Caramel Pecan Pie

Oh. My. Gosh.

I don't even particularly care for pecan pie, and I loved this.

I'm talking delish here, people.

If you are looking for a simple, yummy, pretty dessert to "wow" your family over Thanksgiving with, then this is for you. I found it at allrecipes.com, and decided to give it a test drive before Thanksgiving next week.

Ingredients:

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

36 individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup milk

3/4 cup white sugar

3 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup pecan halves

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.) In a saucepan over low heat, combine caramels, butter and milk. Cook, stirring frequently, until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt. Gradually mix in the melted caramel mixture. Stir in pecans. Pour filling into unbaked pie crust.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown. Allow to cool until filling is firm.

See, it's that easy.

Now, I must warn you that I did not bake mine the entire time. It was ready in 35 minutes, so watch yours closely.

Happy Thanksgiving, ya'll!

---KPG

Holy Cow!

It's officially November. And I am already aching to put up the Christmas tree. Seriously. I would put it up right this very minute if the hubs would let me.

Where has the year gone? 2010 has been, without a doubt, one of the most rewarding years of my life. I graduated from college, got married, moved to a new state, bought our first house, got a puppy, and got my first big girl job. Exciting stuff, huh!? But, I have all the faith in the world that the future holds even better milestones and events for me to look forward to!

So, Alex and I are boring. I have absolutely no exciting news to report. Sad.

Alex and I babysat for two boys on Friday night. It was a blast! I hope to be babysitting alot more in the near future now that I am meeting several families through school.

On Saturday, Rachael and I shopped a bit while the boys watched football. Then we all watched the hogs game. The hogs won, but one of my favorite players, Greg Childs, got injured and is out for the rest of the season. Huge loss for the Razorbacks.

{Family photo in Fayetteville}

{My birthday dinner at The Reef in Midtown}

{At the Razorback game in Dallas Cowboy Stadium- Arlington, TX}

My parents are coming to stay with us this coming weekend. Thank goodness. I haven't seen them in over a month, and that is far too long! I also have two baby showers to attend this weekend. I find it absolutely crazy that we are old enough to be starting families! It doesn't seem possible!

Happy Monday, everyone!

---KPG

October=Chaos!

Is anyone else blown away by how fast this year is flying by? We are 11 days away from November, and 65 days until Christmas. Wow.

October has been a crazy busy month for the Griffith family. We started off the month by attending the Lady Antebellum/David Nail concert and spending the weekend at my parents' home. It also happened to be the weekend of the infamous Delta Fair, so Alex was fortunate enough to experience his first ever Demolition Derby. What. A. Treat!!!

The next weekend we went to Dallas for the Hogs vs. Texas A&M game. Fun!!! We got free clubhouse level seats, free hotel, and free food through a company that Alex does alot of business with, so we jumped on a plane and enjoyed a wonderful weekend! (And the Hogs won!)

My birthday was last Thursday. Let me start by saying it was one great birthday! When my alarm went off, Alex was sitting there with a gift for me to open. He got me a new pair of 7 jeans.... and got the right fit, size, and length all on his own!! He's awesome! Then I walked into my classroom and the other teachers surprised me with a carrot cake, a manicure, Diet Mountain Dew, and ordered in sushi for us to lunch. If you know me, then you know these are all of my favorite things! All of my students made me cards, drew me pictures, and some got me gifts. So so sweet! We went to dinner at Reef with Alex's parents, and they got me cupcakes from Muddy's and a couple of skirts. Such a great great day!

We stayed in Memphis this past weekend, but were still busy. We went to the ECS homecoming game on Friday night, and Alex saw alot of his old classmates and teachers. The hogs played on Saturday, but unfortunately got ripped off time and again by the darn referees. I am still too angry to discuss this game with anyone who is not a Hog fan. Don't bring it up.

This weekend we are heading to Fayetteville for the Arkansas Razorback vs. Ole Miss Black Bears game. Should be a fun time!

{Alex and I at the Demolition Derby}

I'm still loving my job and all of my students. They keep me smiling and I learn from them everyday. They are great!

---KPG

"Mrs. Griffin....."

So, I've started keeping a journal of the funny things my kids say. I have some of the funniest stories imaginable, and I'm only 2 months in!! I certainly don't want to forget them, so I just jot them down as they occur! A few of my faves:

• All, and I do mean all, of the kids refer to me as "Mrs. Griffin." I guess that's easier than Mrs. Griffith to them, so I just go with it and answer to that! It's hilarious though.
• "Mrs. Griffin, there's poop juice on the toilet." Can you imagine my face when I heard this? I, thank goodness, do not have a weak stomach because I had to go check out the scenery on this one. There was, in fact, "poop juice" on the toilet seat... he was not kidding!
• "But I want a whiskey drink with my lunch." Bahahaha! When I asked him where he heard that from, he informed me that his daddy drinks it out of his favorite cup. Oh kiddos!
• "Mrs. Griffin, I think you're pretty. Mrs. Griffin, I like your necklace. Mrs. Griffin, I like your hair." All from the same boy in about a 30 second time span. I thiiiiink he liked me that day!
• "But I only have a titty tat...." We were discussing animals in class. I said I have a dog, and this was a little one's response!
• "Mrs. Griffin, who's Alex?" "My husband. Why?" "Ohhhhh, so he's your daddy?" Haha I don't think he quite understood!
• "Mrs. Griffin, why is your hair red?" No comment needed!
• "My mommy never sees my bad notes from teachers because I hide them under the seat in the car." Haha! Someone's tricky!

How hilarious, huh?! See why I look forward to going to work everyday?!

P.S.- It's officially fall (Although it is not even close to feeling like it here). It's also 3 days away from Razorback game day. As in the biggest game of the season. And my first home game without wearing a twirling uniform. I think I'll survive!

