Not "in the game" this Thanksgiving

I made a quick trip to the grocery store last night and became a bit wistful as I passed the freezer full of turkeys, the cans of pumpkin and fake, congealed cranberry sauce (which, for the record, I would never eat). I'm wistful because this year, I won't be cooking.

Well, I should say, I will not be responsible for the meal. I am charged with bringing a pecan pie to my sister-in-laws, but that's the extent of my responsibilities this year. There are pros and cons to this setup.

Pro
No prep, no clean-up! Yee haw!
I can sleep in on T-day morning
This will be shocking to all of you, but I'm not a big fan of leftovers, so having none is a pro!
(this isn't usually a problem since I'm married to a leftover-consuming machine. LOVE HIM!)

Con
I kinda enjoy having a big family meal here, and we don't do it often enough
I've never made a pecan pie (not a big fan of those, either)

So I guess it's not such a bad thing. And I'm even looking forward to making the pecan pie. I found this great recipe on epicurious.com (my fave recipe website) that kicks up the plain old pecan pie a bit. Check it out:

BOURBON-ORANGE PECAN PIE WITH BOURBON CREAM

1 recipe Pie Crust
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons finely chopped candied orange peel
4 tablespoons bourbon
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups pecan halves (about 9 1/2 ounces), toasted

1 cup chilled whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar

Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch deep-dish glass pie dish. Trim overhang to 1/2 inch. Fold overhang under; crimp edges decoratively. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line pie crust with foil. Fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until crust edges begin to brown and crust is set, about 17 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Bake until golden brown, pressing with back of fork if crust bubbles, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer pie crust to rack. Maintain oven temperature.

Whisk brown sugar, corn syrup, and melted butter in large bowl to blend. Whisk in eggs 1 at a time. Stir in candied orange peel, 3 tablespoons bourbon, grated orange peel, vanilla, salt, and then toasted pecans. Pour filling into prepared crust. Bake pie until edges puff and center is just set, about 50 minutes. Cool pie on rack at least 1 hour. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Let stand at
room temperature.)

Using electric mixer, beat 1 cup chilled whipping cream, 2 tablespoons sugar, and remaining 1 tablespoon bourbon in large bowl until cream holds peaks. Serve pie warm or at room temperature with bourbon cream. Makes 8 servings.

So I'll have to take solace in the knowledge that my pecan pie will be the best it can be.

Oh, one more pro - I can focus on baking Christmas Cookies instead of prepping for the big T-day meal!