So very Thankful and a Tezukuri Holiday

This year my boss was nice enough to give me the whole week of Thanksgiving off to  visit my hometown.  Many members of my extended family came from miles away to take part in the festivities.  For the most part everyone was always busy shopping, laughing, eating- we even had a group photo taken by one of my most dear and talented friends!  There was hardly a free moment to spare!  However, during the couple of days before everyone arrived I got to spend some time with my grandmother, who had a large part in raising me.  Sewing and cooking are among the things my grandma tried to teach me growing up (let's face it, I wasn't exactly a quick study...) and now I've been trying to pick up some of the things I should have learned back then.

Most of the Tuesday and Wednesday before the big day we spent making cookies by the dozen and lots of homemade pies.

Both the pecan and pumpkin pies have been honored guests at our feast for many many years.
The pumpkin recipe is from the 1956 2nd edition of Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook, which has actually been reprinted recently....Maybe I should think about getting one?

The pecan pie; however, is not from this book, but instead from a newspaper article featuring the winners of a Pecan Pie Bake-Off.  Here's how to make it:

Pecan Pie

-        3 eggs, slightly beaten

-        ½ cup each white and light brown sugar

-        1 cup white Karo syrup

-        1 ½ tsp. vanilla

-        4 tbsp. margarine, melted

-        1 tbsp. all-purpose flour

-        1 ½ cups chopped pecans

1.  Mix eggs, sugar, syrup and flour.

2.  Add vanilla and pecans, then margarine.

3.  Pour into pie crust and bake at 350° for 50-55 min.

My waistline can attest to its deliciousness...


And in the evenings, after all our baking was through, I worked on these little guys:

These precious little things came as kits from The Cheswick Company.  For about $10 each you get almost everything you need to make them.  I don't think  I could get out of Hobby Lobby for less than that, but there are also e-patterns available for instant gratification straight to your inbox!  You can get them from Cathy Pandleton's Etsy shop which continually leaves me searching for loose change in the couch cushions to buy more!

And in the end I really couldn't think of a better way to spend my week than with my wonderful, crazy family making all sorts of lovely things!