The 38th Pineapple

Shocking as it might sound, I made a pie for my husband's birthday. My almost two-year-old daughter now says birthday pie, not cake.

I felt kind of guilty because I hadn't really planned a party for him. I had planned a weekend away, but not a real party. And, intended or not, I had felt a little sadness coming from the soon to be 38-year-old. So, we ordered Thai food, and I made a pineapple pie.

I made the Fresh Pineapple Pie recipe, from the Farm Journal's Complete Pie Book. I substituted lime for lemon.

Fresh Pineapple Pie

• Pastry for 2 crust pie
• 1 medium pineapple
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 T flour
• 2 T lime juice
• 1/8 t salt

Cut peeled and cored pineapple in bite sized chunks; you should have 3 c of fruit. Place eggs in a bowl and beat sugar, flour, lime and salt. Turn into pastry lined 9" pan. I did a lattice with a cute little 38 on top.

Bake in hot oven at 425 degrees for 45 minutes or until crust is browned.

The pie turned out fine the first night. Hubby and M-I-L had it with ice cream. I thought that was too much. The ice cream was overwhelming. The next morning it was much better. But I still felt bad about the lack of birthday celebration. It did go well with Thai food.

The one consolation was our employee loved the pie; he is from Ecuador and said it reminded him of pies from there.