Penelope’s Pie Shop 2 (and a bite of apple pie)
For the first edition of Penelope’s Pie Shop, go here. If you’re looking for the SITS Spring Fling giveaway, leave a comment telling me your favorite children’s book and come back Friday!
Meg looked into Penelope’s mischievous green eyes. “What kind of pie?” she asked, hoping it would be something simple like apple or blueberry.
“A interesting pie,” Penelope replied. “I want a pie that will dazzle me. Inspire me. Enchant me. Surprise me.”
Meg swallowed hard and pushed away her untouched piece of pecan pie. “I appreciate your time,” she said, her voice cracking. She fought to keep tears from filling her eyes and plastered a smile on her face. “But I don’t think I can make a pie up to your standards. I can barely make a cake from a box.”
Penelope cocked her head, pursing her red lips. “Apple,” she decided, scurrying off into the kitchen. She returned carrying one of the most beautiful pieces of apple pie Meg had ever seen. With a flourish, she placed the plate in front of Meg with a glass of milk and handed her a fork.
“Eat it,” Penelope commanded.
“I don’t think you understand,” Meg stuttered. “I can’t make a pie good enough for you. I’m the type of girl that buys pie from the store for parties. How could I bake something to top this?” She stared down at the delicate crust, the thinly sliced apples. “No one could top this.”
“Eat it,” Penelope repeated, her green eyes locked onto Meg. “Trust me. Take a bite.”
Mentally shrugging her shoulders, Meg slid her fork through the tender crust. Keeping her eyes on her plate, she raised the fork to her lips and snaked her tongue past her front teeth, barely touching the pie.
It was like she had taken a nibble of pure nirvana. Forgetting manners, she shoved the entire bite in her mouth. With the fervor of a starving prisoner, she began to wolf down the pie like she hadn’t eaten all day.
Until that moment, she had forgotten that she had not eaten all day. Barely taking the time to savor the delicate snickerdoodle like crust and sweet apple glaze, she cleared the plate in a matter of seconds. Raising her eyes, she saw Penelope grin. Her cheeks turned bright red.
“Excuse me,” she murmured, wiping her crumb covered mouth with a napkin. “It is an exceptional pie.”
“But it’s just an apple pie,” Penelope said mildly. “Just apples and sugar and flour and butter. No secret ingredients, no magic.”
“It’s amazing,” Meg murmured, looking at the empty plate with dismay. She started to get to her feet. “Thank you for taking the time to see me.”
Penelope cocked her head, one looped braid flopping over her eye like a monocle. “You still don’t get it, do you?”
“Get what?” Meg asked.
Penelope nodded slowly, her red mouth curving into a delighted grin. “You don’t understand pie.”
Meg blinked at her. She had no idea how to respond to that.
Giggling, Penelope leaped to her feet. Twirling across the floor in her sparkly red heels, she paused at a glass case filled with rows and rows of icebox pies. There were cream pies, meringue pies, chocolate drizzled pies and fruit pies laced with golden lattice crust. It made Meg hungry just looking at it.
“Tell you what,” Penelope said, her voice high with excitement. “I’ll make you a new deal.”
“What’s that?” Meg asked, wondering where the apple pie went and if she could have some more.
“Stay in my shop for a night,” Penelope replied. “Before 9 a.m., whip up the most creative, most darling, most inspiring and enchanting pie you can think of for me. And if I feel like dancing with joy after the first bite, you’re hired.”
“Stay in your shop alone?” Meg repeated. “At night? Aren’t you worried I’ll steal something or blow up your kitchen?”
“No,” Penelope replied, looking puzzled. “Why would you do that?”
“But what am I going to do in here?” Meg asked, looking around the charming cafe. “I don’t know how to bake and all I know about that pie is it’s good. I was just hoping I could be a waitress or cashier.”
Penelope smiled, fingering the ends of her braids as she pirouetted across the floor. Her cherry dotted apron fluttered with every step and her red dress swirled around her. “The thing about pies, my dear, is they each have a story,” she cried, flinging her arms out before she slammed into a shelf decorated with baking accessories. “And every pie is a happy ending to a story in your life. Take you, for example.”
