Sharing Feelings of Gratitude

I mentioned the last few days that I had so many responses from my thankfulness post and "operation thankful" initiative. I have so many, in fact, that I think I'm going to take two days to tell them all to you. So, here is the first installment. Tomorrow, on the big day of thanks, we'll cover the rest. The listings today and tomorrow are a mixture of them all, and in no particular order.

First, I have decided to list the comments without names in total. Some of you signed your remarks, but many of you did not, and I respect the fact that you wanted to remain anonymous. Also, the intent, as you will remember, of this exercise was for all of us to feel a little more blessed by remembering other things we hold dear when we read through other's comments on the subject. You know - to make it one big BLAH BLAH BLAH for the holidays? Yes, you remember. So, I think no names will help you make it your own.

And, God help me, I am going to try to get all the responses in the post in two days. But, if I somehow fail at this endeavor, please know it is no reflection on your response. It just means I failed at that endeavor.

There were more responders on the blog itself than in the card responses - I think I will receive all 20 back when it's all said and done - a couple are still on their way here - you can see on the posts many of the people who responded to the blog comments. But, I thought you might want to see what made up the random 20 cards sent. So, in the spirit of no names, here is a breakdown of how I know them:

- one brother and his family
- one parent and family
- one brother-in-law and his family
- one step sister and her family
- one of my oldest friends and her family - we met in preschool
- one family of church friends
- three friends from undergraduate school and their families
- one former co-worker from when I taught school
- one of S's friends from grad school and his wife
- a friend I've known since we went to camp together when we were twelve
- three people who used to work where I am still employed
- two former colleagues from my last job at the DCPA
- a friend in the local arts community
- two friends from graduate school and their families

So, there you go. From all over. Really, I made it very, very random. And, as it turns out, that group of people span age groups, ethnicity, religions, political views, sexual persuasion, type of profession, size of family, gender, degree of curmudgeon-ness, children, pets and just about anything else you can name. They are a diverse group, and they are all very special to me. And, God bless them, they all responded.

Except the brother-in-law.

But I am still thankful for him. God bless him too. The sister-in-law took up the slack and responded anyway, which I very much appreciate.

So here we go - to get us started - some of the "one liners":

I am thankful for:

• a wonderful and supportive husband, my great friends and family. I am lucky to have so many wonderful people in my life.

• old and new friends, real and true love, family, music, health, an interesting job and the holy trinity.

• your blog because your photos make me smile and your commentary makes me laugh and I need both of those in my life. (Aw shucks, thanks!)
  

• my freinds, family, animals and my health.

• so much! I have so much to be thankful for! My son is my sweet little guy...always.

• my daughter and all the rest of my family.

• a family who spans four generations...and all the wine to keep us sane! 8 children under 10...one house. Whew!

• the love of my partner who brings me joy every day.
  

• an extended network of loyal family and friends.

• the love of a splendid woman and wonderful children AND clarity about the future.

And, today, some of the longer responses:

I am thankful for:

- the people responsible for the Tivo, the cheeseburger and NFL footbal
- my wife who always keeps me laughing even when we are fighting
- a job that lets me go home at 5:30 every day
- a sweet, happy new daughter who finally allows me to understand what all the fuss is about with this parenting thing
- an electorate that sometimes votes for the right person in November
- parents who fly 3000 miles and spend all their time helping out around our house
- college friends who come up with clever Thanksgiving projects like this one.

Awww, thanks. I thought it was a good project, yes. But, of course, it's nice to hear others think it's a useful way to spend your time too. I should also point out that the above response was all written on one of those little cards. Now THAT'S talent.

Another lovely response from the parent of an adopted child:

I am, of course, thankful for all the things you are supposed to be thankful for...family, friends, my job, my home, a place to live (there IS a difference between a home and a place to live) etc, etc. But I am choosing to say what came to my mind right away when I read your note. I am thankful for the fact that someone thought I could be a better mother to a little girl than they could be. I am very thankful for this person to show her faith in God to guide and direct her as she made the most difficult decision she ever had to make. We are not only thankful to have a very beautiful little girl (inside and out) but we are thankful someone gave us the opportunity to fulfill our dreams of parenting.

How sweet. Well said. What a lucky little girl!

