An Ode to My Wife's Chocolate Pecan Pie

Wrapping up my week of talking about food I want to talk about my favorite dessert that I had yesterday.

Thanksgiving is pretty notable for turkey, potatoes and dessert. That is the icing on the cake at the end of the meal. Everyone always has a little room left no matter how much you ate prior to dessert being put out. It is the best part of the meal for a lot of people. And there are all kinds of desserts. Yesterday, at my wife's uncle's house, they had an entire buffet of desserts. There was pie, cookies, rice crispy treats, alcohol and coffee. At my folks house they also had a buffet. This consisted of the same things, except coffee since this was dinner. My kids love desserts too. Their little eyes get big and I usually give them a bigger portion than normal, which they love. And they tried a little of everything yesterday. The rice crispy treats were an obvious hit. My in law is gluten free, she has celiac, so rice krispy treats are a must. These are classics for a reason. The sweet, the crunch of the cereal, the butter, it all works. I love these, as do most people. We had pumpkin pie. This is another obvious hit. Pumpkin puree, more butter, a graham cracker crust, what's not to love? Put some whip cream on top and it is a near perfect fall dessert. There was chocolate silk pie. This is rather new for me, but it is a hit. I love the chocolate pudding, the whipped topping and another graham cracker crust. It is another near perfect dessert. There is also apple pie, some places have blueberry, others have blackberry. I'm not much of a fruit pie guy, I am not too big a fan of hot fruit, but on a day like Thanksgiving, these just work. I'm not an alcohol guy, but I know some people like a post meal drink. I do enjoy coffee, and having a hot cup after a big meal can be very comforting. But the one dessert yesterday that I woke up thinking about this morning was my wife's chocolate pecan pie.

I have never thought much about pecan pie. It falls in that category of sweet potato for me. While it is very good, I never have it if it isn't a holiday. So when my wife said she was going to make a chocolate pecan pie I thought, if I remember I'll have a piece. She reminded me at dinner and I made sure to cut a good piece.

This pie was dynamite. It was gooey and chocolatey and crunchy and caramelly and perfect. Every bite was better than the last. The crust was savory, but the pie was not, and that was key. There were so many chocolate chips. They were semi sweet, which made the pie even better. The pecans had a sweet crust that was so good. They got candied during the cooking process and that took them to a whole other level. The caramel bits made this thing even better. I loved every bite of it. I wish I had brought it home, but my mom and dad asked to keep it. That is high praise from them. This pie is the best thing I had all day yesterday. I will be asking for it again. I hope my wife will make it, I'm sure she will.

Chocolate pecan pie is my new favorite Thanksgiving dessert. It is a taste treat sensation. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Smoked Turkey is the Best Turkey

I'm coming at you all with another Thanksgiving food hot take today. Let’s go.

As far as turkey goes on this upcoming holiday, there are many ways you can prepare the bird. My wife has done the traditional way. We have salt brined a turkey together. I've had tofurky when two of my brothers and my sister in law were vegetarian. I've had a preordered Cajun turkey. I've had a bite of a turducken. And I've had smoked turkey. All of these preparations have their place. Traditional turkey can be hit or miss. They can easily dry out. And a dry turkey is brutal. You have to really plus it up to make it work if it is dry. A well done traditional turkey is classic, and it is classic for a reason. I love a good, properly done traditional turkey. But it isn't my favorite. The salt brined turkey was gross. I think we overdid it when we brined it. We tried to follow a recipe, but it was far too salty. It also really dried out the turkey. We tried it, but it didn't work. Tofurky is odd, to me. It is tofu, which I'm not crazy about, but I get why vegetarians like it. It scratches that itch. It also comes in a box and you can make it look like a turkey. It is a neat concept. I'm just not a tofu guy. The Cajun turkey was really good, but it became too much near the end of the turkey. It came out with a bang, but then it was just overkill. The seasoning became too much in the end. The turducken was almost as odd as the tofurky. I felt like I was in Hedonism eating that turducken. It was all things that I like, but it became, much like the Cajun turkey, overkill. I love turkey, chicken and duck. But putting all three together was almost, dare I say, too flavorful. I couldn't get a full grasp on one single taste. It was all coming at me way too fast. My brain couldn't process it all.

