Let Them Eat More Pie, Again

{Click here to skip the boring story and enter the contest to win a free pie. I just can’t believe you don’t want to read my sparkling prose though…}

Last week I delivered the pies to the winner of my contest’s staff meeting (they were also the lucky recipients of the leftovers from “Doughnut Pie” week). I should preface this with an explanation. When I first conceived of this contest my motivations were fairly simple: I thought it would be fun. Running the Summer of Pie blog generates way more baked goods than I can eat, even with a lot of willing help, and people seem to enjoy my baking, so, why not give some nice people free pie AND rid myself of some of the side effects of having a food blog AND get a fun story to tell? Win, win, win.

It wasn’t until I got there that I realized how completely bizarre this must look to people who aren’t me. Why would I, a random person, just make a pie for strangers? In fact, they asked me that. I would’ve asked me that after briefly wondering if I should ignore all my Mom’s childhood warnings and actually take sweets from a stranger. They were incredibly nice and welcoming, and I became increasingly intent on proving to them that I was mostly sane and the pies were edible. Did I mention that they gave me an awesome gift of a ton of homemade maple syrup and homegrown honey? (fantastic stuff, btw) And I left feeling assured that they didn’t think I was nuts, or, at least, thought I was nuts in the good, friendly way.

All-and-all it was one of the more surreal things I’ve voluntarily done (and that includes life drawing classes, which, if you haven’t been to one, are mighty surreal), and I had blast. So, I’m doing it again. Yup, let’s finish off the summer with one more contest.

The rules are mostly the same as last time. Entries must be submitted by August 30, 2011. And, because I’ve already written the names on little slips of paper, everyone who entered the first time is automatically entered this time! That’s two chances to have Iron Man pluck you out of gastronomic obscurity and send you straight into dessert fame! Good luck pie lovers! And I’m not crazy! Really!

“Let Them Eat Pie Too” Rules:

Simple. Submit your name and a way to contact you should you win to contests@summerofpie.com by August 30, 2011. Any entries received after then will be laughed at and fed to the cat. One entry per person. No made-up names or imaginary persons please. Imaginary winners will receive imaginary pies.

Selection of the winner:

The name of the winner will be picked from some container, probably a shoe box, into which all the qualifying entrants’ names have been placed, by the world’s most reliable randomizing agent: a six year old boy. We’ll tell him to close his eyes, but we can’t guarantee anything. The boy’s first selection will be final, and your chances of winning will be greatly enhanced by being either Tony Stark and/or Thor, God of Thunder.

The winner will then be contacted to determine the date, time and location of the grand prize delivery. The winner will also have a chance to specify any food allergies or aversions (like brussel sprouts — gross) at that time.

The winner must be willing to have their name (first only if preferred) and picture (with or without coworkers, masks optional) appear in an entry on the Summer of Pie official blog.

Grand Prize:

One Official “Summer of Pie” Pie delivered to your workplace* for the enjoyment of you and your forever grateful coworkers and/or friends. The winner will be allowed pick one of the “sweet” pies I’ve already made from the blog, with the exception of the Capownie and ice cream pies, as the first is way too time consuming to make and the second, too melty.

*The winner’s workplace must be located within the greater Madison, WI area (including Middleton, Fitchburg, Verona, Sun Prairie, Mount Horeb, Mazomanie, Oregon, Deforest, and Waunakee) to qualify for delivery. You are welcome to enter if you work outside of these areas, but will have to arrange to pick up the pie yourself should you win. The Summer of Pie isn’t made of money and gas is outrageously expensive.

Second Prize:

There isn’t any. You want a second prize, have your own contest.

Legalese:

The Summer of Pie (me) is not responsible for any adverse reactions to the pie or anything that happens after the pie is delivered. We guarantee a severely fresh pie, free of any previously specified allergens. You don’t like it? Too bad. You dropped it? Then you didn’t respect it enough to be careful and don’t deserve it. A coworker stabs another coworker with a spork in an attempt to steal their piece? You should contact your HR department immediately.

That’s it. How easy is that?! Enter today!!