I was in a store or two this weekend, on some very fast errands, and I feel like I am behind for the holidays! When I worked at Silver Dollar City, I was always on the stick, because I was surrounding by the beautiful seasonal décor 24/7. At least, I like to think I was on the stick back then.
The Fall wreath finally got up at the front door today, and additional fall chores are getting checked off the list. It might be time to make a ‘to do’ list for the entire family. It’s hard to motivate yourself after a 40–50-hour week, so I truly understand. Sometimes I just need Saturdays to re-group! And in ‘my’ book I’m doing 2 homes right now. Prepping to sell my dads house, is like a full-time job. In fact, I’ll be back there this week, with a friend, packing and sorting more things.
I’m actually excited about the trip back home because I’m attending my friends, 50th wedding anniversary! She & her spouse got married when we were in high school and they’re such wonderful friends, always there to help me with all the clean-up and misc. jobs! They have ideas for lots of things we have to get done, and it’s so appreciated.
Today I’m pulling out one of my favorite recipes, not mine, either. I’ve shared these pecan bites in the past and the recipe comes from one of my good friends here in Branson West, Pam Beisswenger. P.J. was a missionary kid, and grew up not knowing how to make mashed potatoes and grilled cheese sandwiches. When she went to college, she tried to toast the sammies in the oven. (Without a pan.) On the flip side of that comment, she is one of the best cooks I know. I dearly love sitting around talking recipes and what she has been making. Of course, her specialty is Malaysian foods and rice, because that’s where she grew up. Oh yeah, you haven’t lived until you here her stories about sifting the weevils out of the flour, before you used the flour! When she told us this story the first time, I think my chin hit the floor! Stay around me a little while and I’ll share the ‘cannibal’ stories, but not here! That gotcha’ didn’t it? I am not joshing either!
Back to the pecan bites, it’s a little safer subject. The ticket with the recipe is pulling the bites at the right time. The taste will change when you cook them too long. As we look towards the latter fall season and the holidays, these are perfect for the freezer. Speaking of prepping, I would like to offer a tip too many of my readers. These days it is not a good idea to post how much meat, grains, eggs, canned goods, etc. that you have prepped for the winter, or for your family in general. It was safe to do this in my generation, but not now. Believe me, when a friend reminded me over a year ago, I was frustrated beyond words. We don’t like to think about anything of this nature, but we must be ‘aware.’
Who ever thought, people would be assigned a descriptive word because they prepped for their families.
A week or so back I shared the cranberry cheese spread, I am really pleased with that recipe, after the fact. I sampled it only after it had set for 2-3 hours. I didn’t taste it again until about 3-4 days after making it. WOW, did the flavor pop after setting for a while. I took it to the office and we enjoyed it on butter crackers, I think it would even be good on a ginger snap! Oh, that reminds me, I need to put ginger snaps on the grocery list.
I need to stop chattering so much, there’s laundry to finish before bedtime, and I’m making a couple batches of these lovelies! Have an outstanding week, I’ll be back in Lewistown until about 2 or 3 Saturday. Ut Oh, tip, tip, next time you are making fresh biscuits consider grating the butter in with a box
grater. You will get a much better distribution on the butter, even if you were to cut in in with the KitchenAid or your food processor. Simply yours, The Covered Dish.
Pecan Pie Muffins
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans
2 beaten eggs
2/3 cup (10 2/3rds tablespoons) butter, melted & cooled
*Vegetable Spray containing flour
Mix the sugar, flour and chopped pecans together. In another small bowl blend together the 2 beaten eggs and the cooled butter. Add the egg mixture into the dry stirring gently to mix. Spray a mini muffin tin with vegetable spray containing flour. Divide mixture evenly into a 24 muffin tin. You will use ‘about’ one tablespoon per fill. Bake 17-18 minutes at 350 degrees.
Immediately turn the mini muffins out onto cooling racks. If you wait to invert the pecan bites will stick.
*This simple, yet yummy treat comes from my gal, P.J. Beisswenger yet again!
Pam says to make sure you use the spray with flour as otherwise these little pecan pies just won’t come out of the pan!
Frequently I’ll look up and here comes P.J. carrying a basket full of these yummy bites. It is hard to imagine that just 5 little ‘ole’ ingredients render such a delicious treat. These would be great to make and freeze for anytime of the year, but especially the holidays.