Love ya'll!

---KPG

What a week!

What a week! I cannot believe it's already Thursday! I feel like my life is an absolute whirlwind right now!

On Monday, Alex and I went shopping for beds. And we found one: the same one we had chosen 3 months ago, but 40% off. Heck yes. Our new, king-size bed, will be delivered next Thursday and I couldn't be more excited!

On Tuesday, Alex and I had dinner at our next door neighbors' house. They have a 4 month old precious baby girl, and I had a blast playing with her! It was fun getting to know their family a little bit better, and nice to have a night off from cooking!

Last night I went on a cleaning excursion. I couldn't stand it any longer. I also cooked some delicious chicken alfredo for dinner (Alex's favorite). It was a great night at home for us.

School is going great. I am with Junior Kindergarten for the month, and I truly believe I have found my calling. That age is just awesome to me, and I wake up so excited to come to school each and every day! Not to mention hearing "Mrs. Griffith I think you're pretty" and "Mrs. Griffith I like your hair and your smile" and "Mrs. Griffith will you sit by me?" is a great way to put a smile on my face!

We are staying in Memphis this weekend, thank goodness. I love traveling, but I need a little break. I'm going to work on getting our wedding pictures framed, choosing fabric for our drapes, and watching the Hogs take on Georgia! Woot woot!

Also, Alex and I booked our trip to New York last night! We are going over Christmas and I cannot wait!! It's our first "adult" trip besides our honeymoon! YEY!!!

Hope ya'll have a good weekend! Woo Pig Sooie!

--KPG

These Are a Few of My (Current) Favorite Things....

Since fall is quickly approaching and I have just conquered what could possibly be the busiest summer of my entire life, I thought I would post some of my current favorite things! I say current because I am, afterall, a female (you know how we girls are!), and I find find something else to love about my life every single day!

These are really in no particular order.

1. My new family.

2. My husband.

He's absolutely amazing and means the world to me.

3. My puppy, Charlie.

This little guy brings me so much joy each and every day. He's a bundle of spunk and has the absolute best personality!

4. The Arkansas Razorbacks.

Someone at work had never heard of the hog call. I nearly fainted. My dog (see favorite thing number 3) is named Charles Mallett Griffith after our current quarterback. I love my Hogs!

5. Our house.

I tell Alex at least once everyday how much I love our house. It's perfect. So warm and cozy. Ya'll come visit!

Note: These are pictures from right before we moved in. It's much cozier and decorated now!

6. NCAA Football

I check espn.com at least 5 times a day, ya'll. It's pathetic! I also managed to watch 10 (yes, 10) football games over the course of the weekend.

7. Sushi

Guys, I just can't get enough. We have already had it twice this week and it's only Tuesday! I think we're in the double digits for the past month now. Alex is going to start banning sushi in our house.

8. Seafood in General

I used to hate seafood. Despise might actually be a better word for it. However, about 5 years ago a light clicked on and I have been a fanatic ever since! I typically order a seafood dish whenever we go out to eat, but here lately I have craved it even more! We've made seafood dishes at home, and I even ordered a shrimp dish at a Mexican restaurant! (I typically stay away from seafood at mexican places)

9. My yard

Let's get one thing straight: I was not blessed with a green thumb. For those of you who have seen my parents' yard, you know that breaks my mother's heart. I do not enjoy it and quite frankly find it oh so very frustrating. However, since I now have my own yard with no yard man, I have taken up weeding out my flower beds. They already look so much better, and I have literally only pulled up weeds and shaped up bushes. Perhaps in the spring I can get my mom down to Memphis and we can get to planting some pretty plants!

10. PDS and the Martin Institute

I love my job and all of my coworkers. I love waking up knowing that I get to go work at a place where I learn so much each and every day. This week I am working in JK, and let me just say that I LOVE it.

Speaking of the Martin Institute, we are hosting our first Martin Institute Conference on September 30-October 1. The theme is "Teaching for Tomorrow", and the conference will be held on the PDS campus. For more information, visit www.martininstitute.org.

11. My new vacuum cleaner

Hey, it's the little things in life, right!? Haha no seriously, my new vacuum is a miracle worker. Saying that Charlie is a shedder would be an understatement. But that little vacuum cleaner can pick up hair even when the house looks spotless! Amazing!

Well, Happy Tuesday everyone! And yay for a short week and more football on Saturday!

---KPG

5 days....

Just so you all know, it's 5 (yes 5) days until football season. Saying I was excited would be a bit of an understatement. Obviously, my heart belongs to the Razorbacks, but I do love watching every single NCAA game that is on TV. I get excited just thinking about it!

{Alex at Shelby Farms with the Hill Family}

{On our way to take Charlie & Hank to Shelby Farms!}

I can't remember if I previously mentioned it, but Charlie now weighs 35 pounds. He's 14 weeks old and is completely massive! But, he is amazing. He sits, stays, shakes, is potty trained, and sleeps all night on his pillow (outside of the kennel!). We are so proud!

{Dinner at Flight}

Our friend, Burg, came into town this past weekend and stayed with us. We had a very relaxing weekend and did pretty much nothing! I did make an awesome breakfast dish, Cream Cheese Blueberry Braid (courtesy of Kendall Jones!), that was a huge hit for the boys. I must say, I have become quite the Betty Crocker lately. Anyway, on Saturday night we had a company dinner at Flight. Can I just say that it was absolutely fantastic? I had halibut, sea bass with seafood mashed potatoes, and lobster bisque. Yeah, you really can't beat that menu!

Alex and I are still trying to decide on our holiday weekend plans. Lake, Kennett, or Fayetteville. I would love to be in all three places this weekend, but it's just not possible!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

--- KPG