Labor Day

     It is September already. Four months until Christmas. Don’t panic. You still have shopping days left. When do you start shopping? I try to start the end of October or the first of December. I usually have an idea of what I’m getting everyone by then.
     Enough about Christmas, it’s only September. My plan for this month is to try and nurse the plants that have come up in the garden until the first frost. Oh, wait. I didn’t bring you up to date on the plants. The garden has supplied us, and many others, with an abundance of fresh vegetables. Every time we shelled peas or beans, processed tomatoes, or shucked corn, the shells or seeds went back into the garden to fertilize the ground. Hubby would turn the left-overs in and voila, we have plants coming up. I picked a fistful of peas today, and there are hundreds of tomato plants. We are going to dig up the big ones, place them in a row so they can be managed, and he will plow under the peas.
     I have some exciting news regarding Mist on Trinity River. That book has outsold every book I have previously written. I’m so happy my fans like it. It has inspired me to start the third book. At the same time, I am working on the revisions for Forever Love. It is a complete overhaul of When the Past Came Back. I really like the way it is going this time and hope everyone likes it as much as the first one.

     Needless to say, I am very busy. On top of my writing, my doctor has decided it is time for my yearly tests. Good grief, I’m fine. Well, except for being overweight for the first time in my life, but I’m working on that.
     Speaking of weight, the recipe for this month is not a weight watcher’s delight. It’s full of everything good and sweet. It is called Pecan Pie Bread Pudding. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love bread pudding of any kind. Except for orange or lemon. 
     Anyway, here it is and you must try this. It is sooooo good.

​Pecan Pie Bread Pudding

 Ingredients
 1 (16 oz) loaf of day-old French bread
 2 and 1/2 cup milk
 1 cup half & half (see notes) You can substitute whole milk or heavy cream
 4 eggs, lightly beaten
 1 cup granulated sugar
 1 Tablespoon vanilla
 1/8 teaspoon salt
 1/2 cup butter, softened
 1 and 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
 1 cup pecan, chopped

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cube bread then place in a large bowl.
3. In another bowl, beat eggs, milk, half & half, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Pour over the bread and allow to sit 5 to 10 minutes
4. In another small bowl, combine with a fork, softened butter, brown sugar, and pecans. This mixture will have the consistency of wet sand.
5. Pour half of the bread mixture into a greased 8x8 inch pan. (Yes, 8x8-inch pan.)
6. Top with half of the pecan mixture.
7. Spoon remaining bread mixture over and top with remaining pecan mixture. Press down into pan slightly. Pan will be really full.
8. Top with remaining pecan mixture.
9. Place pan on a cookie sheet with a 1-inch edge to catch any mixture that may boil over.
10. Bake at 350 degrees F 45 to 55 minutes.
11. The center will be slightly jiggly but will set when cool.
12. Allow to cool 20 to 30 minutes before serving so that the slices will hold together.
13. It is a thick bread pudding and I cut into 16 equal servings. Obviously, you can cut larger slices