The World Needs More Pie

"Give a Piece a Chance." — Books. Blog. Pie Classes. And a Pinch of Activism.

Why We Blog

My friend Jill is a gorgeous, sassy, accomplished, articulate friend (and fellow pie baker) who asked my advice on her new blog. She was feeling insecure and deflated after her husband so generously offered his opinion. “My husband thinks blogging is a waste of time.” In fact, her husband feels so strongly, and so negatively, about this … Read more

Murals Make a Difference

My brother, Mike, is the coolest. He runs a non-profit business called Operation Clean Slate in Southern California, where he paints murals with school kids to fight graffiti. Or as he calls it, a “campus beautification program.” The premise is that kids — or taggers, as graffiti vandals are called — want recognition, even if … Read more

Pie: Agent of Change

My friends Stacy and James from Portland, Oregon visited me at the American Gothic House two weeks ago. It was my second weekend of business with the Pitchfork Pie Stand and immediately upon their arrival in Eldon I put them to work on the pie production line. They were naturals, falling in love with pie … Read more

Apple Pie on the 4th of July

Forget fireworks, sparklers, BBQs or even S’mores. This Fourth of July was all about pie! More accurately, it was about escaping the city to spare Team Terrier the terror of all those celebratory explosions. After attending a small, impromptu barbeque on July 3, and seeing my dogs cower with fear as the neighbor kids set … Read more

When Life Gives You Mud, Make Mud Pie!

It’s official. June 2010 now lays claim to the wettest June in Portland, Oregon’s history. And the month is only half over. I’m sick of the rain. Sick of the mud. And, in fact, I’m sick — with bronchitis. It’s no wonder! This time last year I was living in Terlingua, Texas where (sun-drenched) daytime … Read more

My Pie Memoir: Chapter One

I spent last summer in Texas working on my pie memoir. I was half way through it when Marcus died. The time stamp on my Word document shows the last day I worked on the manuscript was August 18, 2009, 6:04 pm. The next morning I got The Phone Call, telling me Marcus was gone. … Read more

A Birthday Card for Peter Schoenfeld

Dear Peter,Happy 50th Birthday! I hope you are eating some birthday cake pie to celebrate your special day. I’ve been meaning to tell you how impressed I was with your very first pie. Thanks for sending the pictures. Your rhubarb pie looks delicious and your food photography shows great promise too. And while I admire … Read more