As the country matured and traditions solidified, communities continued gathering over freshly baked pies at celebrations, county fairs, and social gatherings. As the popularity of sweet pies rose, health concerns followed. Writer, editor, and Mother of Thanksgiving Sarah J. Hale warned Americans that eating too much pie could be disastrous for one’s digestive health. In the 1841 cookbook The Good Housekeeper she wrote, “It would really be a great improvement in the matter of health…if people would eat their delicious summer fruits with good light bread instead of working up the flour with water and butter to a compound that almost defies the digestive powers.” We can all relate to that bloated feeling after enjoying too much pie, but Hale need not panic, a little portion control goes a long way.