Crepes Islandaise

It's finally here! After waiting for nearly a year after that heart-wrenching season 3 finale, season 4 of Downton Abbey is here! I won't say what happened at the end of the last season, in case some of you haven't watched the show yet or haven't caught up...but I will tell you it ended with me curled up in a ball with a bunch of Kleenex ugly crying. I was sobbing and whaling at only pitches that dogs could understand. The only other time I've ugly cried while watching a television show is during the season 5 finale of Grey's Anatomy. Those television writers just know how get you invested in characters in then just rip them away.

Despite how the last season ended, I am extremely excited to see how season 4 plays out. I heard that they are jumping ahead a few years from where season 3 left off, so that will be interesting to see how things at Downton Abbey have progressed and how the characters have moved on. What is going on with Anna and Mr. Bates? Branson? Baby Sybil? Thomas? Lady Edith? Mrs. Hughes? Ahhh I can't wait! 

Tonight we will find out, and in the meantime I'm celebrating the beginning of season 4 with an English royal breakfast inspired by Downton Abbey. Whenever I'm in need of something fantastic, fancy or feel like eating like the royals do, I grab my trusty cookbook, Eating Royally by Darren McGrady (Princess Diana's personal chef). This book always finds me something simply fabulous to make and impress my husband. From this book I found this recipe for Crepes Islandaise. According to the book, the Duke of Edinburgh was served this dish on a state visit to Iceland. He enjoyed it so much that he asked for the recipe and royal chefs have been making these crepes ever since (McGrady, 2007). I thought it would be fun to get out the fancy wedding china and make this elegant breakfast in anticipation for Downton Abbey tonight!

Crepes Islandaise
{Serves 6}

-1 cup All-Purpose Flour
-1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
-1/4 teaspoon Salt
-1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
-3 Eggs
-2-1/2 cups Milk
-1 teaspoon Vanilla Paste
-1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted
-1/4 cup seedless Raspberry Jam
-1 cup Heavy Cream, whipped
-2 tablespoons Powdered Sugar, for dusting

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and soda into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, milk and vanilla paste. Add the egg and milk mixture to the dry ingredients, and stir until combined.

Add the melted butter a little at a time to an 8-inch crepe pan or frying pan, and heat over high heat. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the batter into the pan, and allow it to spread and set. Flip the crepe over to cook the other side, and when done, remove it to a plate to cool slightly. This whole process should take less than a minute. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

Spread the jam over the top of each pancake, and add a spoonful of whipped cream. Fold the pancake in half twice so that you have a neat triangle, and dust with the powdered sugar. Serve immediately.

Recipe & Instructions by: Darren McGrady of Eating Royally 

Other wonderful bloggers are celebrating the start of Downton Abbey Season 4 as well! 

 

Make sure to check out these other Downton Abbey inspired dishes and join us for the fun Twitter live chat tonight at 9pm EST! #DowntonBlogParty

Bakeaholic Mama - Raspberry Meringue Pudding 

A Brown Table - Black Peppercorn and Orange Steamed Pudding

Susie Freaking Homemaker - Cranberry Orange Scones

Healthy Seasonal Recipes - Mini Beef Wellington Pot Pies

Healthy Delicious - Crumpets with Strawberry Balsamic Jam

The Realistic Nutritionist - Yorkshire Puddings
Cooking with Books - Strawberry Vanilla Bean Eton Mess

{Plus a Downton Abbey Giveaway!}
Sponsored by Bakeaholic Mama :)
 

 

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French Toast Pigs In A Blanket

It's officially 2014! Happy New Year! Hard to believe 2013 has come and gone already. Did you make any goals or resolutions for 2014? I know I did! I going to try to be better about remembering family birthdays and send out birthday cards or something along those lines. To me, a quick Facebook message just doesn't cut it. Sending a card shows someone you care and took effort into thinking of them, which I think is really special. As technology advances, I believe we lose sight of some of the more meaningful things in life, like recognizing someone's birthday. Another thing I plan to do is to put more effort into celebrating holidays. With being in college and being away for nursing school, I was really bummed that I didn't get to do the fun things like carve a pumpkin or decorate a gingerbread house. 2014 is going to be the year of celebrating the special days in life!

Although, I have to say, 2014 has a lot to hold up to when compared to last year. In the past year Dusty and I have both completed our second college degrees. WOO! No more school! We also had a big move to the country due to Dusty also starting a new job. Plus we got married, went on a honeymoon and got this fur baby....

