When I was 21 years old, I won a blue ribbon in the Crawford County Fair for my cherry pie.

I don’t think I have to tell anyone what a big deal this was. Crawford County is located in the south-east corner of Kansas. Farm country — small town – Crawford County folk take blue ribbons serious. There are women who spend most of the year perfecting their pickle and pie recipes, so not everyone was thrilled when a “young upstart from away” (me) pulled off a coup and took home the first prize.

I admit to being first time lucky. I made a great crust with an oil and not butter recipe, and don’t tell anyone, I used canned cherry pie filling!

Still, it was that blue ribbon that gave me the confidence to continue making pies.

I used that particular oil pie crust recipe for years. I don’t know where I got it. I had it memorized, thinking I would always know it, and then … I’m not sure when, but one day I forgot it. I couldn’t make it. My ratio of flour and oil were off and it just wasn’t the same. I didn’t make pies for a while, and the ones I did, were okay, but not great.

Then, a few years ago when I was teaching in Massachusetts, I went to the home of Rachel Scherer and we made pie. Her recipe was terrific and foolproof. I wrote this one down and have been using it ever since. It doesn’t use oil; it uses butter, a lot of butter, and … crisco! Probably what most Kansas housewives used in the early 70s.

The crust is flaky, yummy, and easy to make.

I made two pies this last weekend for Thanksgiving, blueberry and pumpkin. Tonight with the left over pie crust dough – I made blue ribbon pie crust cookies.

Pie is tradition, and pie crust cookies are a throw back to my mom.

Food and memories — we all have them.