Our Lewis family Thanksgivings traditionally fill 2 days, beginning with Pie Day on Wednesday. We all have our roles. Aunt Diana Wakimoto usually hosts the event at her home. Cousin Chrissy Lassen is the resident crust maker. We are each assigned certain pies to work on.
The Pie Makers have been known to make up to 35 pies in a a day. This year, we scaled back a bit, for a smaller crowd (some Covid in the family). Twelve pies for 22 people. Not bad. We each can eat half a pie!
This year we made 2 pumpkin, 2 pecan, 2 banana cream, 1 coconut cream, 1 berry, 1 cold raspberry cream, 1 chocolate candy bar and 2 apple pies in a sack (my favorite, recipe below).
Diana has professional baking racks, which are the best ever on a day like today!
Apple Pie in a Sack
Crust:
1 ½ c. flour
½ c. salad oil
1 ½ t. sugar
2 Tbl cold milk
1 t. salt
Prepare crust first. Combine dry ingredients, then oil and milk. Stir and form into a ball.
Form into a 9” pie pan by patting or pressing.
Filling:
5 c. apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 t. lemon juice
½ c. sugar
½ t. nutmeg
2 Tbl flour
½ t. cinnamon
Toss together and put into shell. (I do enough apples so that it mounds as high as I can get it to mound—they really cook down.)
Topping:
½ c. flour
½ c. butter or margarine
½ c. sugar
Combine with fork until crumbly. Sprinkle over apples.
Place the pie in a large brown paper bag and fold and staple it closed.
Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour 45 min.
No peeking!
Granny Smith apples are our favorite, and I add a dash or two of Mace because it’s my favorite spice.
The secret to good pecan pies is to double the amount of pecans, leaving plenty of them whole or not chopped. 
Here come the apple pies! Yum!
This Lewis Family tradition has been celebrated for many years. Claire was little when she first started joining the fun. The cousins have all learned how to make pies from the best. We always remember Aunt Bonny on Pie Day, she was our master teacher before she died. Chrissy and Di now carry on and the rest of us happily follow.