I couldn't imagine my life without this pup and if you told me this time last New Year's Day I'd be the mama to a monster 90 pound pup like this one, I wouldn't have believed you! Duke has officially become my sous chef. He is either laying on the floor besides me hoping I'll drop something or standing right beside me trying to sniff everything. Just like his mama, he has a deep appreciation for good food. You should have seen him going nuts when I was making this fun breakfast. The smell of sausage was making him go crazy!

Dusty absolutely loves pigs in a blanket for a quick dinner. Just grab some hot dogs and a can of croissant dough from the grocery store and you are good to go! I thought this would be a fun twist that could be enjoyed for breakfast we would both enjoy. Plus, what a great breakfast item to make for a kids slumber party the next morning or a brunch/breakfast gathering! They are super easy to make and you can make as little or as many as you want. If you love french toast and you love sausage (who doesn't???), you will love these French Toast Pigs In A Blanket!

French Toast Pigs In A Blanket
{Makes 8}

-8 Pork Maple Breakfast Sausage Links
-4 Eggs
-1/2 cup Milk
-2 tbsp Sugar
-1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon
-Pinch of Salt
-4 slices of White Bread
-1 tbsp Butter
-Powdered Sugar & Maple Syrup, for serving

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicon mat, and place the sausage links on the baking sheet. Bake the sausages until lightly browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon and salt together. Cut the crust off the 4 slices of bread and trim each slice into two 2x4 rectangles. Using your fingers, slightly flatten the bread and then roll each pieces of bread around a breakfast sausage, pinching or pressing to firmly sealing at the end. Transfer the sausages to the egg mixture and soak them for 2 minutes.

On an electric griddle or skillet, melt the tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the pigs in a blanket and cook for about 5 minutes. Turn the sausages intermittently to make sure all sides of the pigs in a blanket are cooked through. Serve with powdered sugar and warmed maple syrup. Enjoy!

*If making larger quantities, make sure to cook these in batches. Decrease the oven temperature to 200 degrees (F) and place each batch on a baking sheet in the oven to keep warm. 

Recipe Inspired & Adapted from: Food Network

Spicy BBQ Pork Wontons

Ever since I started my blog and Dusty and I have been living together, he has been trying to convince me that we need a deep-fat fryer. I never bought into the idea because I was worried that if we would have a deep-fat fryer we would go back to the old ways of eating nothing but chicken nuggets and fish sticks, and becoming oily greasy people with extremely high cholesterol.

After 4 years, I finally caved in and asked my mom for a deep-fat fryer for Christmas because I knew how much Dusty would enjoy it. A couple of days ago I took it out of the box and gave my fryer a test run with these Spicy BBQ Pork Wonton and I hate to say it, but I'm in love.

After only two minutes of being in the fryer, these little crispy wontons came out beautifully golden brown and cooked perfectly! Dusty took one bite, looked at me and said, "I bet you are sorry we didn't get one sooner, huh?"

Darn him for being right!

Instead of making a huge mess and struggling with oil temperatures, my fryer does all the work for me! I don't plan on getting out the chicken nuggets and fish sticks anytime soon, but for the occasional homemade eggroll, wonton or doughnut every once in a while, I'll gladly use this bad boy.

 

These crispy Spicy BBQ Pork Wontons are a fun new variation of my original BBQ Venison Wontons. Dusty hasn't hunted in a few years, so I don't have easy access to venison and I'm guessing many people don't as well. I love the use of the spicy breakfast pork sausage...it adds the right amount of heat and zip without being too much to handle. Serve these as an appetizer at your next party (hint. hint. New Years Eve or Super Bowl!) and everyone will tell you how fabulous you are...I promise!

 

 

Spicy BBQ Pork Wontons

{Makes Approximately 16 Wontons}

 

-14 to 16 Wonton Wrappers

-1/2 pound Spicy Breakfast Pork Sausage

-1/4 cup chopped Green Onion

-2 cloves minced Garlic

-3 tbsp of BBQ Sauce

-1 tsp dried minced Onion

-1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika

-1/4 tsp Sugar

-1 tsp Dijon Mustard

-Dash of Salt/Pepper to taste

-1 Egg, lightly beaten

-Canola or Vegetable Oil, for frying

 

Combine all the ingredients (except the wonton wrappers) in a bowl and stir to combine. Lay the wonton wrappers out, 4 at a time, and brush the edges with the lightly beaten egg. Place a heaping teaspoon of BBQ pork mixture in the center of the wonton wrapper.

