Thanksgiving (Simple Gifts)

My Mother is a wonderful woman with many gifts. For one, she's incredibly smart. She went back to college at age 50 and graduated with a 4.0. She's a beast when it comes to reading, finishing an entire book in a matter of hours. She and my father have also been married 35 years this month- a feat unto itself and an example I am forever in awe of.

However, cooking would not be on the top of her list of gifts. Growing up, if you couldn't take it out of the freezer and put it in the oven, we didn't eat it. The chair at the head of our dining room table was used less for sitting in and more for climbing up on to reach the screeching smoke alarm. So it's a little ironic that Thanksgiving has, for as long as I can remember, been my Mother's holiday.

When my Mother asked me what I was making this year for Thanksgiving, my Dad immediately said "Derby Pie?" He flatters me by asking me to bake this pie for every occasion. But that's what I love about my Dad. :) So even though I had a slew of recipes from Thanksgiving to choose from to post, I figured I'd share this one.

Padre's Favorite Chocolate Pecan Pie (a Hand-Me-Down Recipe)

(1) 9" Pie Crust
1 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 Cup Pecan Halves or Pieces
1 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Melted Butter
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
1/4 Cup Cornstarch

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Once again, I ALWAYS forget that. Pour the chocolate chips into the bottom of the pie pan. You can adjust the amount depending on how chocolate-y you like your pie. The Padre loves him a chocolate coma. Pour the pecan halves or pieces on top of the chocolate chips. Mix the remaining ingredients in a large bowl until smooth and pour into the pie crust. Gently tap the pie on the counter to settle the filling. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Side Note: I did not label this recipe "Derby Pie" because I've been told before that if it doesn't have bourbon in the recipe, it's not a TRUE Derby Pie. The Padre doesn't like bourbon, so I usually omit it. But I have added it before. Usually I just adjust the amount of liquid and replace it with a few tablespoons of bourbon. Mister (w)Right, the bourbon aficionado, would recommend Four Roses Small Batch.

Another Thanksgiving win! This pie was the first one to disappear and received rave reviews all around. Hope everyone had a beautiful Thanksgiving!

Gobble Gobble!

Yogi (Bear?)

You would think after so many years, Mister (w)Right and I would just learn to accept some things about each other. For example, Mister (w)Right hates to run. But for the longest time I kept trying to get him to run with me. Then, he finally relented and ran a 5k race with me. And he whined so much that I have never invited him to another race.

On the other hand, Mister (w)Right always wants me to go climbing with him. He's tried everything from blackmail to bribing. It's a lost cause. Unless there's a giant plate of steaming hot french fries at the top of that rock wall, I really don't see the point in suspending myself by a tiny rope 40 feet above the ground. On second thought... why would there be a plate of french fries at the top of a rock wall? You see my dilemma.

I think we ARE finally learning to accept these things, though. And maybe even enjoy them. Most Sundays, Mister (w)Right kisses me goodbye at the crack of dawn to head to the Gorge. I've started to look forward to and cherish my lonesome Sundays. I sleep late, drink gross amounts of coffee, watch TLC, go to yoga... it's a beautiful thing.

This Sunday, I attended a Kundalini Yoga Workshop at River's Edge. We strengthened our auras, did deep relaxation with gong sounds, participated in an 11 minute healing meditation, and painted watercolor pictures based on our meditation. We also drank this DELICIOUS tea. Mister (w)Right loves Chai tea and I knew he'd love this. So when he and Matt showed up, cold and tired from a day of climbing, I had dinner and steaming mugs of this tea ready and waiting. That's what happens when he lets me miss him a little bit...

Yogi Tea (via River's Edge Kundalini Yoga Workshop)

6 quarts Water
1 Tbl Cardamon Seeds (w/o pods)
2 tsp Cloves
2 tsp Black Peppercorns
4 Cinnamon Sticks
Handful of fresh Ginger (sliced w/o skin... or dried in a pinch)

Pour the water into a LARGE pot. Note: 6 quarts doesn't sound like a lot of water. Ahhh, my friend, but it is. Add all spices. Boil gently for an hour. Let sit overnight. Strain out the spices and refrigerate.


This tea was INCREDIBLE. And it makes your house smell like Christmas. While the boys still drank it right after it had been boiled, I definitely recommend letting it sit overnight. The flavor increases by about a billion. Give or take a thousand.

Namaste!

Nov 8 - Required Listening

If you haven't guessed yet, a glass of wine and some good tunes are some of my favorite things. Add someone you love and some good grub to that list and it's a perfect night. My sweet friend Laura came for dinner the other night and we jammed to some of the songs below. Here's to love, understanding, old friendships, new beginnings, and above all - forgiveness.

Cheers!