In 2004, a mutual fund company sent Doug a pecan pie for Christmas. I never liked pecan pie.. until this pie. My mother-in-law, Ruth, was staying with us as we had a new baby and she and I devoured the pie and then for months I made pies and we taste tested them to see if we could make one as good or better than the one that was sent.

Eventually, I did create an amazing pecan pie recipe and over the years, I would make the pie for her for special occasions. In fact, before she got to a place where she wasn’t physically able, she would gather, sort and crack pecans and then I would make the pies with the fresh pecans.

I bet we each gained twenty pounds due to those pies over the years.

We never did get another one of those pies. Until this year. Opening the box was bittersweet.

Ruth died in the fall of 2019 and since I had hip surgery the week before Thanksgiving last year, the holidays passed without me making pecan pies. Opening the plastic on the pie was nostalgic. Ruth and I had a strained relationship at times… she could be difficult. But over the years we did things together and built traditions.

And so, I ate a piece of that pie in memory of Ruth.

And since I had already bought the ingredients and planned on doing so.. I made one too.

And I’ll enjoy eating it too.

And then I’ll run, cause that is a lot of really bad calories. But man it tastes good. 🙂

Here is my recipe if anyone would like it.

Enjoy. And Happy Thanksgiving.