A Baker’s Dozen Ways to Celebrate National Pie Day, Jan. 23

The best day of the year

1. Test your pie-baking chops by entering the APC Crisco National Pie Championships being held in Orlando Florida. Entry forms are available at www.piecouncil.org.
2. Eat pie. Whether you make it yourself buy it at a supermarket or bakery or order it at a restaurant, eat some pie on National Pie Day. Pie is great for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or as a late-night snack.
3. Make pie. Bake your favorite homemade pie on National Pie Day. Eat it yourself or treat others. By its very nature, pie is meant to be eaten with others. Have a pie potluck get-together.
4. Take a pie to work day. Treat your co-workers to a National Pie Day tasting of your baking prowess.
5. Teach pie making. Stage classes, demonstrations, and samplings at stores and schools. Invite seniors who KNOW pie to teach a class. If you don’t know how to make pie, ask a pie maker to show you or attend a pie-making class.
6. Hold a pie night. Gather family and friends for a pie celebration. Everyone must bring one homemade pie for the pie buffet. We have heard of events where more than 100 folks come with 100 pies.
7. Hold a pie-baking contest. Invite the best pie-makers in town to compete for prizes in various categories. Be sure to include the kids. Ask cooking teachers, pastry chefs, and pie lovers to be judges.
8. Hold a charity pie-throwing or pie-eating contest or a pie auction. We suggest you donate the proceeds to your local community food bank.
9. Hold a pie sale and sampling. This is an excellent opportunity for pie retailers and commercial bakers to introduce consumers to pie through special National Pie Day sales and promotions. Bakeries can also donate pies to a pie raffle or pie auction. Restaurants should offer a pie sampler plate or free pie with dinner on January 23.
10. Stage kid’s pie activities.Have kids compete in pie-making, pie poetry, and pie art contests. Show kids how to make pie and then serve it at lunch, preferably a la mode. Teach American and world history, math, and science through pie.
11. Pass along pie memories. Call older members of the family and ask them for pie recipes. Ask them to teach you how to make them. Talk about your favorite pies and the family history behind them. Publish pie memories and recipes. Make pie often and serve them to the next generation.
12. Hold a progressive-pie eating party. Have a group of friends or neighbors each bake a pie, then go to each other’s house one evening and sample everyone’s creations.
13. Do pie stuff. Sing pie songs, read pie books, quote pie poems, make pie charts. Contact the American Pie Council and become a member – they’re the only national organization devoted to eating, making, selling, promoting, and enjoying pie!
14. Share the ultimate “comfort food” by gifting a scrumptious pie to a local “hometown hero.” Stop by your local police or fire department and let these local heroes know that you appreciate all they do for your community.
15. If pie making is not in your schedule, stop by your favorite bakery or grocery store and bring home a gift of love and joy for the whole family. The coldest of January days will be warmed by a special pie dessert.
16. Indulge your co-workers with the gift of pie. Or better yet, plan a pie party at work where everyone brings a pie to share.
17. Reach out to new neighbors you might not have met yet it says you’re thoughtful. Stay awhile to get to know each other and fill them in about the neighborhood. Say thank you with a pie.
18. Has someone done a special favor for you? Acknowledge the favor with the gift of pie.
19. Spend time with your children and make a pie together.You’ll make great memories and your children will be so
    proud to serve the pie for dessert.
20. Make a date with friends for a Pie Party. Share slices while watching your favorite pie flicks, like “American Pie,”
    “Waitress” and “Labor Day.”