 

Take two opposite corners of the wonton wrapper, bring them together and pinch to seal. Then bring the other two corners of the wonton wrapper to the center, pinch and slightly twist the top. Repeat with the rest of the wonton wrappers.

 

Once the wontons have been assembled, heat the oil to 350 degrees (F) in a deep-fat fryer or large dutch oven. Place half of the wontons (8) in the oil and cook for 2-3 minutes until golden brown, turning halfway. Drain the wontons on a paper towel. Repeat with the other half of the wontons. Serve with BBQ sauce.



Mele Kelikimaka! {Our Honeymoon}

Aloha! Dusty and I are back from our relaxing and fun-filled honeymoon where we spent 10 glorious days in Maui. After having an extremely stressful last semester  finishing up nursing school and having to be apart from one another, this trip was much needed and appreciated.

Our honeymoon was spent staying at the fabulous Grand Wailea resort. A picturesque resort located on the south end of Maui with the most amazing white sand beach and home to two exquisite restaurants that are a foodies dream come true. On our honeymoon, Dusty and I had three goals....1) Relax. 2) Spend as much time on the beach as possible. 3) Eat amazing food.

All three of these goals were easily accomplished and I want to share with you all of our Maui favorites for the ultimate foodie honeymoon vacation....

Hula Cookies
On our second day in Maui, Dusty and I spent the morning hiking the Iao Valley and then touring the Maui Ocean Center. After visiting the aquarium, we stumbled upon Hula Cookies. They had flavors such as "Hula's Delight" which had coconut, mac nut, mango and pineapple in sugar cookie as well as Kona Coffee Chocolate  Chip, Chocolate Chip Mac Nut, Honey Papaya Oatmeal, and Chocolate Coconut Cookies. The cookies were so dang good that Dusty and I might have visited twice!

Amasia
One of the restaurants at the Grand Wailea is Alan Wong's Amasia. It was voted "Best New Restaurant" on Maui for a reason....it was truly a special culinary experience. Because it was our honeymoon, Dusty and I were given special seating next to a waterfall in the restaurant and given a complimentary bottle of champagne to celebrate the occasion. The staff at Amasia went above and beyond to make us feel special and it was a meal I know Dusty and I will never forget.

Along with our champagne, Dusty and I enjoyed an unforgettable 5-course dinner that was out of this world amazing. The best part....it was BOGO as in buy one 5-course meal and get one free. Score! Our 5-course  meal included:

First Course

Chopped Ahi Sashimi, Avocado Salsa Stack, Won Ton, Soy Wasabi

Second Course

"California" - Alaskan King Crab, Avocado, Flying Fish Roe, Cucumber

"Spicy Ahi" - Spicy Ahi, Ko Choo Jang Miso, Crispy Potatoes, Green Onion

"Tiradito," Hanaoka Farms Passion Fruit Ceviche Sauce

Third Course

Beef Tenderloin Skewer, Honey Mustard Foie Gras Coulis, Moromi Miso 

Fourth Course

Soy Braised Short Rib, Ko Choo Jang Sauce 

Seafood Wonton, Black Bean Lemongrass Chili Veloute

Garlic Shrimp

Dessert

Maui Gold "Pineapple Shave Ice" of Hawaiian Vanilla Panna Cotta, Lilikoi Sauce, Haupia Sorbet, Coconut

Ululani's Hawaiian Shaved Ice

This place was actually Dusty and my favorite foodie find in all of Maui. I kept reading on Trip Advisor that this place was ranked #1 and I didn't understand how a shaved ice place could beat out all the high-end restaurants on the island. Once Dusty and I shared our first shaved ice containing the flavors mango, coconut and lilikoi...we were sold. We came back to Ululani's 4 times during our stay and almost filled out our punch-card to get one free. Yes, it is that good! My favorite combination was the combination of mango, passion fruit, coconut with a "snow cap" and coconut ice cream in the base of the shaved ice. INSANELY DELICIOUS and a meal in itself. This is the place I'm going to miss the most in all of Maui. Do you think they would open an Ululani's in Montana???? 

Pita Paradise
One thing Dusty and I quickly learned was that eating at a resort is ridiculously expensive. Therefore we sought out local restaurants to save on cost and experience different cuisines. Located in Wailea just a mile or so from the resort, this Mediterranean themed restaurant was an awesome find. The owner goes fishing each morning and brings his catch-of-the-day to the chef. Since ahi tuna was the fresh catch that day, Dusty enjoyed an ahi tuna sandwich and I had the best ahi tuna greek salad I've ever consumed. It's my mission to recreate the salad dressing!
Tip: If you check in on Yelp, they give you a free appetizer! We got to enjoy pita crisps with some of the best freshly made hummus as an appetizer for free.

