Classic Pumpkin Bars

There are scads of pumpkin recipes floating around these days and I've tried a couple that were good but my all time favorite pumpkin recipe is still a classic Pumpkin Bar with Cream Cheese Frosting. I like them more than a cake because the frosting/cake ratio is closer to being balanced. Haha! If you don't care for cream cheese frosting, #1 What is WRONG with you? and #2 You can cut back on the recipe. Please note that then the dark bar batter will then show through and that's just wrong!

                                      Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
4 eggs
1 2/3 c. sugar
1 c. veg. oil
15 oz. canned pumpkin

2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1 t. salt
1/4 t. nutmeg
1 t. baking soda
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 15 by 12" jelly roll pan with cooking spray. In mixer, combine eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until well combined. Scrape occasionally. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and nutmeg. Hand mix dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture just until wet. Spread into prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minute. Cool on wire rack until completely cooled.

Frosting
8-oz. cream cheese
1/2 c. butter
2 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
In mixer, combine cream cheese and butter until smooth. Slowly add powdered sugar and mix on low. Then add vanilla. Frost cooled bars.

I took a batch to our college boy over the weekend and will take another to a Family Promise dinner today. If you aren't familiar with Family Promise you really should check it out. It's a wonderful program and is making a difference in our community. I hope you are having a great fall!             
Blessings to you,

Raspberry Bread and Cream Cheese Spread

Yesterday I was invited to help a sweet, older woman pick raspberries from a large patch with branches hanging heavy with beautiful, ripe deliciousness. The sky was overcast so even at mid-day, we could comfortably  pick to our hearts content.

My mind kept wandering to a quick bread recipe I hadn't seen for years in my highly organized tangled, chaotic mess of recipes. The moment I got home I began to franticly shuffle through stacks of random pieces of paper with hand scrawled recipes, newspaper clippings and reams of computer generated print outs. It is truly a miracle that I found it and even more so, that I had ALL the ingredients to make it!  

                           RASPBERRY BREAD AND CREAM CHEESE SPREAD         
3 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1 t. soda
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1 (3oz.) pkg. red Jello
Stir together and make well in center. Set aside.

3 eggs
2 c. fresh raspberries
1 medium banana
3/4 c. oil
Puree together in blender. Stir into dry ingredients until combined. Pour batter into two greased and floured loaf pans. Bake at 375' for 45-50 minutes. Cool in pans on rack 10 minutes and then turn out onto rack and cool. Meanwhile, make spread.

8 oz. cream cheese
2 T. powdered sugar
3 T. berry juice
Combine until smooth and spread on a thick slice of bread!

As with most quick breads, it is better the next day, if it lasts that long! Look how pretty the batter is.

I took a slice to my neighbor but had to stop by the flowers and take another picture. Couldn't
 resist! Blessings to you~

Cherry Sweet Rolls with Rhubarb Jam

 For one 24-hour period it got cool enough to actually turn on my oven! I knew it had to be for something really good and I had been saving this recipe for such a time as this. They were worth the wait and you can find the recipe here at Barbara Bakes. This dough feels SO good in your hands! I think it's all the eggs and butter. Yum! Sadly, I had no anise but they were delish anyway.

Also, where it calls for black cherry jam, I substituted my homemade rhubarb/strawberry jam.

                                                        Rhubarb Strawberry Jam 
                                        4 c. chopped rhubarb
                                        4 c. sugar
                                        1 box frozen, sweetened strawberries
                                        1 (3oz.) box strawberry gelatin
Mix rhubarb, berries and sugar. Cook and stir for 15 minutes from the time it boils. Remove from heat and stir in gelatin until it is dissolved. Pour into jars or freezer containers. It thickens as it cools. I leave one in the fridge at a time and freeze the rest.
Variation: Use 5 c. rhubarb, 4c. sugar, 1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple and 2 (3oz.) pkg. strawberry gelatin.

Sweet blessings to you~

Dahlia Cupcakes

 I was browsing through blogs and these pretties at Kathy's Cottage blew me away. Aren't they gorgeous?

And simple as can be according to her directions. They would be just lovely at a Fourth of July picnic. I spent some time looking around her blog and found this recipe for Cherry Almond Squares and now have the dilemma of which to make for the Fourth! If only all of life's decisions were this simple, huh?
I think I will go finish a binding since it has cooled down enough to have a quilt on my lap.
Blessing to you~

Asian Mandarin Chicken Salad

  I have never been this excited about a recipe before! Usually my motto is "Under sell, over deliver" (a useful bit of advice heard during a recent political campaign). But really! I think you will love it. It is the best salad I have ever eaten. Here it is in all its awesome glory~

 It requires some planning ahead but that is part of the reason it tastes SO good so don't skip the marinading step. I start mine in the morning and then we eat it that night. Here is the recipe~

Asian Mandarin Chicken Salad
1 box bowtie pasta (cooked al dente in salted water)
2 rotisserie chicken breasts, chopped (if it's a scrawny chicken, use the meat from the whole chicken lol)
1/4 c. sliced green onions
1/2 c. sliced almonds that have been toasted in 1 T. butter
1 small bag of spinach with stems removed (optional)
1 bag sugar snap peas
2 lg.size cans mandarin oranges (drained)
Dressing
Make one batch for the marinade and another for right before serving.
1/3 c. soy sauce
1/3 c. red wine vinegar
1/3 c. oil (I use half canola and half sesame. The sesame flavor is very important to the flavor of the salad)
2 T. sugar
1/2 t. salt
pepper to taste

Pour one batch of dressing over cooked pasta and chopped chicken. Refrigerate over night or all day. Before serving, add the rest of the salad ingredients and second batch of dressing.

I hope you enjoy it as much as me and my family do! Blessings to you~

Rose Cake

Yesterday I promised you more gorgeous roses today. Just LOOK at this masterpiece! The tutorial can be found at i am baker along with beautiful pictures of each step. Isn't it the most lovely cake you've seen in a very long time? What strikes me most is its simplicity.While you are there, stay a while and enjoy yourself. The hydrangea cake is awesome too and also has a tutorial available. I promise... you will be inspired!
 































Blessing to you~ Luci

Easy Alfredo Sauce

If given the choice between a white sauce and a red sauce I will pick white every single time. Yes, I know it clogs arteries and so I must ration my consumption of it. This recipe is limited to special occasions for that reason and believe me... it is "lick the bowl" good.

                                         Alfredo Sauce
                                1-8oz. brick cream cheese
                                1c. milk
                                1/2c. butter
                                1c. Parmesan cheese (use the good stuff if you have it)

Heat the first three ingredients in a saucepan until they blend together. Then shut off heat and stir in Parmesan cheese until smooth. That's it! I told you it was easy! Pour over cooked pasta and enjoy!

Blessings to you~ Luci