PUMPKIN BARS

PUMPKIN BARS

This scrumptious recipe is a Paula Deen creation.  When you make it, I guarantee your house will smell amazing.  Fall is just days away and all things pumpkin will be making their way to the table.  If you make this for your family or friends, I'm sure it will be a hit.

While Olivia and I are sorry to see summer pass and the bounty that garden fresh ingredients provide, we are also looking forward to enjoying all of the yummy things we have home canned and frozen.  Most foods are available year round anymore, but eating things when they are in seasons and REALLY fresh, is such a gift.  Pumpkin is one of those seasonal favorites.  Hope you enjoy this tasty recipe featuring an autumn favorite.
-Nanette

PUMPKIN BARS

Ingredients

Bars:

4 eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
15 -ounce can pumpkin
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing:

8 -ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

SUPER-EASY CHOCOLATE BARS

SUPER EASY CHOCOLATE BARS
It is back to school time for many people and that means less time in the kitchen for many people or at least a change in schedules.  If you are looking for a quick and easy treat to make for home or your next gathering or meeting, this may be just the thing.  These bars don't require many ingredients and are very easy to mix up in a matter of minutes.  These bars cut easily and travel and store well.  Try them now and you may find you even want to add them to your holiday line up of tasty treats.
-Nanette

SUPER-EASY CHOCOLATE BARS

Ingredients:

1 c. butter softened ½ c. sugar 1/8 tsp. salt 2 c. flour 1 – 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk 1 c. chocolate chips ½ c. chopped pecans ½ tsp. vanilla

Directions:

For crust, mix butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar & salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in the flour until combined. Press 2/3 of the crust mixture into 9x13 ungreased pan. For filling, in saucepan combine sweetened condensed milk & chips. Cook & stir over low heat until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat; stir in nuts and vanilla and spread hot mixture over the crust. Sprinkle remaining crust mixture over chocolate mixture. Bake 350 until golden. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Butterscotch Peanut Butter Bars

BUTTERSCOTCH PEANUT BUTTER BARS
If you are looking for a yummy bar cookie for your next carry-in or family gathering, this is certainly worth a try.  Olivia saw this recipe on Trisha Yearwood's Food Network show.  The combination of peanut butter and butterscotch chips makes for a delicious combination.  These bars are also good when you are in a hurry and don't have time for making a complicated dessert.

Olivia and I  will be finding ourselves increasingly short of time in the coming weeks as planting season approaches.  Although it is still a little cool here for planting our gardens, Olivia and I have begun buying buying plants.  Today we purchased a few herbs and can't wait to begin using our own homegrown plants in summer recipes. We can't wait!  Enjoy the cookie bars!
- Nanette

Butterscotch Peanut Butter Bars
Recipe courtesy of Trisha Yearwood

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature, plus more for greasing
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup quick-cooking oatmeal
6 ounces butterscotch chips (about 1 cup)
1 cup confectioners' sugar
4 tablespoons milk
Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking dish with butter.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and 1/2 cup of the peanut butter. Add the egg and vanilla. Sift the flour with the baking soda and the salt. Mix the oatmeal into the flour and stir the flour into the creamed mixture. Spread the batter in the baking pan. Sprinkle the butterscotch chips over the batter and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until browned around the edges.

Whisk together the confectioners' sugar, milk and the remaining 1/4 cup of the peanut butter until smooth, then spread the glaze evenly over the warm bars. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.

BROWNIE REFRIGERATOR CAKE

BROWNIE REFRIGERATOR CAKE
The month of February is here already!  Where did the month of January go?  In our part of the country, January got lost somewhere in a snowdrift.  The groundhog saw his shadow on February 2nd and winter still has a firm grip on us.  The little bright spot in all of February is Valentine's Day. You don't have to be "in" love to share the love on this sweetest of holidays.  This recipe will help you create that tasty oasis in the month and is a great dessert to share with someone you want to "feel the love."

Olivia found this recipe on www.justapinch.com.  It is not only silky smooth and delicious, but it stores well in the refrigerator for a few days so you can enjoy it beyond the holiday.  We hope you like it.
-Nanette

BROWNIE REFRIGERATOR CAKE

Ingredients

1	brownie mix (9 x 13 pan size) (with oil, water, and eggs needed according to package directions)
1	additional large egg
1 pkg	cream cheese, softened (8 oz)
1 c	powdered sugar
2	containers whipped topping (8 oz)
1 pkg	chocolate instant pudding (3 oz)
1 pkg	vanilla instant pudding (3 oz)
3 1/2 c	milk
	chocolate syrup

Directions

1

 Mix brownie mixes according to directions.

