Thanksgiving Dessert: Quick & Easy Pumpkin Pie from Scratch

This is the time of year that I look forward to Pumpkin Pie; it's my favorite dish at Thanksgiving.  There's just something about Pumpkin and Cinnamon that excites my taste buds, but I'm not a big fan of the pie crust. So when I make pumpkin pie from scratch, I skip the traditional pie crust entirely and make a quick graham cracker with a twist crust.  This really simplifies making pie from scratch and you can easily impress your friends and family with a homemade pie.  Oh, and I love using my food processor for this recipe.

Ingredients:
Crust:
1 1/2 cups of graham cracker cookies - ground (preferable homemade)
1/2 - 3/4 cups of pecans - ground
1 tbsp ground cinnamon (optional)
1/2 cup of brown sugar (if you want a sweeter crust)
about 1 stick of melted butter

Filling:
2 eggs, beaten
16 oz of pumpkin puree (preferably homemade)
3/4 cup brown sugar
pinch of salt
2-3 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 cups half-and-half

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2.  Combine all ingredients, expect butter in a food processer and process until ground crumbs.  See picture.
3.  Slowly add butter and mix by hand or in the food processor until crumbs start to combine.
4.  Grease pie dish and press crumbs into the bottom and sides of dish.  Bake for about 5-10 minutes in the oven.  Do not let the edges burn or become too dark.
5.  Combine all filling ingredients in a bowl and mix.
6.  Pour into cooled pie crust.  Bake 15 minutes.
7.  Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for about 45 minutes or until the center is set and knife in the center comes out clean.
8.  Allow to cool and serve.  Can be made a day ahead

The edges turned out slightly 'burned'

Monday's Tip of the Week: Pet Safety around Thanksgiving

As a pet owner myself I am always reading articles about pet safety and travel.  Today I wanted to share a link to one about pet safety around Thanksgiving.  Please click here to read the article.

I think these tips are very good and should be applied during other holidays or any get-together/dinners at your house.  Not everyone understands pet nutrition or how to react around pets.  This is where some training is useful, especially for dog owners and having a crate is handy.  I crate-trained my dogs, but now I only use the crates for some occasions where I think it is necessary. 

With a little planning and organization everyone can have a fun and safe holiday season, even the pets!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Monday's Tip of the Week: A "Greener" Thanksgiving

Part of this blog is about being "green" or eco-friendly.  With the Thanksgiving holiday around the corner I wanted to share some tips for planning your big day.  Whether you are the cook, the host, the guest or going on a trip, there is something for each of you.

1.  Buy a local turkey, preferably organic.  It's true an organic turkey with cost more at the grocery, but think of the money you will save in future on the health needs of your family and yourself.  And an added bonus of buying a local turkey (organic or not) is that you are supporting the local economy and avoiding many chemicals used during transit.

2.  Buy seasonal produce.  Click here to find out what is local in your area (it has all the US states). 

3.  Plan, Plan and Plan.  I can't say it enough.  If you are hosting Thanksgiving dinner you need to plan your dishes and make sure you have your ingredients ready.  Thanksgiving is not a time to try a new recipe for the first time.  Test it out before you make something new for Thanksgiving, but don't be afraid to make it your own.

4.  Decorate with natural materials.  I really LOVE the smell of fresh rosemary plants.  You can also shop thrift or consignment stores for second-hand decorations instead of buying stuff at the store that won't last long.

5. Compost your scraps.  I know this is not always possibly, but if you can please do.  This will be beneficial to your garden once it composts completely.

6.  Serve organic drinks and wine.  If you haven't heard of organic wine or bio-dynamic wine please read this article.

7.  Avoid traveling on peak days of the holiday weekend (Wednesday and Sunday).  Consider carpooling or public transportation.

8.  Do not use disposable products to set your table.  If you do not have a set of dishes (it doesn't have to be china) you can find great sets or pair several sets together from consignment stores.  You will be surprised how rustic, yet elegant a table you can create.