Fall Treat - Pumpkin Crunch

1 yellow cake mix

1 cup melted butter

1 tsp. cinnamon

1-15oz. can pumpkin

1/2 tsp. salt

1-12oz can evaporated milk

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup walnuts (or pecans), optional

Whipped cream, cool whip, or ice cream for serving

Preheat oven to 350. Grease bottom of 9 x 13 pan. Combine pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pour into pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over pumpkin mixture. Top with nuts, if desired. Drizzle melted butter on top. Bake 35-40 minutes until golden brown. Check after 30 minutes. Cool and serve chilled with topping of your choice.

I made this last night for FHE and it was yummy. It was like a pumpkin cobbler. Derek loved it made exactly as the recipe recommends. I thought it was a little on the sweet side so next time I'll probably try reducing some of the sugar. But it is one that I will make again. It was super easy and I love anything pumpkin!

Pumpkin Rolls

3 eggs
1 C -sugar
2/3 C- pumpkin
1 tsp- lemon juice
3/4 C- flour
2 tsp- cinnamon
1 tsp- nutmeg
1 tsp- ginger
1 tsp- baking powder
1/2 tsp- salt
1 C chopped nuts

Filling
1 C confectioner sugar (powder sugar)
1 3 oz package cream cheese
4 TBS- butter
1/2 tsp- vanilla

Beat eggs 5 minutes at high speed. Gradually adding sugar. Stir in pumpkin and lemon juice and dry ingredients except nuts. Spread batter on greased and flour an lined with wax paper. Sprinkle nuts over top. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until done. Turn off on towel dusted with powdered sugar. Roll towel and cake together and cool. While cake is cooling, mix filling by adding all ingredients and mixing to frosting consistency. After cake is cool unroll cake and spread filling. Roll cake back up and refrigerate.

7 Layer Bars

I took this picture off the internet. I wanted you to see what they looked like, but I was being too lazy to take a picture!! ha

1/2 c butter

1and 1/2 c graham cracker crumbs

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 c peanut butter chips.

Place butter in a 13X9 baking pan. Place butter in a 350 oven until melted. Remove baking pan from oven. Sprinkle with cracker crumbs evenly over butter. Poor the milk evenly over the crumbs. Sprinkle with chips and press down firmly. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

I added coconut, walnuts, and then put all the chips on top. Oh yeah I also added butterscotch chips. they are so easy and fun for the kids to help with!! The coconut and walnuts is what makes them 7 layer bars!! 7 ingredients.....you get the picture right??

Baked Spaghetti Squash w/ Beef & Veggies

I make this every year with spaghetti squash fresh from the garden. It's a pretty forgiving recipe, so if you like something, you can add more or withhold others. Always best with ingredients fresh from the garden! Enjoy!

1 spaghetti squash, halved & seeded
1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup each of green and red bell peppers
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 (14.5 oz) can tomatoes, Italian style, diced & drained
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 1/4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place squash on baking sheet, and bake 40 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat, cool, and shred pulp with fork.
3. Reduce oven temp to 350 degrees, lightly grease casserole dish.
4. In a skillet, over medium heat cook beef until evenly brown. Drain, mix in the peppers, onions, and garlic and continue to cook and stir until veggies are tender.
5. Mix the shredded squash and tomatoes into the skillet, and season with w/ oregano, basil, salt & pepper. Cook and stir until heated through. Remove skillet from heat and mix in 2 cups of cheese until melted. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish.
6. Bake 25 minutes, sprinkle with remaining cheese, bake 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted.

Eggplant Parmesan

I got an eggplant in my bountiful basket a few weeks ago and tried to find a good use for it. I found this recipe online at Food Network and it was a success. If you have never tried eggplant, this is a good "first" it was really easy and tasted great!

Eggplant Parmesan
1 C. Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
2 eggs
1 medium eggplant, sliced into 6 (1/2 inch) rounds
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. red chili flakes
2 (15 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 C. chopped fresh basil leaves
1 C. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place breadcrumbs on a shallow plate. Put eggs into another shallow plate and beat. Take a round of eggplant and dip into egg, then into breadcrumbs. Place on a wire rack that has been placed on a cookie sheet. Continue until all rounds are dredged. Cook for 15 minutes in the oven.

While eggplant is baking, heat olive oil in a 5 qt nonstick saucepan. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is tender. Add the chili flakes. Stir. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and stir until blended. Bring to a simmer and simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the basil and remover from heat.

Remove eggplant from oven, leave oven on at 350. Transfer eggplant to a baking dish (about 13 x 11 inches) Pour tomato sauce over the top of the eggplant. Top with cheeses. Bake for 30 minutes until cheese is soft and bubbly. Remove from oven and let set for 5 minutes before serving.

Devil's Food Cake

I am currently reading a book by Josi Kilpack called Devil's Food Cake and in the book is a recipe for just that. I decided to try it out and mmmmmmmmmmm is it good. One of the best chocolate cakes I have ever had!! Top it with the best chocolate frosting I have ever tasted as well and you will be in a chocolate coma. Who doesn't love chocolate right?



Devil's Food Cake
1 C. sour milk (1 cup milk + 2 tsp. white vinegar or lemon juice OR use 1 C. buttermilk)
2 C. flour
2 C. sugar
2/3 C. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 C. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 C. boiling water
1 tsp. baking soda

For sour milk, mix milk and vinegar in a small bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients except the water and baking soda. Mix until batter is smooth. Add the soda to the boiling water (kids love this part because it bubbles). Add soda/water mixture to the batter. Mix well-batter will be thin.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 9x13 inch pan and bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes or until middles is set. If using round cake pans, grease pans VERY well and cut a round of wax paper to fit inside the bottom of the pans to prevent cake from sticking when removed. Let cake cool five minutes in pans before turning out onto a wire rack.
Serves 12


Sandra's Chocolicious Frosting
1/2 C. butter
2 Tbsp. shortening
1 C. baking cocoa
8 oz. cream cheese
3 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Melt butter and shortening. Whisk in cocoa and stir until smooth. Let cool until it is cool enough to touch. Add cream cheese and mix thoroughly. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, mix well. Will cover rwo 9-inch layers or a 9x13 cake.

Zucchini Casserole

This is a great casserole for fall when you have a lot of zucchini and don't know what to do with them all. I recently substituted sausage in place of the hamburger and thought it was even better. Give it a try!

2 1/2 lbs. zucchini, sliced thin
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 lg. onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 Tbsp. garlic salt
1 Tbsp. oregano
1 1/4 c. uncooked minute rice
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c. milk
1/2 C. zucchini cooking liquid (reserved water)
1 c. cheddar cheese, grated

Slice zucchini thin and cook for 3 minutes in salted boiling water. Reserve 1/2 C. water.

Brown hamburger, onion, green pepper, garlic salt and oregano in a saute pan. Add rice and the 1/2 c. of zucchini water. Pour into a 9x13 casserole dish. Spread zucchini on top in an even layer. In a separate bowl combing the soup and milk together. Pour mixture over the zucchini and then top with shredded cheese. Bake in a 350 oven for 30 minutes.