Pumpkin Cheese Cake in a Glass

This no-cook style cheese cake is made seasonally perfect with a pumpkin flavor.

For the crust

1 sleeve graham crackers (about 9 crackers)
4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick), melted
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar

For the filling

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
3 teaspoons Backyard Patch Cinnful Dessert Blend
1 1-ounce package sugar free cheesecake-flavored instant pudding mix (or 1/3 of a non-sugar free instant pudding may be used)
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 12-ounce container frozen whipped topping, plus extra for garnish if desired

Directions:

Place the graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor and pulse the crackers into fine crumbs. Add the melted butter, sugar and brown sugar and pulse until combined.

Spoon the crumbs into individual 9-ounce plastic cups (or other individual sized cups for serving). Place in the refrigerator to set while you are preparing the filling.

Beat cream cheese until light and creamy. Add the pumpkin, Cinnful Dessert Blend, and pudding mix and beat until completely mixed, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure that all ingredients are well combined. Add the sweetened condensed milk and mix again until well combined. Change your stand mixture attachment to the wire whisk. On slow speed, fold in the in the tub whipped topping until light and creamy.

Allow the mixture to sit in the refrigerator for about an hour to firm up. Using a large pastry bag with a large tip, or a spoon, top the graham cracker crust in each cup with the pumpkin mixture and refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with additional whipped topping if desired.

Time for Cash for Christmas Contest / Giveaway

Time again to get Cash (gift cards) just in time for Holiday Shopping!

We have participated in this before and there are a variety of hosts you can find at the bottom of this post.  To get you in the Christmas Spirit, I have a great easy craft for scenting Pine Cones you can try.  There are two different methods, so scroll down to find all the fun!

Method 1

Cinnamon Essential Oil Spray

Add about 20 drops of cinnamon essential oil to the spray bottle.  Add a small amount of water to the bottle -- about 1/8 cup. Shake well.  Put pinecones into resealable plastic bag and spray lightly with the solution.  Shake the bag to help distribute the fragrance. Repeat this step two more times, making sure that all the pinecones have been sprayed. Take care not to over spray! You don't want them too wet.  Finally, seal the bag and leave the pinecones to fully infuse the scent. I suggest leaving them for 4 weeks for maximum effect, spraying again with the oil solution again after two weeks.

It's time for a Christmas giveaway! Are you getting geared up for the shopping season? Do you need extra cash for Christmas?? Don't we all!

 We are so excited to be giving away $360 in cash prizes for you to use starting this Thanksgiving weekend. Here are the prizes: 1 - $150 Amazon Gift Card 1 - $100 Target Gift Card 1 - $50 Walmart Gift Card 1 - $50 Kohls Gift Card And a $10 Starbucks gift card as an extra bonus winner!! There will be 5 winners in this giveaway. Each winner will receive a gift card code to use on the online store or in the actual store. Now its time to meet our wonderful co-hosts who have made this giveaway possible. 

Starting at the top row we have: Teresa - Sweet Farmhouse Dreams | Kristin - White Arrows Home | Audrey - That Recipe & Munofore | Susan - Culinary Envy | Carrie - Curly Crafty Mom | Tammy - Creative K Kids | Linda - A Labour of Life | Kenyatta - My Design Rules | Gladys - Moms To Grandma | Carol - The Red Painted Cottage | Emily - Domestic Deadline | Kara - Phoenix Mom Blog | Sinea - Ducks 'n a Row | Whitney - Beauty, Baby, and a Budget | Meredith - The Mom of the Year | Gina - Money Savvy Living | Trish - By Trish Sutton | Habiba - Craftify My Love | Marcy - Backyard Patch Herbal Blog | Marilyn - Marilyns Treats | Terri - Christmas Tree Lane | Jamie - As For Me and My Homestead | Debi - Life Currents |Marie - The Inspiration Vault | Donna - Blog By Donna | Tammy - My Life Abundant | Michelle - Our Crafty Mom

Please stop by and say hi to these wonderful ladies and their blogs. The giveaway will end midnight on Wednesday, November 22nd, the night before Thanksgiving. You will have 48 hours to respond to the email claiming the prize. If you respond right away, we will get you the gift card code promptly so that you can shop with it on Black Friday! If we don't hear in 48 hours, we will have to choose another winner. 
Open to anyone who can receive gift cards from Amazon, Target, Walmart, Kohls, and Starbucks a Rafflecopter giveaway


Method 2
Ground Cinnamon and Glue Pine Cones

If you want instant results (rather than waiting weeks), this glue-on method takes far less time -- although a little bit messier! Using a disposable craft brush, thoroughly coat one of the pinecones with a thin layer of glue. Work fairly quickly so that the glue remains tacky and doesn't dry out before the next step. Sprinkle the entire glue-coated pinecone with cinnamon evenly all around and in between the crevices. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for all pinecones. Remove the excess cinnamon by individually shaking each pinecone, or placing all of the pinecones in a sealed container and shaking gently. Once the glue has dried, your cinnamon-scented pinecones are ready.

Warm Milk and Cookies Bath Salts - Monthly Bath Recipe

This bath salt mixture looks as lovely as it smells and makes for a silky-scented bathing experience. Great for a foot soak too! The recipe mixes up in just minutes and is easy to multiply if you want to make a bunch to give as several gifts.

1 cup Epsom salts
½ cup Dead Sea salt
½ cup dry nonfat milk powder
1 Tablespoon Orange peel, dried
1 Tablespoon Ginger Root, dried
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon chips
5 drops organic Orange essential oil
5 drops Ginger essential oil

Combine the salts, milk powder, and dried herbs in a glass or stainless steel bowl. Add essential oils and stir well to combine. Store in a jar or bottle with a cap.

