A Friend In Pie: Amanda Soule

I’ve long maintained that nothing happens in isolation. It doesn’t matter if what you’re making is a painting, or writing a novel, or baking a cake, even if you’re doing it without the help of others, you’re being influenced by them. Maybe it was a pattern noticed at an antique store that inspired you to grab a blank canvas and some paints, or a personal interest story overheard on the local news that intrigued you enough to work it in your book’s plot line, or perhaps it was a flavor combination you glanced at in a magazine at the dentist’s office that compelled you to head home and pull out a mixing bowl and a bag of flower. Whatever it is you’re doing, you’re doing it because others exist.

When you write books, or magazine articles, or blog posts like I do, that fact becomes even more obvious. Sure, you may provide the text, but the publisher brings the book to life. The magazine article may be typed up by you, but the editor massages it until it expresses just the write tone and grammar. Your blog posts might be your personal opinions and musings, but they wouldn’t even exist were it not for the servers keeping them humming along the world wide web with routine precision.

So, too, with my recent book, A Year of Pies. While 52 of the 60 recipes within its pages are mine, 8 of them come courtesy of other bloggers. A talented, diverse lot, these fine folks generously gave of themselves, and their recipes, and for that I am so very grateful. In return, I want to highlight them, who they are and what they write about. Today, I’m kicking things off with Amanda Soule, who provided her recipe for Summer Fern Pie.

What you need to know about Amanda, if you don’t already, is that she’s nothing short of amazing. I’ve been in her personal presence and how she manages to run a thriving blog, author numerous books, edit a dynamic magazine, maintain an impressive homestead AND mother 5 children, all with grace and aplomb, is a mystery to me. She’s also possessed of a quick wit, an empathic disposition, and a quiet sass, all traits that I just adore in women. She’s quickly becoming a more and more dear friend with each of our interactions. Steve Soule, her husband and cohort, is pretty wonderful, too, as are those darling kiddos of theirs. Good Soules, those people.

So, thank you Amanda, for your contribution. Like I said, everything happens because we live in community. This pie community of mine sure is a good one. Look for another contributor next week!