Infamous Pumpkin-Pecan Pie!!

Here it is!! I'm giving my secrets away! When there's a pie THIS good, it's hard to keep the recipe quiet :O) Yes...you can have the BEST of BOTH worlds...and obviously Hannah Montana knows that, too! ;o)

Pumpkin-Pecan Pie:

3 eggs, slighty beaten
1 150z can pumpkin puree
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
In a medium bowl, whisk together above ingredients.

1 cup pecans
1 unbaked 9 inch pastry shell

Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes, or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean.

I like to make my pie crusts from scratch, just because I LOVE pie crust and I think it's much better homemade :o)

Roll out your dough


Put your dough in a pie plate and trim off excess from sides


Make it pretty and crimp the edges :O)


Pour in the pie mixture and decorate with pecans! I leave the decorating up to Caleb...he has too much fun!!




**Optional pecan topping**
I stumbled across this topping by accident, and I must say, it's my favorite!! I now use this pecan topping for my pie :o)

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup chopped pecans

Mix above ingredients together and crumble over the pie mixture. I've noticed with this topping, there tends to be a longer baking time...about 10 minutes more.

I hope you all enjoy this pie as much as my family!!

Zippy...Our Elf on the Shelf :o)

Meet zippy!! Our Elf on the Shelf!


This new member of our family has become a new Christmas tradition for us :o) I have my cousin, Cheri, to thank for this!! She familiarized me with this cute, little Elf story. The book's authors, Carol Aebersold & Chanda Bell, summarized their book with this...

"This charming tradition began for our family when my children were very small. Like most children, they wanted to know how Santa really knew who was naughty or nice. Their answer came in the form of a small pixie elf. The first time the elf arrived at our home, my children officially adopted him by giving him a name. Each year he would arrive around the holidays, usually after Thanksgiving. His sole responsibility was to watch the children's behavior and report it to Santa each night. The next morning, when the children awoke, they discovered the elf had returned from the North Pole and was now resting in a new and different place. My children would race each other out of bed to try and be the first to spy him in his new position. To preserve the elf's magic, the children were not allowed to touch it; however, talking to the elf was encouraged. My children shared many secrets with their elf; and while he was under strict orders not to talk to them, the elf was under no such orders where grown-ups were concerned. Unwittingly, the tradition provided an added benefit: it helped the children to better control themselves. All it took was a gentle reminder that the 'elf was watching,' for errant behavior to be modified."

The last part is true!! I've already used the "elf is watching" numerous times!! ;o) This really is the cutest book! Corban loves looking for "Zippy" every morning and reminding him redundantly what toys he wants for Christmas! ;o)

Hallmark carries the kits of "The Elf on the Shelf," which includes the book and the elf!! Happy reading and tradition making!

Much love,

The Winsett Family