Pecan Tart

I make this pecan tart every year for Thanksgiving. It is soooo good!! I put this up just for b.e.g.'s recipe swap. Head on over and link up today!

Prep: 20 min., Bake: 57 min., Cool: 1 hr., Cook: 5 min.


Yield: Makes 12 servings


Ingredients
3 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup butter, cubed
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
2/3 cup butter
3 tablespoons whipping cream
Preparation
1. Arrange pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted. Cool on a wire rack 15 minutes or until completely cool.

2. Pulse flour, powdered sugar, and 3/4 cup butter in a food processor 5 to 6 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. Pat mixture evenly on bottom and up sides of a lightly greased 11-inch tart pan with removable bottom.

3. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack 15 minutes or until completely cool.

4. Bring brown sugar, honey, 2/3 cup butter, and whipping cream to a boil in a 3-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in toasted pecans, and spoon hot filling into prepared crust.

5. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Cool on a wire rack 30 minutes or until completely cool.

Southern Living, NOVEMBER 2007

Smells

Do you ever have any smells you associate with other places or things?

Yesterday I was shopping, and I walked into a hallway to go to the bathrooms and was hit with a smell that took me back 27+ years.

To Nanny Dixon's house. Nanny Dixon was my across the street neighbor. She wasn't my nanny or my Nanny. Her name was Nanny and she had kind of adopted my momma when she and daddy moved into the house on Hollow Log Lane.

Nanny was married to Dick. They were older. They were like grandparent ages when I was 5. Nanny was very opinionated, but caring. She loved to tell my mom how to do things. I'm sure she could be annoying. However, my mom liked her and respected her and she loved me!

When my mom was busy or needed five-ten alone, I got to go to Nanny's house. I remember the basement of that house the best.

The smell from the hallway reminded me of this basement in an instant. The basement was not used to park their car(s). Nanny and Dick had transformed their basement into a workroom for him, and a "beauty parlor" slash crafting room for her.

They were devout Christians, and one thing I remember about "his side" of the basement was the black curtain with a picture of Jesus on it that led to his work room. Kinda freaky, but it was his area. He would let me go back there and look at all of the tools. Dick was VERY quiet and VERY tall.

On "her side," Nanny had a kitchen area with a sink and tons of drawers for all of her hobbies. I remember Nanny went through a series of poodles. Maybe it was just one or two. But, she bathed them in her beauty area. I guess she was an early self groomer. :D Also, Nanny had an old Singer sewing machine table with lots of drawers, and in the drawers were TONS of buttons. I used to go through those buttons for hours-sorting, counting, organizing, playing. Sooo many memories.

Nanny would discipline me if I did wrong. Nanny and Dick were like my grandparents that lived across the street. When I was about 5 or 6, we moved about 3 miles down the road. We still got to see Nanny, although not as often.

After that, Nanny and Dick moved out to Centerpoint, about 30 minutes from us, to be by their kids. We went out their a few times and went swimming with Nanny's grandkids and played. I believe I recall a Ronnie Susanne, right mom?? :)

Dick died of a heart attack about 20 years ago, and I'm sure Nanny is dead by now. Mom would know.

But in that instant of walking down the hall, that smell sent me right back to Nanny and Dick's house on Hollow Log Lane, circa 1983. Sweet Nanny and Dick.

Do you ever associate certain smells with times in your life?

Invasion

Today, someone decided to try and kick in our front door.

Thank God for our alarm system.

Thank God we weren't here.

Thank God they didn't get in and invade our home.

So many things to be thankful for.

For tonight, we have boarded up the door, called our homeowner's insurance, and got out/loaded the pistols.

Cause momma's gonna protect her family.

The police did say that this was probably totally random, and that it was probably young, high school aged kids that were maybe skipping or expelled from school. They say it is their trick to knock on the front and back doors in the middle of the day, and if no one answers, to just man up and kick the door in. No one would really notice two kids at the front door in the middle of the day.

Thank God they didn't try to come in the back door-our back yard is woods and would've been too private for notice.

Thank God the dogs were safe in the garage. But now, those two gangsters are gonna prowl the house alllll day long. That would definitely deter a thief!

I know that if someone wants to come in, they are going to get it. But around here, in our little community, it's scary and I'm glad they didn't get in.

Just another reminder to lock up, set alarms, and be vigilant. In the end, it is only stuff, but it's your stuff and your home!

Love you all!

Thanks so much @mccooma, @grizas, @purelyelegant, @samkbt, @brittanydenton, @mrs_southerland, @ckateswanson, @brookehaney, @cestyeuxbruns, @forthelove_mel, @brittanylaughs, @auburnhays, @maliasma, and @CoryHolderfor the twitter love and check ins!!

Holy potato soup batman

Y'all. I twittered the other night about eating the best potato soup of my entire life.

My sister tweeted back and said, "Is it moms?" Ummm, no. Sorry mom. but you have to try this new recipe. It is life changing in the soup division.

I LOVE soups in the fall and winter. Chili, vegetable soup, potato soup, any kind of hearty stew, serve all soups with a hunk of bread or crackers=yum!!

I was having a hard time deciding between Mrs. Life Accounts potato soup or D.A.R.'s potato soup recipe. I looked over both and carefully weighed the options. I pretty much combined them, but went more with DAR's. Check the links to see their exact recipes!

Here is what I used and did:

Cheesy Baked Potato Soup-by DAR

5 C chicken broth
almost 6 C peeled and chopped potatoes
1/2 onion, minced
1/2 t kosher salt
1/4 t freshly ground pepper
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1-8oz package light cream cheese, cut into chunks

Shredded cheddar
Chopped cooked turkey bacon

This made enough for two nights of dinner.