Kihei Caffe
The best breakfast in Maui! Located in Kihei in what seems to be some hole-in-the-wall restaurant, this small outdoor cafe packs a lot of punch! Dusty and I spent almost every morning enjoying breakfast here trying as many different menu items as possible. My favorite thing was the French Toast. It was made with hawaiian sweet bread and topped with coconut and fresh pineapple. It was even more delicious with coconut syrup! The other thing Dusty and I both had to eat on our trip was the local favorite: the Loco Moco. Rice with a fried egg, beef patty and gravy will fill you up and make you not need to eat for the entire day. So good. YUM!

Da Kitchen
Another Kihei foodie find! Dusty and I found this local hawaiian food establishment thanks to a tip given to me from one of the nurses I use to work with in Billings. She told me that the food is ah-mazing and they give you so much food you can share one serving between two people and she was right! Teriyaki Chicken, Kalua Pork, Rice and Potato-Mac Salad for $12...heck yes! We ate here twice because we loved the local hawaiian cuisine so much. Absolutely the best teriyaki chicken I've ever had in my entire life!

Mama's Fish House
One of the coolest restaurants we have ever been to ever! Located on it's own private beach, you feel like you are eating inside the Swiss Family Robinson's tree house while having the most insanely fresh and delicious seafood of your life. This place is one of a kind and a must see! The server told us they have to print the menu twice a day because the menu changes so quickly depending on what fish is delivered throughout the day by local fisherman...something I absolutely love about Hawaii! For lunch Dusty and I split Papa's Three Fish Sashimi which included Ono with Haiku orange, olive oil and Molokai pink sea salt; Ahi with ponzu, baby red shiso and Big Island citrus pearls; and Opakapaka with lilikoi, Hawaiian chili pepper and “Hawaii Kai” brand black sea salt. For dessert we had to try the famous Polynesian Black Pearl. I had seen it featured on Food Network and was dying to try it. Possibly the most gorgeous dessert I've ever enjoyed. It was a liliko’i chocolate mousse in a pastry seashell that was so rich, tart and perfect in every way. If you go to Maui, you must go to Mama's Fish House!

Hali'imaile General Store
On one of the last days of our honeymoon Dusty and I made a trip up to Maui's Upcountry. We stumbled upon this spectacular restaurant and enjoyed a fabulous and extremely tasty lunch. We started our lunch off with Bev's Famous Crab Pizza. Rich, crunchy, creamy and oh-so delicious. Fresh crab is insanely good and on top of pizza....YUM! For lunch I had the Sashimi Napoleon which consists of crispy wontons layered between smoked salmon, ahi tartar and sashimi with a wasabi vinaigrette. When the server brought it out to me I couldn't believe how beautiful it was. He said the only way to eat it was to cut it up and mix it all together which is a bummer because it's such a work of culinary art. I couldn't decide if I should eat it or just look at it. I decided to eat it and I'm so glad I did! One of my favorite lunches I enjoyed on the island and a must try!

The next time you go to Maui, you have got to put these places on your list of places to eat. I promise you won't be sorry and you will enjoy every foodie experience and tasty bite! 

Baking A Difference: Cinnamon Swirl Bread {Giveaway}



Because I just finished finals and graduated nursing school....

Because I'm home with my husband and puppy forever....

Because Christmas is only 13 days away....



Because I'm leaving with my husband for our honeymoon today....

Because I love baking and all things bread....

 

Because I haven't done a giveaway in forever...

AND BECAUSE YOU ARE ALL THE BEST.....

I'm hosting the ULTIMATE BREAD LOVERS BAKING GIVEAWAY thanks to Fleischmann's & Karo Syrup. I'm also going to share a fabulous twist on Fleischmann's Beginners White Bread, by turning it into one of my all time favorites....Cinnamon Swirl Bread!

This year Fleischmann’s® Yeast, Fleischmann’s® Simply Homemade® Baking Mixes and Karo® Syrup – trusted baking products that have helped people create beautiful homemade bread, baked goods and delicious desserts for more than 100 years – are launching the Baking A Difference campaign to benefit Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry® campaign to help end childhood hunger in America through the power of baking.

In addition to donating a total of $450,000 to the No Kid Hungry campaign, Fleischmann’s® Yeast, Fleischmann’s® Simply Homemade® Baking Mixes and Karo® Syrup will encourage aspiring bakers, passionate foodies, and established chefs across the country to bake a difference. Baking can now help children across the country get the nutritious food they need every day.