“Me?” Meg blinked.
“You were having the most terrible day,” Penelope reminded her, twirling a pie bird on her finger. “And the apple pie made you feel better.”
“Yes,” Meg agreed, “But it’s sugar. Sugar always makes people feel better.”
“Would a chocolate bar have made you feel as delighted?” Penelope asked. “Would ice cream have made you feel so warm and cozy?” Her green eyes peered at Meg.
“Probably not,” Meg admitted.
“So stay in my shop tonight,” Penelope cried, beaming. “What do you say?”
Meg chewed on her lip. She had never baked a pie before. She had never worked in a professional kitchen before. In fact, the extent of her culinary knowledge came from TV dinners and Hamburger Helper. But she needed a job desperately. And it might be nice to spend the evening doing something instead of rattling around in her new tiny apartment alone, surrounded by boxes full of reminders of her failure.
For one night, she wouldn’t have to watch chick flicks and work herself into an ice-cream fueled depression over her cheating ex-boyfriend.
Besides, she was bound to find that pie and sneak another piece. Or two. Or three.
Licking her lips, Meg stuck out her hand. “You’re on.”
To be continued…
Stay tuned, Invisible Friends! Tomorrow we have a tasty recipe and Friday, a new Twirl! Saturday the Rubber Chicken returns for a new adventure and we have another week of whimsical fun!
March 11th, 2009 at 3:57 am
Oh..apple pie sounds yummy right now for some reason..wink.
sandy toe
March 11th, 2009 at 4:18 am
I thought I got up early……
March 11th, 2009 at 4:35 am
You have such great stories.
Please stop by my blog, Eat at Home and leave a comment today. Each comment is worth $1 for the Global Food Crisis fund and all you have to do is comment. SITS girls are great at that!
March 11th, 2009 at 5:29 am
I’ve enjoyed your pie posts! Are you planning something for Saturday which is Pi Day?
March 11th, 2009 at 5:38 am
You’ve got me seriously thinking about trying to bake an apple pie from scratch and I don’t back very well.
We had a meeting last night and took a vote about adding a new homegirl…I’ll keep you posted
March 11th, 2009 at 5:59 am
MMMMM, that pie with a snickerdoodle like crust sounds awesome. You have the recipe for that crust? Is it just pie crust with a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar?
~ingrid
March 11th, 2009 at 6:20 am
I love this story and can’t wait for the next chapter!
March 11th, 2009 at 6:53 am
Snickerdoodle like crust!!!! I want some of that pie!!!!
March 11th, 2009 at 7:30 am
My son was complaining because I never made American Apple Pie. He said that he really want to try it, because all his life he only knows tart … and tart ….
He is right! I always make tart, but not pie.
Cheers,
elra
March 11th, 2009 at 7:31 am
I really wish I had a piece of that pie.
March 11th, 2009 at 7:55 am
Pie looks amazing!
My favorite childrens book is The Velvetine Rabbit. I remember after reading that story I couldn’t bare to let go of my stuffed animals and vowed to love them forever. LOL I’ve seen passed it on to my own children, now my daughter wants to set hers free so they can turn into real animals. LOL
March 11th, 2009 at 8:27 am
Oh man, you know how to write! WHAT happens next, woman?!!
I’m totally hooked on multiple stories and did I mention that I don’t do well with suspense of any kind???? Must find my happy place, must find my happy place.
March 11th, 2009 at 8:31 am
Oooh! I like this one! I have a question for how you write. Do you have all of your stories that you publish on here all ready wrote? Or do you write chapter by chapter?
March 11th, 2009 at 9:01 am
I want some apple pie. Please.
March 11th, 2009 at 9:04 am
I am loving this story. You have me craving pie.
March 11th, 2009 at 10:00 am
What a cute story. I always say it’s hard to be anything but happy when your in a bakery. The sights and the smells will erase all your cares away. I love it!
March 11th, 2009 at 10:01 am
I forgot my favorite kids book, it’s hard to pick one, The Hobbit!
March 11th, 2009 at 10:46 am
Oh I love this story! But I have to say, it is making me incredibly hungry for apple pie…. with a snickerdoodle crust!
