Jack-O-Lantern Dessert

I have been making this for quite a few years for my kids. Now the grandkids get some Halloween fun for dessert. They come to spend the evening with Gramma because I have a more lucrative neighborhood. Mmmmnnn.... 
Do you have a 12" pizza pan? You're already moving towards this fun dessert. I found an ad in a magazine in 1980. It featured a brownie mix, frosting, M & Ms, and some candy corn. You make up the brownie mix according to directions putting it in the pizza pan Tint the frosting orange or if you're lucky, use an orange frosting. When the brownie pizza is cool, cover it with the orange frosting. Now the fun begins. Using just the brown M & Ms, make the Jack-0-Lantern eyes. Using green M&Ms, make the nose. With more brown M&Ms, create a smile and using the candy corn, create the teeth. Here's what he should like like:

Pumpkin Spice Creamer

Ok call me pumpkin crazy. Cakes, pies, bread, coffee........now creamer! Yeah! I had to try this recipe as it's actually healthy...sort of. Here it goes:

1 3/4 cup organic coconut milk
1/2 cup organic or home grown pumpkin purée
1-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 packets of Stevia ( you can also use honey and sweetened this to your liking)
dash sea salt
splash vanilla
Mix thoroughly. Keep in the refrigerator. Freeze the other pumpkin purée and keep it handy. You'll be making more of this stuff. Enjoy with your coffee and tea. You don't actually taste the pumpkin. It just makes your drink of choice creamy and delicious.

I have been trying out several pumpkin stews and soups. When I find the best of the bunch, I'll share with you. Taking advantage of a seasonal, fantastic vegetable that is also so versatile has been my thing to do this last week.

Quick Last MInute Fall Dessert

 My grandsons love pumpkin pie and pumpkin desserts so I'm always on the search for anything pumpkin. I saw this beautiful looking cake from Taste of Home. I'm sharing because just reading the ingredients, it sounds like a good plan for feeding grandkids. They are coming to do their annual pumpkin carving party with their uncle tomorrow. It's something we do every year. The cake's called a Pumpkin Bundt Cake. So get your spices out, 1 can of pumpkin purée  and make sure everything is organic.

Ingredients

• 2-1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 3 eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
• Confectioners' sugar

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine sugar and oil
• until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each
• addition. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and
• cloves; add to egg mixture alternately with pumpkin, beating well
• after each addition.
• 
  
• Transfer to a greased 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake 60-65 minutes or
• until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool 10
• minutes before inverting onto a wire rack. Remove pan and cool
• completely. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Yield: 12-16 servings.

© Taste of Home 2014

Pumpkin PIe on my mind

Fall brings colors that just make me say, "wow!" The deep burnt oranges, flaming reds, all shades of yellow and the evening crisp air signal this season's change. It's happened suddenly here. Summer didn't want to leave.  Fall sounds always include the furnace coming on each morning. I search for my flannel shirts and long-sleeved t-shirts, and of course, my favorite sweater. Slowly I let go of summer's grip on me. I love the fall, but why the hesitation? Perhaps it's because of the changes my family has had to deal with. We didn't really enjoy summer. It's always been a fun time of the year, sharing camping trips and cookouts with each other and friends. Cancer paid a visit and it won't go away. We're dealing with it. It has made me savor what's around me. I noticed certain things more. We look forward to each day. We love each day. Now, Mother Nature is saying, "look what I've brought you - gorgeous colors, the smell of wood burning, and pumpkins."

 I was out shopping and saw everything pumpkin including lots of the vegetable itself! Bought my first sugar pie pumpkin. Got hungry for pumpkin pie. Kept telling myself, it's too early. I don't want to make the pie.  These are more fun to make. I got this recipe from the Krazy Koupon Lady's blog. So if you're slowly absorbing fall like me and aren't ready for a full bore attack at pie making, try these little darlings. You won't be sorry....

 

Impossible Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup sugar (mixture of stevia and evaporated raw sugar)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup evaporated milk
2/3 cup all purpose flour (I use white whole wheat flour, organic)
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 cup muffin tin with silicone liners, foil liners sprayed with cooking spray or just spray the cups with cooking spray.  Either of these three methods will make it easy to take the cupcake out after it’s cooked. Paper liners make it difficult to remove the cupcakes.
Mix the pumpkin, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and milk.  Add the flour, pumpkin spice, salt, baking powder and baking soda to the mixture. Fill each muffin cup with 1/3 cup of the mixture. Bake for twenty minutes and let cool for twenty minutes.  Remove cupcakes from pan and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle more pumpkin pie spice on top and serve. Makes 12 cupcakes.