I am doing some easy baking this year. One of my favorite recipes is caramel pie. My great-grandmother used to make caramel pies by browning sugar in a cast iron skillet for an hour or so, stirring the whole time. Me? I have a much easier recipe. I tried to get pictures but one of my crusts crumbled into a million little pieces, and I was left with no photos.

• 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk (Eagle Brand style)
• Pie crust ( I like to use a graham cracker)
• Whipped topping

I take my crock pot and spray it with a non-stick spray. I pour in the two cans of sweetened milk. That is it. I stir it every hour or so and when it turns to thick brown caramel, I pour it into a pie crust. I chill it overnight and then top it with topping before serving. Usually, a pie takes4-6 hours to cook. It really depends on your crock pot. You will know it is ready when it is thick and dark like caramel. Not bad when you are spending a day cooking or cleaning for company. I made two pies yesterday afteroon while cleaning house.

Today I am making crockpot cornbread dressing. I’m not a crockpot freak. Heaven knows I hate cleaning anything I can’t toss in the dishwasher. This year is going to be pretty laid back as far as food goes at our house. We are doing a meal tonight, just close family, with a breakfast in the morning. That is my favorite part.

And we are ready.