Pioneer Woman Pecan Pie and Whisky Maple Cream Sauce

Last weekend the Pioneer Woman was on Throwdown with Bobby Flay. I love Ree (aka Pioneer Woman), and was excited to see her on this show. They did a great job showing her life in Oklahoma with Marlboro Man and her kids on their ranch. It totally made me want to live on a ranch as it was so beautiful out there!

One of the things she made, which I believe helped her win, was Pecan Pie with a Whisky Maple Cream Sauce (which by the way I now can't stop saying P-can pie, thanks to Miss Paula Deen!). It looked sooo good, and I have been wanting to make it all week.

We had two Thanksgiving Dinners this week -- one with my Grandparents and my Mom's family in WVa and one with my brother's family (my brother and sister-in-law had to work on Thanksgiving). I ended up making Pumpkin Whoopie pies for the WVa dinner, and the Pecan Pie for my brother's dinner.

This Pecan Pie was de-lic-ious! My entire family raved about it! And the Whisky Maple Cream Sauce was to die for! I would totally recommend this sauce to be put on anything really. It had just enough of a kick to balance out the sweet pie (it's a little too rich to eat by itself, yes I did try though!).

Pioneer Woman's Pecan Pie:

Ingredients:

-- 1 whole Unbaked Pie Crust (Ree uses "Sylvia's Perfect Pie Crust" recipe, I used a premade one)
-- 1 cup White Sugar
-- 3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
-- ½ teaspoons Salt
-- 1 cup Corn Syrup
-- ¾ teaspoons Vanilla
-- ⅓ cups Melted Butter (Ree suggests salted, but I used unsalted and it turned out fine)
-- 3 whole Eggs Beaten
-- 1 cup (heaping) Chopped Pecans

Preparation Instructions:
First, whip up your pie crust using “Sylvia’s Perfect Pie Crust” found on Tasty Kitchen or purchase one like I did (which my Mom said was cheating).

Next, mix sugar, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup, butter, eggs, and vanilla together in a bowl.

Pour chopped pecans in the bottom of the unbaked pie shell.

Pour syrup mixture over the top. Cover top and crust lightly/gently with foil. Bake pie at 350º for 30 minutes. Remove foil, then continue baking for 20 minutes, being careful not to burn the crust or pecans.

NOTE: PIE SHOULD NOT BE OVERLY JIGGLY WHEN YOU REMOVE IT FROM THE OVEN. If it shakes a lot, cover with foil and bake for an additional 20 minute or until set. Required baking time seems to vary widely with this recipe. Sometimes it takes 50 minutes; sometimes it takes 75!

Allow to cool for several hours or overnight. Serve in thin slivers.

Whisky Maple Cream Sauce:

Ingredients:

-- 1-½ cup Heavy Cream
-- 5 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup
-- 3 Tablespoons Light Corn Syrup
-- 1 Tablespoon Whiskey (can Add More If Desired)

Preparation Instructions:
Combine cream, maple syrup, and corn syrup in a saucepan and stir to combine. Cook over medium-low to medium heat, stirring constantly, for 15 minutes or until sauce is reduced and thick (sauce should bubble slightly as it’s cooking.)

When sauce is thick, remove from heat and stir in whiskey. Return to heat for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly.

Pour into a container and refrigerate until completely chilled. Stir before serving.

Drizzle over pies (or anything)!

Book Review: Foul Play

Last weekend I read the book Foul Play, by Janet Evanovich. It was one of those really cute romantic comedy type books (aka chick lit), and was a very quick read. I was able to finish it within a couple of hours over the weekend.

Amy, a local celebrity known for playing a clown on a local children's show, is fired and quickly replaced by a dancing chicken. Shortly after her firing she meets Jake, the town’s vet, who is not only handsome, but very respectful among the community. She meets him in the grocery store (after basically trashing the store as she is very clumsy) and when she finds out she has forgotten her wallet and locked her keys in the car, Jake steps in and saves the day by purchasing her groceries and then taking her home.

The two have instant chemistry, and Amy tries to fight it from the very start. She doesn't trust Jake, and isn't ready to fall into a relationship. Because she doesn't have a job, Jake offers her a job as a receptionist (mostly so he can spend more time with her) at his vet office, and she takes it (but only because she needs something in order to survive, not because he is hot or anything).

A week after her firing, the dancing chicken (who stole Amy's job), becomes very sick and is brought into the vet's office. The next day the chicken comes up missing, and Amy is to blame because the chicken had stolen her job. It didn’t help that she showed up the next day to work with homemade chicken soup.

For the remainder of the book, Jake and Amy go on a quest to find out what really happened to the chicken so that they can clear Amy's name. She becomes somewhat of a joke around town as a chicken killer who eats her prey. It gets so bad that Jake actually starts losing patients at his vet’s office because owners are afraid that their pets will come up missing also.

This book is a little silly at times, but it is a cute love story, and I really did get interested in finding out what happened to the chicken. If you are looking for a quick rainy day read, check it out.

Show Us Your Life -- Bathrooms

I haven't been very good at posting these last couple of weeks due to traveling for work, but since I am back in town for the next couple of weeks, thought I would kick things off again by sharing another "Show Us Your Life."

This week we are sharing our bathrooms. I am lucky to have 2 full baths all to myself! The master bath gets used mostly for getting ready in the morning and for getting ready for bed at night. The guest bathtub rarely gets used, only when I have company.

Master Bath:

Here is the view from the master bedroom. My master bedroom is painted a sage green, and I wanted the bathroom to compliment it, so I painted the bathroom a light yellow, and I have sage green towels and a sage green bathmat which ties nicely with the bedroom.

Here is the view of the vanity/sink area.

Guest Bath:

I love this dark blue color, and think the white towels and shower curtain really pops! The towels and shower curtain are that white waffle pattern, which reminds me of a fancy hotel room.

This room also houses my washer and dryer which is located in a closet opposite the sink (right behind the door).

Right now my guest bath is decorated for fall. I just love the yellows and oranges against the blue walls.

My mom bought me this picture for my first apartment (a very long time ago), and I still love it today. In case you can't read it, it says "There is a 'Hare' in the tub."

Thanks for stopping by my home. Hope you enjoyed!