When I was a kid we had this little blackbird, you stuck it in the pie crust and it would let the steam out to help keep it from bubbling over while it was baking.

Well, I want another one. But I don't just want any old pie bird, I want one like the one we use do have! (Am I a whiny butt or what? LOL!)

The only one I've seen was just a plain white lumpish thing with a little black dot for an eye. Ugly and plain (yes I AM a whiny butt!!!)

The one we had when I was a kid was painted (or glazed) and looked like a blackbird, with black body and the beak was orange/yellow - just looked a lot nicer (I always think of 4 and 20 blackbirds baked in a pie when I think of it, I always assumed that was why it was a black bird).

Has anybody else ever seen these, preferably RECENTLY? LOL!

-- Sojourner (notime4@summer.spam), June 28, 2001

Answers

Saw one at Cracker Barrel last week, exactly as you describe. There is also one in Lehman's catalog, but no photo so I'm not sure what it looks like. They cost around $3.

-- Elizabeth (ekfla@aol.com), June 28, 2001.

Cracker Barrel! Do you know how long its been since I last saw a Cracker Barrel? LOL! Well I am hoping to make a trip to Ohio next week, post 4th. There are Cracker Barrels all over the place there, and I'm HOPING to go by Lehman's so maybe I can check things out there as well.

Thanks, I will look.

-- Sojourner (notime4@summer.spam), June 28, 2001.

Sojourner you sure do bring up memories of my mother baking pies when you mention the pie birds. We had one that was just like you described. Hope you find just the one you're looking for.

-- Grannytoo (jacres40@hotmail.com), June 28, 2001.

I see those little guys all over at gift shops here in So. Oregon, so I bet you're gonna run into some soon. The little tourist town of Sisters, OR had them too. I hope you find them. :-)

-- Little Quacker (carouselxing@juno.com), June 28, 2001.

Grannytoo, did yours whistle while it baked? I keep thinking ours whistled, but the more I think about it I'm starting to think that may have been a little bird whistle that was on the handle of my favorite cup when I was 4. Gee, they don't make stuff like that any more.

Remember the cow in a can? You turned it upside down and it mooooed.

-- Sojourner (notime4@summer.spam), June 28, 2001.

Do a search on Ebay for the pie birds. The prices will shock you! Most are new ones for collectors. The new black ones can be found everywhere from souvenir and gift shops to antique shows for a reasonable price. My mom used one, too, but I don't know what happened to it. Likely one of us kids broke it. I started collecting them in the '70's when they were $2 - $3 and old for my daughter. She has them all now, and loves them. They were a fun thing to look for, but the price now has taken all the fun out of it.

-- Duffy (hazelm@tenforward.com), June 29, 2001.