A Twist on Pumpkin Pie

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I think that's why I resent the push of the media to skim over it. It seems we go directly from Halloween right to Christmas. I know it honors the Lord when we take the time to be thankful. He has blessed us so much! Our hearts should overflow with praise to Him for his goodness. I heard someone say that if God hadn't done anything else but sent Jesus to save us, that would have been enough for us to praise Him through all eternity. If you are like me, you have that and so much more to be thankful for. I hope as you gather this week that you will take a few moments to express your thanks. Make a list and include not just the big things but the small things. They all come from the hand of God.

If you happen to be baking pumpkin pie for your Thanksgiving dinner, here's a recipe I found on the Cooking Light web site. It's pumpkin pie with a gingersnap topping and was rated with five stars. Who knows? Maybe this recipe will end up on your list of blessings!

Dianne to the Rescue!

A friend called out on Facebook (Hey, Joe Davis!) needing an easy dessert. Dianne to the rescue! This is another Pampered Chef recipe and one of my favorites. I just hope I'm not too late!

Banana Cream Supreme
16 graham crackers crushed or 1 1/4 c. crumbs
1/4 c. melted margarine
3 T. sugar
1 container (12 oz.) whipped topping
1 c. sour cream
1 package (3.4 oz) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling
3 medium bananas, sliced
2 T. pecans

Combine graham cracker crumbs and melted margarine. Press mixture onto flat bottom of springform pan (you could also use a pie plate). In a bowl, whisk together whipped topping and sour cream. Add pudding mix and combine well. Spread half of the filing over crust. Slice bananas over filling. Spread remaining filling over bananas. Crush pecans (I place them in a plastic storage bag and zip shut then crush with a rolling pin or meat mallet). Sprinkle over filling. You can garnish with raspberries if you like. You can eat this immediately or refrigerate for 30 minutes to reach a colder serving temperature.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Fall in a Cup!

I found a recipe this week in a Susan Branch book my sister had. Check out Susan's web site. Her books are filled with great ideas. This recipe appealed to me because I love the Pumpkin Pie Spice creamer that is available this time of year. Since I was visiting my sister, she obliged me and prepared this latte for dessert one evening. She wasn't crazy about it, but I thought it was very good. If you're calorie conscience, I think this is a good option for a treat since there's only 1 T. of brown sugar in a serving. Stir the ingredients in your favorite cup and drink in some fall!

Pumpkin Latte

2 heaping T. canned pumpkin
1 T. brown sugar
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice

Put all ingredients in a large mug. Fill cup halfway with coffee and stir well. Fill cup with hot milk and whisk. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Fall Flavors Continued

I mentioned in my post yesterday that I was serving popovers along with the seafood chowder. Popovers are a very, very simple bread to make and take very few ingredients. They are very unusual but a favorite of mine and my husband. They are baked in a very hot oven for about 45 minutes and as they bake, they get very big and nice and brown. When you tear the popover open, you will see it is pretty much hollow inside with a very crunchy outside. It's a delicious accompaniment with soup. My one caution is not to overbeat them. If you do, they won't puff up. Enjoy!

Popovers
1 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1 c. milk
2 eggs

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Combine all ingredients and beat just until smooth. (Overbeating will reduce volume.) Pour into well-greased deep muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake 40-45 minutes until golden brown. If not baked long enough, they will collapse. Serve at once.

(Yields 5-9 popovers)

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.