Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because it always feels like the kick off of the “holiday trinity” — Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. Who doesn’t love this time of year: baking seasonal sweets, watching football, and eating until you go into a turkey coma. For the past six years or so, since Rob and I graduated college, we have always made it a point to make sure we visit both our families at Thanksgiving; we go to his house on the day of and then my house in PA for the rest of the weekend. Although it’s a lot of travel, it’s important to us that we keep tradition and spend these precious moments with the people we love most.

Every year for Thanksgiving with the Lacey’s, I like to test out a new twist on an old favorite. This year I made pumpkin pie my victim. I made a traditional pumpkin pie with flaky crust, but it was topped with a pecan praline topping, reminiscent of the delicious sweets from New Orleans. It was, in a word, perfection. Have you ever had sweet potato casserole that is topped with a ton of brown sugar? It’s basically that, in pie form. Did you mind just explode? Wait until you see pictures…

Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Praline Topping

Recipe By: Joy the Baker

 Granger is obsessed with licking the beaters — her eyes say it all… Our traditional “post-Thanksgiving” leftover sandwich, complete with moist maker. A wicked game of Jenga at my house and a little family photo at the Lacey’s.