Back-to-school blackberry pie

I've been meaning to post about this for a while now, but was waiting to get the photos off the camera and onto the computer. Now I've invested in a new card-reader, that won't be a problem any longer.

And so, without further ado... I give you "Making-a-Back-to-School-Blackberry-Pie-with-Two-Little-Boys 101":

Step 1: On Labour Day weekend, venture out in the rain to pick some of the last blackberries of the season. Be pleasantly surprised by how game the boys are, considering how awful the weather is!

Step 2: Don't expect much from the little helpers. Watch them happily tromp around in the pouring rain, as you and hubby fill up the buckets. {Sawyer ate what he picked, and Dylan mostly just watched. Picking berries in a pirate poncho is "quite tricky," I'm told...}

Step 3: After your buckets are full, walk home along the train tracks, which is always super exciting for some reason {Not to worry... The train-all two carriages of it- comes by just twice a day, first thing in the morning, and again around 6 p.m. It was just before noon when we were there!}

Step 4: Get one kid to nap, and the other to help you bake. Otherwise you will definitely have "too many cooks in the kitchen" and this can lead to disaster, including whining, arguing, name-calling {"Sawyer, you are a brussel!" ???} and tears! In this case, we got Sawyer to sleep, and Dylan helped with the pie-making. He's a whirlwind in the kitchen, that boy! {Do you love his chef's hat and apron? Hand made by Nanny in England} And S was happy to wake up and discover a pie!

Step 5: Pose proudly with your pastry. Dylan worked hard on ours, piecing together the top crust of our pie. It was a bit of a mess, but he was so proud of it, and it covered the berry mixture just fine.

Step 5: Bake a while and then... Voila! Not the prettiest pie in the world, but definitely delicious! And a great way to celebrate the start of another school year. Serve with vanilla ice cream, of course.

Next up, we might try making an apple pie {perhaps for Thanksgiving, only 3 weeks away now!} My boys love apples and cinnamon, so it's sure to be a hit.