Cake Mix Cookies

I have been posting a lot of "sweet" recipes lately, so why stop? :) Just last week, a dear friend of mine blessed us with a crib and an entire nursery theme (complete with curtains and everything)! She wouldn't take anything for them, so I decided to put on my apron and bake up some goodies for her and her family. I decided on this pumpkin bread for her and her hubs, and wanted to make some kind of cookies for the girls.

I had a couple of cake mixes in my pantry - one dark chocolate and one basic yellow. I had heard of cake mixes being used to make cookies, so I started browsing the net to find a recipe. I found this recipe on Betty Crocker's website, but decided to use the dark chocolate mix instead of the yellow. What kid doesn't like "double chocolate" cookies?? :) Here is the recipe:

Mix Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist yellow cake mix (I used Pillsbury Dark Chocolate - shhh! don't tell!)
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I omitted these)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 if using a dark or nonstick cookie sheet). In large bowl, beat cake mix, butter, vanilla, and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, or mix with spoon. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Drop dough by slightly less than tablespoonsful 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake cookies 10-12 minutes or until edges are set (centers will be soft). Cool 1 minute, remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Enjoy! Makes 42 cookies (according to recipe).

(Photo from bettycrocker.com.)

Yes, you can have your "PIE" and eat it too!

O'Charley's Ooey Gooey Caramel Pie. Enough said. I could eat the EnTiRe piece....hey, maybe even two! But this piece of pie is usually rather large, and I just cannot "hold it" after indulging in my dinner entree'. I LOVE O'Charley's and AlWaYs get the same thing: salad with their signature honey mustard dressing, bowl of "overloaded" potato soup, and the famous chicken tenders. Oh, and I snag a couple of their yummy yeast rolls, too. So after all of that, who in the world has any room for dessert? I guess I should have it as my appetizer. :)

But wait! I have found a way to incorporate this dessert into my dinner! Check it out:

This O'Charley's famous "Ooey Gooey Caramel Pie".....

....has produced offspring!!

Now don't let your eyes be fooled. This pie only produced ONE offspring (the one on the far left), but it's close relatives Brownie-Lover's Brownie and Cinnamon Sugar Donuts have AlSo produced offspring! You can have this amazing trio for dessert (if you have room), or you can choose one of these minis to accompany your dinner (which is what I did). The mini caramel pie was the perfect size/compliment to an already delicious and filling dinner. And the best part? It was a mere $1.99. Y.U.M.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope each of you have had a wonderful, blessed day full of LOVE today! I cooked dinner for my two valentines, nothing special - grilled chicken, baked potatoes, sweet corn, and cornbread muffins (in V-day cupcake liners for that special touch!) - and a cake for dessert. Now I did make the cake extra special -- a 2-layer white cake with chocolate frosting in the shape of a heart. :)


My husband gave me my Valentine's Day gift last week so I could enjoy it. I had to start a 3-day special diet today because I have to take the dreaded 3-hour glucose screening on Thursday (for my pregnancy). Yuck. So I was very happy to get to enjoy my present early! Here is what he got me:

And yes, they are all gone! I had a little help from hubby and my little fella, but enjoyed quite a few myself. Hey, it's fruit which in my book means it's healthy! :)

What did your sweetie get you for Valentine's Day (or what did you get your sweetie)?

Rich, Chocolatey, and only 3 points a serving!

I think I may make this tomorrow. Yum!!

Easy Thanksgiving Recipes

Thanksgiving is only 2 days away! Many of us will be traveling over this holiday weekend to be with friends and family, some will be cooking at home, and others will be dining out. Whatever you may be doing, I pray that your Thanksgiving Day will be blessed with an abundance of food, love, and family/friends!

Now, if you are wondering what you can make to take to your "potluck" Thanksgiving, or just need an extra dish for your table, here are a few recipes that are quick, easy, and delicious! I hope you enjoy them as much as my family does.


HAVE A BLESSED THANKSGIVING!! :)

*Sweet Potato Casserole

*Green Bean Casserole

*Cornbread Dressing

*Pecan Pie

*Pumpkin Cake

*Pumpkin Bread

"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!" --Psalm 118:1

When you just need a little chocolate...

