Thankful

With Thanksgiving approaching, I find myself with a heart full of gratitude for the many blessings in my life. One of my biggest blessings is our church family. We have an amazing group of friends in our Sunday School and at church who love, support, and encourage us daily. Last night, we were extra blessed to spend the evening celebrating Thanksgiving with our Sunday School friends in our home. Our home was full of laughter, thankfulness, and lots of yummy food. I truly believe that God wants his children to live in unity, sharing and fellowshipping with each other like family. Take some time this month to thank your friends for their love and presence in your life. Meet a need in their life and share God's blessings with them.

Acts 2: 42-47

"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

Hosting our Thanksgiving Party was extra fun for me because it gave me an exuse to bake! I made a Pecan Pie, Chocoate Pecan Pie, Granny's Pumpkin Cake (made into cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and a pumpkin hershey kiss on top), a Pumpkin Streusel Pie, a Chocolate Chess Pie, and Peanut Butter Honey Fudge. My home smelled heavenly all day yesterday. I am posting the recipes below. I would love to hear from my readers; let me know if you try a recipe and how it turns out. Also, feel free to share any baking tips/ideas with me as well. Blessings to each of you! You are a Treasured Child of God!

Angus Barn Chocolate Chess Pie

Ingredients:
1 unbaked pie crust 1 stick butter 2 squares Baker’s semi-sweet chocolate squares or ½ cup chocolate chips1 cup sugar 2 eggs beaten 1 teaspoon vanilla Dash of salt

Directions:
Melt butter and chocolate. Blend other ingredients together. Slowly add chocolate mixture to the other ingredients. Pour into crust and bake 35 minutes at 350°F.
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Peanut Butter Honey Fudge

Ingredients:
1 cup natural peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)

3/4 cup honey

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook and stir over low heat until the chocolate chips are melted and blended in (about 30 seconds).
Spread fudge into an 8×8 inch pan. Refrigerate until solid. Cut into 1 inch squares.

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Perfect Pecan Pie
(from Threadgills in Austin)

This is a delicious pecan pie recipe with an extra special ingredient. The molasses makes it especially yummy.

Ingredients:

1 refrigerated pie crust
3 Tbsp melted butter, plus more for brushing crust
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups light corn syrup
3 Tbsp molasses
4 tsp vanilla
2 cups pecan halves

Directions:
Fit Piecrust in 9 inch deep dish pie plate. Brush with a little melted butter. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, blend brown sugar, 3 Tbsp of melted butter, flour and eggs on low speed. Add corn syrup, molasses, and vanilla, and mix well. Put 2 cups pecan halves in pie shell and pour mixture over pecans. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until filling is set. Remove to wire rack and cool completely. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Enjoy with a scoop of Blue Bell vanilla ice cream!

Chocolate Pecan Pie:

NOTE: This makes enough filling for 2 deep dish pies. I discovered this yesterday as I baked. I did not have enough pecans to fill another pie shell, but I did have chocolate chips! So, I improvised by placing 1 cup of chocolate chips into the bottom of another pie shell. I then poured the remaining pecan pie filling over the chocolate chips and baked it along with the regular pecan pie. It turned out AMAZING and was eaten very quickly.
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Pumpkin Streusel Pie

Ingredients:

15 oz. can solid pack pumpkin

14 oz. can sweetened, condensed milk

1 egg

1 1/4 t. cinnamon, divided

1/2 t. ground ginger

1/2 t. ground nutmeg

1/2 t. salt

1 graham cracker pie crust

1/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar

2 T. flour

2 T. cold butter

3/4 c. chopped nuts (I used walnuts)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°. In large mixing bowl, beat pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, egg, 3/4 t. cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Pour into crust. Bake 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine sugar, flour and remaining 1/2 t. cinnamon. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in nuts. Remove pie from oven. Reduce oven temp to 350°. Sprinkle streusel mixture over pie. Bake 40 minutes or until set. Cool. Serve with homemade whipped cream or cool whip. This is delicious warm, at room temperature, or chilled. Store in the refrigerator.