This evening, I baked a Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie. It was one of those cool, easy recipes you find on the back or inside of a wrapper or package. This one came with a graham cracker crust. Yes, I used a store-bought graham cracker crust. I have made them from scratch, and I’ve not found them to be any better.
Here’s how you make it:
Mix 2 8oz packages of cream cheese with a hand mixer until it looks fluffy.
Add 2/3 cup sugar and mix some more.
Add 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice and mix some more.
Next, beat in two eggs.
Finally, mix in one 15oz can of pumpkin.
Pour it into a graham cracker crust and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
Cool it on a rack for an hour and then chill for at least 3 hours.
Add whipped cream if you want to.
Making the pie is not what made my muscles sore. I enjoyed some time with my father-in-law and my son this afternoon making (of all things) a fire pit in my back yard. My kids are having some friends over for a Christmas bon-fire this weekend, and we sent out invitations without having a fire pit. So…I’m super grateful for the help today. We drove around on the golf cart gathering rocks and sticks and sand and lights and stuff. We whipped up a pretty decent little fire pit in no time. Thanks, Tom!
I know I’ll be sore tomorrow, because I’m already sore.
I don’t mind a bit, though. As it turns out, I’ve been a bit of a SLUG lately. No good reason–I just haven’t made time to exercise much. Even though I’m sore, I feel good about getting something done. Not to mention, it sure is nice to spend time with folks where there are no SCREENS involved. It was a great day to be outdoors with family–even just for a little while–and it was worth every ache.
Today’s pie is going to someone else who knows about hard work (much harder than I did today). I’m taking this Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie to my son’s third grade teacher. She works hard every day at one of the most important jobs there is–teaching and nurturing children. What an impact she is making on my son and so many others! 
fortyandtwentyblackbirds 