And another:

I am thankful for human kindness. Remote controls. Modern medicine and pharmaceuticals. The Food Network. My job. Indoor plumbing. People who value a sense of humor. Progress toward equality for ALL. Brahms and Beethoven. 30 Rock and Mad Men. Thrift stores. Human differences. The Midwest. All types of ice cream and pizza. And so much more.

I am also thankful for choices. As a human, I get to make choices each day that are easy to take for granted...how I interact with people, what I say to others, what music I listen to in my car, when I smile and when I frown...

Case in point...every day I feed my cats kibble. And every day, they look up at me when I am eating my variety of human foods with faces that clearly say, "human mom, you get a choice. You are not fed mass quantities of brown, crunchy, meat-flavored food each day without option. We all love food, and you are so lucky that you have the freedom to choose what you feel like eating. Same with music. Note to you, Mom - we're tired of listening to Bob Dylan this week. So be thankful you get to choose what you eat and what you listen to. It's only the opposable thumbs that stand in the way of our taking that turkey sandwich away from you."

And then, I share my turkey with them. To share the thanks. It's a choice I get to make.

Very nice, my friend, very nice. Very "meta," no?

See what I mean - and this is just a few of the pile still sitting here next to me on the computer - all very thoughtful, true, human, wonderful responses! Here are a couple more...

I am thankful for our Creator and all creation. I am thankful that Jesus died for my sins and rose again to join our Heavenly Father. I am thankful for the gifts given by God to each of us. I too, am thankful for family - children, grandchildren, grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins galore, and all the inlaws and friends. I am grateful to have a realtively healthy mind and body that allow me to independently function and contribute to society. I am thankful for you and your blog and for reminding ups of how bless we are.

There are many very spiritual people among the pile. This one was written (anonymously) with certain conviction that I felt made it speak also to being thankful for religious freedoms in this great country of ours.

OK - one more for today. Then we'll take a break from all this thanking until tomorrow.

I am thankful for...

...a job I love where we have strong, caring leadership and everyone shares true "team spirit"!

...oddly, the gift of the Internet which has allowed me to reconnect with school and college friends I'd lost track of years ago. Our reunions are the most incredible delight! Not many "almost 60 somethings" get to experience the job of a slumber party with High School girlfriends...guys and girls on teh beach where we were once 16...enjoying a bottle of wine as we watch the sun set over a lake...email & phone calls with your BFF from High School who now lives half a continent away. Technology is a wonderful thing! I'm tryly blessed to be in their company and to know them once again...this time for the rest of our lives!

...my 'adopted' granddaughters. Without their parents' friendship, granddaughters would be an element missing in my life.

...my grandsons. Having raised daughters, seeing the world open through the eyes of a little boy has been a delight beyond my wildest dreams.

...the good health of all my family and our extended family circle. In this He has TRULY blessed us all!!!

And, Amy, I'm grateful for your request. I could go on and on and I appreciate your making me aware!

And thank you, my friend, for making ME more aware. And all of us more aware of things that do make us truly blessed. In this season for thanksgiving. Because, no matter the circumstances, no matter the economy or the horribleness or the constant change all around us, we ARE truly blessed. Amen to that!

Have a blessed Wednesday. See you tomorrow.

In Mark's Kitchen: Pear Squash Soup

I thought Mark's little jar of measuring spoons was especially photogenic.

I am very excited to bring this recipe to you today, two days before Thanksgiving. Why? Because the flavors in this recipe are so very autumnal that you are all going to want to run out and purchase ingredients to make some of this as an addition to your Thanksgiving meal. A simple, tasty, autumnal addition. So let's get started on our next segment of In YOUR Kitchen.

There's Mark, in the middle.

Today's chef is my friend Mark. Mark and I are work colleagues, where because we are always having different little get togethers where food is involved, I have had the pleasure of eating his cooking creations on more than one occasion. You last saw Mark at the State Fair, where, on team building day, I coerced my co-workers into standing with my award winning photo.

The origin of the name - squash and pears. Imagine!

But, back to the soup. I've been the lucky recipient of this very soup on more than one occasion. And it's a real winner. And healthy, too! I asked Mark where he got the recipe. He said his wife Brenda used to make it. So he went to ask her where she got the recipe. And she said she thinks it came from a magazine, but years ago, and she's not sure which one or where. Mark added that one day he decided to make it and since then, Brenda doesn't make it anymore. It's become officially his dish.

