It Began with a Pie

Not an apple or cherry or chocolate meringue or key lime, but a pie nonetheless. 
One afternoon a Denver friend asked me what I was making for dinner, I casually replied, "Black bean pie." Who knew that my response would elicit such confusion on the part of my friend? I might as well have told her that I was going to sauté some little yard mouse, and serve it over brown rice. She seemed truly dumfounded that one could first form a pie from lentils and then serve it as an entree. Her reaction made me feel like I was from a foreign land.
I had always felt that my transition from being a Southern gal to a Denverite came with much ease. I quickly acclimated to the casual nature of the outdoorsy city. I am crazy in love with the weather especially the 300 plus days of sunshine we get each year. I relish the summer days with the local farmer's markets and busy parks. Yet there seems to be a chasm between what I know to be "normal" and what the folks around here consider as such.
Take tea, for example. I grew up believing that asking for a glass of tea carried with it the assumption that said beverage would be sweetened (with SUGAR, I should add.) I quickly learned that this is an incorrect assumption.
When I imagined my little girls attending, say, another child's birthday party, I pictured them joyously  frolicking around in adorable little smocked dresses. Turns out such attire can't even be purchased west of the Mason-Dixon.

Here is My Carter Lilly on her first birthday
wearing the obviously appropriate celebratory attire.

And, at Thanksgiving 2009.

And, again, at Christmas of the same year.
(Clearly, I have been successful at importing the smocked wear.)

Of course my sweet angels would include their own monogrammed stationery with their gifts. When I whip out one of these personalized cards, I am now prepared to get puzzled looks from all the other moms. "It's a Southern thing," is all I can say in response. 

Speaking of other mothers and children, how much do I miss hearing sweet little voices utter the phrase, "Yes, Ma'am" or "No, Sir" when speaking to an adult! I'm guessing these moms and dads don't give the traditional, "Mind your manners!" instruction before sending their little ones out the door. 

The longer I live away from "home" the stronger my desire grows to keep hold of those Southern ideals that I still hold dear. I will try my hardest to raise little girls who not only say "Please" and "Thank you" but also "Yes ma'am" and "No ma'am" (even if they get funny looks from their classmates.) I will be sure they learn to hand write meaningful thank you  notes and that they always mail them in a timely fashion. I will remind them to say grace before meals and to count their blessings with each bedtime prayer. And every now and again, I will play Alabama instead of the Black Eyed Peas for our afternoon dance parties.
And, since it began with a pie, I will end it with a pie... Here's my Black Bean Pie recipe. Enjoy!

1 red pepper                                      
1 sweet onion                                        
2 cans of black beans                           
1 cup of salsa                                        
1 tsp. chili powder
1 flour tortilla shell
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 pie crusts (one frozen deep dish and one refrigerated crust that you roll out)

Preheat oven to 350. Place the deep dish crust in the oven to brown. Finely dice the pepper and onion, and saute' them in olive oil or butter until transparent. Add the beans (drain one can), salsa, and chili powder. Bring to a boil. Then cover and cook on medium for 20 minutes. 
Pour half of the mixture into the browned pie crust. Top with 1 cup of cheese and then the tortilla. Pour in the second half of the bean mixture. Then top with the second cup of cheese and the refrigerated crust. 
Bake for about 30 minutes or until the top crust is lightly browned.