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True or false: At Thanksgiving dinner you stuff your face and your belly so full that you can barely move.
True or false: You do this because the Thanksgiving feast is so insanely good.
True or false: After you’re incredibly stuffed, someone brings out the pie.
True or false: You usually eat a slice of pie but not as much as you’d like because you’re already about to bust at the seams.
True or false: Eating that piece of pie is painful at best and often straight-up torture.
True or false: The pie is one of the best things at Thanksgiving dinner and almost always one of the least appreciated as well.
True or false: There is an answer to all of this.
If you answered true for all of these, I actually have the answer for you! It’s called Pie Night and my family has been doing it for years.
Truth be told, it’s probably my favorite extended family tradition of the year.
And yes, you may steal it and add it into your family routine if you like. In fact, I’ll be overly offended if you don’t.
The way it works is this.
The Monday before Thanksgiving, everyone in the extended family gets together (that was last night) for Pie Night. Each family brings one or two or three or six pies. We display them all. We slice them all. And then we all dig in.
It’s as simple as that.
We do it because nobody ever has room for all the yummy pies on Thanksgiving Day. We do it because pie deserves more attention. We do it because baking pies is fun. And, we do it because pie is just… plain… good.
Oh, plus it’s how we all get to see each other every year since our families are all starting to spread to the wind.
This year, Noah and I made two pies. Both were strawberry pies, but we added an amazing (if I do say so myself) twist. We melted chocolate and “painted” the pie crusts with it. Then we stuck the strawberries into the chocolate before pouring our strawberry filling on top. We call it “chocolate-dipped strawberry pie.” And it turned out so good. We made one with white chocolate and one with milk chocolate. The recipe is on page two if you want it.
Of course, our pies were just two of many, all which were so much better than those typical every-year store-bought pies. All made with love. All from the heart.
And now I’m 2 lbs. heavier than the day before.
So there’s your answer. You can finally have your pie and eat it too.
Dan Pearce, Single Dad Laughing
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I am so making this!
Go Dan we'll support you in that effort!
In my family/friends, leftover pie is breakfast food after a holiday :)
Of course March 14th is Pi Day!
Those photos need captions. It's too hard to guess what kind of pies they are. Good idea, Heather.
You know, it's a shame to live with regrets... and right now I am totally regretting that I somehow missed Mom's rhubarb pie! ARGH. I hope there's still some in the fridge tomorrow (but it's not a very realistic hope...).
Pie night is the best family tradition ever. It just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without it! If anyone wants the recipe for the best pie ever -- aka Banoffee Pie, the one with the chocolate and toffee bits on top -- you can find it here:
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2012/06/banoffee-pie.html
Pi day is March 14th (3.14). We always celebrate with lots of yummy PIES! It's also my Dad's birthday so it's a great way to remember him as he always loved a good pie.
Mmmmm pie!!
I absolutely love this.
We have a pie night at my church after an hour of Christmas music. One of my favorite nights!
What a great tradition! My husband would love visiting your family - pie is his favorite food. :) Me? Not so much. I'll gladly eat the strawberry pie, though!Happy Thanksgiving, Dan. I hope you and the family have a wonderful holiday.
I love this. My family tradition is somewhat different. We serve one pie for Thanksgiving dinner... because you have to. However the day after Thanksgiving is Pie Day. In its inception after the breakfast dishes were done on Friday morning Mom started rolling pie crust and Grandpa started peeling apples. Between the two of them, they made 12 apple pies... which the family then ate at every opportunity all weekend long. I'm still working on reviving this tradition, as we've gotten away from it since my Granfather died.
Touched my soul!! Best memories of my childhood are with my family around the Holiday's. Such a fantastic thing and idea!!! Thanks for sharing.
Awesome Idea!!!! Love the real pictures of a real family, none of that martha stewart stiff holiday crap. Beautiful all the way around!
We have Pie Day at school :) All of the rooms bake pies and we have a "pie off" to see who has made the best pies. Lots of fun, and all the teachers get competetive, but in a fun spirit. The kids love it!
I love this tradition! Sorry I can't do it this year because Monday is already gone. But I'm going to plan a pie day some time in December 'cause I can't wait until the next Monday before Thanksgiving to try it. Thanks for sharing this Dan.
What a wonderful tradition, I just absolutely love it!
I want the recipes for all those pies! Since I am Canadian I don't have to worry about a big thanksgiving dinner on Thursday but maybe I should make some pie!
We've done pie night for the past 3 years. Best tradition ever
Very nice pies and very lovely tradition!! You guys have a wonderful holiday!
Oh yeah! My family would definitely have to add cheesecake! YUMmmmmmmmm
Thjat sounds great!
So let me get this straight, everyone comes over to eat dessert for dinner? Brilliant!
Yummo Chocolate Dipped Strawberry pie! This is a great idea! I think I'll incorporate it into our family's festivities next year! Thanks for the wonderful idea! Happy Thanksgiving!
Love the idea of Pie Night! Must incorporate into our family traditions or maybe just a friend tradition :)
We try to have a Pi Day Pie Potluck on March 14 (3.14) every year. MMmmm...pie!
This is an amazing tradition!
That's a great idea!
My family has done this for as long as I can remember but we do it the night before Thanksgiving, that way left overs are there for Thanksgiving night. :) it's a great tradition and maybe a big Mormon family thing.
My family does something similar, but we do it monthly. Once a month, every family brings a pie (My mom's family has 5 kids, and then there's 24 grandkids, a good portion of who are married). We've been doing for at least 10 years, so not everyone brings just pies anymore. It's more of a "Goodie Night" than a Pie Night. It's definitely a great tradition though!
That's fun! We always have pie for breakfast the next morning.
Coolest tradition ever!
I love your family! You have the best traditions.
I LOVE THIS IDEA. Fantastic. So Pinterest worthy.
Those pies look AWESOME! I could only identify a few of them by sight but some of the others just plain old made me hungry!!
Ugh. This would require me to see MORE of my DNA relatives. Something I try my best to limit. No pie night for this girl.
This is awesome! I will be stealing your tradition next year! Awesomeness!
Growing up it was just me and my dad and we always had apple pie for breakfast on Christmas morning. To this day, we still have the same breakfast. I mean, all those apples, it's practically a health food, right?!
KK
What an awesome idea! And yes, I'm stealing your recipe. Thanks from another single mom. :)
LOVE LOVE! Those pies in your pic looks soooo good!
Love, love, love this idea. Going to take your advice and start doing this! Thanks
That is an incredible idea!!! I hope to initiate this one.... and recipies are a wonderful bonus! Thanks! Single Mom to Single Dad.... LOL
what a BEAUTIFUL family you have Dan! and yes, I think I may steal this idea! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Best movie line ever: 'I like pie' ~ Andie McDowell in MICHAEL
throw in a shepherd's pie and a squash or broccoli pie and you have the whole dinner..
Wonderful tradition - STEALING!
PIE NIGHT! Ugh!!!! It is beyond brilliance!! Why. Have never thought of this?
Tracy, thanks for the heads up. Just added it. We used the Ghirardelli chips, though I'm sure almond bark would work great too.
We have a similar tradition for that exact same reason: PIE FOR BREAKFAST!
It's awesome! Thanksgiving and Christmas are the 2 days of the year it is OK to have pie for breakfast because of the over eating factor...
Feel free to steal or share as well!
Totally making the chocolate dipped strawberry pie tomorrow. Planning to somehow cross that recipe with this one's cream cheese filling.... http://athomebysteveposes.wordpress.com/2010/02/11/the-commissarys-strawberry-heart-tarts/