Some of the ingredients. Except the banana is not in the soup.
Yes, we have no bananas.

The ingredient list is short - butternut squash, pears, onion, curry powder, chicken broth, salt and pepper. That's it!

Start by cutting the ends off the squash.


Then peel it.


Mark says, "This ain't Rachel Ray, sister - it'll take a minute to finish this up."
There's no going to commercial when you're in someone else's kitchen!


Then, while the peeling continues...

...notice the beautiful window right next to you is open. And dream of one day again living in a house with windows that open. I'm THANKFUL for windows that open, and for window screens. One of the world's best inventions!

After it's peeled, cut it in half.



And, if you're me, marvel at the fact that the seeds look like pumpkin seeds.
That nature, it'll get ya every time.



Then core it with an ice cream scoop, the easiest tool for the job.


Then cut it up into small chunks.


And add it to your stock pot, which is patiently waiting for ingredients on the stove.


Next, chop the onion into large-ish chunks.
That's a technical cooking term, of course.


Add the onion to the stock pot.


Then add in 1 tsp curry powder.


Then cut the ends off the pears.


And peel them.


Then - you guessed it - core and chop!


And into the pot with them!


Last, add four cups of chicken broth.

Mark has used vegetable broth for this instead of chicken broth. If you're a strict vegetarian, use that. If you're a strict vegetarian, you probably don't need me to tell you about this possible substitution. If you're a meat eater, use the chicken broth, because Mark says it tastes better.

Stir and turn up the heat to maximum until the mixture boils.


Do a little kitchen cleaning instead of watching it constantly.
A watched pot never boils, don't you know...


Then allow it to simmer, covered, for 25 minutes.

Mark says this is the best part of the recipe - that you get 25 minutes to go do something else. Of course, we sat and kvetched. And looked up the definition of mincemeat for his daughter Emma, who is reading Great Expectations for school and wanted to know. Did you know traditional mincemeat has suet in it? Do you know what suet is? Well, we had to look that one up, too. It's "the hard fatty tissue about the loins and kidneys of beef, sheep, etc., used in cooking"

Yeah. Not in my cooking. Nope. We decided that while that may be traditional, many people these days don't put that in their mincemeat pies - rather, they are just dried fruit pies. Or at least that's what we choose to believe. And, actually, that link up there will take you to a Wikipedia article that states most people just use some vegetable shortening these days. Amen to that.

After twenty-five minutes, the mixture is cooked down and tender.


Use your immersion blender if you have one to puree the ingredients.

If you don't have an immersion blender, go buy one. Heh heh. No, seriously, you could transfer the contents to your regular blender to puree. But, sister, those hand immersion blenders are mighty nice. Add it to your Christmas list.

After pureed, add salt and pepper to taste.
Don't be shy with the pepper.


And then you're ready to serve!


Hoo-wee, it's a good one!

Mark's Pear Squash Soup

1 butternut squash or 4-5 cups
1 medium onion
2 medium pears
1 tsp curry
4 cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut ends off, peel and chop squash, onion and pears into small chunks and place in large stock pot. Add curry and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes. Puree mixture until a smooth consistency throughout. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

So there you have it! A wonderfully warm, soothing, tasty, healthy, autumnal recipe to add to your arsenal! Add it to the list for the Thanksgiving feast. You won't be sorry you did! Thanks, Mark, for allowing me to photograph your tasty soup creation.

Before we go today, I want to thank my newest (and really very seasoned) followers for joining the "Follower" ranks yesterday. It's nice to see some of my regulars showing up over there!

Also, this morning was the next diet weigh-in. After a slow 2.2 pound loss last week (actually a normal amount, but it was a little slow based on the weeks prior) - this week, I am excited to report that I have lost another 5.2 pounds for a total loss of 19.4 pounds!!! This is very exciting for me, as I hope to at least get to 25 pounds lost before Christmas and this still seems attainable. I mean, the week ahead will be rough on the diet, because I do intend to eat on Thanksgiving and any Thanksgiving related events. So, while I will still be dieting in between, it could be another low loss week. But, even with "slow" weeks, I should be able to make it to 25 by the time I go to Indiana. And that is exciting to me!

