We have a cherry tree in our yard and every year about this time, we get a nice amount of fruit, just enough to fill a few bowls for snacking and also make a wonderful dessert.  

Last year, I made cherry cobbler from the fruit picked from our tree, but this year I was in the mood for pie!  Not one large pie.  Mini pies.  Cute little individual morsels that entice you with their golden crust, and are just enough to satisfy a craving for ripe summer cherries! 

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When I was a girl, my grandmother used to call me ‘Spuds’.   Today, I’m not fond of that childhood nickname, but in hindsight, I see now that my Memah gave me this endearing nickname based solely on my potato obsession.  Potatoes are simply one of my favorite foods.  In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever met a tater I didn’t like.  I collect as many recipes as I can that tempt me, especially if they involve that lethal combination of cheese, potatoes and butter.   

So when two blogger friends sent me two new potato recipes, I had to add them to the Guest Blogger Week lineup, especially since they have dramatically different views on the sweet potato.  I’ve never made sweet potato pie myself (gasp!) – I’ve always been a pumpkin pie gal, so when Sarah from Sarah’s Musings sent me her recipe, I was really very excited to try it. 

And then there’s my hilarious friend Erin over at The Fierce Beagle who cracks me up with her witty banter in her daily blog posts.  You really must pay her a visit sometime – her humor is incredibly infectious.  She’s going to give us a version of her Irish Thanksgiving Potatoes. 

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Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and I’ve got pie on my mind.   Every year, when Mom cooks the bird, I’m usually given the assignment to bring pie and wine.  I welcome that assignment wholeheartedly.  I like pie.  I like wine.  Though not usually together. 

A few years ago, I got to thinking.  Pumpkin pie is fabulous, and I really do love it plain.  But after the sweet potatoes, stuffing, mashed potatoes and other soft mushy deliciousness, I was craving an enhanced version of pumpkin pie, with a little caramel sweetness and hint of pecan crunch.  I pulled this idea off the internet a few years ago and I thought I’d share. 

Sometimes it’s called Caramel Pecan Pumpkin Pie, but I like it better when it’s called Praline Pumpkin Pie.  It’s a huge hit in my family.  Combine it on a plate with a slice of our family recipe for Key Lime Pie, and you’re in Pie Heaven.    

It’s super easy, and very yummy.  You bake a regular pumpkin pie, just like you would ordinarily make.  Then you add this special topping in the last 10 minutes.

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