I promised myself that before I could write this blog post, and leave for Milwaukee to see the one and only, I would finish my stats homework. I wouldn't take a nap, or heat up some (surprisingly delicious) butternut squash soup, or sing a single note. I’m sure it’s not a surprise to any of you that I did just exactly that, minus the homework.

A belated Thanksgiving to all of you, readers! Before I was lazy this week, I was sappy last week. I cried thinking of everything that I am grateful for – the opportunities I've had, the people I've met, and the people that are stuck spending every holiday with me for many years to come. Needless to say I have set the tears aside and enjoyed two very wonderful Thanksgivings last week, and couldn't wait to share them with all of you. Most likely you were there – 90% of my fan base shares my DNA.

And the other 10% are begging to.

What would Thanksgiving be without two pies for four people? We had a wonderful pecan and a pumpkin pie this year, but I think the pecan stole the show for me.

While the biscuits rose, Dad enjoyed maniacally carving the turkey.

Lastly, we wrapped up our weekend by saying goodbye over a delicious breakfast at one of my favorite Madison restaurants, Marigold Kitchen, followed by a stroll through the capitol to see the tree being put up. Actually, we said our real goodbyes over whiskey gingers and tears induced by a Packers loss. And Aaron Rodgers' mustache.

And after all the excitement of seeing his favorite people, someone was very happy to be home.

Old Fashioned Pecan Pie

I would hope that my sisters would agree that this pie is repeat worthy. I adapted this recipe from America's Test Kitchen, and am glad that I came across it one afternoon when Molly sister and I were slacking off reorganizing our priorities. First, the recipe calls for you to toast the pecans beforehand, and it really developed a deep flavor from the nuts - and this is coming from a girl who argues that nuts have a place but not in dessert. To do this, toast the pecans on a baking sheet at 350 degrees F for 5-7 minutes or until they are fragrant. I hope this recipe makes a believer out of you, because it was a rich but very delicious end to a special dinner.

1 cup maple syrup
1 cup light brown sugar
1 Tbsp. molasses
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 Tbsp. butter, cut into cubes
1/2 tsp. salt
6 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cups toasted pecans, coarsely chopped
1 uncooked, single crusted pie shell, chilled for at least 30 minutes
(a 9-inch deep dish defrosted store bought pie shell will also work here)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

To make the filling:

Combine maple syrup, brown sugar, molasses, and heavy cream in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, let simmer for three minutes, and allow the brown sugar to dissolve. Once sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and let cool for five minutes before incorporating the eggs and other ingredients. Add butter and salt to saucepan and whisk until incorporated. Once butter is incorporated, add egg yolks. Make sure your mixture is cool before adding the yolks to prevent the eggs from curdling, adding the cold butter will help with this too.

To assemble and bake:

Arrange pecans in bottom of pie crust, and pour filling on top of the nuts. Place the pie on the lowest oven rack and immediately turn the oven temperature down to 325 degrees F. This rapid temperature change will ensure that the unbaked pie crust doesn't get soggy. Bake for about 1 hour or until the crust is lightly browned and the pie still jiggles when shaken. At this point, the pie is under baked but will continue to cook while resting on the counter. Allow pie to rest and finish cooking on the counter for one hour and then chill the pie in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

Bourbon Whipped Cream

1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp. bourbon
1 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Whip the ingredients together either with a stand or hand mixer on medium speed until the cream forms nice, stiff peaks. Serve with your favorite pie, but there won’t be any judgment on this end if I catch you spoon in hand.