And, I cannot WAIT to start telling you about the thankfulness mail I've been receiving. What fun it has been to get to the mailbox every day! You should try mailing self addressed stamped envelopes to your friends and see the kind of mail you get back! What's more, the stuff on the cards are TERRIFIC and you're gonna love them. It's gonna be great!

Kindest regards for your Tuesday. See you tomorrow.

Stacy's Having a Baby

Before we get to today's post, I have a couple of weblog housekeeping items to tend to.

1 - WELCOME to follower number 24! I haven't been asking you to "follow" me for several months, but over the weekend we gained a new follower. So, welcome to you. And, of course, this reminded me that I should remind all of you loyal readers to please go over there to the sidebar and "follow" me if you aren't already. It helps me read the website analytics more accurately, for one. And, more importantly, I love to come on the site and see your smiling little faces. So - and I know it's a convoluted process - follow the steps to follow this site! Thanks.

2 - If you've been putting off writing to tell me what you're thankful for - what you are grateful for, what you hold hear - you are running out of time. The thankfulness card responses are pouring in. And, boy oh boy, they are great! And the responses I've received on the blog are also wonderful! Whoo-wee, we are a lucky bunch in so many ways! And I'm going to be highlighting those responses as the week goes on towards the big holiday. So, please, feel free to let er loose on the thankful front or now and forever you'll miss your chance. Thank you.

OK, on to today's post:

This is Stacy

Stacy is about to have her first baby. A baby she's waited for a long time. A baby she and her sweet husband Henry prayed about. So, Saturday, we gathered together to shower her with stuff babies need. And, I don't have children, but here's one thing I know for sure - babies need a lot of stuff!

Stacy and I went to graduate school together. She and I were kindred spirits in the fact that neither of us knew exactly what on earth we were doing in graduate business school or what possessed us to take that course of action. Stacy was a nurse before grad school. And now she works for a medical devices company, so you know, we did figure out why we were there and what we were doing before it was all over.

We held this shower, with all the grad school girls, plus Stacy's wonderful friend Michelle, on the one year anniversary of Deborah's shower. Funny, huh? Stacy and Deborah's due dates are/were almost the same too...just one year apart. So, you know, since we had such a nice time last year (Stacy helped host that one...) Deborah, Wilma and I decided to host Stacy's shower in the same room, same day, a year later.

These are the fabulous party favors Wilma made up.

So, same day, one year later, Wilma flew in from New York to be with those of us still in Dallas, cute favors in tow. And, one year later, all the girls came on down to the Chocolate Angel for a nice event. Only last year, we were preparing for a boy. This year - Stacy's one of those who doesn't want to find out. So, this year, we celebrated for a boy OR a girl. We showered her with gifts in anticipation of one healthy, prayed for, already loved, baby.

Deborah and Lola


Michelle, Stacy and Wilma


Stacy and Meg

In addition to all that showering of love and attention on the soon-to-be-mama, we of course spent a great deal of time talking it up with the old crowd. We don't see each other enough and there is a lot to say.

Stacy stood up and thanked everyone for coming, and told us all how much it meant to her to be at a baby shower as the honoree. What's more, Stacy and Henry eloped for their marriage (and have some of the most beautiful beach wedding photos you've ever seen to prove it) so she didn't have any traditional bridal showers. So, just to be the center of attention at a shower at all was new for her. And I think she had fun!

Wilma and Lola


Lola, Cathy and Deborah

Besides the visiting and gift opening, we also ate. And, sister, I ate. And it was good. Lord, help the scales be nice to me tomorrow morning, because what I ate...it was not on the DIET.

In fact, here it is:

Amen.

But, back to the shower at hand and away from my transgressions. There is just something so basically female about a baby shower. In this day and age, when we all work and climb the corporate ladder if we want or stay home or volunteer or do whatever we want, there are not as many rituals for the "womenfolk." But this is one of them. All the important women in someone's life gather around to offer words of excitement, encouragement, advice, wisdom, and well, just words too. Just spending time being women together. I guess this is sort of old fashioned in the age of the liberated woman. But really, I find this to be a very nice thing. It's just as liberating to know your female friends have your back when it comes to marriage or babies as it does to careers and personal freedoms. It's wonderful.

Deborah kept an ordered list of the gifts for Stacy's records.


And at the end the waiter obliged us with a group photo.