Directions:
1. Combine broth, onions, potatoes and spices in stock pot and bring to boil.
2. Boil on medium heat until potatoes are fork tender.
3. Mash about 1/2 of the potatoes so that the stock thickens.
4. Reduce to low and add cream cheese.
5. Stir frequently until cream cheese is melted and soup is thick.
6. Top with cheddar and bacon, eat until your tummy explodes.

It is a game changer y'all. For realz. Try it if you like potato soup, you won't be sorry!

Seriously?

I just found this in the backseat of the car. From Sunday's shopping trip. It's Tuesday. Let that sink in.



How did this happen?

A doucher in front of me slammed on their brakes with no turn signal. All of my grosh went flying.

I THOUGHT I collected all of them. Until last night, when I opened the liftgate and a large jar of salsa rolled out and shattered all over the garage floor.

Today it was a block of cheese. No guesses on tomorrow's item.

I've wasted about 6$. And what is sad is that I didn't even notice it when I unpacked....


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Love ya all!

Grateful

That is all of the dishes from the top rack if the dishwasher.





Why is it out?

Because our dishwasher, which was full to the BRIM this morning, decided to die of motor failure. At 7 years old. With smelly smoke.

Sidenote: why is it that my parents have a 15+ year old dishwasher that still works?? Not fair.

We went and picked out a new one today. So, what's the problem?

It won't be here (for installation) until the end if the week. Apparently the plumbers only work M-F and have a wait list. Of course they do. I almost cried in Home Depot.

So, until then I will be busy. Washing a lot of things by hand. And still using paper plates and forks. And being grateful for dishwashers, cause humans weren't meant to wash this many things by hand.

Sister, send me Rut!!!


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Fifteen Months

Dear Emma,
Your mother is a slacker and hasn't done an update since your 12 month birthday. From now on, let's do one every three months. Those are the "BIG" ones anyway. :D

Let me break down what has been going on in list form:

*Nicknames: Meems, Meemsickle, Loo, Looby, Emmalooby, etc. You are lucky that you know your name. :D

*Foods: you are eating all "real" foods at your babysitter's house. Lately you've eaten lentil soup, chili, hamburger, etc. Now, at home, you are still being finicky. Today you did manage to eat some cheese, crackers, and half a banana. You are still pounding baby foods. You will not drink your milk out of a cup yet. But you drink your apple juice and water from a cup. I'm not even trying to wig about that yet.
We'll discuss that at 18 mos.

*Paci=you love it. I don't care. You can rock it till you're six.

*Words/Sounds: momma, hey, what's that, dog, Bar (Bart), oh no, no no, uh oh, girl, woof woof, grrrr

*Activities: you love to play with things that aren't toys, you love to play with the chamber of your inhaler, you love to get in your sandbox, you love to play the couch game where you run back and forth on the couch and land on pillows. You have started running now. It's super cute. Oh yeah, throwing tantrums. As in throwing your writhing body on the hardwood floor and kicking and screaming. It's super cute. Not.

*Identifying: dogs, momma, daddy, bellybutton, belly, hair, nose, binky, lovey

*Sleeping-you rock my world with this. 12-13 hours a night, plus 2 naps a day.

*Teeth-you have almost 8 teeth now. Your back molars are coming in. Fun. They have been coming in for 3 weeks now.

*Weight: 20 lbs. You are in the 25th percentile. Your height is in the 75th percentile. I think you are 31" exactly. You are wearing 12-18 month clothes. I just bought you some bigger PJ's because I had to make you suck in to fit into the 12 mo footies.

Love it babe. Look at that little baby smile. :-)

This month you have done a lot:

*Pumpkin patch

*Birmingham

*Daddy's surprise party

*Halloween

*Playdates with older kids

*Been sick with a bad cough

*Been an overall partier

"Helping" mommy

Me and my monkey

Meemsickle and daddy

Ha! Mrs. Kris dressed up all the babies and Emma
wigged when she put on the headpiece to her monkey suit!

Meems, I love you soooo much. You are super fun and such a cool little lady!
You are mommy's little partier and I am so thankful for you every day, even when you are tantrumming it up on the floor. (Is it mean that I laugh?)

Love you baby!

My mama (that's what you say!)

All pictures were taken with the iPhone, sorry for the lacking quality.

I'm too lazy to get up and upload real pictures. :D I'm just impressed that I didn't blog from my phone...........

Holy Cow

I'm about to do a real blog post not from my phone.

Somebody stop me.

But first, I must get some blueberry pomegranate fro yo.

Then I'll settle down for my post-just finishing up the pictures now!

Edge of your seats I tell ya!

And also:

Attention All Bloggy Friends!

I stole this post from Brittany (freaking hilare!!)

This is great info. When you comment on a post I’m bad to try and reply to it from my phone. If you don’t have your Blogger account set to show your email address then I can’t email you back. And it makes me really sad because I like to stalk my bloggy friends.

Check out this super easy tutorial. Post it on your blog too! It’s really easy!!



Click here to find out how to do this, or to check and see if you are already set up!

Get Real

So, I'm sitting here eating the Halloween candy that Emma scored for me, reading my Star magazine, and I come across this.




Are you freaking kidding me? Since when did being sixteen and pregnant or a teen mom entitle you to a college fund donation?

I mean, you're already getting paid for being knocked up as a teenager, why don't we reward you with some college education.

Go to college the way other people did-it's called student loans! I had them and will be paying them off until I'm 40.

Give me a frigging break!


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