Julie M Anderson

Do you or your family make any special dishes for the holidays?

That’s one of those things my Dad would say whenever my sister or I would complain about work. Meetings. Co-workers doing dumb things. Getting called in at 2am. “Did you get paid?”

I miss my Dad.

So do I make any special dishes. Yep. I make an apple pie. Because it was his favorite.

Not just any apple pie, mind you. It’s a all-fucking-day-long apple pie. Entirely from scratch. Toasted pecan, shortbread crust. Four different flavors of apples (only one Granny Smith), apple pie.

I only make one of these a year. Used to be for his birthday (Jan 3). This year, it will be for Christmas Eve dinner.

Did I get paid to make the pie? Nah. But this is worth it.