Feeling Blessed

By Sparkle Abbey

The holiday season is in full swing. Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday…all were officially over in a swift five days. Unlike us, most of you have probably not only finished your Christmas shopping, but have your gifts wrapped, and tucked tenderly under your beautifully decorated Christmas tree.

What were we doing while you stashing your presents under the tree the Saturday after Thanksgiving? We were getting our hair done. Yes, we go to the same salon and see the same hairstylist. Sheron has been taming our locks for almost ten years now. While we were sitting under the dryer, in our deep conditioning stage, we were talking about how we’ve gotten caught up in the business side of writing and in the process have forgotten to share with you how much fun we have behind the scenes. (No, we don’t have a photo of us with colored hair and a plastic bag on our head. ) 

View image | gettyimages.com

Colleen's Turkey.

So before we get too caught up in the great hunt for the perfect gifts, we wanted to spend a few more minutes to share some Thanksgiving Day moments with our families. So here's a few “behind the scenes” snapshots or our peeps. We ate fabulous food, created turkey themed decorations, played games, and Skyped with loved ones who couldn’t be with us. 

Evie's Turkey.

Group Selfie.

One of us even tried our hand at making dessert in a jar. We’ve posted the recipe at the end of the blog. It turned out pretty darned good. Maybe we’ve got a cooking mystery series in us after all. 

Serious gaming.

We hope your Thanksgiving was filled with love, laughter, family, and friendship. We’d love to hear how you spent your Thanksgiving. Did you stay home? Did you travel? Did your brave the crowds and shop ‘til you dropped?

Pumpkin Pecan Jar Dessert

Yes, this is a photo of the actual dessert. Yum!

Ingredients

• 12 Wide mouth ½ pint jars
• 1 can (15oz) pumpkin
• 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• (or 2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon allspice)
• 1 box of yellow cake mix
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream, for serving

Directions

Step 1. Preheat oven to 350*F
Step 2. Lightly spray 12, wide mouth 1/2 pint jars with non-stick cooking spray. Place on large cookie sheet and set aside.
Step 3. In a large bowl combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, and spices. Whisk together until combined completely.
Step 4. Pour ½ C of the pumpkin mixture into each jar. Use a measuring cup for best results.
Step 5. Sprinkle heaping tablespoons of dry cake mix on top of pumpkin layer. Gently spread cake mix to cover pumpkin as evenly as possible.
Step 6. Add 1 tablespoon of chopped pecans on top of cake mix.
Step 7. Pour 1 tablespoon of melted butter on top of pecans. Jars should be filled almost to the top. Once baked, dessert will rise to fill jar.
Step 8. Bake jars on a large baking sheet (so they are easy to put in and out of the oven) for about 40 minutes. Test doneness with a toothpick. Inserted in the center of a jar, if it comes out clean, it's done. Dessert should be golden brown.
Step 9. Cool at least 30 minutes before serving.

If desired, serving with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream on top.

Once cooled, the dessert will shrink some, leaving the enough room to seal jar with lid. If you’re going to give dessert away as a gift, jars should be completely cooled before sealing. Wrap with your favorite holiday ribbon. Sealed dessert will stay fresh for 5 – 6 days.


Recipe Source: Betty Crocker, Holiday Recipes booklet, 2000.

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