A smoked turkey, that is, in my opinion, the best way to prepare a turkey. It stays moist. The smoke flavor is such a wonderful addition. I like the color of the turkey. You get a bark that is extra flavorful. It is good the next day in a salad. I love taking it, chopping it up and making smoked turkey salad by adding a little mayo and mustard with some spices. A smoked turkey lends itself so well to sauces like gravy and bbq sauce. I love having a bite of smoked turkey mixed in with mashed potatoes, or my very favorite, stuffing. Smoked turkey, for me, feels lighter than any of the other preparations I've mentioned as well. I feel like that is the best way to get my protein on Thanksgiving when I indulge in some turkey. Smoked turkey is the way to go. It is my personal favorite way to have turkey anytime of year, but especially on Thanksgiving.

Go ahead and smoke a turkey of you are on the fence about how to prepare your turkey tomorrow. You won't regret it. 

Let RD tell you why you should skip the turkey this Thanksgiving. Listen to the latest X Millennial Man Podcast to hear him explain.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Where are the Good Thanksgiving Centered Television Shows and Movies?

While walking past my wife's home office this afternoon I noticed some turkey stuff on her screen. As I got a closer look it was tv actors in turkey outfits or eating turkey. I asked what they were doing and she said they were having people put down their favorite movies or tv shows centered around Thanksgiving. It seemed like a relatively normal thing that offices do.

After looking at her screen for a minute I went for a run, and then my wheels started to turn. I think a lot when I am out on my own running. So I started to think of tv shows or movies that I enjoy centered around Thanksgiving. I have not seen "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" from start to finish in my lifetime. I remember my mom really liked a movie called "Home for the Holidays", which is solid but also very depressing. "Thankskilling" is also a solid option, but that is a movie that is so bad it is good, and I wouldn't necessarily call it a "Thanksgiving" movie.

My mind wandered to tv shows. There are a lot of tv shows that show a Thanksgiving, or feature a turkey, but no show has a real "Thanksgiving" episode in my mind. And let me be clear, these are tv shows that I watch. I've never seen "Friends". I stopped watching "New Girl" after two seasons. I do not watch a whole lot of regular channels tv programs. But I do watch a ton of "Simpsons". I was racking my brain. They have the episode where Homer is Mr Burns' prank monkey, but that is more of a Christmas episode. It centers on Homer being Santa in the Thanksgiving Day Parade. They also have other episodes that feature a turkey, but again, Thanksgiving is not the holiday being celebrated. I noticed someone on my wife's computer put the episode of "Seinfeld" on there where Newman imagines Kramer as a turkey. But this is not a Thanksgiving ep at all. This is all about Kramer using butter as sunscreen and shaving cream and he sits outside for too long. He also stays in his hot tub too long. There is not even a mention of any holiday within the twenty-two minutes. The closest I can think of a tv show that fully features Thanksgiving is "Bob's Burgers". They have full eps dedicated to the holiday. But, even within these shows, it is all about Bob's joy of cooking the meal. They do not give thanks. There is no real fighting. They do not have turkeys everywhere. The episodes are wonderful, some of my absolute favorites, but they do not scream out Thanksgiving like other shows do with other holidays. Hell, even a show like "The League", which is all about football, barely even mentions the holiday outside of one episode in a late season. I mean, look at a show like "The Office". Their Christmas episodes are legendary. I could say the same thing about "The Simpsons''. Outside "Treehouse of Horrors' ', they tackle Christmas the best. Back to "The Office '', they did a Valentine's Day episode that was classic. "Parks and Rec" also had some really excellent Valentine's Day episodes.

I just do not get why Thanksgiving does not get the love on the shows I watch. But please, tell me some good Thanksgiving stuff you all watch. I want to know what to seek out, what I should be watching this time of year. I am going to remedy my lack of seeing "Planes, Trains and Automobiles", but I need more recommendations. I want more as well. Enlighten me everyone. Tell me what to seek. Thanks in advance.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.  

Happy Thanksgiving

As I do every Thanksgiving, today I am going to give my own personal thanks. This year has been something. It is nowhere near as crazy as 2020 was, but 2021 has definitely had its moments. I will save science and doctors for the end because that is what I am the most grateful for this year.

As I say every year, I am thankful for my wife and kids. While my kids drive me nuts, I love them very much and they have had quite the year. My daughter started kindergarten. My son is in fourth grade. They are both excellent students and have made a plethora of new and old friends since returning to in person learning. My wife continues to be the best person in the whole world. She is kicking ass at work, she is still putting up with my nonsense and she just gets better and better every day. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I'm thankful that my mom and dad are still here and still healthy. We had a scare with my mom at the start of the year, but she is fully healthy again, and she continues to crush life. My dad and I have gotten even closer since he retired and our coffee days are my favorite day of the week. My in-laws still continue to be very supportive and completely wonderful.