But, before we go on, we must take a moment to visit my neurosis once more - what on earth am I doing over there with my hands? Huh? Do I have a pain in my side? Is there a stain on my dress in that exact location? Was I anticipating my left stomach area to come busting out? Um, no to all of that. So, why on earth could I not just put my hands at my side like a normal person? Huh? Why?

Well, people, because I'm not normal. Thank you. Moving on. It was a very fun event, my neurosis aside. Amen.

On Sunday, the honoree and hostesses got together for brunch at the Mercury Grill. This time we brought our husbands and Deborah even brought Dexter!

Henry, Stacy and Deborah's husband John

The restaurant is really too dark to get any good photos. But, I took a few anyway...

Maybe Lola was more successful with her point and shoot.
Sometimes that's all you need!
(Oh, and that blur in the back, that's Wilma showering attention on Dex.
She loved that!)


That's Henry, the soon-to-be dad, with Stacy.

After we ate, we had the waiter take a photo outside. You will see we were all suffering from eye squint from going from the dark restaurant out into the light, and from the sun shining right towards us. It captured us, but we all sort of look like we'd rather be somewhere else - that part is the illusion. We all had a lovely time. And the food (my choices within DIET parameters except for a little cheese) was divine. So, here we all are:

Yeah, maybe not our best photo ever.
But the intent was good, I promise!

And, before we go - don't you want to see what Dex is looking like these days, a year later? Well, there he is, with his mama. His dad is actually there too, in the back on the right. Dexter's a charmer. And a very active boy. And oh so sweet. We talked at brunch about how this time next year, Stacy's little boy or girl (Henry gives it a 70/30 that it's a boy. Stacy's right behind him with a 60/40 going towards a boy too, so we'll see!) will be as big as Dex is now!

And Wilma's decided we should just keep a tradition going of getting together the weekend before Thanksgiving, baby shower or not, just so we make certain we stay in touch and see one another without years flying by before we notice. It's a great idea, Wilma. Thanks for thinking of it, and for flying down to be with us! Maybe one year we should all fly up to be with Wilma - now THAT would be fun, no? We should plan it for something like 2018. We might could get it together by then!

So, there you have it. One more baby shower under wraps and photographed up for you to see here. Best wishes for your Monday! See you tomorrow.

In Cheryl's Kitchen: Easy Potato Soup

For this Friday - another installment of In YOUR Kitchen. I hope you didn't miss the inaugural installment on Tuesday. If you did miss it, make sure you check it out now. This time, it's my mother-in-law Cheryl's kitchen, and she has an easy and yummy recipe for you. As the weather turns cold and we're in the hustle and bustle of the holidays, there are days you just want to eat some comfort food. And you don't want that comfort to take ten hours to prepare.

That's Cheryl, with Sam, last Christmas.

Here is Cheryl to the rescue! I watched her make this recipe in about 15 minutes. Tops. It's perfect for a cold autumn night. It's also completely perfect when you're suffering from allergies, colds or flu. So here we go.

The ingredients.


Peel the potatoes.


Slice them into large slices and put them in a large saucepan.


Cover them almost with water - just enough for them to cook in.
Turn the heat up to let it boil.


Cut up about 1/4 cup onion.
And season with a little salt, too.


And add them on in.


Cook that until fork tender.


Then coarsely mash the ingredients in the pan.


After that, add in 2TBS butter and a can of cream of chicken soup.
This is how Cheryl says she "cheats" to good, fast soup.
Now you know her secret.


Then add in 1 3/4 to 2 cups of milk, depending on what consistency you like.


Add in 1/4 tsp each of garlic powder, seasoned salt and pepper.


And two slices of American cheese.
Then let it come to a boil again.


Then let it simmer until you're ready to eat!


And when you're ready, it's OH SO GOOD!

Cheryl's Potato Soup

3 good size potatoes or 4 medium potatoes
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 tablespoons of butter
1 3/4 to 2 cups of milk
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 slices American cheese
salt to taste

Peel and slice potatoes. Place in large saucepan and cover with water to bring to a boil. Add chopped onion and salt to taste. After mixture boils and potatoes become fork tender, mash potatoes coarsely.

Add butter, soup, milk, seasonings and cheese. Bring to a boil again. Simmer until you're ready to eat.

So, there you go! You'll love it! Try it out this weekend! Be thankful for potato soup!

