March is a great month for playdates.  Not the kind you schedule between children, but the play on words that comes from March calendar dates.   For instance, what’s the only day of the year that is a command?  March Fourth!  And even more popular, March 14 or 3.14—is Pi Day.   Math and engineering people, like my Crafty Friend Greg, celebrate Pi day in style (and Greg has been agitating for a blog post in its honor).  My friend Leah is have a Pi Day Shabbat—chicken pot pie, fruit pie, and if her son is lucky, pecan pie.

What are we doing in the Craftylawyer household?   Well, pie is generally my husband’s territory.  He makes a fabulous flaky crust from the Cook’s Illustrated Baking book and religiously follows its recommendations for cherry and apple pie.  In fact, pie for us represents a seasonal celebration.  We pick the cherries for summertime pies

Michael’s famous lattice top cherry pie–he’s a very good husband!

and head to the Vintage Virginia Apple Festival in

November for the best apples in the world—including the Albermarle Pippin, Thomas Jefferson’s favorite apple.

A box of Albermarle Pippins.

The end result of those apples–but you must use three kinds of apples for superb apple pie, so this has more than pippins in it

Mike’s pretty busy today,  so I think it will fall to Rebecca and me to improvise.  I’m inclined towards a pizza pie—although Crafty Family prefers delivery to homemade in that regard.   The King Arthur Flour Company blog has a cute idea for little pie in a jar which might finally get me to use those number cookie cutters that have been sitting on our shelf for years.  I’m not feeling particularly ambitious today, so the thought of rolling out dough isn’t high on my to-do list.   But if we take the making of pie off the table, then there are plenty of crafty inspirations for memorializing pi itself.  In fact, I’ve made a treasury of clever pi themed handmade gifts available  over on the Etsy website, like this beautiful stamped necklace from SpiffingJewelry.

I might give in, though, and make my grandmother’s oatmeal pie recipe.  I often call it a poor-man’s pecan pie because it has the ooey gooey layer topped by a crunchy combination of oatmeal and coconut—kind of a macaroon layer but kind of nutty, too.   It’s good, especially cold for breakfast the next day, and brings back fond memories of Thanksgiving and Christmas with my huge family.    Here’s the recipe

Susie Virginia’s Oatmeal Pie

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix together

• 3 eggs, well-beaten
• 2/3 c. sugar
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 2/3 c. quick oats
• 2/3 c. coconut
• 2 T butter (do not melt it)
• 1 t vanilla

Place mixture in unbaked pie crust (hopefully made by your husband, but if not you are on your own) and bake at least 30 minutes. {Generally, I find that it takes longer}.  Top of pie should yield to a bit of pressure but feel firm

So, happy 3.14.14 and may the pi be with you!