Fleischmann’s® Yeast, Fleischmann’s® Simply Homemade® Baking Mixes and Karo® Syrup are calling all bakers to bake for a cause. If you like to mix up treats in the kitchen, then we challenge you to bake for someone you love and bake a difference. Inspire family, friends, teachers, neighbors and others to get involved in the Baking A Difference campaign and Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign. Collectively, we can all harness the power of baking recipes and bake a difference together to end child hunger in America.

Thanks to Fleishmann's and Karo Syrup, one of you is going to win the ULTIMATE BREAD LOVERS BAKING GIVEAWAY to help you Bake a Difference!

 The Giveaway includes:

-(1) Sur la Table Nonstick Mini Loaf Pan

-(1) Syliss Bread Knife

-(1) Madeira Paddle Board

-(1) Set of 3 Fleischmann's RapidRise Yeast Packets

-(1) Set of 3 Fleischmann's Pizza Crust Yeast Packets

-(1) Set of 3 Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast Packets

- (1) Fleischmann's Simply Homemade Pretzel Creations Baking Mix

- (1) Fleischmann's Simply Homemade Multi-Grain No Knead Bread Mix

- (1) Fleischmann's Simply Homemade Stoneground No Knead Bread Mix

- (1) Fleischmann's Simply Homemade Italian Herb No Knead Bread Mix

- (1) Fleischmann's Simply Homemade Country White No Knead Bread Mix

- (1) 16 fluid ounce bottle of Karo Light Corn Syrup

-(1) 16 fluid ounce bottle of Karo Dark Corn Syrup 

To Enter: 

Tell me what is your favorite thing to bake during the holiday season?

Additional Enteries:

-Follow The Girly Girl Cooks on Facebook

-Follow The Girly Girl Cooks on Twitter

-Follow The Girly Girl Cooks on Pinterest

-Follow Fleischmann's Simply Homemade on Facebook

-Follow Karo Syrup on Facebook

Good luck! 

Fine Print: This giveaway ends on Monday, December 23rd at midnight. The winner will be randomly selected and emailed being notified that they have won. The winner has 48 hours to claim their prize, otherwise another winner will be selected. This giveaway was sponsored and provided by Fleischmann's and Karo Syrup for the Share Our Strenth's No Kid Hungry Campaign. I was compensated for this giveaway, but all thoughts and opinions are my own. Unfortunately, this giveaway is open to US residents only. 

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

{Makes 2 Loaves}

-4-3/4 to 5-1/4 cups All Purpose Flour

-1 package Fleischmann's RapidRise Yeast

-1-1/3 Whole Milk

-3 tablespoons Sugar

-3 tablespoons Butter

-1/2 teaspoon Salt

-2 Eggs

-3/4 cup Sugar

-3 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F). Lightly grease two 8x4x2 inch loaf pans. 

Combine 2 cups flour and  undissolved yeast in a mixer. In a saucepan, heat the milk, 3 tablespoons sugar, butter and salt until very warm (120-130 degrees F); stir into flour mixture along with 2 eggs. Beat for 30 seconds at medium speed of mixer while scraping the bowl occasionally. Then beat at high speed for an additional 3 minutes, continuing to scrape the bowl occasionally. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as possible.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball, place in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease the surface of the dough. Cover and let rise for 10 minutes. Punch dough down and divide the dough in half. Cover and let it rest again for 10 minutes. 

On a lightly floured surface, roll each dough half into a 12x7 inch rectangle. Brush the surface lightly with water. Combine 3/4 cup sugar and 3 teaspoons of ground cinnamon; sprinkle half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture over each rectangle. Beginning at the short end of each rectangle, roll up the dough up tightly. Pinch the seam and ends to seal. Place the loaf, seam side down, into the greased loaf pans. Cover and let the loaves rise in a warm place until doubled in size. Bake in 375 degree (F) preheated oven for 25 to 35 minutes or until done. Immediately remove the bread from loaf pans and cool on a wire rack. 

Recipe Adapted from Fleischmann's Beginners White Bread recipe and Better Homes & Garden Cinnamon-Swirl Bread. Information provided on Baking a Difference Campaign provided by company representative. 

To learn more about the Baking A Difference campaign and get the latest recipes and baking tips from Fleischmann’s® Yeast, Fleischmann’s® Simply Homemade® Baking Mixes and Karo® Syrup, visit Facebook.com/FleischmannsYeast, Facebook.com/SimplyHomemadeMix, Facebook.com/KaroSyrup and Pinterest.com/BeABetterBaker.

