How My Dream Decorating Style is Like a Pie

If you ever asked my Grandpa what his favorite kind of pie was, he'd tell you "Round!" Pies are one of the few baked goods I feel like I'm good at. Pie crusts specifically. I can make a mean flaky crust! Learning to make the edges pretty is still a work in progress however.

Recently I joined a group for photographers to connect, do weekly exercises, and to help build each other up and grow. This past week's exercise was to "describe the type of photographic style you aspire to by comparing it to food."

As I thought about that I realized that I not only could I describe my photography with a specific food, but that I could describe my dream decorating and home style to the same food with the same key words.

Inviting. Classy. Comfortable. Authentic. Homey. Subtle. Light (but not too airy). That is what I want my photography to be and what I want my home to be. My dream style is 1920's American Cottage Homestead. NOT Art Deco or Art Nouveau, but more classic and homey. Like these:

So when it came to food, I knew that it had to be something homemade, subtle, and comfortable. I first thought of biscuits and gravy. Comforting, subtle, homey. But not light, and needing a little more class. Suddenly, I knew the perfect food.

Pie.

Specifically Buttermilk Pie!

A good Buttermilk Pie starts with authentic ingredients. Real butter. Fresh lemons. Buttermilk. Mmmm!

Then you need a well prepared crust to hold it all together.

And when combined and cooked just right you end up with a classy dessert that's comforting, subtly sweet, inviting, homey, and light!

It is fabulous plain, or with some simple garnishes.  Real whipped cream and raspberries...MMMmmm!!

When it comes to my home (current home and dream home), I want to keep it simple and classy. I want people to feel comfortable here. I want it to be a place where people feel like they can just relax, enjoy life, and be themselves. I want it to be inviting and light. I want little splashes of color on top of light neutrals (as with the raspberries on top of the whipped cream and pie) As with pie, I want people to come away from our home with a sweet taste in their mouth. And the garnish on top? Relationships and friendship. I want our home to be a place where we feel safe and connected as a family. Where friends feel they can come and be loved on. Because really, friends and family are the whipped cream of life!

What food would you compare your decorating style to?!

Buttermilk Pie Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c sugar
3 TBS flour
3 eggs
1 c buttermilk
1/2 c melted butter
1 1/2 tsp loosely packed lemon zest
2 TBS fresh lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the sugar and flour together in a large bowl. 
2. Whisk in remaining ingredients. 
3. Pour into prepared crust. 
4. Line edges of crust with strips of tin foil to shield them from burning. Remove tin foil (I find it is easier to mold the tin foil at this point when the pan is cool rather than later when it is hot). 
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. 
6. Replace foil lining on edges. 
7. Bake for another 20-30 minutes, until the top begins to turn golden. 
8. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 1 hour to let the pie finish setting up. 

No Fail Pie Crust Recipe

Ingredients:

1 c flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 c. + 1 TBS shortening (I like using the butter flavored shortening)
2-4 TBS water

Instructions:

1. Mix flour and salt together.
2. Cut in the shortening (don't over mix here, there will be shortening clumps and chunks, that's normal and needed)
3. Sprinkle in water 1 TBS at a time, mixing between each TBS. I use my hands to mix the dough, and I mix it by folding the dough in half rather than stirring or smashing). You want the dough to hold together and not be sticky.
4. Sprinkle counter with flour and roll out dough to desired thickness.
5. Place in pan, and poke 2-3 holes in bottom of crust (to prevent bubbles)
6. Bake at 475 degrees for 8 minutes.