I have a SUPER EASY recipe for those times when you just need a little chocolate. It takes two ingredients, a sheet pan, and an oven. That's it!! I just made some a little while ago. Now you can fancy these up by drizzling chocolate on top of them and/or dusting on a little powdered sugar, or just keep them simple and plain. Are you ready to find out what they are?? Okay!!

Chocolate Croissants

1 roll refrigerated crescent rolls
chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unroll crescent rolls. Place as many chocolate chips in each crescent roll as you would like (just make sure they don't start busting out of the sides). Roll up each crescent roll and place on baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or according to the directions on the package. Pull the baking sheet out of the oven. Devour immediately (or make them fancy, if you can wait that long!). :)

You could also make these really cute and serve them for dessert (fancied up, of course), maybe with some ice cream or something. You could use different types of chips, if you would like, maybe white chocolate or peanut butter chips. Be creative!!

Fall is here....FINALLY!!!

So, I have a really good explanation for being absent from blogworld for 3+ weeks. As you can see from my previous post, I have had some "cravings" lately...followed by overwhelming nausea, followed by exhaustion, followed by.....well, you get the picture. Anyway, YES! I am preggo with Blessing #2! It has been a tough few weeks, but I am finally starting to feel better. In fact, I am feeling well enough to get out and enjoy this fall weather, to see the beauty of God's Creation amongst the bright fall colors that adorn the trees, to even start "fall baking".

One of my favorite ingredients to use in fall baking is cinnamon. I love the taste of cinnamon, as well as the amazing aroma it gives off when heated. Another of my favorite ingredients to use in the fall is pumpkin. Canned pumpkin, to be exact. I am not one of those people who buys a pumpkin, cleans out the guts, and spends hours trying to get all of the "good stuff" out of it just so I can make a pie. Nope, I take the easy way out.

The other morning, I was in the mood for something fall-ish for breakfast. I decided to whip up some pumpkin bread. Now, I don't really have a "go-to" recipe for pumpkin bread. I do have a recipe for pumpkin cake that I make quite a bit during the fall season, but it's not the same. I wanted some good, thick, hearty pumpkin bread. So, I did what any baker would do. I consulted Paula. :)

I found a great recipe for pumpkin bread in Paula Deen's Lady & Sons cookbook. It did not disappoint (not that I thought it would anyway!). Here is the recipe:

Pumpkin Bread (makes two loaves)

3 cups sugar
1 cup *vegetable oil (I used canola)
4 eggs
2 cups canned pumpkin
2/3 cup water
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoos baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 - 3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two loaf pans. Mix sugar and oil with mixer. Add eggs and blend. Add pumpkin and blend. Add water and blend. Combine remaining ingredients and add slowly. Fill pans equally and bake for 1 hour or until golden brown. Enjoy!

*For the oil, you can substitute 1/2 cup oil and add 1/2 cup applesauce.

**I only had one loaf pan, so I used muffin tins for the rest of the batter. The recipe made 24 regular size muffins and one medium loaf. If you do use the muffin tins, the cooking time is cut in half (make sure you check them at around 25 minutes to see if they are done or almost done).

Peanut Butter Blossoms

The recipe for this week is a sweet one! I LOVE these cookies and they are super easy to make. In fact, you only need 3 ingredients...and one of the ingredients can even be omitted. These were made by my friend Mary at a Christmas Baking Party a few years ago. Here you go!

Peanut Butter Blossoms

2 pkgs. refrigerated peanut butter cookie dough

1 bag Hershey Kisses
Granulated Sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll the dough into small balls, about the size of a walnut. Roll the dough balls into the sugar and place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes (you want them slightly brown but still soft). Immediately after removal from the oven, place one kiss on top of each cookie. Place cookies on cooling rack until ready to eat. Enjoy!

Brrrrrrr!!!!

One of my FAVORITE things about summer is all of the cool treats -- ice cream, DQ blizzards, this cake, and most of all, SHAVED ICE!! Now, shaved ice is not to be compared to the ever-so-popular snow cone. The textures are totally different from one another.


Snow cones are granular, with little pieces of ice kind of in the shapes of little balls with flavored syrup on top (usually blue, red, or purple) and scooped into a paper cone. Shaved ice has the consistency of soft snow and is usually scooped into a styrofoam cup, packed/piled high with a plethora of flavors to choose from. Snow cones usually lose their flavor fast, whereas shaved ice keeps the flavor until the very end.


