ONCORD, N.C. – In this week’s edition of #HendrickSummer, family comes first and so do family traditions.
Kellie Gastley, marketing assistant specialist at Hendrick Motorsports, is all about spending quality time with her loved ones and traveling to taste southern cuisine all around the Carolinas.
DIVES AND LIGHTHOUSES
Gastley was born in Michigan and moved to North Carolina in 1978. She resides in Clemmons, North Carolina, and looks forward to her children coming home to visit, along with their appetites.
“We feel that food and family brings everybody together at one time,” Gastley said. “You just become closer.”
And when the family is home, they are on the move to find the best dives in the Carolinas. Gastley calls finding the local dives a "family tradition," especially during the summertime when everyone is together.
“You are not going to find good food unless you travel for it,” Gastley suggests. “We always try to find the dives.”
The Gastleys not only look for local and authentic dives, but also lighthouses along the coast of North Carolina. Gastley says she is fascinated by the structure and history of the lighthouses. Cape Lookout, located on the Southern Outer Banks, is one she favors the most.
“We have accomplished all the lighthouses in North Carolina,” Gastley said, as her family has checked off all seven lighthouses on the list.
CORNHOLE AND PIES
With autumn right around the corner, Gastley is looking forward to another family tradition of playing cornhole in the crisp, fall weather as well as baking pies.
Gastley and the family will start a competitive cornhole tournament in October and then enjoy a staple family dessert right from Gastley’s mother's cookbook: pecan pie.
“My mother, she was an excellent cook,” Gastley said.
Take a look at the family pecan pie recipe below and give it a try!
Ingredients:
1 cup of light or dark corn syrup
3 eggs
1 cup of sugar
2 table spoons of butter, melted
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
1 to ½ cups of pecans
1 (9-inch) unbaked deep dish pie crust
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla together. Stir in the pecans and then pour the filling into the pie crust.
3. Once the filling has settled into the pie crust, place it on the center rack of the oven and bake it for about 60 to 70 minutes.
4. Let the pie cool for at least two hours before serving.
5. Enjoy!
TEAM STORE SUMMER DISCOUNTS
In this week’s #HendrickSummer guide, you can receive a special discount on a Jimmie Johnson No.48 Kobalt Official Team Hat in both the team store and the online store. To receive 10 percent off your hat, use the code HENDRICKSUMMER at checkout.
And remember, look for another of #HendrickSummer feature next week for a new story and a brand new discounted item.