2

 Add egg.

3

 Bake (according to directions) in 9×13 inch greased and floured cake pan.

4

 Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1 container whipped topping.

5

 Put this mix on top of the cooled brownies.

6

 Blend puddings and milk together and put on top of the cream cheese mixture.

7

 Spread 2nd container of whipped topping on top of pudding mixture.

8

 Put chocolate shavings or chocolate syrup on top.

9

 Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Pink Lemonade Bars

PINK LEMONADE BARS

We didn't post a recipe last week because we were busy celebrating the Fourth of July holiday by camping at one of our favorite state parks.  Nothing makes summer more enjoyable than shared experiences of the season.  Here are a few random observances from the last week that illustrate what makes summer so special to us:

* the relaxing fun of observing fireworks just over the tree tops from the comfort of your lawn chair and seated at your own campfire on a warm, pleasant evening.

*seeing block after block of vintage homes in a neighborhood that prides itself in flying hundreds of American flags during the Fourth of July holiday.

*watching children ride their bikes at full steam and then coast as far as they can.

*picking ripe cherry tomatoes from the garden and then popping them in your mouth while they are still warm from the sun.

*canning and freezing each week's garden bounty for later enjoyment in the winter.  This one includes sitting on the screen porch after the canning is done and listening for the "ping"  from inside the house of each lid as it seals.

*sectioning fruit with Olivia to make citrus marmalade and getting sticky juice everywhere--including our elbows.  By the way, the marmalade made her house smell wonderful.

Whatever makes your summer great, we hope you are enjoying lots of it.  Summer seems to be flying by at lightning speed!  These pink lemonade bars will be a hit at your next picnic or gathering.  They are sweet, tart, and refreshing!

-Nanette

Pink Lemonade Bars

Ingredients

1 package white cake mix

1 cup toasted coconut

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 (6 oz.) can frozen pink lemonade from concentrate, thawed

Few drops red food coloring

1 (4 oz.) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 (8 or 9-inch) baked pie crust

1/2 cup coconut

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 13 x 9 inch pan with foil, leaving two inch overhang on all sides.  Spray the foil with cooking spray.  Combine the cake mix, toasted coconut, and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until crumbly.  Press mixture into the bottom of prepared pan.  Bake 12 minutes or until light golden brown.  

Cool the crust completely before proceeding with the recipe.

BEAT cream cheese in a large bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk, lemonade concentrate and food color, if desired.

FOLD in whipped topping. Pour into prepared pie crust. Chill 4 hours or until set. Garnish with coconut.

ROOT BEER FLOAT CAKE

ROOT BEER FLOAT CAKE

This recipe is another one we saw demonstrated at the recent Das Essenhaus cooking show in Middlebury, IN.  I was absolutely astounded to find the the Dream Whip/root beer "frosting" you make for it tastes EXACTLY like the foam on a root beer float.

I don't know about you, but nicer weather makes me long for a trip to a good hot dog stand were you can get a great chili dog and perhaps top it off with a root beer float.  If the weather isn't quite there yet to accomplish this, try making the root beer float cake.  I think you will find it a moist and delicious alternative.

Sleet and snow are still making an occasional appearance here, but Olivia has planted her potatoes and other cool weather crops such as lettuce and peas can't be far behind.  Warm weather food will soon be here. Bring it on!

- Nanette

Ingredients

• 1 package white cake mix (regular size)
• 1 3/4 cup of root beer divided
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 envelope whipped topping mix (Dream Whip)

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine cake mix, 1-1/4 cups root beer, oil and eggs. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes or stir by hand for 3 minutes.
• Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
• In a small bowl, combine the whipped topping mix and remaining root beer. Beat until soft peaks form. Frost cake. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 12-15 servings.

White cake mix and a box of Dream Whip.

It may not look good when the cake is mixed, but it will taste good!

The unfrosted and unadorned cake.

Making the "float foam" frosting!

The finished product!

Wash it down with root beer--of course!