PUMPKIN CRUNCH CAKE

Here's a tried and true favorite in our neighborhood! It's simple to make but read through the directions before you start, so you don't jump the gun, like I did the first time I made it. It's simple and sure to become a favorite at your house too!

1 pkg. yellow cake mix (2 layer size)
1 large can of pumpkin
1 can of evaporated milk
3 eggs
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup chopped nuts

Combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl. Pour into a well-greased 9x13 inch pan. Sprinkle about a cup of the cake mix over the top and very gently, fold the cake mix into the pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle the rest of the cake mix on top of that and pat down with a fork or big spoon. Drizzle the melted butter over top and bake for about 1 hour at 350. Let cool and serve with plenty of whipped cream. Enjoy!

Caramel Fruit Dip

This fruit dip is absolutely sinful! You'll love it!

1 8-oz. package cream cheese (light cream cheese works)
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
Toffee bits

Allow cream cheese to reach room temperature or seften for a few seconds in the microwave. Using an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, brown sugar, and vanilla. Just before you serve, stir in about 1/2 a bag of toffee bits. Serve with fresh apples, bananas and strawberries. MMMM! Enjoy! (I should add... just double the batch or you'll end up making it twice!)

Creamy Cheesy White Chili

I found this recipe recently and couldn't wait to try it! It's pretty tasty but could be renamed "heart attack soup" because it's one dairy filled soup...but!!! OH! MY! It was very quick and simple to make and while it simmered, I made a pan of cornbread to go with. Great dinner! It's definitely company worthy!

3 cooked chicken breasts, shredded (I keep roasted chicken breasts in Ziploc freezer bags, which makes it an even more simple recipe)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cups chicken broth (2 small cans)
4 - 15 1/2 oz. cans Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed
4 cans chopped green chilies or 4-6 mixed fresh peppers (I used jalapeno and banana peppers)
1 tbsp. garlic, minced
1 tbsp. salt
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. cumin
1 pint container sour cream
1 pint whipping cream
4 cups Colby-Jack cheese, shredded

Saute onions in the olive oil until tender. Add all ingredients except the dairy products and bring to a boil over medium-high heat then simmer for 30 minutes. Add sour cream, whipping cream and cheese and mix well. Cook until heated but do not boil. We topped ours with jalapeno jack cheese. A friend this morning suggested Fritos on top. We'll be trying that next time. Enjoy!

a BeWitChiNg DiNneR ParTy

Last weekend, another siblings dinner. This time, it was all about spells and potions. I'd created a little Potion Recipe book a few weeks ago and happened onto these adorable glittery witches boots, which in my opinion were the cutest Halloween decoration I'd ever seen. From there, my every other thought for days was this tablescape...It was so fun to create!

I gathered lots of containers and filled them with everything from eyeballs ( foil-wrapped chocolate peanutbutter balls) to the bubbling witches brew (purple colored water with dry ice bubbling). Lots of candles and a few spiders here and there... Voila! My favorite tablescape yet!

Here's a close-up of the book. I picked up an old textbook at the thrift shop, painted it orange with craft paint, stamped the title on the front cover and spine of the book, sprayed it with glitter spray paint and tied an old black ribbon on for fun. Love it!

Aren't these boots fabulous!? The neon green and deep purple velvet flowers are amazing. We did remove the boots from the table during dinner so that we could visit. I replaced the boots with a large "concoction" vessel during the meal.

This siblings dinner menu was kept sweet and simple:

Soy and Sesame Cream Cheese Dip on Sliced Asian Pears

Fresh Jalapeno Poppers

Homemade Sweet Pickles and Cheese

Baked Potato Soup

Chicken Fajita Soup

Homemade Whole Wheat Bread

Apple Cobbler Ala mode

These tiny ghost bags were our party favors, filled with Fall Hershey's Kisses, Caramels and Tootsie Rolls. Did you know that Tootsie Rolls were the first wrapped candy ever sold in America? That's one of the Halloween Trivial facts that shared at dinners.