It has been oddly nice to see full stadiums this fall in college football and the NFL. I am not going to go to any games, but it has been oddly comforting to have the return of fans. It does add to the watching experience from my home. I am thankful that I get to coach a semi-normal basketball season this year. My son is super into hoops, and he is on two teams and we started practice two weeks ago, and so far so good. I am also extremely thankful for running and the community involved. Running has changed my life. I did my first marathon this year. Running is the absolute best.

What I am most thankful for, what I alluded to at the beginning, I am thankful most for doctors and science. We have a COVID vaccine now. I have gotten my two shots and my booster. So has my wife. So has pretty much everyone I spend any extended time around. And my kids got their first dose over two weeks ago. In fact, they get their second dose next Tuesday. I cannot wait. The things I mentioned above, the full stadiums, gathering with more than ten people, playing and coaching basketball, none of that, and so much more, would not be available without the countless hours that scientists and doctors put into creating the vaccine. Of course we have people that are making the vaccine political, but I have chosen to not listen to those individuals, and to get them out of my life. It has made me a much happier person.

When you gather with your family this year, when you sit around the table and think back to last year and not being able to get together, please think of all the people much smarter than me, and a lot of you, that made this possible. Without all the doctors, scientists, Moderna, Johnson and Johnsons, Pfizer, and so many more people and companies, we would all still be socially distancing and not being able to gather as families. We can now because they all did something historic and life changing. So thank you doctors and scientists. You have all made me the most thankful I have been in quite some time.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Don't eat too much food.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Happy Thanksgiving

As weird as it seems, and some pictures floating on the internet may deceive you, today is Thanksgiving. It truly feels like another random Thursday, but it really is Thanksgiving. We are currently, as we should, staying at home and not hanging out with anyone not in our "bubble". The pictures I referred to, from O'Hare in Chicago, are dangerous, and that is not what people should be doing today.

Anyway, even though it feels weird, and 2020 has been rough, there are some things I am thankful for, and I come to you today, as I do every Thanksgiving, to let you know such things. I like to keep these short and sweet.

Number one, I am thankful for the new administration that will take over the US government in January. The people went out, and mailed in legal ballots, and overwhelmingly voted for Biden and Harris to be the next President and Vice President. I know the current monster in the White House is trying to do anything he can to stop it, but it is not going to work. The will of the voters have shown how much people want him and his cronies out. So I am thankful for the voters, for the people that are ready to move on and that we will have an administration that is for the people, the people that voted for them. We will have people in power that will listen to scientists and doctors and that is a comforting feeling for me. I am very thankful for the new administration coming in January.

I am thankful for the NBA bubble. When the season stopped I didn't know what to expect. The people in charge in the NBA took three months to figure it out, they had a great plan and it worked to perfection. No one got COVID, the games were good and the Lakers were the much deserving champs.

I am thankful that my kids have had the ability to go back to in person learning. They are both smart, and they both did great with virtual learning, but they needed the socialization that in person learning provides. Hopefully they get to continue this for the foreseeable future, wearing their masks of course.

I am also thankful for masks. They are life saving, you can get personalized ones, they are comfortable and they are easy to wear when in public.

I am thankful for running. When I get down in the dumps, I can still run. When I want to exercise, I run. When I want to burn off pizza or cheeseburgers, I run. I am so thankful that I have been able to run during the pandemic.

I am thankful for my friends. It has been extra hard that we cannot see each other, but we have found ways to stay in contact. Be it a phone call or a facetime, we have made it work.

Most of all, I am thankful for my family. My mom and dad have been wonderful help during the pandemic. They are in our bubble, and without them, I may have gone crazy. I can say the exact same about my mother in law. She has taught me so much about house upkeep during this time, and I am so grateful for that. But I am most thankful for my wife and kids. My wife has had to put up with my anxiety bursts and anger and frustration during the pandemic. She knows what to say, how to say it and how to make me feel better. She is the absolute best person in the world. And my kids, they keep me busy, keep my mind off the rough stuff in the world right now and are an absolute joy to be with. We may butt heads, as all parents and kids do, but at the end of the day, they are great to be with anytime, more so right now.

While 2020 has been hard, I do have these things that I am thankful for, and I could not live without. Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Stay safe.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Giving Thanks: 2019 Edition

I like to do a short post every year around Thanksgiving to talk about what I’m thankful for this past year. Since I didn’t write yesterday, had a race, then two different Thanksgiving to go to, I’m going to do it today. Better late than never I suppose.

