Get out your meat fork!

           Get out your meat fork -it's time to make "Mom's" pecans!    Yes, that is what the recipe actually says...and guess what?  It just happens to be the absolute perfect tool for the task!   (Is that sort of a metaphor for Grandmothers are always right or something??)        There's a heavy frost this morning covering the pasture and making it look like winter outside. I have a nice fire. I thought I'd cozy up here because it feels like such a romantic and frivolous thing to do and go over my plotting and planning for December -which starts the day after tomorrow. I get a kind of funny feeling thinking it's the last month of the year. My birthday is the fifteenth, I'll be turning 54. About three or so years ago, months and years started whipping really fast. It was real obvious, like a light switch. Does that happen to everyone? Is it the idea of ones' mortality from hitting the mid-century mark? Or was it when the economic times changed and life started getting harder instead of easier? It's not just me is it?     2013... (if we survive past December 21st that is)... It sounds like something from a song..."in the year 25 25 if man is still alive"... Will this thirteen be lucky or unlucky?  Lucky I hope, I sure deserve it!    So, back to the pecans... I had this great Grandmother. I can say that now, 10 years after her death. She had Dementia for a long time before she died and wasn't so great for that long time. Sick thing about Dementia, it sneaks up on you. It's taken me five (yes- countem' five!!) personal experiences with Alzheimers/Dementia to start understanding it. This month my Father died. He completely cut me out of his will. After spending most of my life as the perfect daughter and consummate over-achiever, not to mention the daddy's little girl part of it. The pain is hard. The hurt cuts deep. But life goes on and I have a personal mantra to try to tip the balance of life (my life at least!) to the positive side. I've had a LOT of practice!      So now, ten years later, I can enjoy my happy, life-enriching memories of my Grandmother. She had the greatest Thanksgivings's EVER!!!!  What memories all my cousins and I have of the great long table that spanned three rooms. -And the food...and the funnyness...and the misbehavior (albeit mild) That was what family was supposed to be. Or what my fantasy was. Oh! I loved it so much! My Grandmother a/k/a "Mom" to some "Gramma" (how did that happen??? -it was those islanders!!) to others and Garnette to the rest of the world was a pretty amazing woman that we were all lucky to have as a role model. (More on my awesome female role models later) She used to tell stories about how my Grandfather, the mighty hunter would show up in her kitchen with unexpected bushels of food. Be it fruit or ducks...yes bushels of ducks...he, after all, was a founding member of Ducks Unlimited  in America and something like that in Canada too. (Family members please feel free to correct or add there!!) Anyway, she'd just "have at it" and butcher and can or turn into a beautiful gourmet dinner or whatever, whatever it was. I wanted to be like that- self-sufficient, industrious, strong, capable, amazing...Oh yeah, I am!   One of her trademarks embedded in my self was her annual special "man-gift". I always felt a little jealous when she showed up on Christmas day with all the little special candy pecan presents "for men only". I really didn't even like pecans when I was little but I kept tasting those because it was like the forbidden fruit. Ultimately, it was just such a cool thing that she made this tradition of giving the grown-up guys their own special little present. Pretty little specially packaged tins or jars or bags of crispy, crunchy, salty & sweet candied pecans. One of so many of her recipes I use regularly but this one I use in the bakery constantly because they make a beautiful garnish for many of my desserts. -And they are also an irresistible (and pretty) munchie!! I gift you the recipe, from my Grandmother, through me, to all of you. Here's to tradition!  "Garnettes Pecans": For 1 pound of good quality pecan halves, I use 2 egg whites and 1/2 cup sugar (Garnette says "sifted sugar") and beat til stiff.  Oven 350, Melt 3/4 stick of butter on a large sheet pan in the oven. Toss the nuts in the egg white til all covered well then put them on the butter & toss em around a little. From here on out is where the meat fork comes into play! Use it to poke em around the pan to gently separate them. Mom says "bake for 10 minutes, stir with meat fork, bake 10 minutes longer stir with meat fork, continue this way til they are turning golden brown. Sprinkle with cinnamon and salt & toss around to coat. (this is to taste- you have to try it to see what you like but I will say about 2 tsp cinnamon -some kind of shaker works good and use your salt shaker like you'd salt your food) Bake them just a little longer so the cinnamon and salt get baked on and they look dark golden and irresistible ... Not for men only!