinder!” “What?” “No wonder this ‘apparatus’ doesn’t work, it’s a meat grinder!” Now they are both cackling, in unison. Was it that funny? Apparently so. I remind my mom, “You told me it was an apple peeler.” “No, I never said what it was, I assumed you knew!” “Oh”
Once the hysteria ended, I gathered what was left of my dignity, my grandma’s peeler that my aunt so graciously let me borrow and my ‘apparatus,’ the meat grinder. I made my way home to make my apple pie. Homemade apple pie. My first one. Ever.

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Despite some confusion, it was a success. My boys loved it and at the of the day that’s all that matters! (Not to toot my own horn, but… some one person even said it was the best they’d ever had!) As far as my mom and aunt? The laughs on them….I now have both, the meat grinder and apple peeler! Maybe I’ll move on to Tiramisu next or a good ole meat pie, after all I have the ‘apparatus.’

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Enjoy the recipe!