Moist Pumpkin Bundt Cake

2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
3 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 can (15 oz) solid pack pumpkin
confectioner's sugar

Preheat oven to 350F.  Combine sugar and oil.  Add eggs, beating well.  Combine flour, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cloves.  Add egg mixture alternating with pumpkin.  Transfer to greased 10 inch Bundt pan.  Bake 60 to 65 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes before inverting on a wire rack.  Dust with confectioner's sugar.  Yields 12 to 16 servings.

www.tasteofhome.com

Thanksgiving Blessings

Thanksgiving Sunday dawned sunny and warm, not a cloud in the sky, not a whisper of wind in the air.  Rob, Thomas, Jacqueline and I piled into the van to go to church.  Rob and Thomas sat in the sanctuary for the service while Jacqueline and I taught Sunday school.  We met our class of Senior Kindergarten students for the first time.  Their cute faces, their Sunday dresses, their legs dangling from the chairs, were a welcome sight.  Jacqueline was thrilled that her reading buddy from school was in the class.  So was her reading buddy!  We sang "The B-I-B-L-E" a song that I learned in Sunday School 40 years ago.  I read a story about Adam, Eve and the Garden of Eden.  Jacqueline drew a picture of a pink and green snake on the board, much appreciated by a teacher lacking artistic talent.  The kids stared at it with wide eyes.  Afterwards, Jacqueline collected the books, Rob stacked the chairs and we rushed home to prepare the Thanksgiving dinner.

Jacqueline set the dining room table with my Royal Doulton china plates, most of which were wedding gifts.  She placed a Thanksgiving serviette on each plate.  I set out the crystal glasses, also wedding gifts, above each plate.  To complement the chrysanthemum flowers in a black vase which served as a centerpiece, Jacqueline added two cinnamon candles.

I stuffed the Butterball turkey and placed it in my new roasting pan.  The old one was really meant for a roast, not a turkey.  I put the sour cream mashed potato casserole in the microwave to warm up. Julie tossed her Seven Layer Salad, always a hit in our family.  I unthawed Laurie's turnip and carrots along with her homemade turkey gravy.

As the turkey roasted to a golden brown, its smell wafting through the house, I thought I could escape from the kitchen for a few minutes.  I went outside in the backyard to watch Rob and Bill play soccer with Thomas and Jacqueline.  I soaked in the sun which bathed the patio in warmth.  Once again, we were enjoying an Indian summer for Thanksgiving.  My reverie was interrupted by sudden shouts from Rob who had scored or missed a shot.

Inside the house, my nephews Bo and Mason played with the 40 year old Fischer Price toys.  Bo chose everyone's favourite, the castle, dropping the men down the trap door.  The adults sat upstairs in the living room chatting.

Finally, we sat down to eat the Thanksgiving feast.  We said a prayer, each thanking God for one of our blessings.  Just when we thought we couldn't eat another bite, I brought out the apple pie and pumpkin pie dessert topped off with spoonfuls of whipped cream.  The food was tasty, the company pleasant, the weather gorgeous.  May the peace of Thanksgiving be in everyone's heart today and always!

valdosta.edu

Paula Deen's Sweet Potato Pie

Ingredients
2 cups cooked sweet potatoes
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 stick melted butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 to 2 tbsp bourbon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 cup milk
9 inch unbaked pie crust
3 egg whites

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F.  For the filling, using an electric mixture, combine potatoes, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, salt and spices.  Mix thouroughly.  Add milk and continue to mix.  Pour filling into the pie crust and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean.  Place pie on rack and cool to room temperature before covering with meringue.

For the meringue, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.  Beat in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, one tablespoon at a time.  Continue beating until sugar dissolves and mixture is glossy and stiff, not dry.  With a rubber spatula, spoon the meringue onto the pie, forming peaks.  Make sure the meringue touches the crust all around.  Sprinkle with pinch of granulated sugar.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until delicately browned.  Cool and serve.

www.foodnetwork.com

Paula Deen's Creamy Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 inch chunk ginger, peeled & chopped

2 cans pumpkin puree (15 oz)

4 cups low sodium chicken broth

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1 dash nutmeg, freshly grated

1 cup whole milk

kosher salt

black pepper, freshly ground

Directions

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat.  Add the onion, ginger, garlic and saute until tender, about five minutes.  Season the vegetables with salt and pepper.  Stir in the pumpkin puree, chicken broth, cinnamon and nutmeg and simmer on medium high heat for 15 minutes.  Puree until smooth.  Stir in the milk the last 5 minutes of cooking.

xxx.pauladeen.com