Pie Day

Some of you may celebrate Thanksgiving Eve with family, or on the road to visit relatives. Some may watch football or go shopping. Here, the day before Thanksgiving is officially known as Pie Day.

It started out innocently enough; the day prior to the big turkey feast, I'd make a couple of from-scratch pies suitable to the occasion, and they'd join whoever was hosting Thanksgiving's dessert table. Three years ago, we decided to make the meal at our house, and we've stuck with that philosophy ever since. Now, on the day before Thanksgiving, I make five pies.

Do we really need five pies? This year five pies will be topping off the meal for six adults and five kids (I don't count the baby. Love him, but he's not getting his own pie.) I suppose we could get away with just two pies, but how do you choose?

Thanksgiving isn't Thanksgiving without classic pumpkin. I don't even like pumpkin pie, but others do and the meal would be a wash without it.

Then there's apple. You have to have apple pie on Thanksgiving. I'm pretty sure it's a law.

And you can't forget cherry. Having apple pie without cherry pie is like separating twins at birth. It's cruel and unusual.

Now that you've committed yourself to making three pies, you may as well make something creamy and delicious to complement the fruit pies - this is where peanut butter pie comes in. I like to make mine in a peanut butter cookie crust.

At this point you have a nice variety on the dessert table, but no chocolate. What's dessert without chocolate? Chocolate caramel pie rounds the day out so nicely.

Somehow, this year I also made a pumpkin gingersnap cheesecake. Because five pies wasn't enough.