#46: And, You Get To Eat Cool Whip

3 Reasons We're Full Of Thanks (And Pie. Lots of Pie.)

This week, we're gearing up for Thanksgiving and talking about things we're thankful for. And, because we're a how-to show, we've included some recipes we love for our Thanksgiving meals alongside some conversation starters to keep everyone sane around the table.

🏀 Go Sports!

Jenny: Congratulations, Houston Astros! I'm back on the 'Stros train, folks!

Caitlin: Whomp-whomp -- I wanted the Phillies to win...

Brooklyn Nets update: the Nets hired Jaque (say “Zhock”) Vaughn as head coach (he had been the “interim” coach after Steve Nash was removed from the head coaching position). This after the Nets reportedly wanted to hire Ime Udoka, who was DRAMA for the Boston Celtics over the summer. Sounds like the Nets made a less controversial choice.
Maura Healey: first openly lesbian governor in U.S. history (elected by the state of Massachusetts); also a former captain of the Harvard women’s basketball team
Honorable mention: Oregon elected Tina Kotek as their governor, also openly lesbian.

📍 Current Obsessions

Jenny: Spicy food - cold outside -> hot in the kitchen; too spicy for kids (three times this week)

Caitlin: Gel Nail Kit for doing MY OWN nails at HOME (We're not sponsored, but here's the kit I bought on a

recommendation from Friend Anne, and we both love it! ) And then, my boss wanted to see my

nails during our weekly team meeting -- shout out to you, Jim!

💎 Gem Of The Week

Jenny: Literal gem: Rhinestone Cowgirl theme for the Austin Moms' Night Out event!

Caitlin: Meeting really nice Austin Moms contributors and getting out of the house for the night. Also,

fabulous that the event ended by 10 pm so that all of us moms could have a reasonable bedtime.

🎙 Real Talk: Our Thankful Thoughts for 2022

	The Show	Professionally	Personally
Jenny	Connections made in the podcast community!	New jobs for both me and John have led to vast improvement in mental health for both of us.	Looking back on where I was ten years ago and how much has happened since then!
Caitlin	DITTO. I have met some amazing creators and friends in the podcast community. There are shows (people) that consistently go out of their way to show support for us and we love them for that!	New job for me – this time last year I was “fun-employed” and it was the farthest thing from fun. I was panicked and upset at myself for failing at every resume submission and interview. I’m now working for a tiny little company full of incredible people who I really enjoy and with work that is new and challenging and I can feel myself learning something new every day.	Getting an ADHD diagnosis for my son and for myself. I feel so validated as I look back at the things I’ve known were “weird” about myself and my thinking. Knowing that there’s a reason that my brain jumps to the odd stuff is really helpful when it comes to my view of myself.

🥧 Thanksgiving Recipes

Jenny's Very Sweet Potatoes

This recipe can be prepared the day before and simply heated in the oven on Thanksgiving Day. Best served with many other dishes, football, naps, and the occasional squabble over current events.

Ingredients	Potatoes 4-5 lbs of sweet potatoes, washed but not peeled ¼ cup honey ½ cup brown sugar 1 cup heavy cream 1 stick butter, softened but not melted 2-3 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice Salt and Pepper to taste	Topping ¼-½ cup chopped pecans 2 Tbsp of cold butter, diced 2-3 Tbsp brown sugar
Instructions	If you’re making this the day before: Place a sheet of aluminum foil on the middle oven rack and preheat oven to 450. Pierce sweet potatoes several times each with a fork. Roast sweet potatoes on the foil for approximately 60 minutes, or until soft enough to squeeze with tongs. (The potatoes will ooze sugar onto the foil and you might smell it burning a bit.) Let potatoes sit on counter until cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, mix the honey, brown sugar, cream, butter, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl. Scoop out the sweet potato flesh into the cream mixture. Mash the potatoes, adding salt and pepper to taste. Pour mixture into a casserole dish. (I typically use a 9x9.) Leave on counter to cool completely. Sprinkle with toppings, cover with foil, and refrigerate.	The day of: Remove dish from fridge and let it come to room temperature on the counter. (This is extremely important if you are using a glass or porcelain dish.) Warm, with foil on, for 20 to 30 minutes at about 375. (Timing and temperature are flexible, as everything in the dish is cooked; you are just warming it up.) Remove the foil and bake for 5 minutes to toast the pecans.

Caitlin's Pecan Pie

Use store-bought crust! It makes this pie SO easy to make! Serves 8. Get some vanilla ice cream or whipped cream and dig in.

Ingredients

1 pie crust
3 eggs
½ cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup corn syrup
½ stick of butter, melted
A pinch of salt
2 cups pecans (Caitlin uses chopped pecans)
1 cup Heath toffee bits

Let's do this:

Preheat the oven to 350.
Lay your pie crust in the pie dish. Make it look as nice as you want -- it's all going in your face anyway. 😉
Mix together eggs, sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, melted butter, and salt until well combined. Stir in pecans and toffee bits.
Pour the mixture into the pie crust You might have some mixture left over, but don't overfill your pie!
Bake until the pie has lightly browned and set, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Caitlin bakes hers for 50 minutes and covers the crust with silicone crust-savers if it starts to brown too early.