
By now you’ve probably seen the outpouring of Peanut Butter Pie memorials for Mikey, Jennifer Perillo’s husband. Jennifer is well known in the food blogging world and the number of pies — captured in mages, both photos and video, and words in her husband’s honor has been mind-boggling.
I don’t know Jennifer, and don’t know much about her, but what I do know is that this food blogging community has long arms and big hearts. When asked what could be done to help during this difficult time, Jennifer’s response was a request for people to make her husband’s favorite Peanut Butter Pie and reach out and share it with people you love.
There have been pies of all shapes and sizes. Tributes in words, images and videos to make your mouth water and your eyes tear. It’s been a few days of giving back to someone so many of us don’t know, but feel the need to reach out and to participate and to give back in a community event such as #apieformikey.
If you haven’t seen it yet, this incredible video will help you understand the spirit of the community.
I’m never one to back away from a community event. But I did not go to the store to pick up the ingredients to make a pie. I didn’t want anyone to think I was blowing off this important event so I took out one of my Weight Watchers standbys — the frozen Peanut Butter Cup dessert. Not because of any self-serving Weight Watchers weight loss goal or reason, but because I too am in mourning.
Without going into long detail, I lost a dear friend on Wednesday evening. In the 15 years I’ve known him we’ve been colleagues, compatriots, friends, and buddies and I wish there were more years in our future. But there can not be so I am going to celebrate his life and our friendship in a separate post, later this week, when I can honor a friend I miss to the point of tears and sometimes sobbing whenever I think of him.
But I want to make sure I don’t diminish Jennifer’s loss and heartbreak, so I’m offering this little piece of the current me. It’s not home made. It’s not free of the packaged, processed foods I’d normally write about here, but I hope that Jennifer finds the corners of her mouth can turn up just a little and she can be comforted by my thoughts for her and her family with my version of a thin Peanut Butter Pie offering.