I am very fortunate to have a shaved ice stand 3 MINUTES from my house (driving that is) called Snow-to-Go. It. Is. Awesome. The workers are soooo nice and friendly, and the prices are very cheap - Small $1.50, Medium $2.00, Large $2.50, XLarge $3.00. Plus they have some covered picnic tables to the side where you can sit and enjoy your delicious treat. I haven't counted all of the flavors, but I am pretty sure there are more than 50 listed from Strawberry to Ninja Turtle to Tiger's Blood. :)


My favorite is this one:

You can't really tell by the pictures (since it was half gone at the time!), but it was a blue raspberry/cherry swirl. Can you see how soft the texture is?

When I was little, we had a shaved ice stand in my hometown. I think we were there just about every day of every summer, and I tried almost all of the flavors! One of my favorites then was the Creamsicle (orange and vanilla swirled).

This was so good and refreshing on a hot day. I think next time I will try the Pink Lemonade. :)

Cream Cheese Frosting

I had so much fun hanging out with friends tonight, and babies too! I hosted a Gerber Generation House Party and had some Mommy-friends and their little ones over for games, food, and fun. I will post more about the party with pictures in the next day or so, but for now I have to tell you about this amazing frosting I made to go on the top of my devil's food cupcakes. It is to.die.for. I also like to put it on this cake.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Mix all together. Frost cupcakes (or cakes, or cookies, or just eat it straight from the spoon!) I usually keep mine in the fridge just because the cream cheese needs refrigeration. Enjoy!!

Oh, the things you can do with a brownie...

I.Love.Brownies. The richer and fudgy-er, the better. I believe that homemade brownies are the best if you have the time and ingredients to make them. My friend, Kim, makes homemade brownies all the time and they are delicious -- especially these and these. But most of us usually have a box mix in our pantry, if not a couple of them, to pull out when those unexpected guests show up or if you need a quick dessert to take somewhere. They are quick, easy, and delicious. But do you ever get tired of the same, plain old brownies? Well here are some variations you can try to "liven up" your brownies.

Peanut Butter Brownies: after you pour the batter into the pan, add a couple of dollops of peanut butter on top and swirl through the batter. You can also add peanut butter chips to the batter instead of the peanut butter (or in addition to, if you're a peanut butter lover!)

Double Fudge Brownies: add 1/2 bag of chocolate chips to brownie batter

Nutty Brownies: add 1/2 bag of nuts to your brownie batter

M&M Brownies: add a cup of M&Ms to your brownie batter (M&M minis are great for this!)

Cheesecake Brownies: mix together 8-oz cream cheese (room temperature), 1/3 cup sugar, 1 large egg and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, pour over brownie batter and swirl through

Frosted Brownies: bake brownies, then just frost with your favorite frosting!

Turtle Brownies: fold 1/2 cup (or more) chopped pecans into batter, bake, top with more pecans and drizzle with caramel sauce (they also now make caramel chips now that you could add to the batter)

Chocolate Hazelnut Brownies: add a few dollops of Nutella on top of batter and swirl through

I have a few more up my sleeve, but I will make that another post. Don't let your brownies be boring any longer!

We interrupt this program....

...to bring you a recipe from Weight Watchers! I purchased the "Pure Comfort" cookbook from Weight Watchers about a year or so ago and it has some awesome recipes. All comfort foods -- 150 of them, actually. The best thing about this cookbook is that it tells you what a serving size is and how many points it is. From Curried Popcorn to Ham and Bell Pepper Calzones (I know - YUM!) to Warm Chocolate Pudding Cake....these recipes are so easy and delicious! I know your mouth is watering right now, so I won't hold you in contempt any longer. The recipe for today is

Warm Chocolate Pudding Cake

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup + 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup low-fat (1%) milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 2/3 cups boiling water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray.

Combine the flour, granulated sugar, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, baking powder, coffee powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Stir just until blended. Spoon the batter evenly into the pan.

Combine the brown sugar and the additional 1/4 cup cocoa powder in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over the batter. Gently pour the boiling water in a zigzag fashion over the top; do not stir. Bake until the top of the pudding is set, about 35 minutes. Cool on a rack at least 30 minutes. Cut into 9 squares and serve warm or at room temperature.

Points: 3 points for one square (when cut into 9 squares).

Kickin' it into gear...

