Pies-R-Us

In honor of Pi Day I am indulging in an ode to pies. I LOVE baking pies. Unfortunately I love eating pies as well so they don't make an appearance in my kitchen often. Many people seem to be intimidated of the pie-making process, which I attribute largely to the crust portion of the ordeal. Homemade pie crust is one of the best things in the world, so if you have the time, go for it instead of going with the store-bought crust. After all, it doesn't really matter how perfect your pie looks - it matters how it tastes! Below is my tried and true pie crust recipe. (Which by my I mean my mother's, and by mother's I mean whoever she took it from. Ah the glory of family recipes!) Baking may be difficult at time but I'm a big believer in instructions. If you follow the recipe it will turn out. If you don't it may not. And that is why my husband isn't allowed to bake. Well, the lack of instruction-following attitude and his tendency to throw in random ingredients. He once made me a dirty orange martini - don't ask.

If you want a delicious tasting pie but need to know it will actually be delicious and won't take an entire day to bake check out Real Simple. Like many women I believe Real Simple has an answer for everything. And for you more adventurous bakers look to Tasting Table for inspiration. This savory spin on an apple pie may make me lift my pie ban in our kitchen.

Or if you don't want an entire pie jump on the pie pop bandwagon. You can buy a pie pop maker or try making them by hand. Here are some great tips and and a yummy recipe courtesy of South By San Francisco.

The Apple Pi

And for those who hoped for something related to math or general geekery on this fine holiday - I'm sorry. That is just not my forte. But here is a joke courtesy of my husband:
What do you get when you cut a jack o'lantern by its diameter? A pumpkin pi!

Pie Crust:
2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shortening
1/3 cup ice cold water


Combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resemble coarse crumbs. Stir in water until mixture forms a ball. Divide dough in half, and shape into balls. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Roll out on a floured counter and use as directed in pie recipe. 

Slapping it On

One of my favorite accessories is my iPod nano. That's right, I said accessories. Yes the nano is amazing on the go and especially for running. Of course lately the Nike run history is just making me feel guilty that I haven't been out more. But the BEST part of the nano is the watch feature. I wear mine nearly every day. For one thing it is really cute. For another, I can switch the watch face to match my mood, the occasion or my outfit. But mainly it is filled with my favorite pictures so throughout the day I can look down and see something that makes me laugh.

I wanted the option of wearing my nano in professional settings so I went with the Hex leather band. It is not as daring and fun as some of the others but the black band goes with just about everything while still being understated. Well, as understated as a watch can be with a giant square face that is. Of course the options are really endless with the bands. And if you go with the bolder colors you can get a few to mix and match with your favorite shoes or purses. They are even making bands based off of slap bracelets if you really want to get crazy. (Of course it's great for guys to wear them as well, but the women are really going to have more fun with this.)

And if you enjoy wearing your Apple pride on your sleeve you may want to check out Mohzy. They have designer iPod/iPhone cable "loops" which end up being awesome bracelets. I may have invested in a few versions if I didn't have so many cables stashed around the house. (The joys of living with a geek - I find a new cable hidden away nearly every day, but at least I know what the Apple cables are for.) But this product would be great for students or someone always on the go. It is also ideal when traveling so you'll never be stranded with a phone running on empty.

Clutching On

Apple has become a part of all facets of everyday life, even fashion. Last weekend I saw a gorgeous leather Hobo clutch complete with an iPhone cut out to showcase the specially designed smartphone sleeve. It seems every woman is like me, trying to figure out how to keep the phone within reach without taking away from the outfit. This obviously is more of an issue at night, especially on a date. You want to look killer but if the date is horrible you need to text your girlfriends his ridiculous soundbites, or take your turn at Words.

I've seen several good versions of the iPhone clutch, which is really just a glorified case-wallet combination. The glitziest is definitely Michael Kors, with the most elegant version belonging to Kate Spade. (I doubt anyone is surprised by that.) My favorite is actually the Hex version. It is much closer to a case than a clutch, but it holds my phone, ID and credit card for a quick trip to the store or to slip in my husband's pocket when going out. All of these are conveniently available in Apple's Corporate Store for a quick side by side. No matter which version you find, it will be a life saver when standing in line at a club. We've all been the girl fumbling through her bag looking for her ID long after her group has gone inside. Don't be that girl.