Monday, March 30, 2009

Confession is good for the Stomach


So this past week was CRAZEEEE- when is it not?

John's 40th was on Tuesday. Kids Church on Wednesday Night, In-laws on Thursday night, cancelled Kids Night out for Friday Night, Saturday night- all church prayer, Sunday - Sunday School, Extra Sunday Funday, then Church dinner on Sunday Night.

During all of this- Emma was sick and home from School Monday/Tuesday and Seanna went to the DR on Friday. She had an infection in her ear canal. Who knew you could get those?

So back to John. John does not ask for much. He is easy to please when it comes to the food department. He does not like red meat (another subject, another day) and eats a lot of chicken. His weakness is sweets. When we first got married the first night I cooked for us was a Tuesday Night. I made a nice dinner, was clearing off the table and he said- that was great honey- what is for dessert. I was like dessert? It's Tuesday night. My family only had dessert once a week- his nightly.

During our 11 years of marriage I realized that I had never made John a pie. #1 his Mom used to make him pies, sweets, etc and we would go over there and that would be his Mom/Son thing. #2 I don't like a lot of sweets sitting around tempting the girls. I only like choch. chip cookies and banana bread for desserts so why should any one else need them right? Wrong- I have been horribly selfish.

So on Tuesday I made John a pie. It was awesome. I don't even like pies- and I loved it. I remember my Mom making this. You have to make the crust- out of nuts, butter, sugar, and other stuff. Then there is a layer of cream cheese and powdered sugar. Then a layer of cherry pie filling with whipped cream (The kind you make by whipping the real cream- WOW). Then finish it off with some of the crust sprinkled on top.

I was amazed at what happens when you follow a recipe. It makes you look like a goddess. Really. So when he took a bite of it after his homemade lasagna on Tuesday night.... I was waiting for confetti to fly out of the ceiling, for bells, whistles and pretty much applause to roar throughout the entire house. He said- this is great honey- not what I was expecting but great. Really? What were you expecting? It was the most heavenly fluffy thing I had set in my mouth in months. He said- you know I kind of like the traditional cherry pie- with just cherry pie filling in the middle.

Later that night- after building up my nerves of steel I asked him- What is your second favorite pie? He said I like the good strawberry pie that has strawberries all over it and a jello type mix poured into it.

I knew the very one- Southern Strawberry pie. I just so happened to have the wonderful recipe in my recipe book my Mom made for me when I got married. I pulled it out on Thursday- went to the store and got the ingredients. I am VERY ALLERGIC to strawberries let me tell you so this was a huge deal for me to even TRY to make this for him. I made the shell from scratch- baked it, and let it cool. I cut the strawberries filled the pie crust and let them sit. I then mixed the sugar, water,cornstarch and strawberry jello. I washed my hands so much during that time period that my skin was about to fall off the bones (due to my allergies). I bought the wrong size jello mix. I bought the six ounce instead of the three. I thought no worries it says use half of a three oz. package I can figure it out. (You will see that I obviously couldn't)

John comes home from work and I open up the refrigerator to show him my Betty Crocker skills. Wow honey- two pies in one week? I told him- you only turn 40 once. I look at it an hour later and it still had not "set". Wow- that is strange the recipe says it should only take two hours. I told him that we would not be able to take the pie to his Sister and Brother in laws- maybe we should stop on the way to buy something. I stopped at the store bought 1/2 of a cherry pie, 1/2 of an apple, and a Birthday Cake. While this was a little much for 7 people I think my over buying was due to the fact that I had a failure of a pie in my fridge.

I got home- opened up the fridge to see the watery pie still sitting there. I was going to through it out and John caught me- don't throw it out- maybe it has to sit over night. I bounded out of my bed on Friday morning to find the watery pie waving at me as I opened the door. I took it out and killed it with my spatula. I then shoved it all into the trash disposal. The sound of ground up watery strawberry pie was music to my ears. I think I heard it laughing at me as it washed away.

When John came home after lunch he asked where the pie was. I said in the land of garbage disposal-dom. He said don't worry about it honey- that cherry pie you bought at the grocery store was incredible.

I lifted my head to heaven and about screamed. He then walked back into the kitchen gave me a huge wink and walked out.

Happy 40th John. I love you more than a strawberry pie with sugar on top!

PS Now you understand the phrase that I blogged on Thursday don't you :)

11 comments:

Paula said...

LOL

Men!

Well, you tried! And I'm sure he appreciated your efforts. :O) You know they say pies are some of the hardest desserts to make. You know, you could have thrown the strawberry pie stuff into the blender and make a smoothie or something. :) Well, you couldn't have eaten it...wouldn't want your hair falling out or your skin falling off or something...hehe

Love ya!

Paula said...

Hmm, didn't realize I was saying "you know" so much. And it IRRITATES me so much when people do that in interviews and conversations. Oops!! That's what happens when you are distracted while writing comments! :O)

Kathy McElhaney said...

You're Wife of the Year in my book! Two pies in one week. I don't think I've made two pies in one decade...

Danan said...

"Somedays it just happens like that!" That comment is from a hillarious missionary story the Adam's shared with us...I'll have to blog about it sometime...time? I never have any of that these days!

Girly Muse said...

why that little stinker!!!

you have the grace of someone...very graceful...sorry couldn't think of a good name at the moment...to not shove your cherry cream cheesey goodness down his traditional cherry throat.

erm. i mean. good thing it was his birthday.

happy birthday, john! :)

Tiffany Bracken: said...

Well, on the bright side, his preferred cherry pie is easy to make! I once made a German Chocolate cake for Chris for his Birthday and did something wrong because in the middle of dinner, the cake split in two and half of it fell off the cake plate! It's like picture day your hair will not fix right and on birthdays the dessert is doomed to fail! Just for the record though, your kind of cherry pie sounds delicious!

cltgrace said...

This is great. What a trooper to make that man two pies in one week. AND with ingredients that could kill you! I'm not sure how much I like him now given his less-than worshipful-attitude toward your risking-your-life efforts. :o) Yes, good thing it was his birthday. Who eats dessert every night anyway?

I made an apple pie with salt instead of sugar. Good thing I tasted one of the "sugar" sprinkled apples before putting on that top crust! No doubt, I would not have lived that one down.

Cylinda Nickel said...

Okay you all are making me laugh-

Tiffany -I would have loved to see that cake-

Carmen- salt- I am feeling better already.

Lori- you always put me into the proper perspective- laugh on :)

Danan- I want to hear the story!

Paula- You know you and I are sisters from another Mother :)

Love you all

Cylinda Nickel said...

Kathy- you and I can meet in the mid-west for a pie seminar :)

Claudia J said...

I just wanted to thank you for your blog. It was wonderful and uplifting. I live in Idaho and have three daughters . My husband pastors a home mission church. We have a bunch a African refugees that come to church with us. It has been a great learning time for everyone. Because of your blog, I was able to hook up my 16 year old daughter with Hanna Benson as "Web/blog pen pals". They are having a great time together. So, thanks for all you do. PS. Brother Howell come to preach for us on the 15th of March and I was a bragging on you. You so Rock!

Cylinda Nickel said...

Claudia- Thanks so much- you sweet. Isn't it amazing how the LORD can use a little blog to link people! That is so great about linking to Hannah! She is an awesome MK. I will be praying for you all in Idaho- Home Missionaries are the true heroes!