Nicole M.K. Eiden is a writer and baker. Originally from Ohio, Nicole co-owns Windowsill Pies, a Southern-style pie and tart company in New Orleans, where she lives with her husband and daughter. The poem “Mortgage,” from her debut collection I Am One of You (Mississippi Sound Publishing, 2016), won 3rd place in the 2016 Women’s National Book Association writing contest and will appear in the forthcoming 2019 New Poetry From the Midwest (New American Press). Find out more at NicoleEiden.com and windowsillpiesnola.com.

Nicole and I had a lengthy conversation about motherhood during a Pandemic, gender roles in the house, opening a brick and mortar business, faith and the Catholic Church, poetry,  and, of course, pies. I always love talking with Nicole, and am grateful for her insight. Here are some of the topics we cover in this episode:

• Raising a young daughter during COVID
  
• Gender roles in the home
  
• Opening a brick and mortar business during COVID
  
• Melatonin
  
• Evening routine
  
• Coping skills
  
• Faith
  
• Nun - Joan chitister quote
  
• Abortion + Catholicism
  
• Christianity + Whiteness
  
• Patriarchy of the Catholic Church
  
• Money mongering
  
• Power mongering
  
• Art of conversation
  
• Enneagram
  
• Windowsill pies community vision
  
• Nicole’s television debut - Sugar showdown on cooking channel
  
• Unicorn cakes
  
• Nicole’s definition of modern womanhood and parenthood
  
• Sacrificial batches of dough