Photo by Stacey Haines of Stacey Haines Photography

If you venture to Southern Pines, NC on Thanksgiving Day, and stand with horses and hounds on Hobby Field, you will hear the Episcopal priest begin his blessing:

"Bless, O Lord, we beseech You, rider and horse and hound. Shield the rider from danger to life and limb, and may the chase bring to him vigor of body and clearness of mind.

May the horse that carries him come unharmed to the close of the hunting day, and be regarded as man's helper in his work and in his play…." This blessing extends to the hounds, the horses, the riders and even the fox.

Photos by Stacey Haines of Stacey Haines Photography

A fox-scented rag is dragged over the path, a sharp blast from a horn is sounded and the hounds are off – riders in pursuit. The hunt is on.

North Carolina is rich in the tradition of the hunt – with or without the fox.

These captivating photographs were taken by Stacey Haines of Stacey Haines Photography. Well, Stacey came to Big Mill Bed & Breakfast and took many of the photos on our website. And she has been busy. She has taken the cover photos for Our State Magazine three times in 2010, or maybe more!

Photo by Stacey Haines.

Way to go, Stacey!  And thanks for sharing with Chloe's Blog and Snapshots of Eastern North Carolina.

If you plan to attend this year's Blessing of the Hounds:
 
When:  Thanksgiving Day, 10 a.m.  (November 25, 2010)
Where:  Hobby Field, 3116 Youngs Road, Southern Pines, NC 28387
Details:  Recorded message – (910) 692-6889

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Want to make a special gift for the cook in your life?

And for not much money? Homemade vanilla extract is the perfect gift – everyone cooks. And at Big Mill B&B, vanilla is one of our favorites.

But not all vanilla beans are equal. If I can even find vanilla beans in eastern North Carolina, they are usually all dried up. But with some diligence good beans can be found. (See below) Vanilla beans come from a climbing orchid and each has its own special quality – some redolent of cherries, bourbon, cinnamon, even prunes.

The different beans have myriad flavors like Madagascar, Bourbon, Tonga (I almost took a boat delivery job to Tonga in my youth), Papua New Guinea, Mexico (I did go there in my youth), Tahiti, Indonesia, and Tahitensis & Planifolia Blend (the most typical vanilla.)

The more I read about vanilla beans, the more I am intrigued by them. Each bean is hand-picked and hand-pollinated. Now we know why they cost so much.

Recipe for Vanilla Extract

3 or 4 vanilla beans
1 cup vodka *(some recipes use bourbon, light rum or brandy)
Cute glass bottle with a tight-fitting lid

Using a very sharp knife, slit into each bean except for an inch at the end. If you cut too much the seeds will come out and cloud the vanilla. This isn't a problem, just doesn't look as pretty. You can strain through cheesecloth or a coffee filter if it bothers you.

Put beans into a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Cover with the vodka. Shake.

Store in a cool, dark place for at least a month – longer is better. Shake the jar every once in awhile. This wonderful elixir will last for years. As you use it up, just add more vodka, and give the bottle a shake or two.

* This cute little Absolut Vodka bottle has 200 ml of vodka, just short of a cup. Bend the beans to fit in the bottle. The next size of Absolut Vodka is 375 ml (almost 2 cups) and the beans will fit in the bottle easily.

I used three beans for the smaller bottle and six beans for this larger bottle, just remember to use  3 beans per cup of vodka. It isn't necessary to use the high quality of vodka like Absolut, but I really like the bottle!

Just a thought – Commercial vanilla extract often has a sweetener added to take away the bitter aftertaste.  You can add simple syrup (sugar water) if you want.

Bon appetit.

PS — In case you're wondering where to buy vanilla beans …

Penzey's sells good vanilla beans and during the holidays you can sometimes find beans at discount places like Trader Joe's, BJ's Wholesale Club and Costco. In fact, yesterday I found them at a Costco in Atlanta - 10 beans for $11.99. 

Also – The blog Heavenly Homemakers has struck a deal with Olive Nation to get seven beans for $9.99 with a 10% discount and free shipping on beans. You can go to Heavenly Homemakers for the code to get your discount and free shipping. And, San Francisco-based Vanilla Saffron Imports has a pound of vanilla beans for $19.95. Ordering online makes the shopping easy. 

For a lesson on all things vanilla, check out this page at Arizona Vanilla Company.  Fun place, plus they also sell Vanilla beans. 

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Thanksgiving just wouldn't be Thanksgiving
without a mouth-watering pecan pie on the table

 
This year we have a bumper crop of pecans here on the farm at Big Mill Bed & Breakfast and, oh, they are good! Luckily a few are falling early – usually they wait and fall when it is 20 degrees outside.

Cathy at Conceptual Cuisine Catering right here in Williamston, NC, does the gourmet candlelight dinners for our guests here at the inn.  With a little begging she shared her Pecan Pie Recipe with us. So this is as good as it gets in the old south — Bourbon Pecan Pie.

Bourbon Pecan Pie Recipe
from Conceptual Cuisine

Ingredients:

• 2 pie crusts like Pillsbury's rolled crusts (15 ounces) found in the refrigerator section of the grocery store (you will need one for the bottom crust and one for leaf decorations)
• 2 cups pecans
• 3 eggs + 1 egg white (reserved)
• 1 cup light Karo Corn Syrup
• ¼ cup melted butter (if using unsalted butter add ¼ teaspoon salt)
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoons good bourbon
• Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and set rack at the middle position. Spray a 9-inch or 10-inch deep dish pie pan with cooking spray.

To Make Crust:

Remove pie crusts from refrigerator at least 15 to 20 minutes before using. Gently unroll one crust onto floured cutting board or table. Lightly dust both sides of the crust with four. Carefully place the crust inside the pie pan, leaving at least 1-inch of the crust overhanging. Pierce bottom of crust several times with a fork.

To make pie filling:

Chop the pecans and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the 3 whole eggs. Add corn syrup, butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract and bourbon. Stir until well blended.
Add chopped pecans and stir until combined. Set aside.
 
To make decorative leaves:

Unroll second pie crust onto lightly floured board or table. Lightly dust both sides of the crust with flour. Using autumn leaf cutters*, cut enough leaves to go around the outer edge of your pie. Place cut leaves on waxed paper. If you are using a scalloped pie dish, it will take approximately 30 leaves; fewer if using a standard round dish.

To assemble pie:

Pour filling mixture into pie crust.

Using the reserved egg white, gently brush the back side of the pastry leaves. Brush the outside ¼-inch of the pie crust with the egg wash. Place leaves around crust, overlapping slightly. Press gently to adhere. Brush egg wash over the leaves.
 
Bake for 45 to 55 minutes until pie is set; pie should have a gelatin-like consistency. A knife or straw inserted halfway between the center and the edge of the pie should come out clean. Check the pie after 30 minutes of cooking. If the crust is browning too much, lay a piece of aluminum foil loosely over the pie.

Remove pie from the oven and cool on a rack. Pie should be completely cool before slicing. Top with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired. Here in North Carolina we often top our pecan pie with homemade vanilla ice cream.

Click here for a printer-friendly version of this recipe for pecan pie

*Williams Sonoma has some really nice fall leaf pastry cutters and also the Artisan ruffled pie dish that we used for our pie.

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