The 12th Annual Great American Pie Festival

Maniac Monday: Girl Vs. Pie

What better way to kick my birthday week into full swing than with an unlimited pie buffet? Having lived in Orlando for over 3 years now, I do not know why this was only the first time I had been. Prior to putting it on my calendar, I registered for a 5K put on by some neighborhood friends. Endless pie was the perfect incentive for making this a strong run!

Starting with a classic

I took a slow and steady approach since I wanted to sample every single slice pie. Blueberry pie started me off, and its smooth texture with the rich taste of flavor-packed blueberries inside a soft pie crust was definitely a great way to begin! Next came a delicious slice of German Chocolate pie which had a mild chocolate taste and featured a crunchy bottom crust. The classic Pecan pie followed and was, as always, an explosion of sweetness in my mouth. French Silk followed with a delicate, creamy chocolate filling topped with light whipped cream. After all of that richness, a burst of fruitiness was needed, and what better way to satisfy that than with a tart and pudding-like Lemon? Continuing with the fruitiness (or what I like to call "healthier" desserts) came a Raspberry-Peach gelatin-like pie with the flavors enveloped in a double crust. I was ready for a slice of classic-ness after those unique pies, and Cherry pie seemed like the best choice; however, this pie surprised me and was very fluffy with the cherry flavor being a whipped consistency (this was my Dad's favorite!). I was excited to try the Coconut pie but am sorry to say that it was jam-packed with coconut, almost to the point where it seemed as though that was the only ingredient on top of the crust. My next slice of Banana-Cream pie took me back to my childhood with the yummy, distinct taste of the banana-flavored popsicles that would come 2 connected to each other. I was ready for a taste of Thanksgiving considering that we will not see Pumpkin pie for another 6 months, and it was perfectly spiced and had me convinced there was a turkey somewhere. Lemon Meringue was at the next stop and was very different than the previous Lemon pie I had earlier, and I owe the difference to the meringue on top with its perfect creamy compliment to the tart lemon (since there was no Key Lime pie, this was Seth's favorite!). I was hesitant to try another Coconut inspired slice, but the Pineapple Coconut gave the pie the perfect consistency and blended flavors than any of the other multi-flavored pies. It does not get much more classic than Apple pie, and although there was no trace of chocolate, it was the one slice that I did not want to end. The Raspberry Lemonade slice came at the right time as the sun was getting to us, and its refreshing taste was just what was needed to bear the heat. Dulce de Leche pie won me over near the end and gave me the energy to want to start doing the Tango down the street.  Just as we were about to head to the next table, the vendor sneaked out a few slices of Irish Creme pie which had a noticeable hint of Bailey's in it (this was my Mom's favorite!). Can I get a drum roll please? My favorite pie of the entire festival was... PEANUT BUTTER PIE! The cool temperature, the rich peanut butter taste, and the creamy texture was the perfect combination for me to sneak back to the tent for another slice regardless of the fact that I had eaten so many slices of pie thus far. Considering that all of the pies had now been sampled that were out at the time, Girl definitely won against Sweets in the first official Girl Vs. Sweets Challenge!

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There was a Pie Eating Contest where participants were given 60 seconds to eat as of the Dutch Apple Oatmeal Raisin pie in front of them without using their hands. Although I could have probably eaten the entire pie, speed is not my forte. I like to enjoy every bite and experience all of the flavors, but it was very entertaining watching these guys and gals eat their hearts out before the timer went off! We missed the kid contest, but I hear that they had Chocolate Cream pie instead (were they trying to tell the adults something with their "healthy" selection?). There was also an Iron Pie Chef Contest where participants had 15 minutes to make a delicious pie with the ingredients given. My favorite side event was the Duncan Hines' Frosting Challenge which involved finding all 12 of the frosting flavor packs throughout the event, and when you were finished a plain frosting tub was given to you so you could make whatever flavor frosting you would like from the packets you collected!

So many options...

I drank a lot of water as the day progressed to keep my metabolism going and to hydrate my body after all of the rich slices of pie. The following day was full of fruit (the actual fruit, not stuffed into a pie), spinach salad, yogurt, and carrot sticks. If my body could talk, I am sure it would have been saying "Thank you for putting nutrients into my body after what you did to me yesterday!". 

I owe my sweet tooth and love of food to them :)

Thank you, Great American Pie Festival, for a wonderful first experience (I wish they handed out 1st Visit buttons like Disney!) and for kicking off my sweet quest. I will see you again next year! 

My Enabler <3

The 12th Annual Great American Pie Festival