Okay, today I "officially" start Weight Watchers again -- on my own, that is. I simply cannot afford to pay $40 a month to go to a meeting just to have someone weigh me and tell me that I have gained 2.4 pounds. So, I am trusting in the Lord to help me with this journey.

I have already gotten rid of almost all of the sweets in the house (except those cheesecake bites I just posted about which are 1 point each, I think) and the only "sweet" thing we are going to have from now on are 100 calorie packs. These are actually not that bad, if you are looking for a little snack. Plus, there are TONS of 100 calorie foods out there in the snack world, including these and these. My favorites, though, are the 100 calorie candy bars made by Hershey. They make chocolate covered pretzels, York peppermint patty sticks, and the best one so far....

These taste like those Reese sticks that you find in the candy aisle at your grocery store, but only 100 calories! And actually, most 100 calorie products are only about 2 points on WW. So...I can indulge for only a couple of points. Hey, it's hard enough trying to lose weight...don't take my sweets away too!!

Anyway, I hope you will pray for me and with me as I begin this weight journey. I don't think it will be too hard since I lost 50 lbs. before I became pregnant. But, you never know (especially now that I have a little one and a lot of "baby fat" as they call it). My husband is going to do this with me, and my sister, so be praying for them as well. Thank you! :)

If you like cheesecake...

you have GOT to try THESE!! I discovered them in the freezer section of Walmart (plus I had a coupon). Oh my gosh - these hit the spot if you are craving cheesecake but feel guilty for buying a whole cheesecake just for yourself. They have several different kinds...and I plan to try them all!!! So far I have only had the cookies and creme one, but they all sound yummy. :) Enjoy!!

If only I had a stocked pantry....

I would make these! I watched Ina Garten make these on her show Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network yesterday and salivated over them. It is probably not a good thing to watch the food network and all of the yummy recipes that are made on there when you are snowed in and have no goodies in the house (not to mention being pregnant)!!

Anyway, check these out. Don't they look scrumptious?? The recipe and picture are from the http://www.foodnetwork.com/ website.

Peanut Swirl Brownies

pound unsalted butter
1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, divided
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 extra-large eggs
3 tablespoons instant coffee granules
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 12 by 18 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan. Melt together the butter, 1 pound of chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water. Allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs, coffee granules, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt. Add to the cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the remaining 12 ounces of chocolate chips in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup of flour, then add them to the chocolate batter. Pour into the prepared sheet pan. Spoon the peanut butter over the top of the chocolate mixture and using a knife, swirl it through the chocolate mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes more or until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake! Allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate, and cut into large squares. Makes 20 large brownies.

Chocolate Sour Cream Drops (from Light Desserts)

Here is another light dessert from the "Light Desserts" cookbook....and it is chocolate!! There are only 38 calories per cookie and only 1.7 grams of fat. Sounds yummy to me! :) Here is the recipe:

Chocolate Sour Cream Drops

1/2 cup margarine, softened (I recommend butter instead)
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons low-fat sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg white

1 Tbsp. water

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cooking Spray

1 teaspoon powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream margarine, gradually add sugar beating at medium speeed until light and fluffy. Add sour cream, vanilla, egg white and water; beat well. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda and cinnamon; mix well. Add to creamed mixture. Drop dough by spoonsful 2 inches apart onto a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Sift powdered sugar over cooled cookies. Makes 5 1/2 dozen cookies.

Enjoy!! :)

Light Desserts and another giveaway!

To keep with the "Light and Healthy" recipes, this blogpost is all about Light Desserts! And, if you like the recipes, then you will LOVE the cookbook "Light Desserts". Here are a few you may enjoy:

Blueberry Cake with Lemon Glaze

3 cups sifted cake flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup skim milk
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. lemon extract
Cooking Spray
1 Tbsp. sifted cake flour

Glaze
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. grated lemon rind

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine 3 cups cake flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon flour mixture over blueberries and toss gently to coat; set aside. Beat sugar and eggs in a large bowl at medium speed for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Combine milk and oil. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with milk mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Stir in flavorings and fold in blueberries.

Pour batter into a 10-cup fluted tube pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray and dusted with 1 tablespoon cake flour. Bake for 50-55 minutes or unti wooden pick comes out clean. Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice. Stir in lemon rind, mix well. Drizzle glaze over cooled cake. Garnish with lemon curls, if desired. Makes 16 servings.

