One of my favorite things about recipes are the stories behind them. But I will remain true to my oath and post the recipe first! 🙂
Instead of typing the whole thing out, I’ll just give you the recipe mom emailed me while I was in college. I love her little notes in there! If I remember correctly, I was feeling a little homesick at the time and was in need of mom’s cherry pie. I had plenty of hungry college roommates and friends that gladly helped me eat it!
When it comes to rolling out the crust, we like to put each ball of dough in between two sheets of wax paper for easier handling.
My favorite time of the year to make this pie is in the summer. Especially for the fourth of July. The bright red cherries and the fun crust designs make it a very patriotic dessert to enjoy. It goes sooo well with homemade ice cream, too. Just sayin’.
We may be in our Christmas jammies but here we are making pie for the 4th of July! 
My 4 year-old is always eager to help in the kitchen!
The boys’ babysitter, Justi making her first pie! She had lots of help, too 🙂
Tips:
- You can channel your inner artist by decorating the top crust before placing it on the pie. I like to use cookie cutters and do fun things. I’m known to make extra pie crust so I can really go wild here!
- Have pie crust leftover? Roll out on a jelly roll pan and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Bake until the edges start to brown. Now you have a yummy little pastry snack. Those were my favorite growing up!
- Have filling leftover? You can make a mini pie in an oven safe bowl with your extra pie crust. Or you can use as a topping for pancakes and french toast. Warm it up and serve with ice cream. Yes, please!
- Don’t have time to make a crust? Buy pre-made pie crusts.
- Time saving tip: Make 2 fillings and place in 2 ready-made crusts (make sure you have 4 crusts total if you want a top crust on your pie). Bake, cool, wrap in tinfoil, place in a ziploc freezer bag and freeze. Fruit pies freeze well! Now you’re set for that church gathering, bake sale, etc.
Ok, here’s the story. Finally! It would have been the summer of 1979 when my mom decided to enter her version of cherry pie into the county fair (which was Nanny’s recipe!). She was just twenty-one and my dad’s new bride. Out of all the veteran pie makers there, mom won grand champion at the county fair with this recipe! And let me tell you, people take their pie SERIOUSLY. I don’t have a picture with her or Nanny with their famous cherry pie but I do have one of my parents that I just love.
I love sharing stories and hearing them too. Well, I hope you all had a great and safe 4th of July with your friends and family! Here are some photos from our fourth. Talk soon!
Annual Old Navy flag shirt pic! 
Watching daddy set off fireworks!
Lan Man loves fireworks but his fight or flight response does not. See ya!
