~ A Pie Party~

My friend Cheryl @ JoJo's Joys is having a party.

~ A Pie Party~

Pies are a favorite dessert here at HFTS

so I decided to join in with a few slices of my own.

Enjoy!

Apple Pie

Apple is my favorite of the fruit pies, though cherry and peach are right up at the top of the list too.

Pumpkin pie is a favorite of my personal "chef" and a must for the fall season.

This one was trimmed using my set of William Sonoma mini pie crust cutters.

I like to serve pumpkin pie with a healthy scoop of whipped cream and a side of honey glazed Texas pecans.

Pecan pie, made with our famous Texas pecans, is a holiday favorite.

Why, you might ask, is this one sitting among sea shells in a fish net? Click here to read my FFT edible book review on MERMAIDS IN THE BASEMENT, written by the talented Michael Lee West, also hostess of Foodie Friday.

Lemon meringue pie is my summer favorite.

This too was featured in a FFT edible review, CHERRIES IN WINTER, by Suzan Colón. Click here to read about this delightful book.

Pocket Pie Photos From William Sonoma

Pocket pies made in the William Sonoma pocket pie molds are also a favorite around here. The individual pies are fun for parties and are easy to make. I also highly recommend the mini pie crust cutters that William Sonoma sells. I like to trim the edge of a pie crust with a decorative edge, and the embossed detail of these cutters adds an extra touch.

Below is the recipe I use for making pie crusts.

No Fail Pie Crust

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup corn oil

2 1/2 tablespoons ice water

Sift flour with salt into bowl. Slowly dribble oil into flour, mixing with fork until coarsely blended. Sprinkle water over dough and mix. Form into a ball and roll out between sheets of wax paper. Peel off top piece of paper and fit crust into 9-inch or 10-inch pan. (If paper sticks to crust, chill in refrigerator a few minutes.) to bake pie shell, prick pastry all over with fork and bake at 425 degrees F for 10-12 minutes.

Yes, pies are definitely a favorite thing.

When I have a big "piz-za" pie, that's amore!

Celebrate National Pie Day, January 23rd

Click here to join JoJo's Pie Party

Also linking to

Foodie Friday @ Designs by Gollum

Friday Favorites @ Whistlestop Cafe Cooking

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

A Few of My Favorite Things @

Bargain Hunting & Chatting w/ Laurie

Autumn Delights

November is quickly coming to a close, 

and I'm savoring some favorites of the season.

Pardoned Turkeys

Hooray for Apple and Cider!

Mini Pumpkins

Pecan Pie

Bowls of Horse Apples

And Bowls of 

Pumpkins and Acorns

Natural Horn Votives

A Favorite

Piece of Vintage Silver

Redware Pottery 

and a Vintage Candy Container

Shawnne Pottery Squirrel 

and Courtly Check Acorns

Pumpkin Pie

Familiar Faces

Tom Turkey from 

Midwest Importers, c. 1980s

Redware Turkey Platter

Another Favorite 

Vintage Turkey Candy Container

Rum Cake

Amber Turkey Dishes 

from William Sonoma

Turkey Tureen from Portugal

Honey Glazed Texas Pecans

Onion Walnut Muffins ~ Eatable Acorn Style ~

Folk Art Wooden Turkey

by Beaver Creek Woodworks, Beaman, Iowa

A Bountiful 

Thanksgiving Dinner 2010

Followed by 

Too Many Choices for Dessert

All Guarded by this 

Handsome Whimsical Critter!

Hope you enjoyed time 

spent with family and friends.

Linkiing to

A Few of My Favorite Things @

Bargaining Hunting & Chatting with Laurie

Seasonal Sundays @

The Tablescaper

MERMAIDS IN THE BASEMENT

MERMAIDS IN THE BASEMENT

By Michael Lee West is available here on Amazon.

I give this book *****.

This is my 7th book review linked to Food for Thought hosted by the incredibly talented Jain of Once in a Blue Moon and Food with Style. Those of you here for Pink Saturday will find pink scattered about. This post is also linked to Foodie Friday which is hosted by the talented author of this book, Michael Lee West.

I started early~Took my dog~

And visited the Sea

The Mermaids in the Basement

Came out to look at me

~ Emily Dickinson ~

The title, MERMAIDS IN THE BASEMENT, was inspired from the first lines of Emily Dickinson's poem. The novel is a charming tale of relationships: those between women; those of mothers and daughters; those of fathers and daughters.

Author, Michael Lee West

It's interesting to note that Michael Lee wrote the first version of this book two decades ago. She wasn't satisfied with it, packed it away in a shopping bag, and left it to languish in the attic. Luckily for her fans, Michael Lee retrieved those pages, reworked the plot, and the end result is this delightfully funny and heartwarming novel.

Thirty-three year old Renata, a Hollywood screenplay writer raised in New Orleans and coastal Alabama, has recently lost both her mother and stepfather in a fatal plane crash. Mourning her loss, Renata retreats to her deceased parents' beach cottage on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Michael Lee said, "The title serves as a metaphor for Renata's depression and for the hidden past, bringing the truth out of the darkness, into the light."

Renata has spent six weeks by herself at the cottage working on her screenplay while Ferg, her filmmaker sweetheart, is on location in Ireland filming his current project. With writer's block sabotaging her work, an extra 20 pounds gained from indulging in salt water taffy, and a tabloid story about her sweetheart having an affair with a hot young actress, it's no wonder this character is feeling depressed.

A trip to Point Clear on the Gulf Coast of Alabama to spend time with her grandmother and former nanny, leads to some remarkable family discoveries. With a mug of jasmine tea, plate of gingersnaps, and a family photo album, family secrets begin to unravel.

To complicate matters, Renata's emotionally distant father is about to marry for the fourth time. An engagement party with champagne, chocolate covered strawberries, and a mysterious incident thickens the plot.

Though Texas isn't thought of as being part of the deep south, there were many references in this book that I could easily relate to and laugh about. Where I grew up, no one had cooks or full time help in the home, but the food references . . . yes, indeed. This book is a treasure chest of southern hospitality.

Even though it's not about mermaids, a theme of mermaids is woven through the stories told within this book. Full of references to southern food, MERMAIDS IN THE BASEMENT is a perfect novel for an edible book review.

Much of the stories take place in New Orleans and Louisiana, so I pulled out some appropriate cookbooks.

Crab, shrimp, oysters, and a number of fish dishes came to mind.

But a bowl of shrimp gumbo is what I chose.

Spicy gumbo with garlic French bread

Louisiana Shrimp Gumbo made with a dark roux, shrimp, and okra

And for dessert . . . southern pecan pie

A treat from the mermaids

Sweet, dark, and oh, so rich

Do you hear the song of the siren calling from the deep?

Be cautious or she'll entice you with her sweet voice and lure you to the sea.

If you find yourself on a beach this summer . . .

I recommend you take along a copy of this book and see for yourself how a string of pearls and chocolate covered strawberries put the bride-to-be in a coma.

Michael Lee West, the author of five novels, is a marvelous story teller. Her characters are full of personality, and the words on the pages ooze southern charm. You can visit Michael Lee's web site here. To learn about the simple pleasures of farm life, visit Michael Lee's blog, Designs by Gollum, where you'll find inspiration for interior design, cooking, and setting beautiful tables.

More edible book reviews for today's Food for Thought can be found by clicking here.

I've recently discovered a charming blog full of beautiful poetry and photos. Pop on over to Heart of a Wizardess to enjoy a lovely pinkolicious post and welcome this first time Pink Saturday participant. You'll find a complete list of other Pink Saturday participants @ Beverly's How Sweet the Sound.