Happy Halloween, Happy Fall! - pumpkin cake -

I crave pumpkin when fall comes around each year! I love pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bars, pumpkin bread, and pumpkin rolls. However, I have never made a pumpkin cake and that is what I wanted. By the process of trial and error I came up with this delicious pumpkin bundt cake recipe:



Pumpkin Bundt Cake
1 spice cake mix
1 1/3 cup water (or as called for on cake box)
3 eggs (or as called for on cake box)
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 can pumpkin (= just a little more than 3/4 cup)
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together with mixer for at least 3 min. Pour into greased bundt pan and bake at 330 degrees for about 50 min. Let cake cool in the pan for 10 - 15 min before turning out. Let cool completely before frosting or drizzling with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese frosting
8 oz cream cheese - softened
1/2 cube butter (1/4 cup) - softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
powdered sugar - enough to make the consistency you want

mix together until desired consistency is reached. This is at least twice as much frosting as needed so cut recipe in half or make two or three cakes!

This is what we delivered as our "booing" treat this year.

Cream Cheese Crissant Bars

4 pkgs Pop and Fresh Crossants
3 pkgs cream cheese
2 cups white sugar
1 Tbs vanilla

1. Press 2 crossants in jelly roll pan
2. Blend vanilla, cream cheese and white sugar,
   Spread over crissants
3. Cover with remaining 2 pkgs of crossants
4. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon
5. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes

Homemade white rolls

Quick and Easy Rolls

I got this recipe from my s-i-l, Tasha, and it is true to it's name! Making these rolls takes far less time than thawing and rising store bought frozen dough. Plus, they are yummy! This is also a very versatile dough recipe, I have also used it to make bread sticks, Cinnamon rolls, and scones.

Rolls

2 cups hot water

2 tablespoons butter

2 packages yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons each packet)

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

6 cups flour

2 teaspoons salt

Put 2 cups hot water in a bowl. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the hot water. Let the water cool until warm. Add 2 packets of yeast, 1/2 cup sugar, and 2 eggs to the water. Mix. Add 4 cups flour and 2 teaspoons salt. Mix. Add 2 cups flour (a little more if needed). knead for 10 min. Let stand to rise for 20 min (double in size). Grease a sheet pan. shape into round balls (make 30, just right to fill a sheet pan). Let rise until they double in size. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 min. (until golden brown on top).

tips: I like to brush with butter right when they come out of the oven.

Don't leave them in the pan after they are done - if you do the steam will make the bottoms doughy.

Lisa's (mother in law's) Chili

Brown together:                                                     Add:
        1 lb ground beef                                              28 oz. diced tomatoes
        1 cup onion                                                      2 cans 15 oz. beans (red, black, kidney
        1/2 cup red or green peppers                            any beans will work).
        1 tsp. salt                                                         1/2 to 1 Tbs. chili powder
                                                                                  1 tsp. garlic salt
                                                                                  1/3 cup catsup
                                                                                  1 15 oz. can of chili

Simmer 1 hour on stove top or cook in crock pot on low for several hours.
Serve with sour cream
                                            
   

White Chicken Chili

The weather here in Beaver Utah has been beautiful and hot, almost summer like. Tonight, however, there is a chill in the air and it smells like Autumn, this recipe came to mind. It came from my good friend Edla Keele. It is perfect for a cool night.  This recipe makes a lot. You might want to cut it in half.  If you do have leftovers just stick it in the freezer and have it again in a couple of weeks.

4 cups cooked diced chicken                                         1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3 cups cooked chicken broth                                           1 TBS oregano
1 chicken bouillon cube                                                     2 TBS Cumin
2 cans diced green chiles                                                  1 scant TBS garlic powder
2 med onions, chopped
4 cans great northern beans, drained
1 quart sour cream                                                              Garnish with celantro 
1 small bag of frozen corn or 2 cans of corn                     and shredded cheese
 

Put broth in pot, add bouillon. Heat. Saute onions until transparent, add to broth. Add all seasoning. Add chicken, green chiles, beans and corn.  Simmer for 20 minutes. Add sour cream. Mix thouroghly. Garnish with cheese and celantro.  Enjoy
                                 

Cereal Treat

This is one of the my all time favorite sweet and simple recipes. Our home teacher brought it to us last Christmas and we loved it so much that I had to call his wife and ask for the recipe. It is quick easy and yummy!


Cereal Treat
6 cups corn chex or rice chex (or both!)
6 cups golden grahams
2 cups coconut
1 cup slivered almonds
Topping
1 cube butter (1/2 cup)
1 cup karo syrup
1 cup sugar
Boil topping over stove for 2 minutes and then pour over cereal. Stir together. Enjoy!

Recipe for a happy family

1- cup love
1-cup laughter
1-cup faith
1-cup patience
1- cup understanding
1-cup hope
1-cup honesty

     Have you ever heard of the starter recipe for Amish Friendship bread? This recipe is similar to that. Take all the above ingredients and each person the recipe is given to, adds his or her own cup of compassion and hope. Mix them all together and you have a good basis for a happy family.
When the recipe came to my sister and me- we added a dose of healthy arguing and a heaping of commitment. My father continually adds a dollop of generosity and my mom stirs it all up with her great big spoon of virtue.
     With the inclusion of extended family we have baked it with memories, and slathered it with time spent together. 

     This recipe would never have risen to its heights with sprinkling forgiveness in with the batter.
Now that grandchildren are in the mix, we all have added more laughter and integrity to the batter as well as made the recipe daily. We have all decided in our quest for the perfect recipe, it does not matter if the outcome if perfect, it is what we put into it daily that makes it so wonderful.  (Lori Piper)