Our Spooky Tabletalk questions:

What keeps your awakes in the middle of the night?
What would people be "surprised" to know about you?
What is the best prank you’ve ever pulled?
What’s the best prank anyone ever pulled on you?
What’s the most “real” frightened you’ve ever been?
What’s the most “fun” frightened you’ve ever been?
Since Halloween costumes frequently require make-up, what’s your best beauty tip?
Share a specific memory of Trick or Treating?
What creepy thing scares you the most…mice, spiders, bats or something us? Share an experience of one of these.
What was your favorite Halloween costume ever?
What’s your favorite fall food? How do you prepare it?
Were you a candy hoarder or do you eat it all up on Halloween night?
How old you do you think is too old for Trick or Treating?
Speaking of ghosts, is there an ancestor that you’ve never met but feel a connection to?
What scents remind you of fall?
Do you have any phobias?
Speaking of potions, what’s your favorite home remedy?
On your worst day, are you more of a witch, a vampire, a ghost?
If you could have a bottomless bucket of Halloween Treats, what are three things you’d have in it?
What’s your favorite “scary” movie?
Pick a costume and tell us why:
Male: Michael Jackson in Thriller OR Indiana Jones OR a Mad Scientist OR Barney
Female: Scarlett O’Hara OR Dolly Parton OR Amelia Earhart or A Witch
If you could “wiggle your nose” and have an instant “material” wish, what would it be?
What’s your favorite thing about Halloween? Your least?
If you could cast a spell to change one thing about you, what would it be?

Last year for Christmas, my married daughters bought me a couple of sets of Corelle Plain White dishes because they are so versatile and durable! Love them! The girls and the dishes!

The more candles, the better the effect! One of my favorite homemaking tips...

Candles are to be burned, not dusted!

These adorable little fingertowels from Dollar Tree made the cutest napkins ever!

I'll post a few of our weekend recipes in a separate entry but I hope you enjoyed this fun and bewitching tablescape! Thanks Susan, for hosting another fabulous Tablescape Thursday!

Sesame and Soy Cream Cheese Spread

Seriously. This just sounds wrong!! Marilyn and I ordered this appetizer at a funky restaurant in the Gateway Mall in Salt Lake City and we were c-r-r-r-a-a-a-z-z-z-y-y-y over it. It could be served with crackers or spread on whole wheat bread or with apples as a dip. "The Dodo" served it with Asian pears and celery sticks. The pears were wonderful! And this has to be the most simple appetizer ever!

1 ~ 8 ounce brick of cream cheese

Kikkoman Soy Sauce

Sesame Seeds (in the photo, black sesame seeds were used for the Halloween effect. In the restaurant, regular sesame seeds were used. I love the look of the black seeds!)

Place the cream cheese in a bowl and cover with soy sauce. Marinate for 4-6 hours, turning the cream cheese, if necessary. Remove from soy sauce and place in a plate of sesame seeds, covering completely. Serve with slices of Asian pears! Enjoy!

Fruity Apple Salad

My good friend, Connie, who is a fabulous cook brought this fruity salad over for dinner on Sunday and it was the talk of the meal! This is one of those recipes that you don't talk about the ingredients... you just serve and watch everyone enjoy. Eggs and vinegar in fruit salad?? Whodathunkit?? Honestly, I'll never make a Waldorf Salad again now that I've had this one!

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tablespoon flour
2/3 cup water
1 egg lightly beaten
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoon butter
3 medium apples, diced
2 medium firm bananas sliced
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup red grapes
1/2 cup fresh or canned pinapple tidbits
1/2 cup chopped cashews

Dressing:
In a saucepan, combine sugars, flour and water until blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat, cook for two minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir a small amount (2 - 3 tablespoons (one at a time) into egg; return to heat, add egg. Cook and stir mixture until it reaches 160 degrees or until mixture coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from heat, stir in butter and vinegar. Cool completely and then combine with fruit and nuts. Chill and serve. Enjoy!

Crunchy Corn Salad

My fun friend, Julie, brought this nummy dish to a Relief Society Social and I fell in love! Very simple to make, super quick and so so tasty! It sounds a bit different and I'd have probably never tried it had I not tasted it before reading the recipe! It's a big hit at our house and the babes haven't a clue that they're eating peppers and onions! Take it to your next potluck, you'll be asked for the recipe for certain! I'm thinking you could add some cooked ground beef and make a total meal of it!