Doesn't this sound yummy?? There are plenty more recipes like this. I will be posting more of them over the next few days, so be on the lookout!

Now it's time for the Giveaway! One lucky person will win a Light Desserts cookbook (vintage - 1989). Here is what it looks like:

Here is what you have to do to win: Leave a comment with one of your favorite light dessert recipes, or an easy dessert recipe that could be converted to light (using light cream cheese, skim milk, etc). The giveaway will end on Friday, January 16 and the winner will be revealed on Friday or Saturday.

I cannot wait to hear/see your "light dessert" recipes! :)

On the 6th, 7th, and 8th days of Christmas treats....

Okay, I guess I shouldn't make a promise I cannot keep. I promised that I would not fail to post each day's Christmas treats...but indeed I have failed. Therefore I am making it up today with 3 Christmas treats! I hope you enjoy them.

Oreo Truffles

1 package Oreos, crushed until very fine (I use a food processor)
2 pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 pkg. white chocolate bark, melted

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Stir in crushed Oreos until mixed well. Roll into balls. Place on wax paper and freeze for 10-15 minutes. Remove from freezer and dip in melted bark. Makes 75 truffles. (These are to die for!!)

Oatmeal Scotchies (this recipe is from my friend Tricia)

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract or grated peel of 1 orange
3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
1 2/3 cups (11 oz. pkg) Nestle Toll House Butterscotch Flavored Morsels

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats and morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 7-8 minutes for chewy cookies; 9 to 10 minutes for crisp cookies. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. (Makes about 4 dozen cookies)

Easy Hot Fudge Ice Cream Sauce (a recipe from Chef Pam Price)

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 cup miniature marshmallows
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and cook over medium to low heat until melted and smooth, stirring constantly. Pour into decorative jars and store in the refrigerator up to one week.

Gift Idea: Tie a nice ribbon around the jar top and dangle jingle bells from the ends. Pack in a nice bag with a new ice cream scoop, ice cream themed paper napkins, or a set of colorful dessert/ice cream bowls.

More to come in the next few days!! :)

Have I ever told you....

how much I love these??? And at only $1.50 each (Walmart) they are the best little thing around. Just microwave and go....to your quiet, serene place where only chocolate takes you..... :)

It's Pumpkin Time!!

That's right! Tis the season for the pumpkin! Pumpkin pies, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin cake, pumpkin roll, pumpkin dip....the "pumpkin possibilities" are endless.

Until recently, I was not a big lover of the large orange-fleshed squash. But then I found a wonderful recipe for Pumpkin Muffins (which I actually turned into a cake) in my Amish cookbook. The recipe sounded so easy I just had to try it.

Now don't think that I am one of those people who purchases a pumpkin, cleans out the seeds, scoops out the flesh, and uses it to make these wonderful concoctions...oh no...I am a "go to the grocery and stock up on canned pumpkin" kind of gal. Why in the world would someone go through the trouble of cleaning out all of those "guts" from the pumpkin when you can pay $1.50 (at most) for a large can of the yummy good-for-you orange stuff?? And with fall right around the corner, those cans just come in too handy. :)

So, I really want to do some experimenting with pumpkin recipes this fall. Right now, my specialty is Pumpkin Cake with cream cheese frosting. I don't care too much for Pumpkin Pie-- don't know why. I LOVE pumpkin roll -- and my sister makes the best. I have tried pumpkin dip with graham cracker sticks and it isn't too bad. Oh, and pumpkin bread is another favorite of mine. What are your favorites? Do you have any pumpkin recipes you'd like to share? I'd love to try them!!

In the meantime, enjoy this pumpkin recipe from that Amish cookbook I was telling you about.

Pumpkin Cake (or Muffins, if you prefer)

1 yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup oil
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 20 oz. can pumpkin

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease or spray a 9x13 inch cake pan. Mix all ingredients together (except for frosting ingredients). Pour into pan. Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool.

For frosting, combine all ingredients and blend well on high speed. Frost cake gently (frosting will be very thick). Cut cake and enjoy!

*I like to keep this cake in the fridge due to the cream cheese and butter in the frosting.
*You can use a can of cream cheese frosting...but believe me...this homemade frosting is what makes the cake!!