pumpkin cake

It is finally feeling like fall... which puts me in the mood for pumpkin. This is one of my favorite pumpkin desserts (one my mom used to make every year).

Pumpkin Cake

Ingredients:
1 yellow cake mix
1/2 cup margarine/butter, softened
1 egg
1 1/2 cup pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ginger
3 eggs
1/2 cup evaporated canned milk
1/2 cup regular milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup margarine
whipped cream

Directions:
Take yellow cake mix and set aside 1 cup. Mix remaining cake mix with margarine/butter and one egg. Press into bottom of a greased 9x13 cake pan. (It will be very sticky.)

Mix together pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, 3 eggs, milks and vanilla. Pour into cake pan on top of cake mixture.

In a separate bowl, combine remaining 1 cup dry cake mix, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 cup margarine/butter (cut into small pieces). Sprinkle on top of pumpkin mixture. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Cool. Serve topped with whipped cream.

pumpkin cookies

Old-Fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies
(recipe from Nestle/Libby's)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Glaze (recipe follows)

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease baking sheets.

COMBINE flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until well blended. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets.

BAKE for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Drizzle Glaze over cookies.

FOR GLAZE:
COMBINE 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in small bowl until smooth.

Sweet Corn Bread

1 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cup sugar (you can go less if you want - I went about 1/6 of a cup less)
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 TB baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup canola oil
3 TB melted butter

Combine dry ingredients, then combine wet ingredients in separate bowl. Add wet mixture to flour mixture and stir just until blended. Pour into 8" square baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. FOR MUFFINS: pour into muffin cups and bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes.

White Chili

Seriously, this is SO yummy! Matt and I both loved it. Really great flavor. I've never had a white chili before so maybe they're all like this. Either way, I think it's a must try.

2 whole chicken breasts, cooked and cut up
3 c water
3 c chicken broth
2 chopped onions
2 garlic cloves—minced
1 T oil
4 4-oz cans chopped green chilies
Pinch chili pepper
2 t ground cumin
1 ½ t oregano
¼ t cayenne pepper
½ t salt
2 cans Great Northern Beans
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can evaporated milk
Bacon, cooked and crumbled
Pepper jack cheese for topping

Add chicken, water, stock and beans—bring to a boil. Saute onions and garlic, add green chilies, cumin, oregano, pepper, salt, chili powder, then add to chicken mixture. Add bacon. Simmer for 1 ½ - 2 hours (until thicker consistency). About ½ hour before serving, add soup and milk and continue simmering. Serve topped with pepper jack cheese.

Taco Soup

Rather than copying and pasting everything, I thought that I would give you the printable version. ;-) (Just click on the image below.)

This recipe is super easy and it works great for freezing! (I freeze it in lunch size portions for my dh.) In fact, I will be making it and freezing it this weekend, so I will try to remember to post a picture.

7 Layer Dip

(Click on image below and, if you like, print it.)