Thanksgiving Thankfulness

     Hello,
My name is Elizabeth and I am starting a new blog. I have never done anything like this before so I hope I don't mess up TOO badly! :-)
  First I would like to share 10 things I am grateful for since it IS Thanksgiving evening.

1. My dear Mom. (I lost my Dad last month, so it means even more to me to have my Mom so close. She is my best friend.)
2. My Dad. (He is gone now, but I learned a lot from him while he was here. Wish I could have learned more.)
3. The roof over my head. (Not everyone is so lucky. and it happens to be raining right now!)
4. My car. (Even though gas prices are higher than I like, it is still nice to not have to walk everywhere.)
5. All of the many websites and blogs that I have been to in recent months to learn new things, and improve things I already knew.
6. Answered prayers. (I believe in Jesus and He is one of the things I am grateful for so it is on my list!) 
7. All of my dear family and friends. (True friends are hard to come by so I don't take mine lightly.)
8. My job. (I may not make a lot of money but I love what I do and there are many people that can't say that.)
9. All the rough spots in life that have taught me that I AM tougher than I think I am. I am a survivor! 
10. And last but not least...the delicious Pecan Topped Carrot Pie that I made today!

It really isn't as gross as it sounds (and believe me, when you don't like carrots, it sounds pretty gross!) It tastes like a combination of pumpkin and pecan pie. I love both so for me it is the best of both worlds! I found the recipe in the February/March 2008 issue of Taste of Home magazine, (Page 17 if anyone cares.) 

Of course, this didn't have enough calories in it so I have to add just a few more...

It was SO worth the extra workout that I will have to do to burn those calories, though! A little slice of heaven, it was. 

Here is the recipe in case any of you want to try it:

Pecan-Topped Carrot Pie

Prep: 35 min / Bake: 45-50 min + cooling

Darlene King   Estevan, Saskatchewan

4 cups sliced fresh carrots (or, as I use, 1 can of carrots ~ E)

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

2 eggs

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (I use homemade pumpkin pie spice from a recipe I found at SparkPeople.com)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Dash of salt

1 unbaked pie shell (9 inch)

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons butter, melted

*Add 1 inch of water to a large sauce pan; add carrots. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 9-11 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool.*

  Place the carrots, milk, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt in a blender. Cover and process until pureed; blend 1 minute longer. Pour into pastry shell. Combine the pecans, brown sugar and butter; sprinkle over filling.

  Bake at 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean and edges are browned. (Cover edges of crust with foil during the last 20 minutes, if necessary, to prevent overbrowning.) Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate leftovers.

  Yields: 6-8 servings.

*Skip this step if using canned carrots.*

Well, it took me long enough to do my first blog that it is now officially Black Friday instead of Thanksgiving! So you all be safe and have fun SHOPPING!!!!!

There's no telling what will be showing up here next, so stay tuned. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to see you again soon.  :-)