Pecan Pie

Honestly?
I have never really cared for pecan pie.
Many may gasp, but I didn't grow up with it, and pecans were never my favorite.
Gimme peanuts and chocolate or ooooo...cashews...but pecans?
Not so much.

So when I took pie orders for Thanksgiving, I had to do a little research, and asked for Pecan Pie loving
TASTE TESTERS.
I had quite a few takers.

This pie got RAVE reviews.  I found it at a blog that I have always had wonderful luck with recipes
 "Gimme Some Oven" --  first off, what a clever name!  and when I read her post on this pie, it made my heart happy.  It was all about her grandma, this is her grandma's pie recipe.

I hope you enjoy it as much as the pecan pie lovers in my life did!

Pecan Pie

Gimme Some Oven

1 pie crust PRE-BAKED < --find how to here

1 cup sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 eggs beaten

1 stick of salted butter

2 cups pecans

Pre-bake your crust (click here for instructions)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees for pie.

In a medium bowl whisk together sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, salt and cinnamon.  Add eggs and whisk until smooth.

In a small saucepan, melt butter and heat for about 4-5 minutes, until butter becomes brown and fragrant.  Stir often.  Pour butter into the sugar mixture and whisk to combine.  Stir in pecan and pour into prepared crust.

Bake for 50-60 minute or until center is set.  If your crust edges begin to get too brown, you can remove pie and cover crust with foil.  I didn't have that problem with mine at all.

Cool pie on rack for 3-4 hours before slicing and serving.

Pumpkin Spice Muddy Buddies

I saw a recipe for these over a year ago on Pinterest, and I pinned it, thinking I would make them LAST year.

Well, all of the recipes that I found contained Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses.

So, for one second, allow me to vent about the fact that after Halloween, there is NOTHING fall in the candy aisle. EVERYTHING is Christmas.

It really chaps my chicken that we skip right over Thanksgiving anymore.

Maybe I don't WANT green and red M&M's for Thanksgiving??

Okay...I'll stop.

The guy that manages the grocery section at my Super Target did make me feel a tad bit better when he told me that they haven't been shipped Pumpkin Spice Kisses for a year.

Time to improvise.

I picked out the yellow, brown and orange M&M's from a regular package. 

(I guess because I am just that stubborn!)

I used about 1/4-1/2 cup was all, merely for color, they were so good, I didn't think it needed anything else!!

Pumpkin Spice Muddy Buddies

8 cups of Cinnamon Chex Cereal

6 squares of vanilla flavored Almond bark

4 Tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cups powdered sugar

3-4 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice (I used 4)

M&M's (optional)

Pour cereal in a big bowl.

In another bowl combine sugar and spices with a fork.

Melt almond bark in oil, in 30 second intervals, in your microwave. Stirring until smooth.

Pour over cereal and stir (gently) but well until completely covered.

Nutter Butter Acorns

We made these the last couple of years, I don't know why I never took pictures of them?

I think they are ADORABLE.

And 

so.darn.tempting.

They are so little you can just pop 'em in your mouth!

Perfect blend of peanut butter and chocolate.

I think you should make some of these up for the kids at Thanksgiving...

or anytime really?

NUTTER BUTTER Acorns

Taste of Home

1/2 cup chocolate chips, + 48 pieces

48 Mini Nutter Butter Cookies

48 Hershey Kisses, unwrapped

Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper.

Melt 1/2 cup of chocolate chips in the microwave.

Dip the flat end of the kiss in the melted chocolate and stick to one side of the Nutter Butter and place on the cookie sheet.

Place in refrigerator until set.

Do the same thing with the chocolate chips to make the "stem."

Put back in refrigerator to set completely.

Pop one in your mouth and say thanks!!

Sometimes it's ok to talk with your mouth full!

Pumpkin Dump Cake

I have seen this recipe on Pinterest so many times, and it just sounded too easy and too yummy not to try!!
A couple of weeks ago my husband and I had a group of friends we hang out with over for a pot luck of appetizers.
We had some cocktails and good conversation, and later, we enjoyed this yummy cake!



Pumpkin Dump Cake

cheater cheater pumpkin eater

1 - 15 ounce can pumpkin puree

1 - 12 ounce can of evaporated milk

3 eggs

4 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice

1 box spice cake mix

3/4 cup melted butter

1 1/2 cup chpped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease or spray a 9x13  baking dish with non-stick spray.

