A single seed

Talking of pies, which we have been, I have made and baked blind pastry for nearly fifty years, without any trouble whatsoever, using a fork to prick the base.

Why then did I need to buy of tub of those ceramic baking beads? I must have thought it was a good idea, but why didn't I put greaseproof paper between the beads and the pastry?

Have you tried extracting dozens of little balls from cooked pastry? Well I have, and they all needed careful and individually washing afterwards.

It can only get worse.

This is a single dandelion seed which was crying out for attention, just like me.