HOW IT USED TO BE

When I got married I wanted to be the best wife ever. I wasn’t looking for a certificate that said “Best Wife -1972, 1973, 1974, …” but I wanted my husband to feel like he had a Proverbs 31 wife. The interesting thing about that was at the time I didn’t know about Proverbs 31. I only knew that I wanted to be a excellent wife.

I don’t think I thought about my strategy for winning the “Best Wife” title except to do what I saw my own mother do. It’s what women have done for centuries I guess. While the husband is out working, even if we are working, we make his home a castle.

Now my husband’s castle had a lot to be desired in the structural department. In fact when I first saw the house we were going to live in I said, “OK, Now take me to your real house!” But much to my surprise that was the real house. And I may write about that another time…

So the actual house was a bit lacking but my imagination to make my husband feel like a king in his castle was not. I did a lot of re-decorating, most of which he noticed at least once. But when I began my baking campaign I knew I was on the right track.

This fella I married was a cook in the US Navy. I had nothing on him as far as ability. Heck! the guy had people stopping by his house to see if they could get some of his fresh baked bread. (see what I was up against?) But I was a very determined gal. And one day I decided to bake him a pie. I figured bread would not be impressive but no one was stopping by for one of his pies. So a pie was waiting when he came home from work. A nice supper and then pie for dessert. He ate all but one piece – the one I ate. The next day I baked a different pie. He ate his supper and then all of the pie but one piece (mine). I repeated this every day for about 5 days. Apple, pumpkin, lemon, chocolate, rhubarb- it was like he’d died and gone to heaven. I mean he could not wait to get home to me (and my pie). I was so on my way to being the best wife ever!

And then came the custard pie. He came home eagerly anticipating what pie would he eat that night. I was almost as anxious as he was. After all it was a real favorite of mine. He took one look at it and promptly declared that he did not eat custard pie!

Well, I forgot all about wanting to be the perfect little wife. I took one look at him and set him straight. I told him if he ever wanted another pie he had darn well better eat this one. It only took a second or two for him to process that information. And naturally he took the only logical course of action. He said “Let me try that pie.” He ate most of it which was alright because I wanted more than one piece. And now, almost 36 years later, custard has become one of his favorites as well. Or at least he has the good sense to say so.

Our first year of marriage I baked just about one pie every day. Good thing my husband had a job that burned calories and a high metabolism because he never gained so much as an ounce of weight. I still love to bake something for him and often it is a pie.

Here’s the recipe for the custard pie from “The Mennonite Community Cook Book by Mary Showalter”

Old-Fashioned Baked Custard Pie (by Anna B. Showalter, Broadway, Va.)

3 cups milk
3 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons flour
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Combine sugar and flour.
Add beaten eggs.
Bring milk to boiling point and add gradually to egg mixture.
Pour into an unbaked pie shell and sprinkle nutmeg over the top.
Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until an inserted silver knife comes out clean. Makes 1(9 inch) pie.

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