Combine in a mixing bowl: pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar and spice.

Spread into baking dish.

Sprinkle cake mix evenly over the top.

Drizzle with melted butter, top with nuts of desired.

Bake for 1 hour, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool.

Serve topped with whipped cream.

Two Ingredient Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Last year on Pinterest there was a picture going around how to make pumpkin muffins with a yellow cake mix and a can of pumpkin.

I pinned it right away.  That sounded too good to be true!!

This year as fall approaches, I saw it hit facebook again yesterday.

I asked the gal who posted it, if she had ever tried it.

She hadn't but another lady I know, posted that she had and that they were awesome!

She said, it's only better when you use a spice cake mix!

I LOVE Spice Cake and Pumpkin, and guess what I had BOTH items in my pantry!

I baked up a batch today...and Yum!!

They are super easy and super moist, and only have about 108 calories! (based on 16 muffins)

Two Ingredient Pumpkin Spice Muffins

1 box of Spice Cake Mix

1 - 15 ounce can of pumpkin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare 16 muffin tines with non-stick cooking spray or cupcake liners.

In a bowl, combine cake mix and pumpkin and stir until smooth and combined.

Divide between 16 muffin liners.

Bake 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool.

My Grandma's Stuffing

My Grandma Czaplewski always had Thanksgiving dinner.

When she passed away, a month after I gave birth to my first son, Spencer, we moved it to my Mom's, but the dinner stayed EXACTLY the same.

Every year, my Mom says " should I make something different? It's like the same 'ol same 'ol."

I always reply "NO!!"  

I am a creature of habit.  

It is a dinner that I look forward to every year, and I want it EXACTLY the same!!

I swear that last year, I took a photo of the stuffing with intentions of posting this year on my blog.

Can't find the darn picture ANYWHERE!!

So I guess, I will take one this year and add it after the fact.

*added after Thanksgiving 2012

Speaking of pictures, 

in this day and age, we take pictures of EVERYTHING!

I guess it's because, at the very least all (or most all) of us have a camera phone at our ready disposal.

I had to search to find a picture to share with you of my grandma and me to post on this entry! 

My favorite thing (next to the way it tastes!) about this recipe, 

is that it's one of the few recipes that I have that is in my Grandma's handwriting.

my grandma's recipe written for my recipe box YEARS ago!

As a scrapbooker, a person realizes the importance of handwriting.

It can't be duplicated, just like the person doing the writing cannot.

I spoke with my Mom last night, and shared the recipe that my Grandma wrote down for me some 25 years ago.  She has made some variations to the recipe, but strangely, it tastes the same to me?

So, I will share both of their versions with you today.

My husband, Brian, (then fiance) my Grandma and me, in 1991 at Easter

Grandma Czaplewski's Thanksgiving Stuffing

My Grandma's Version as it is written by her:

1 lb pork sausage

1 cup diced celery

1 cup minced onion

2 qts croutons (unseasoned)

1 tsp sage

2 Tbs snipped parsley

In a skillet over medium heat, cook sausage, sage, celery and onion together. About 10 minutes, or until sausage is cooked.

Add to bread crumbs and parsley.

Stuffs an 8# bird.

(I guess I make or use a little more croutons but still use the same amount of sausage and seasonings)

My Mom's version of the same:

Turkey giblets

2 lbs pork sausage

2 large packages Peppridge Farm bread crumbs (1 Herb Seasoned, 1 Country Style)

 

2 cups celery, divided

2 onions minced, divided

1 tsp sage

2 Tbs parsley

1 qt chicken broth, divided

i stick of butter, melted

Place giblets, 1 cup celery and 1 onion in a saucepan, pour half broth, half water just to cover.  Simmer on low for approximately one hour, or until giblets are tender.

Remove from heat.

Brown sausage with sage until cooked.

Chop turkey giblets until minced well. Reserve liquid to use when you are making your gravy.

Combine giblets, sausage, celery, onion, parsley with your bread crumbs.

Working with your hands, add  melted butter and small amounts of broth until dressing is moist, and forms into a ball.

Place in bird.

Bake your turkey until it is done, and enjoy the MOST AMAZING stuffing I have EVER had!!

Gobble til ya wobble, friends!!