Happy Pi(e) Day!

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Today is 3.14, and that means it's π day! Like any irrational number person, I like to celebrate π day by eating a pie, and since I host a dinner group every week, I thought I'd help my friends celebrate π day by picking up a Marie Callender's frozen dessert as my contribution.

Oh my word, there were so many delicious choices. I contemplated getting a buffet of single serving pies, but I didn't want my party to come to fisticuffs over a shortage of certain varieties, so I waffled between Banana Creme and Razzleberry for a while. I ultimately went with Razzleberry because the theme of that week's dinner party was rainbow, and I was responsible for purple.

Since I'm kind of the queen of making a store bought food look like I slaved for hours over it, I thought I'd share some of my frozen pie secrets with you. The keys? Foiled edges, egg wash, and fresh whipped cream. You're welcome:
Since we all know that eating pie is a lot more fun than sitting around calculating the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter, here's a coupon that will get you $1.50 off any frozen Marie Callender's pie so you can celebrate π Day/ Pie Day, too.

Check out the ratings and reviews of all the Marie Callender's desserts here. For more tips and tricks visit Marie Callender's blog.

Disclosure: I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Everything's Bigger in Texas (2012)

I have really great friends. I throw a lot of themed parties, and my sweet friends always indulge my whims. This past Fourth of July was no exception. Chris and I had our second annual "Everything's Bigger in Texas" party where guests were asked to bring comically large foods to share, and our guests did not disappoint. Here's just a sampling of what was on the table:

(Top to Bottom): Kathleen made a festive four layer cake (red velvet and white cake with cream cheese icing) | Matt and Joanie made a giant cheeseburger | Kayla made palm sized Goldfish Crackers | The Hansens made a cookie tower | Kristan made big 'ole pretzels | Faye and Dave picked up the "World Famous Round Rock Donut" | I busted out some large chocolate covered pretzels while Chris smoked a 17 pound beef roast. Holy cow!
One of the cutest things was Heidi's and Dearing's Gigant-O-Sizer (corn version), which was just out of production in time for the party (be sure to click on the video below the photos to see it in action):
Baby corn goes in, regular sized corn on the cob comes out!

The thoughtful folks over at Honest Tea made sure the kiddos at our party had plenty to do and plenty to drink:

They made red, white, and blue (and purple) tie dyed shirts.
And using empty juice pouches, paper straws, and strips of duct tape, we crafted super easy "no-light sparklers". I want to do these again in blue for Jude's birthday party in October!

These low sugar juices hit the spot after a full day of eating giant junk foods and playing in the sprinklers. Thank you, Honest Tea! Kudos to everyone who made it out. We loved having you over and can't wait to do it again next year! Go ahead, friends, mark your calendars for our 2013 party. The party falls on a Thursday, and I'm already scheming up what I can make.

[disclosure: Honest Kids juice and supplies for tie dye and crafts provided by Honest Tea]

The PinTests: Fire Crackers

Sometimes pins on Pinterest need to be put to the test. Wouldn't you agree? I recently pinned this recipe for "Fire Crackers" on Pinterest but gave it a go with modifications for a picnic I went on yesterday after church. As is, this pin needed some adjustments:
Original instructions:

"1 lb. crackers, I used 1/3 each of Cheese It's, Mini Club & Mini Saltines; then mix together 1 1/2 cup canola oil, 1 pk Ranch salad dressing mix and 2-3 Tablespoon crushed red peppers. Pour over crackers in a big airtight container, toss several times over a 1 hr period. I like best if made the day before. Will keep for a extended period of time in a airtight container. Do not refrigerate."

My modifications:
Modifications for "Indiana Fire Crackers":

In a large freezer bag, mix together a half box of Cheez-It's, half box of mini Saltines, and a half box of mini club crackers; add 2 Tbs. of crushed red pepper and 1 Tbs. of ground Thai chili peppers; add just 1/2 pack of ranch salad dressing mix. Toss with just a drizzle of grapeseed oil (about 1/4 cup of oil). Store in a clean freezer bag for up to three days.

The original recipe was way too oily (which made for soggy crackers), way too ranchy, and not spicy enough for me (granted, I like things hot!). Cutting the oil and ranch seasoning and subbing one tablespoon of red pepper for Thai chili was perfect! These were gobbled up at the picnic, and I made another batch that ended up being the perfect compliment to my tomato soup at dinner last night.
I plan to put a lot more pins to the test, including outfit inspirations and home decor. If you're interested in testing pins with me, let me know! I'd love to see your take on these Fire Crackers, too! I'm on Pinterest under Indiana. Let's mutually stalk each other there, okay?