#1,057 Fall in the South + Pecan Pie.

Tomorrow is Jesse’s birthday so we made the short drive up to Newton to their parents’ for a birthday lunch with the family. It’s only 45 minutes away, but it felt just like our drive through Pennsylvania and Vermont with so many hardwoods glowing in their fall reds and golds. The time changed today and that makes everything feel different. Would you believe a cold front pushed through too? It couldn’t have been more picture perfect.

The birthday boy will be 19 tomorrow!

My beautiful sister-in-law, Allison, who reminds me for the world of Katie Holmes when she was on Dawson’s Creek:

We missed you, Lyn! 

Ben’s parents basically live on the back porch. I would too if this were my yard:

Harper with Uncle Jesse:

We spotted the perfect tree for downtown. Now we have to find out whose land it’s on:

And Christmas King found a pillow he couldn’t live without.

And after the most devastating episode of The Walking Dead ever, I baked 2 caramel pecan pies for Food Fest that’s coming up on Tuesday. I took my mama’s (famous in our family) pecan pie recipe and added caramel because it surely can’t hurt anything. I’m thinking it’s going to be a goodun.

You bake em slow and check them frequently, so I just parked on the floor and read my new magazine.

If you care to have the recipe, I’ll tell her secrets. Mama, forgive me!

Caramel Pecan Pie

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Ingredients (makes 2 pies):
4 tbl. real BUTTER (margarine won’t cut it)
1 c. sugar
4 tbl. flour
5 large eggs (beaten)
1 cup Blackburn’s Syrup 
1 cup caramel topping (from a jar)
2 cups chopped pecans
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
2 deep dish Pilsbury pie shells


1. Cream butter and sugar in an electric mixer.
2. Add beaten eggs, syrup, caramel, flour, vanilla, and salt and mix well.
3. Stir in pecans.
4. Pour in pie shells, bake for 1 hour at 300 degrees.
5. Bump up temperature to 325, bake for 45 minutes (or until center does not jiggle).
6. Remove from oven, let cool, eat. Mmmmmm…