March 11th, 2009 at 11:18 am
That apple pie in the photo seems really soft and delicious!
Great story!
March 11th, 2009 at 11:44 am
I probably have to struggle through pie on Saturday. It’s Pi day, you know, 3.14 (yeah, I’m strange). I’m enjoying this story, too, not surprisingly!
March 11th, 2009 at 11:57 am
Hey ! Now regarding your question about egg beaters, let me tell u I love it. I have been using egg beaters a qutie a while now but sometimes I do still switch to regular eggs. It is not as “eggy” as the regular eggs and has a nice texture to it. If you want to switch your husband to that, I would suggest when you cook him eggs mix one regular egg n one serving of egg beaters and see how he likes it. Also I suggest when cooking with eggbeaters don’t use reg oil just use pam. I am going to post my breatfast today I had 2 serviing of egg beaters and add spinich to it. Oh god am I going on forever or what? Let me know how it goes with him oh and one last thing if he does like it go to costco and buy the costco brand it really saves you a whole lot of money!
March 11th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Now I need pie. Great story so far! Looking forward to the rest.
March 11th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
awww, your stories are all so cute! can’t wait to see what happens next!
March 11th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
ohhh. what kind of pie is she going to make?!?!
March 11th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
I used to love to read a book called The Butterfly Ball and when my first child was born 10 years ago, my mom found it and bought it for us. Now my youngest is hooked. This story here is darling!!
March 11th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
I wonder what kind she’s going to make!
March 11th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
I don’t know if this is as young as what you were looking for but I loved Matilda as a kid.
I’m craving pie now…
March 11th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Wonderful story, I cant wait to read more and I could go for some pie!!
March 11th, 2009 at 7:11 pm
The combination of pie and a good story. Or should it be a good story and pie? Hmmmm. That’s for another day!
The COMBINATION is exquisite
March 11th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
I want some apple pie with tender crust! No fair!
Hey – just an fyi — your blogger profile still points to your old blog URL.
March 11th, 2009 at 8:40 pm
That pie……………….. Seriously grabbed my attention.
xoxo
March 12th, 2009 at 12:15 am
Gosh, I may have to run by the store today for apples!
ps. Favorite Children’s book…either Eloise (speaks to the precious child in me) or Little House in the Country (which my Mom lovingly read over and over to me as a child)1
March 12th, 2009 at 6:47 am
Well, we all know what ingredient makes a pie fantastic and enchanting and wonderful…
LOVE!
Bake a pie with love and it’s always good.
March 12th, 2009 at 8:23 am
Love this! Something so simple can have a deeper meaning if we’ll take the time to find it.
March 12th, 2009 at 8:41 am
I’m loving the pie story! Can’t wait to find out what happens next!
As a kid, my favorite children’s book was “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish”. I had it memorized. As an adult, I totally loooove Lane Smith’s books (both the ones he writes and the ones he illustrates), especially “The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales” and “The Math Curse”. His books are hilarious, and the illustrations are so unique and clever.
March 12th, 2009 at 10:59 am
Glad you gave us the second installment to this story! I LOVE pies!!
Hey, did you know that March 14 is Pi day? If I were home, I’d make a pie in honor of Pi. LOL!
March 12th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
Oh how i love apple pie, seriously love it!!
March 13th, 2009 at 11:03 am
I like the Poppleton and Friends by Cynthia Rylant
Thanks for visiting my blog
March 14th, 2009 at 8:28 am
Ohh . . . I think apple pie would make me feel better too . . . with a great big hunk of chocolate. I’m sorry . . . Insert sheepish grin here . . . I am a chocoholic. Oh heck, who am I fooling. I just like food full stop!! XXOO
March 16th, 2009 at 9:30 pm
Okay, seriously this is my favorite book so far!
March 27th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
hot site…
check out [url=http://www.online-erotik.eu] hobbynutten[/url]
bye
March 28th, 2009 at 9:05 pm
damned good post..
check out [url=http://www.amateure-sex69.net] private Amateure[/url]
see you
May 1st, 2009 at 4:02 pm
PioseRots Payororor
June 15th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Unfortunately, that’s not always realistic.
kixArercirm