Four-Layer Pecan Pie

I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving!! I ate way too much and felt miserable... sounds about right! My mom cooked most of the meal, but I did contribute a pie.

I knew I wanted to contribute something that didn't involve a lot of work on Turkey Day. With only one oven and a million things that needed to be cooked, I was not going to get up at the crack of dawn (after driving forever the night before) and bake it. So, I crossed my fingers, made the pie last weekend, wrapped it in two layers of plastic wrap and two layers of foil, stuck it in the freezer, and hoped it would fair well.

Folks, I am happy to report that this pie is delicious and you should go make one ASAP. It has a delicious graham cracker crust, a creamy cheesecake layer, a sprinkling of pecans, and a delicious sweet sugary layer on top. It's quite heavenly. Just make it, ok?







































Four-Layer Pecan Pie

Recipe adapted from mrfood.com

Ingredients:

1 graham cracker pie crust

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar, divided

2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided

4 eggs, divided

1 cup corn syrup

1 1/4 cups chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, 1/4 cup of the sugar, 1 teaspoon of the vanilla extract, and 1 egg. Beat at low speed until smooth; set aside. In another medium bowl, beat 3 eggs. Add the remaining sugar, the corn syrup, and the remaining vanilla; mix well. Spread the cream cheese mixture into the pie crust. Sprinkle with the pecans and slowly pour corn syrup mixture over pecans. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until the center is set. Let cool, then refrigerate 4 hours or until ready to serve.

Hope you're having a wonderful day!!!

Still feeling over-stuffed? Get your fit on with my Turkey Day Workout!

Turkey Day Workout!

Happy Thanksgiving, friends! I have a lot to be thankful for, especially for all of you!! I hope this day finds you in good company, surrounded by lots of friends, family, and good food :) 

We arrived at my parents around 11 pm last night and enjoyed sleeping in this morning. My mom made breakfast and we watched some of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (as we do every year), and she’s been cooking all day long for our feast. Thankfully, I only had pie and sweet potato duty :)

In the event you get a little too carried away with the food, I’ve got you covered with a quick workout that’s sure to make you burn off some of those holiday calories. Give it a try, even if it’s just to justify another slice o’ pie!

Here's what to do: Set your timer to 50 seconds work, 10 seconds rest. Perform up to 3 rounds for an awesome workout.

A few reminders: listen to your body and take breaks as needed, stay hydrated, and always start with a warm-up and end with a cool-down.

Have a wonderful day :) 

Thanksgiving Table Place Cards

Hello, happy Monday. Hope you all have had a fabulous weekend. We've had the most laid-back weekend over here. It's been nice, but sort of a little too laid-back, if that makes sense.

Even Arthur has been a little too lazy...

You guys, Thanksgiving is right around the corner. I'm so excited and I can hardly handle it. We're going "home" to visit my parents and I can't wait to see everyone and eat some delicious food! It will also be nice to get away from work for a few days. I love my job, but this girl needs a break.

Are you guys planning a big Thanksgiving feast?? We are! I have pie duty, but I won't be driving home until late Wednesday night. The oven will be occupied all day Thursday, so I made mine yesterday and stuck it in the freezer. If it turns out well, I'll be sharing the recipe on Friday :)

And speaking of Thanksgiving, look at these fun cupcakes at Whole Foods. They crack me up! I'm not sure how I feel about the one meant to look like mashed potatoes, especially with the "gravy" running down it.

I'll also be printing these fabulous little place cards for our table. I made them today and they're the perfect amount of festive without being tacky. I'll hand-write everyone's name, fold it in half horizontally, and place it at their spot. Feel free to copy/paste or save it and edit it as you please :)


























Have a wonderful week :)
How early do you start cooking for Turkey Day??

Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies

Happy Friday, friends! I know it's the weekend for many of you, so I wanted to share a fun treat: Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies!

I've mentioned dozens of times that I have a crazy sweet tooth. I just can't help it. I usually give in and I try for moderation, but it's not always easy-- especially when most cookie recipes make dozens of cookies. 

And it's not always easy to halve or quarter a recipe. Baking is a science after all and if a recipe calls for 3 eggs and you want to make a quarter of that recipe, how on earth do you decide how many eggs to add?

So, I spent better part of an evening finding the best small batch cookie recipe for you, my friends. And what I found is that Nicole over at yestoyum.com knows her stuff. Her recipe is my answer to the "I just want a few chocolate chip cookies" problem. 

This recipe makes just 12. Or 18 small cookies. It's up to you.

Just try not to eat them all by yourself, k? Or do. I won't judge you :)

Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cornstarch

6 tablespoons butter, softened

¼ cup granulated sugar

⅓ cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

In a small bowl, add the dry ingredients and mix well. In another small bowl, combine the butter and sugars. Mix until creamy and smooth. Add the vanilla and egg to the wet mixture. Mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the dry mixture into the wet mixture. Once well combined, add the chocolate chips (you may want to stir them in with a spoon instead of the mixer, if you are using one). Chill the dough for up to an hour, but preferably overnight. Once the dough is chilled, preheat the oven to 350*, scoop out the dough into balls and place on your cookie sheet 2" apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden and delicious :)

Have a wonderful weekend, friends :)