The math department is planning a Pi Day celebration for March 14, “’’cause it’s awesome,” as calculus teacher Angie Ellis said.

The goal is to provide a slice of pie for every student in a math class, so the math department is asking for donations. If you want to provide one or more pies, email Steven Stefanick at [email protected] with the type and number of pies. Pies should contain no peanuts or tree nuts.

Talk to financial secretary Carmie Russell to purchase a Pi Day shirt for ten dollars, with the chance to throw a pie into Ellis’s or Stefanick’s face.

Store bought pies are fine, but in case you are in need of some homemade inspiration, here are a few nut-free pie recipes:

Ms. Whitney’s Apple Pie Recipe:

8-10 thinly sliced and cored baking apples                             1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2⁄3 to 3/4 cups sugar                                                                      2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons flour for counter                                                 1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon cinnamon                                                                    Pastry for 2 crust pie

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Line pie plate with half of pie crust. Add the lemon juice and zest to the apples. Combine sugar and spices. Put half of the apples in crust and sprinkle half of the sugar mix over it. Add other half of apples and sugar, then dot with butter. Cut design in the top crust and lay over the filling. Trim edges, then fold and pinch them together. Brush the top of the pie (not edges) lightly with milk. Bake at 425⁰F 40-50 minutes.

Betty Crocker Apple-Sour Cream Pie

Pastry for 9-inch One-Crust Pie

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup dairy sour cream

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 egg

2 cups chopped pared tart apples (about 2 medium)

Brown Sugar Topping (below)

Heat oven to 375⁰F. Prepare pastry. Mix sugar, flour and salt. Beat in sour cream, vanilla, cinnamon and egg with fork until smooth. Stir in apples. Pour into pastry-lined plate. Bake until center is set, about 45 minutes.

Sprinkle Brown Sugar Topping over pie; bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. 8 servings; 390 calories per serving.

Brown Sugar Topping

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons firm margarine or butter

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Mix all ingredients until crumbly.

Here is an easy pudding pie recipe from kraftrecipes.com:

Chocolate Pudding Pie

1 pkg.  (3.9 oz.) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding

1-1/2 cups  cold milk

1 OREO Pie Crust (6 oz.)

2 cups  thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, divided

BEAT pudding mix and milk with whisk 2 min.; spoon half into crust.

STIR 1 cup COOL WHIP into remaining pudding; spoon over pudding layer in crust.

TOP with remaining COOL WHIP. Refrigerate 3 hours.

Here are a few video recipes from Chef John at foodwishes.com:

http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2009/11/classic-american-apple-pie-warning-this.html

http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2012/07/shes-not-my-cherry-pie-shes-our-cherry.html

http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2010/03/easy-homemade-pie-crust-now-with-50.html

Happy baking!