1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup chopped green or red pepper
1 cup red onion, chopped
2 cans drained corn
2 cans mexicorn, drained
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 bag chili-cheese Fritos - crushed to bits

Mix all except for the Fritos and chill. Just before serving, add the fritos and mix well. Enjoy

Fried Ice Cream that's not Fried!

I've never been a fried ice cream fan, but this no-fry recipe, shared by my friend, Jen, is amazing! I almost didn't make it but, I was out of an ingredient for the "Plan A" dessert and tried it while in a pinch. This will change ice cream forever in the Corbridge home! This recipe could not be any more simple and oh, my heck! You must try it! Honestly, don't let the reputation frighten you away because, start to finish, this took less than fifteen minutes to prepare and was almost as simple as whipping up a batch of Rice Krispie treats with much easier clean-up!

2 1/2 generous cups crushed corn flakes (measurements are after they are crushed)

1/2 cup crushed pecans

1 cup coconut

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup melted butter

Vanilla ice cream

Remove ice cream from the freezer as you begin to soften it just a bit. Melt the butter in a large bowl in your microwave. Add the brown sugar and stir until the sugar is almost a "syrup". Add pecans, crushed cornflakes and coconut. Stir and mix well, coating all of the crunchy additions with the "syrup". Spread half of the crunchy mix to cover the bottom of a 9x13" pan. Then, slice or scoop your slightly softened icecream, placing it in the pan on top of the crunchy layer. Let the icecream soften enough in the pan to pat it together and make it one solid layer. (I did the layer about 1 1/2" thick.) Top with the remaining crunchy mix. Cover with saran wrap and refreeze. Serve it with a drizzle of chocolate syrup, or honey, or both, or caramel or strawberry ice cream syrup or just plain! OH MY! Enjoy!

Quick and Easy Spanish Rice

This is a great rice that's tastier than any packaged Spanish Rice, almost as simple and much less expensive than a little box that has two servings in it!

3 cups rice
6 cups water
1 tsp. salt
1 tbs[. Taco seasoning
1 1/2 cups salsa
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. pepper

Combine all ingredients in a 9x13" pan and cover tightly. Bake for one hour at 375. Season to taste, fluff and serve. You may also top with shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream and a little more salsa just before serving. Enjoy!

Heart Attack Bars

Liza did a Toyota kick when we arrived at her Bunco and her friend Taryl walked in with these bar cookies. Oh my! When you look at the ingredients, you'll see why they are called Heart Attack Bars, but if you made them for a group to share, and showed some self-control, and didn't eat the whole pan, they could just be semi-painless and as Taryl put it, "nummy deliciousness"! Who am I kidding? You'll want to eat the whole pan! Seriously, they're killer cookies! Taryl sent me the recipe this morning and made my day! A must try recipe!

1 1/2 c flour

1 1/2 c old-fashion oats

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 c brown sugar, packed

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/8 c butter, melted

14 oz (1 bag) Caramels

1/3 c heavy whipping cream

12 oz (1 bag) milk choc chips (i only use half a bag)

In a large bowl combine first 6 ingredients. (the mix)-melt caramels and cream in sauce pan over low heat.-Press 1/2-3/4 of mix into bottom of 9x13 pan*. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes.-sprinkle choc chips over baked mix and top with melted caramel mix.-sprinkle remaining oat mix on top*Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Cool completely.***Best if made day before*** Enjoy!

Peppers & Cream Dip

Oh my goodness! My sister-in-law, Barbie, a master-gardener, grows fifty varieties of peppers every summer. She should write a pepper cook-book because she puts peppers in recipes that no one would ever think of and they are always great! This is one of my favorite appetizers ever and oh, so simple! I've made it twice now and tripled the recipe both times. (It's fall and I have 20 pepper bountiful plants myself!) You'll be wishing you'd made more even at that! The photo was taken as an afterthought but everyone at my dinner party last night thought that this photo was telling... it's gone before you can grab the camera! I decided after dinner last night that next time I try this recipe, I'm going to try ...what else... cream cheese for a different flavor and texture. I've got the peppers, so why not!?

