is your pie safe?...

i've been thinking about pie safes lately...i know, totally random. but when i was at the tennessee flea market with mom over thanksgiving we came across of beautiful one. and had i lived closer, or had a house for that matter, i would have bought it cause the price was right. i think they are marvelous pieces of furniture. since i'm not a baker by any stretch of the imagination i would probably use it to store blanket & linens, possibly even plates & glassware in a second one.

it's thought that the pie safe was introduced to the united states by the germans who immigrated to pennsylvania, known as the pennsylvania dutch. their main purpose was to protect pies from critters as they cooled, although I'm sure it was also used for food storage in general. i'm partial to a pie safe that has a wire mesh front as opposed to the tin & i like them painted in the bright colors, but that's just me. i've seen them at many antique shows/stores & flea markets, you can always buy antique ones on ebay too (i'm not a big ebay fan myself). if you want a new one there are plenty of wood craftsmen still making them, but i like one with a little history & wear...