Okay......so some people are addicted to gambling, or shopping or whatever.  Well, I'm admitting right here in the blog world.....my secret vice is pie auctions.  Yeah......it sounds pretty benign, doesn't it?  Don't be fooled! 

Until I moved to Cedar Key, I'd never heard of such a thing.  I was told it was held each year at the school, the Monday before Thanksgiving and the money raised went to assist the junior and senior classes with their prom.  Hey.....a worthy cause.  Sounded good to me.  So two years ago, Ray and I set off to attend our first pie auction.  And walked away owning TEN pies!

You're given a sign with a wooden stick and the paper paddle has a number on it.  Like any auction, the bidding begins and if you're interested, you raise that sign.  The pies started at $5 .......but don't think one walks away with a "cheap" pie.  Oh no!  It's very common for pies to end up going for $60, $70 and $80!  One even went for $200 one year!  So here I was......up against the big guys! 

You have to know that most of the women on this island are noted for their homemade baking.  We're not talking store bought pies and cakes here.  Oh, no.  These southern women must be born with that baking gene.  So hey......when they started showing cream pies, and peanut butter pies, and sweet potatoe pies. ... Well......come ON!  This Yankee girl couldn't resist.  And that, folks, is how I came to walk away with ten pies two years ago.

Unfortunately, we couldn't attend the pie auction last year.  My aunt had passed away that week before and we were in the Boston area for her funeral.  So you can imagine my delight this past Monday night to be able to attend this fun-filled (and calorie laden) event.  Brian and Veronique are here this week visiting with us, so of course we brought them along. Before the event starts, everyone browses the goodies.  Ray was up there checking things out and after we surveyed everything, we all had a favorite. 

"I" had the auction paddle clutched in my sweaty palm.  I was ready.  Let the bidding begin!  However, I promised Ray that THIS year, I'd be sensible and wouldn't leave there with ten pies.  But oh Lord, when I saw that Banana Split pie literally slipping through my fingers or that Chicken Pot Pie (that Peter, the chef at Island Room made) going, going.......well, I did what any pie lovin' woman would do.  I bidded a little higher.  And I sighed a breath of relief when the auctioneer proclaimed, "GONE! To number 22" and pointed at me. 

So I did the best I could.  I really did.  But somehow, this is what the four of us ended up taking home.

Hey, what can I say?  It wasn't ten pies this year.  And besides, it's a worthy cause.

See you here next time........