This weekend - let's see, we've got an action packed agenda. My good friend Wilma is in town because she, Deborah and I are hosting a baby shower for our friend Stacy. I'll have photos of that for certain. And I'm shooting some more In YOUR Kitchen recipes. And I'm working. And I'll be trying once again to stay on the DIET. And I'll be dreaming of Thanksgiving. Of all the wonderful things I can be thankful for, and for all the things YOU are thankful for.

So best wishes for whatever you're up to. See you next week!

Mutton Bustin'

As I mentioned on Monday, S and I attended the Texas Stampede last weekend. There were many rodeo events. But, above and beyond, my favorite event is Mutton Bustin'. It cracks me up every time. The kids on the sheep, hanging on for dear life. No one gets hurt, everyone laughs.

These are the sheep, with their funny coats.

If you've never experienced mutton bustin', you haven't lived. First, they shear the sheep on the back, but leave some wool up front for the kids to hang on to.

Then you collect a bunch of cute kids and put helmets on them.

And something that looks like a cross between a life jacket and a bullet proof vest. Whatever that is. Look at the budding Mr. Nixon in the middle. Awwww. And the cute widdle chaps. Awwww.

Then this usually happens - they slump to one side and try to stay on.



This kid, after falling off, decided to make "dirt angels."
I think he has a future in televangelism.



This kid did pretty good.


And he knew it. High fives all around.


It just cracks me up.
I'm warped like that. I know. I'm good with it.


Here's another celebratory hoorah.

But, here's the big moment for you - I caught one of the real riders on video. It's short, but they made it all the way across the playing field, so to speak. And you'll hear my crazy voice going "yeaaahhhhh" and "whooo-hooo". Nice. Very nice. You know I love ya if I'm posting this. Have a look:

Well, I think that says it all, don't you?

I'm coo-coo for mutton bustin'. Fo sho. And, no I had not consumed any alcohol. I was high on life, my friends, because muttons were bustin' out all over.

At the end there was a trophy ceremony.



But this boy was none too pleased.

He won the competition, but had to KISS the pretty girl to get his trophy. That pretty girl is Miss Rodeo or something. At his age, girls still have cooties. In case you were wondering.

There were some more awkward moments while the crowd remained hushed.



Then he did it.

I missed the actual peck, but you can tell from the lady's reaction in the back that the deed was done. Amen to that. He's still washing his lips extra good to this day.

But he got the trophy, dag nabbit.

And everyone's really a winner because hoo-wee, it's a good laugh. Such fun. My favorite part of a rodeo. Hope you enjoyed it too!

Happy Thursday. See you tomorrow with another RECIPE from someone else's kitchen!

The Chase

As I mentioned on Monday, I took some photos of our friends and old neighbor's girls last weekend. We ended up with some sweet shots, which I'll share once their mother gets to see them first. I figure that might be nice, no? But, today, some photos I shot during our little photo shoot when Sadie wagered a challenge to S - she yelled, as she was running away, "Catch Me S!" So, he set out to take that challenge. Here is the action that ensued from there.

You'll notice he was being a good husband and carrying the photo bag too.












Where was Sophie off to?
As her mother put it - to contract H1N1!


Meanwhile, the chase continued...




Until S got his girl...


...and Sadie caught S right back.

In DIET news, I forgot to mention yesterday that I lost another 2.2 pounds last week for a grand total of 14.2 pounds! So, we're still making progress. Amen to that!

Best wishes for your Wednesday. See you tomorrow.

In Monique's Kitchen: Sweet Potato Pie

So, finally, I'm getting around to blogging some In YOUR Kitchen segments. And, just in time for Thanksgiving! Today's kitchen in question is that of my friend Monique. Monique and I used to go to the same church before they moved to the burbs, and we still love to share book suggestions with each other, among other things. So, even though we're a "fur piece" apart in distance, we try to keep up with one another here and there and everywhere. So, of course, I poked and prodded my way into her kitchen - and I'll make my way to yours too, don't you worry - and she was kind enough to pretend she didn't mind at all.

Monique and her husband Evan have two beautiful children, Ellis and Merritt. Evan and Ellis went on a daddy-daughter weekend to the OU game, so Monique and Merritt had plenty of time on their hands to make us some sweet potato pie.