So, when I sit down and think about what I’m thankful for, the typical stuff comes to mind. I’m thankful for my family, their health and mine, my folks, brothers, nieces and nephew and all the dogs in my life. I’m thankful for the friends that I’ve gotten closer to this year. I’m thankful for my wife, and how kick ass she is at her job. She’s more than taking care of us. We live as comfortable as most mid 30 year old couples with two kids do, if not more so. I’m thankful that she still loves me, I love her and that we show each other that everyday. I’m thankful that my son is not only smart, but athletic, and loves baseball. I’m thankful for my spitfire of a daughter that just started preschool, and is crushing it in gymnastics.

When I pull away from the typical stuff, there’s plenty more to be thankful for. I’m thankful that my mother in law has taught me the skills to fix things around my house. We’ve saved a ton of money due to her guidance. I’m thankful Michigan hired Juwan Howard when John Beilen left for the NBA. I’m thankful that I changed my allegiance to the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA. Ja Morant is awesome. I’m thankful that there’s great new TV like “Watchmen” and “The Mandolorian”. Also very thankful for Baby Yoda, might be the cutest thing on TV right now. I’m thankful that some people are trying to make original content in Hollywood. I can’t wait to see “Uncut Gems”. I’m thankful for the great live shows, and new music from artists I’ve adored for years. I’m thankful that I took up trail running, and that I’ve done a multitude of many running races this past year. This is the most prolific I’ve been since I took up running. And to top it all off, as I like to do every year, I’m thankful that I have a platform, or platforms counting the podcast, to put my opinions out there. Also thankful for the readers and listeners, you all rule.

These are the things I’m thankful for in 2019. It’s been a good year. Now, if we can get the Democrats back in total power, 2020 can be even better. Go vote.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Happy Thanksgiving

yum

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at the SeedSing family (and most of us are actual family).

Enjoy your turkey, tofurkey, turducken, turbigmacandwhopperwithfishkey, whatever you enjoy on this most thankful of days. Be nice, have good conversation, do not talk politics unless everyone agrees with you, and drink to your heart’s, and health’s, delight. Also, do not let Lucy Van Pelt hold the football for the annual place kick.

Also, if a float that says Happy Pranksgiving is coming down the street for the parade, duck and cover your eyes. The Santa on that float is going to throw fish guts while they let a devilish cheer of Merry Fishmas.

Gobble Gobble

The Writers of SeedSing

Happy Thanksgiving

yum

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at the SeedSing family (and most of us are actual family).

Enjoy your turkey, tofurkey, turducken, turbigmacandwhopperwithfishkey, whatever you enjoy on this most thankful of days. Be nice, have good conversation and drink, and do not let Lucy Van Pelt hold the football for the annual place kick.

Also, if a float that says Happy Pranksgiving is coming down the street for the parade, duck and cover your eyes. The Santa on that float is going to throw fish guts while they let a devilish cheer of Merry Fishmas.

Gobble Gobble

The Writers of SeedSing

Ty Gives Thanks

Gobble indeed

Today my blog is going to be short and sweet. I'm going to keep on the same path as the recent podcast and just tell what I'm thankful for today being that it's Thanksgiving.

As I stated in the podcast, I'm thankful for my family and friends. My wife is the best person I've ever met. She is one hundred percent my better half and my life would be incomplete without her. I love you and I'm so thankful for you, you're the best.

I'm thankful for my two wonderful children as well. They can be a handful at times, but it's worth every second. My seven week old is the cutest baby I've ever seen. Her smile lights up the entire room and I can't wait to see the person she grows up to be. My son is wacky and goofy in the best ways. He keeps me on my toes, but he's always there to snuggle. I also am thankful for the fact that he's into sports. He plays tee ball, football and basketball and loves them all. He's my mini me. I'm very thankful for my two wonderful kids.

I'm thankful for my mom and dad. You are the best parents in the world and I'm the person I am today because of you. I'm the parent I am because of you guys as well. Mom, you're the calming influence in my life. Dad, you're my best friend and I love watching sports with you. I love you mom and dad.

I'm also thankful for my three weird, odd, nuts but awesome older brothers. I feel that I have bits and pieces of all of your personalities in me and that's also made me the person I am today. Ross, you gave me awesome sports abilities. You and dad taught me how to play everything I still play. Cub, you gave me my taste in movies. You joke and say I'm pretentious, but you and I like similar movies. Seth, you gave me my taste in music. The day you sat me down and played Bob Marley for me changed my life. I love you guys.

I'm also thankful for all my nieces, nephews and in laws. You guys are awesome and I'm so happy to have you in my life.

So go out and enjoy your big Thanksgiving dinners today and enjoy your time with your families. I know I will. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Ty 

Ty is the Pop Culture Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man podcast. He is extra happy that Thanksgiving means his diet is taking a holiday. Follow him on twitter @tykulik.