CAFE SPECIAL OF THE WEEK - Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie

Nothing says autumn to me like the smell of pumpkin! I love pumpkin-scented candles, trips to Starbucks for the pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin pie, of course, and in the past I've tried to make pumpkin cheesecake. Without much success. The recipes were either too rich, too complicated, too lopsided, toooooooo . . . you know? So, I have this fabulous Lang Calendar with garden recipes, and this one looks like a winner! I've not made it yet, but since we're hosting Thanksgiving this year, I'm going to try this one. Maybe you'd like to go first and tell me if it's any good.

CREAM CHEESE PUMPKIN PIE

Make a graham cracker crust: 

Mix 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs with 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, & 1/4 cup melted butter. Pat into a 9 - inch pie plate. 

In a separate bowl, mix three eggs & 1/2 cup sugar. Beat until fluffy. 

Add 8 oz. softened cream cheese & 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Beat again. 

Stir in 1 1/2 cup cooked pumpkin puree, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. ground cloves, & 1/4 tsp. nutmeg. 

Pour into prepared crust and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. 

Cool and enjoy! 

This one doesn't sound like it will be too sweet. A little rich, perhaps, but we all splurge some during the holidays. What's your favorite pumpkin recipe? Do you have one that's "healthy" and still tasty? 

Maybe you're not a pumpkin lover. What do you love about autumn? 

Carve Diem

In anticipation of three of our grandchildren visiting, I threw out a question on FaceBook about carving pumpkins. Is it too early? Any hints for a fun experience?

Here were some of the responses:

1. Put Vaseline on the raw edges where you make the cuts to help pumpkin last longer.
2. In the north we used to carve them a week or two before but now in Florida the day before. (Hmmm. We’re somewhere in the middle, but have had unusually cool weather.)
3. Buy the" kids pumpkin carving sets".
4. The rule is... keep it till it stinks then get another one...
5. We use Sharpies to decorate the pumpkins. Multiple colors, no rotting, then when we're done, I slice the pumpkins in half, bake them, puree the pulp, freeze it - and a year's worth of pumpkin bread and pie!
6. Paint the pumpkin with chalkboard paint & leave messages on them! Cute!
7. No Rules! Carve diem!!!
8. Do not trust the children with knives !*%@*!
9. Whatever you do . . . have fun!

Great advice, but my favorite was Carve Diem! Whatever strikes you, go for it. So go for it we did.

On Friday afternoon, with the help of Aunt Allison, we painted three small pumpkins. I provided the craft paint and the pumpkins. The six-year-old twin grandsons provided the inspiration and art. The two-year-old sister provided the mayhem – grabbing paintbrushes and peering over the top of the patio table to poke her fingers in the paint.

While they loved their painted pumpkins, the twins couldn’t wait for Papa Max to get home to help with the real deal – carving the two remaining pumpkins. I think it was the danger element – sharp objects and the “ick” factor. They were adamant, though, that the carved faces be traditional and “scary.” Baby sister delighted in sticking her fingers in the goo and telling us all repeatedly, “yucky!” And it’s entirely possible she consumed a few raw pumpkin seeds.

Thanks to Christi for suggesting the pumpkin carving tools. Wal-Mart to the rescue, and the little saws were perfect for small hands. I’m happy to report there was no blood shed, and we had two very happy boys when we were finished. The crowning moment – Papa Max shone the flashlight in the cavities for the spooky effect.

Here they are: the pumpkin artists and their creations!

FALL BREAK

We all need a break once in a while. So today I’m taking a short breather from my novel revisions to bring you some pictures of what we did last weekend.

It was fall break for the school kiddos, so Max and I were recruited . . . er, volunteered to watch Scott and Denice’s three kids. Lovely weekend for all of us. Scott and Denice got a break from their busy lives of working, chasing kids, and handing out hugs to get away for their tenth anniversary (You know you're old when your children are celebrating double digit anniversaries!). The twins got a break from Kindergarten. And we got a break from our stilted routine.

Some of the things we did: Took the gang to Pumpkin Town (pics below), painted the pumpkins we purchased, took trips to the park (Max did this on Saturday and then had to follow up on Sunday with an encore trip), read books, brought Chinese in one night and pizza another.







All of the kids enjoyed the new book I got recently from Andy McGuire—Rainy Day Games. Such a fun book from a great author and editor at Moody Publishers (although Harvest House did the book).

For a few days, our lives were suspended, but investing time with our grandchildren was just the right break for all of us. Hope that you and yours take time to paint a pumpkin or swing from the monkey bars this month. You’ll be glad you did.