This is Merritt. He is 5 1/2. He used to be 5 a while back, but now he is 5 1/2, he informed me with great assurance. In case you were wondering. And pretty much the highlight of the cooking experience for him was turning on the mixer. Which I find pretty funny. He is a boy. And it is akin to a power tool, no? I quite remember my brother taking one look at my stand mixer and declared it one step short of a drill press. So, it only makes sense that would be the highlight for a 5 1/2 year old boy, too.

Monique chose to make sweet potato pie for us because it is a bit of a family tradition for her. She was telling me that Thanksgiving when she was growing up would yield something like 12 - twelve - 12 sweet potato pies. Both of her grandmothers would bring 3 or 4 and her dad used to make 4 or 5. So, you know, there was plenty to go around.

The thing is, when she started to make her own pies, she didn't think to ask them for the recipe. Nope. Instead, she opened up the Southern Living Cookbook and used that recipe. After a few years of good pies, but not just right pies to her palate, she asked her mom what was missing from the recipe. Her mama - not really the pie maker, but someone in the know - her mama took a pen right to that book and FIXED that pie recipe. So, now, even though it's in the Southern Living Cookbook, it's Monique's family recipe, edited down to the last detail.

She mentioned she doesn't use ginger, but rather NUTMEG, which to her estimation makes this pie more Midwestern than Southern. Because, as any Midwesterner will tell you, pie is really just an acceptable way to eat large quantities of nutmeg. Monique grew up in Texarkana, so while still very Southern, it hinges on just close enough to the Midwest that a tradition or two here or there might seep it's way in. There are a couple of other changes to that recipe from what's printed in the southern cooking bible, too, of course. And, to my estimation, having tasted the results, all those changes were just the way to go.

So here we go with the down and dirty. Monique uses frozen pie shells. You know I am right there with her. Many people think this sacrilege, and that truly you cannot be a good Christian woman without the ability to make the perfect pie crust from scratch. I am here to tell you this is either not true or Monique and I are living in sin. You pick. The truth is, these days, those frozen pie crusts are fine and dandy and there's no reason to work yourself in a lather over a pie crust. If you want to make your own, do that before you start on the filling. If you're making your own pie crusts, you probably already know that. If you're using pie crust ala Monique, take that baby out and thaw it out while you're making the filling. And, if you're really fancy like Monique, you'll put it in a pretty pie pan.

Procure two large sweet potatoes, or two pounds. Boil them until they can be mashed, or do what Monique does and nuke those babies until they are tender. Then, scoop out the innards into the mixer.

Then add in some evaporated milk, brown sugar and butter.

Next comes eggs.

Then, because the mixer still isn't running, if you're 5 1/2, go look for the dog.

Then comes the spices - nutmeg, cinnamon, salt.

And some vanilla.

Then comes the good part.

This filling is very liquid, so start on a low speed to prevent splatter, and work up to maybe a speed higher until all incorporated. This doesn't take very long. Use a spatula to move orphaned ingredients on the sides of the bowl back down into the mix.

Then pour all that goodness into the crust.

Put that bad boy in the oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 15 minutes and then cover the crust edges with aluminum foil for the rest of the bake. Bake for another 20 minutes at the same temperature or until the center is cooked.

While it is baking, there are LOTS of things to do. Greet the dog, catch up with your friend who you don't see often enough, and of course, play with Star Wars legos.

When it's finished baking, let it cool and serve with some whipped cream. Or, do what we did and eat it as soon as it was remotely cool enough to eat. Still warm. Amen.

I mean, how could you resist that?

Yeah, we couldn't. Yes, I had a piece too.

Not on the diet, but calories recorded.

Thank you, Monique and Merritt, for sharing your recipe with us.

In your kitchen.

Monique's Sweet Potato Pie

2 pounds baked or boiled sweet potatoes (2 large)
¾ cup evaporated milk
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanillapastry for 9-inch pie

- Cut potatoes in half lengthwise, cook in boiling water to cover 30-45 minutes or until tender. Drain, cool and mash. Or, nuke those babies until tender and move on down the road.
- Process first 9 ingredients in mixer, stopping once to scrape down sides. Pour mixture into pastry shell.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 15 minutes and then shield edges of crust with aluminum to prevent browning. Cook an additional 20 minutes or until a fork inserted in center comes out clean. Cover and store in refrigerator.

That's it! See you tomorrow.