Cookies, Cookies & More Cookies!

Did you know December 4th is National Cookie Day?

I didn't. Not until this morning when I popped on Twitter and Facebook and I saw everyone was talking all about cookies and National Cookie Day. If I were home right now, I'd bake up a couple of batches of my favorite cookies in honor of the fun day. But since I'm in a dorm room with no means of baking at all....I thought I'd share with you all of my favorite cookies that I've shared on The Girly Girl Cooks over the years.

Brown-Eyed Susan's

These shortbread cookies are a must in our home for the holidays!

These are one of Dusty's favorite cookies of all time!

 

Coconut Macaroons

These soft pillowy cookies are so easy to whip up! I love them!

 

Cranberry Pistachio Christmas Cookies

How festive are these?

I love the holiday colors from the red cranberries, green pistachios and white chocolate chips.

 

Domino Christmas Cookies

These no-bake refrigerator cookies are insanely good!

We always make these cookies during the holiday season. So good!

 

Dusty's Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

An oldie, but a goodie.

These are the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever had! This cookie is a regular in our house.

The perfect cookie for Santa Claus!

 

Graham Cracker Cookies

One of the first desserts Dusty and I ever made together when we first started dating.

This is another no-bake cookie that is out of this world! YUM!

 

Pig-Out Cookies

These sinful cookies are packed full of everything you love....chocolate, peanut butter and BACON! They even have a little bit of chili powder to make them extra sinful!

 

White Chocolate Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies

These are officially my favorite cookie of all time! Raspberry and white chocolate were meant to be together and are perfectly married in these DELICIOUS cookies! 

 

 

I hope some of these delicious and fun cookie recipes will inspire you to bake for National Cookie Day or give you ideas for the holidays!



Buttery Pecan Pie

Last week I went home for Thanksgiving and I was given the wonderful job of bringing Apple and Pumpkin Pie to the big dinner. I was in hog-heaven because there is nothing I love more than baking pie! If I could professionally make pie for a living, I'd totally do it. There is nothing more satisfying than rolling out, filling and baking a perfectly baked pie with a golden brown and flaky crust. Pure heaven.

I made a horrible mistake of wearing jeans with a belt on Thanksgiving. Those pants had absolutely no give to them whatsoever and my attempt to totally stuff my face was very difficult due to the lack of stretchy pants. All throughout dinner I was really jealous of Dusty's adorably pregnant cousin, Raquel, who was wearing stretchy jeans. I need to invest in pregnancy pants for next Thanksgiving like that one episode of Friends when Joey is wearing Phoebe's pregnancy pants! HA!

What does your family do?
Do you dress up for Thanksgiving or wear your sweats for the big meal?

Dusty and I also made the mistake by not taking home any leftovers! How were we suppose to make turkey sandwiches without leftovers???? As a result we decided to make a smaller Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday and invited Dusty's family over for Thanksgiving dinner: Part 2. It was also an excuse to finally use our wedding china!

For our smaller Thanksgiving dinner we roasted an 8 pound turkey (glorified chicken, it was so small!), sage stuffing, creamy chive mashed potatoes and of course I had to bake another pie. Oh darn! ;)

I've had my fair share of Pecan Pie, but Julie's recipe (my MIL) for Pecan Pie is by far the most buttery, creamy and heavenly Pecan Pie I've ever had. I believe the secret to it's wonderfulness involves the ratio of dark to light corn syrup. Most recipes call for just light corn syrup, but I think the little bit of molasses in the dark corn syrup takes this pie places.

Buttery Pecan Pie
{Serves 8}

-1 unbaked Pie Crust
-3 Eggs
-2/3 cup Granulated Sugar
-1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
-1/3 cup melted Butter (salted)
-3/4 cup Light Corn Syrup
-1/4 cup Dark Corn Syrup
-1-1/2 cups Pecan Pieces (or Halves)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (F).

Mix the eggs, sugar, melted butter, light corn syrup and dark corn syrup in a mixer over low speed until just combined. Fold the pecan pieces into the pie filling mixture. Pour the pecan pie filling onto the unbaked pie crust.

Protect the crust with aluminum foil or pie crust shield to prevent over-browning or burning. Bake for 50 minutes until the filling is dark golden brown and set.

Place the pie on a cooling rack and allow it to settle to room temperature for several hours. Serve with whipped cream and enjoy!

Recipe By: Julie Ahrens