Thanksgiving 2010

I love the holidays, I love spending time with my family, I love cooking, and I love eating. The holidays are such a wonderful time in our family, as we come together to celebrate how God has blessed our family.

Mom and I both love to cook....and I thought a challenge was in order. I found a wonderful pecan pie recipe last year that I made for the Buckmaster's Thanksgiving and I wanted to make it for the Kresta Thanksgiving, so I challenged Mom to a Pecan Pie THROWDOWN (ala Bobby Flay). Mom wasn't too thrilled with the idea, but I was excited. I like to show Mom that her teachings took with me, that I did learn from her how to cook. She is by far the best cook of the family, and everything I've learned, I've learned from her. Her pecan pie is delicious, but I wanted to try something different. She made her pie on Wednesday, and it looked perfect, I was getting a little nervous, what did I sign up for? Why did I challenge her? She is the pro, I am CRAZY. I was second guessing myself, thinking that I shouldn't make my pecan pie. Well I mustered up the courage and started making my pie on Thanksgiving morning. My first problem...the pastry. I couldn't remember for the life of me my mother's recipe, so I had to look on up on the internet. I wasn't about to ask her for the recipe during a throwdown! The recipe I found was different, but it worked out ok. It was a battle to roll it out and get it into the pie pan, but I did it! Now, onto to the filling. Everything went smoothly and I was ready to bake! Here comes the hour and half wait.... not to mention I was getting the evil eye for taking up one of the ovens during PRIMETIME baking. I had to watch the pie like a hawk...to make sure I didn't burn it. I was at the tail end of the timing, and mom says, " Cortney, go take a shower, people will be here in a bit." I looked at her like she was crazy....like I was going to leave her with my pies, only to BURN THEM! HAHAHAHAHA so I pulled the pie, and it was beautiful :)

Now, who were the judges going to be? My Dad loves pecan pies, loves my MOM's pecan pie, and knew that being a judge might be a determent to his marriage. Because what happens when he picks my pie to win? That would be bad. So we had Brad (kim's boyfriend) judge the first round....who does he pick....MOM! He loved her's thought it was the best :) One point for Mom. Onto Dad, Poppy, Aaron and Chad..... We gave each of them a slice, didn't tell them who the slice was baked by and then they did the compairison. AND four points goes to......CORTNEY!!! I won, I won the challenge!! I was so excited, I did a little dance around the kitchen!! Mom just looked at me, but she was a good sport. She came and said since I was the winner, then I won the responsibility of making Thanksgiving dinner next year...EEEKK. Mom, you can keep the Thanksgiving dinner...I will take the pecan pie duties.

What a wonderful thanksgiving I have had with my family....I am just missing one person....Matt. We do not spend the holidays together just yet, as its too hard to decide where we are going. We both love our families, love being with them, and I am so thankful that we have such wonderful families. I know Matt is having a wonderful time with his family, and I am thankful for them in my life as well.

Happy Thanksgiving!!