Stacey shares everything from her favorite kosher salt to what song to blast when it seems like nothing ELSE could go wrong in the kitchen...

HAVE GOOD TUNES PLAYING to set the vibe. I believe that how you feel gets baked into what you are making, and the people can taste it. So put your favorite music on, tie on that apron, LFG!

READ THE RECIPE. Read it multiple times. You know the carpentry saying, “Measure twice, cut once?” The same goes for recipe reading. Sometimes I read my own recipes seven times, just for luck.

MAKE SURE YOUR EGGS, BUTTER, AND CREAM CHEESE ARE AT ROOM TEMP. The only exception to this rule is when you are making crust. Keep that butter cold!

MISE EN PLACE! Have all your ingredients measured out and arranged in the order you need them, so you are ready to roll (hehe). Having ingredients measured and sorted can be time consuming but makes assembly so much easier. When you are in the thick of it, you are going to be so happy you already measured out that 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

KNOW YOUR INGREDIENTS. The sugar should be granulated, the salt is Diamond Crystal kosher salt, black pepper is freshly ground, the flour is all-purpose, and the eggs are large.

PREHEAT YOUR OVEN AND ADJUST THOSE RACKS! Almost every pie bakes on the center rack of the oven, it’s the perfect perch for your pie.

“Cover it in ice cream and carry on”

REMEMBER: MISTAKES HAPPEN. Not all your pies will come out incredible. At the end of the day, it is just pie. Cover it in ice cream and carry on.

ALWAYS BAKE YOUR PIES ON A BAKING SHEET. This will help prevent butter and fruit juices from dripping all over your oven and smoking up your kitchen, with you on a ladder waving a tea towel at the smoke detector. You can even line your baking sheet with parchment paper to make cleanup a breeze.

IF ALL ELSE FAILS, pour yourself a stiff drink, listen to “Atlantic City” by the Band twice while singing along loudly, and start again.

SAVOR EVERY BITE, you made a pie, that’s incredible! Enjoy the fruits of your labor and, better yet, share it with someone you love.