Turning 7, and Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie

I think I may have experienced my worst nightmare.

(Probably not really, but it feels like it at the moment.)

My son, my first-born, my Buggy-love, turned 7 over the weekend.

7.

Seven.

I know. It doesn’t sound like that big of a deal. It’s not like he turned one….or five….or sixteen. It’s not one of the big birthdays. But yet, it is.

It’s monumental. Because he’s not one anymore, when he was still my baby. He’s not five anymore, ready to start kindergarten. (And thank God, he’s not sixteen. I know we have a few years to go, but I already predict that he should not…I repeat…not be given keys to a car. Perhaps ever. Because he is, without a doubt, his father’s son.)

It’s monumental because he’s changed.

He’s taller, for one…..smarter…..even more handsome. And he’s lived a little more life, which means he wants more independence. So, he’s testing the waters…..a lot more than he used to. (A lot more than I’m used to.)

But to deal with it, while not ignoring it, I’m choosing to focus on the positive changes that come with his age. For instance, when he’s not pushing her around, he steps in as the protective big brother to his little sister. (Though she’s quite capable of sticking up for herself, thank you very much.)

He also expresses a greater compassion for others, especially for those who have less than he does. For his birthday party, he asked his friends to not bring him gifts, but instead to bring new, unwrapped toys that he can collect and donate to our local Toys for Tots for this Christmas gift-giving season.

And, he continues to make us laugh in new, unexpected ways. As a family, we rounded out his birthday by going out for pizza. He sat next to his dad on the inside of the booth, and when he was ready to head to the restroom to clean up, he proceeded to slide under the table to get out. My husband quickly stopped him, and this is how the conversation went:

My husband: “Whoa. What are you doing?”

My son: “Going to the bathroom.”

My husband: “You’re seven now. Are you going to be a little boy or a big boy?”

My son: “A big boy, so I’m going to go wash my hands and face.”

My husband: “How do you think a big boy would get out of the booth?”

My son: “Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. I’ll climb over the back.”

Nightmare’s over.

Yep. With table manners like those, I don’t think he’ll be leaving us for a looooong time.

(And that’s alright with me!)

Yours in pie,

Mindy

My son loves pie. Loves it. So he’s really enjoying the fact that he gets to have pie every week, now that I’m making pie a lot more often. I really haven’t been too adventurous, I’m kind of a pie purist and just like more traditional pies. I had not yet tried adding chocolate to pecan pie, and when I came across this recipe from Laurie at cookin’ up north, I knew it was time to start. Laurie says this is “hands down [her] favorite pie ever”, and I thought the chocolate chips would make having pie a little more special for my son on his birthday. This pie is definitely deliciously rich, like eating a chocolate chip cookie with, um...pecan pie. (Does that mean it has twice the calories, or half the calories of each?)

As listed below, Laurie’s recipe calls for filling an unbaked crust, so of course, thinking the bottom may not get golden and flaky, I first partially pre-baked the crust, then filled it. I wish I had just baked it once, as Laurie did. While the crust tasted fine, had a nice texture and was done on the bottom, partially pre-baking it created some avenues for seepage of the filling, which also allowed some of the filling to spill over the edge of the pie plate from underneath the crust…and all over the bottom of my oven. Next time I will save a step and just fill an unbaked crust…as the recipe calls for!

Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie

from cookin’ up north

Pastry for single-crust 9-inch pie

3 eggs
1 c. light corn syrup
½ c. sugar
¼ c. melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. pecan halves
¾ c. chocolate chips

Combine eggs, corn syrup, sugar, melted butter, and vanilla in bowl. Stir in pecans and chocolate chips. Pour filling into pastry-lined pie plate. Bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes until done. Cool completely on wire rack.

I shared this recipe on:

Full-Plate Thursday at Miz Helen's Country Cottage.

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