8 peppers, red peppers make it very pretty, as well as tasty

2/3 cups heavy cream

4 tbsp. fresh grated Parmesan (we used Romano)

Place cleaned, seeded peppers, cut in half, on a baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour at 425. After the peppers are roasted, place them in the blender with the cream and cheese. Blend until completely pureed. Pour into a baking dish and bake until bubbly. Serve hot on fresh bread or with chips. Enjoy!

BRUNCH CASSEROLE

Here's my own variation on a recipe I found on the internet and then served at my Back to School Brunch two weeks ago. Very simple and easy meal and it made a mean dinner too!

4-6 cups frozen shredded hash browns
2 c. shredded Cheddar or Colby-Jack cheese
2 tbsp. chopped onion
1 lb. mild sausage
4 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced (optional)
6 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 c. milk
1 tsp. dry mustard

Brown and drain sausage. Set aside. Thaw potatoes and place 1/2 in bottom of 9x13 inch casserole (or 3 broken slices of bread may be substituted.) Add 1/2 of cheese and 1/2 of sausage and the mushrooms and repeat. Beat eggs, salt, pepper, chopped onions, mustard and milk. Pour liquid over top of potatoes and cheese. Cover and leave in refrigerator overnight. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Let set for about ten minutes before serving. enjoy!

Back to School Brunch ~ Mom's only!

It's Thursday and it's about time for me to join in Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for a Tablescape Thursday! Our entertaining for the month of August was all done outside by the pool! I'm excited to start thinking about the holidays and moving the fun inside! For other fabulous tablescapes, check out Susan's blog every Thursday!

Just for the fun of it, I invited a few friends who's kiddos had gone off to school last week to celebrate our "freedom". I've cried every morning all week watching my son go off to Middle School but I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I do love the freedom that comes to moms when school begins! In honor of that freedom, I hosted a little brunch!

The menu:

Hashbrown and Sausage Casserole

Cinnamon Rolls

Fresh Fruit

Yogurt Dip

Apple Juice

The table was pulled together from things that I had around the house. I am a paper napkin lover because they come in so many fun colors, so nothing fancy here. After brunch, we clear the table and played cards. Of course, as will all dinners that I host, the little red bowl with paper in it was filled with questions for some fun table talk! Enjoy a little virtual tour of our brunch.

Fresh unbaked Peach Pie

Thirty years ago, this month, an amazing woman, Elaine Nielson brought me dinner one evening and included in the meal was this fresh peach pie. Seriously, thirty years later, I remember that moment as one of the best food moments in my lifetime. I've never tasted anything that was as heavenly as this dessert and to this day, all desserts, in my home, are compared to this one! Here's the recipe on the original card that Elaine typed and gave me! (Click on it to enlarge.)

A few comments about making the pie.

• Mix the Eagle Brand and lemon juice first so that you can pour it directly over the peaches before they start to turn color. (The photo of the pie I made this morning is deceiving. I used Eagle Brand from my food storage and it's a year old, which turned it a bit darker than normal.
• I use about 7-8 good size peaches and make it a very tall pie!
• If you hate peeling peaches, a great tip that I learned in canning is to drop a peach into a pot of boiling water for a few seconds. Then remove the peach and drop it into cold water. Slice the peach in half and the skin will just slip right off the peach. Just don't leave in the hot water too long and cook the peach.
• I usually serve the slice of pie with more cookie crumbs sprinkled on top! To die for, I promise!
• Enjoy!
  

Lemon Layered Dessert!

We had this delicious dessert at my nephew's missionary homecoming last week! I've been craving more ever since! Thankfully, his aunt, who'd made it, knew the recipe by heart and was willing to share! It's ever so good! OH MY!

1 cup oats

1 cup flour

1/2 cup melted butter

Mix and pat into 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Let cool.

Mix in a separate bowl:

1 8 0z. cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup Cool Whip

Spread over crust layer.

Mix 4 small packages of instant lemon pudding (or any flavor you'd like, Jodie recommended chocolate or lemon) with 4 1/2 cups milk. Spread this layer next and then top with a layer of coolwhip. Chill and serve. Enjoy!