Sometimes I feel like my posts should come with a disclaimer, and share the full back story of a time or a relationship before I begin the post. Even if a situation has a back story, it’s hard to share that openly in such an open public forum. Every day I drive by Athens State University and the motto on their advertisements speaks to me loud and clear, “It’s not how you started, it’s how you finish”!
When Jonathan and I married some of our holidays were easy compared to many of our friends. They had multiple places to be each holiday, while ours were never that stressful. I guess that’s one perk of him being an only child, with older parents, whose families either lived off or were too big to celebrate on the day of events. Somewhere along the way, my Moma invited the in-law parents to attend Thanksgiving lunch. It became a regular event and Bob and Mary always attended Thanksgiving lunch at my Moma’s house.
Mary’s signature dish to bring was her pecan pie. I never really liked pecan pie until it became a choice every Thanksgiving, and just like most things, as you age, your tastes change and now pecan pie is one of my favorite Thanksgiving dishes. (My Moma’s dressing is my all-time favorite of all Thanksgiving dishes) The funny thing is I don’t like every pecan pie, just hers.
Mary was raised in Florala, AL, as one of 10 children in a small home with a yard full of pecan trees. In a sense, pecans have become a form of heritage and represent a lifetime of memories for both Mary and Jonathan: Picking them, cracking them, pecan wars, and the fun times of football games with cousins and uncles under the canopy of those trees in the Goolsby’s front yard.
When Bob and Mary moved in with us in 2020, it was glaringly obvious to me, not Jonathan, that these holidays would be the last to be able to make significant memories. I did not know Mary would be gone by the next Thanksgiving, but I knew she would not physically be able to do what we did in 2020.
2020 Baking with Mary
This year, Kyndal is visiting Kenny’s family for Thanksgiving. I’ve never not had all of my family together for Thanksgiving lunch. It’s just another part of the adjustment in this stage of parenting baby adults. I’m also very thankful. I have friends who have to rotate their kids at Thanksgiving, and I just know that breaks their hearts in a totally different way.
Kyndal and I made Mary’s Pecan Pie for Thanksgiving. Kyndal has become a great cook since she’s been in Auburn, she doesn’t bake a lot since her cooking is very clean, but she’s like an old pro when you get her back into the baking world. It was fun having her in the kitchen, making a new memory with her, and carrying on a tradition of her Nini’s. After all, isn’t that what Thanksgiving is about?
Nini’s Pecan Pie Recipe
Recipe:
3 eggs
½ c sugar
1 c. Golden Eagle Syrup (made in Alabama section)
1 c pecan meats chopped
½ t salt
1 t vanilla
3 T margarine (we use butter)
Beat eggs slightly; add sugar, syrup, nuts, salt, vanilla, and chopped-up butter. Pour into an unbaked pie shell & bake for about 50 minutes in the oven at 350 F. The pecans will float and form a crust on top if baked slowly.
