As many of you math-inclined people are already aware, Pi Day was recently celebrated (3.14, March 14th). At my school, we’re a little crazy about math and about Pi(e), so we prolong the celebration quite a bit. In fact, tomorrow we’ll have about 20 kinds of pie that the kids and teachers alike will be devouring at recess and lunchtime. (Did I make one of those pies? Well, naturally…but that’ll be another post. So stick around.)

What I want to share with you right now is an eloquent explanation of what pi(e) is all about. Please keep in mind that nowhere in California K-2 educational standards will you find students required to compute the circumference or area of a circle…hence these kiddos have mainly stuck to the subject of piE rather than its homonym.

I mean, what’s actually the difference, right?

Enjoy.

(Thanks so much to my wonderful husband for editing this video for me.)

The other day, I found a special wedding card given to me by my cousin Carly and her husband Andrew. The card, while delightful, was not the part I was most excited to reread…it was the index card that she slipped inside the envelope. On it, Carly had listed all the reasons why her gift (Ken Haedrich’s Pie) simply HAD to be mine. Seventy-some pies into this venture, I’d say her reasoning was sound.

(Just in case it’s easier to read…)

This book had to be yours for these many reasons:

1) You obviously prefer pie with such passion that you served it at your wedding. [True life.]

2. Newlyweds need cookbooks; it’s a lot of meals that you’re responsible for now that you have your own fully equipped kitchen.

3. Ken Haedrich is The Man. His other cookbook, “Soup Makes the Meal,” is every bit as good as this one. If you never actually make a pie [HA], do yourself a favor and read the book.

4. Ken “The Man” Haedrich hearkens from NH, which is up there not too far from some of the Gelineau roots, I hear. [Indeed…Levi was born in Vermont, and I have family there as well.]

5. Jess, we share the very unique “pie thumb” in the family. I think we must be destined for pie greatness. Now you can step up to the proverbial pie plate and become the culinary artist you were born to be. [How badly do you want to see my pie thumb now? So badly. Well…dream on.]

[Okay fine.]

[Isn’t it cute? In a weird way?]

6. This book is deliciously comprehensive, from Apple, Banoffee, and Chess to Zapple!

[Thanks C & A! xo]

Be honest…do YOU know what a chess pie is?

Before I made my first one, I didn’t either. I thought (without vocalizing it, because I think if I’d gotten that far I would have realized this made no sense) that it was a pie with a marbled top, vaguely resembling a chessboard with dark and light parts. My father-in-law, who just had a birthday and got to choose this pie from the book, guessed that it was like a cheesecake pie. Chess/cheese, pretty close.

There are several theories given in the cookbook to explain the whole situation. One of them is that a chess pie is a pie that holds up well in a pie chest (as you might guess, a cupboard for safely storing pies in.) Chess/chest. Even closer.

If you asked me now what a chess pie is, I would say that this is my general assessment.

1. It has eggs in it.

2. It’s so easy to make. Not even funny.

3. It’s incredibly delicious.

Ticket to Ride is a good game. Starbucks Vanilla Bean Frappucino is a good ice cream.

Angus Barn Chocolate Chess Pie is a good pie. There you have it, folks.

For our friend Mike’s birthday a couple weekends ago, his girlfriend (my cousin) Alisa planned an awesome surprise party for him.

Mike still has no idea that there is a large hangout going on in his living room.

Realization of the truth slowly settles in.

The theme of the party was sports, which meant that the guys could sit on couches and watch football for hours, and eat. Which is what they would have wanted to do on a Sunday afternoon anyway.

“Wear my Justin Tuck jersey while I watch the Giants defeat the 49ers en route to the Superbowl? Why yes, I think I shall.”

Once Mike had been sufficiently surprised and had finished changing into his Laker’s jersey, Alisa and I made him guess what kind of pie we picked for him (without seeing said pie). He guessed pumpkin cheesecake. The correct answer was…*deep breath*…Peanut Butter Cheesecake Pie with Brown Sugar-Sour Cream Topping.

I’m going to give seven out of ten points for that one…5 for the cheesecake and 2 for the initial “P” sound.

Ain’t they cute?! All three of them!

That’s a fact.

Except for maybe these ladies.

About once a month, a group of my girlfriends get together to catch up on each other’s lives and participate in fun/uplifting activities. For example, this month we made a scrapbook for our friend Kristen’s almost-here baby girl (!!) and ate lots of snacks, and then made mini pies. Sounds great, right?

Thanks girls for letting me teach my first official pie-making class to you. 😉

The recipe I used was one called “Little Fruit Crumb Pies.” The funniest part was that the recipe talks a lot about how this is a “recipe for the kids” and includes quotes like, “have the children gently press the remaining pastry crumbs into the fruit.” So I got to pretend I had a bunch of children making pies with me.

To accommodate the diverse taste buds of our group, we used apples, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, AND rhubarb! Hooray!

Here’s what we did:

1. Press in the pastry (aptly named “Press-in Pastry.” It’s a big bunch of crumbs, and you just take some and press them into the pie tin instead of rolling out a crust. Much easier for a large group of children. Or adults.)

2. Select fruit of choice. The final products here ranged from plain apple to blueberry-raspberry-strawberry. To each her own.

3. Add sugar, flour, spices and lemon and mix it all together.

4. Top with more crumbs.

Then you just figure out how to put eight little pies in the oven so that you’ll be able to retrieve them later without burning yourself…and you’re all set.

Go, little pies, go!

After much anticipation, we were rewarded with…a whole pie each. There is something so fun about having your own little special pie to eat all by yourself. If you want to. I mean, you’re still allowed to share mini pies. They’re just the only pies that you don’t HAVE to share.