Pi Day Pie Contest

Project Live It aspires to encourage people to try new and interesting things and to help others to do the same. I'll be posting what I've been inspired to try/learn/see/do each Friday.

I missed my Live It post (amongst others :( ) last week, but better late than never...plus it's pie-themed, so posting today seems legit (happy Pi Day!).

It all started a couple of weeks ago, when an email arrived announcing my workplace's annual Pi Day pie contest. Let me just say that I'm no pie baker (or any kind of baker) so I promptly deleted it...but on second thought later that afternoon, fished it out of the trash. The contest supported a good cause (the Alberta Cancer Foundation) and I figured that between the residents someone had to know how to make pie, right? Wrong. But hey, that's what YouTube is for.

I found an simple-looking key lime pie recipe with great reviews and stopped by Superstore to pick up some key limes, condensed milk, sour cream, and graham crackers. I pondered over the pre-made graham cracker crusts in the baking aisle, but figured since it was a contest I should probably try to make my own.

Things came together in a groggy morning of post-call baking -- the most annoying part of which was definitely hand squeezing the 20 limes (note to self: buy a garlic press).

I started by making the graham cracker crust (crushed graham crackers + sugar + butter) and pre-baked it for 7 minutes.

then came squeezing these little buggers

the filling, all mixed up (condensed milk + sour cream + lime juice)

ready to go in the oven

fini

classy limes

didn't add whipped cream for fear of smudging it everywhere...gotta stop while the going is good

The pie actually turned out better than I expected and even won an award in the pie contest! I know, right? Probably just because it was pretty (I brought it up late so it was one of the few non-massacred ones by the time the judges arrived).

okay that peanut butter chocolate pie in the foreground = highlight of my day

All of the pies were super creative and delicious. So impressed with my colleagues!

so much pie for lunch...and sugar high all afternoon

Happy Pi Day!