To Use: Add 1/8 to 1/4 cup of mixture to a cotton muslin drawstring bag, hang bag over faucet, and run warm water through for a soothing bath. You can also toss the bag into the water while you soak.

Pumpkin Marinara with Spiralized Zucchini - Weekend Recipe

This easy pumpkin flavored marinara is especially good with noodles made from zucchini or spaghetti squash.  it will also give you a reason to use up the end of the season zucchini.

For the Sauce

2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup finely diced onion
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup red wine

For the Zoodles

2 medium zucchinis, spiralized (if you don't have a spiralizer, just julienne the zucchini)

15 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

For the Sauce

In a food processor place stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, chopped parsley, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.

In a large skillet over medium heat sauté the finely chopped onion in olive oil for 2 minutes. Add the blended tomato sauce, wine and pumpkin. And bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

For Zoodles

First heat a tablespoon of olive oil to medium/high heat in a large sauce pan. Then, add in garlic and cherry tomatoes and sauté for about 3-5 minutes.

Add in spiralized zucchini and sauté for an additional 5ish minutes, making sure not to cook them too long. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  

Serve sauce over zucchini.

To find any recipe featured this month - use the search box and type: PumpNov

To find any theme recipe from this year type: recipe2018

For 2018 the monthly recipe themes will be:

   January - Chicken Soup (ChickJan)

   February - Beef Stew (StewFeb)

   March - Jambalaya (JambMar)

   May - Ham and Shrimp Dishes (ShrHamMay)

   June - Bread recipes (BreadJun)

   July - Grilling (GrillJul)

   August- Garden Delights (GardAug)

   September - Salsa, Corn and Jelly (SCJSep)

   October - Squash Dishes  (SquashOct)

   November - Pumpkin Recipes (PumpNov) 

   December - Herbal Cocktails 

Pumpkin Pie Squares start the new monthly recipe theme

I am starting this month’s recipe theme, which is PUMPKIN recipes, with a more traditional item Pumpkin Pie.  With a monthly theme we will share recipes all month on the theme including as much variety as possible. To find all the recipes of the month this month search PumpNov and to find all the recipes from each month check out the bottom of this post or search "recipe2018." 

These little squares are easy to make and the perfect size to slip into your lunch or afternoon snack to get you ready for Thanksgiving.  Store them in the refrigerator for a week or more of tasty treats.

To craft this wonderful recipe, I recommend my very popular Cinnful Dessert Blend.  If you do not have this or your own pumpkin or apple, use 1 tsp gr cinnamon, 1/2  tsp gr ginger and 1/4  tsp gr cloves.

Pumpkin Pie Squares

1 15-ounce can pumpkin

1 12-ounce can low-fat evaporated milk

2 eggs

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 3/4 tsp BYP Cinnful Dessert Blend

Crust

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup old fashioned oats

½ cup packed brown sugar

½ cup butter softened

Topping

½ cup chopped pecans

½ cu packed dark brown sugar

2 Tbls butter

Whipped cream topping

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F grease a 13x9 inch glass baking dish

To prepare crust, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, and butter. Using a pastry blender or fork, stir until crumbly.  Press into prepared pan and bake 15 minutes or until partially set.

To prepare filling, combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, granulated sugar, salt, spices. Pour over crust and bake 30 minutes.

To prepare toppings, combine pecans, brown sugar and butter.  Remove pan from oven and sprinkle topping evenly over filling.  Bake another 15 to 20 min. until filling is set.  Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares.  Serve with whipped cream if desires.  Makes 30 squares.

 

To find any recipe featured this month - use the search box and type: PumpNov

To find any theme recipe from this year type: recipe2018

For 2018 the monthly recipe themes will be:

   January - Chicken Soup (ChickJan)

   February - Beef Stew (StewFeb)

   March - Jambalaya (JambMar)

   May - Ham and Shrimp Dishes (ShrHamMay)

   June - Bread recipes (BreadJun)

   July - Grilling (GrillJul)

   August- Garden Delights (GardAug)

   September - Salsa, Corn and Jelly (SCJSep)

   October - Squash Dishes  (SquashOct)

   November - Pumpkin Recipes (PumpNov) 

   December - Herbal Cocktails 

Acorn Squash Dessert

To end the month of squash, I thought I would share a recipe for something unusual, like a dessert.  The natural sweetness of Acorn Squash make them perfect for a dessert dish and this recipe with cranberries makes it amazingly seasonal. The added plus is it is vegetarian too.

                                                       

Acorn squash can be a little difficult to cut in half, but they are worth it in flavor. Use a sharp knife to slice in half.

Acorn Squash Dessert with cranberries and walnuts

With each spoonful try to catch a little bit of everything, the walnuts, the cranberries and some of the syrup built up at the bottom of the squash. If it is not sweet enough, add a spoon of honey. Enjoy!

1 Acorn Squash, cut in half
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1/2 cup cranberries, frozen or fresh
4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons savory, crumbled
2 tablespoons butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 375F. Toss to combine walnuts, cranberries, savory and brown sugar. Cut each acorn squash in half. Remove and discard seeds.  Split the mixture between two halves of the squash. Top with 1 tablespoon butter each half. Place in a baking dish, loosely cover with foil and bake in a for 1 hour 15 minutes, to 1 hour 30 minutes, or until fork inserted into the squash goes in easily. Remove from the oven, place on a plate and serve right away.

To find any recipe featured this month - use the search box and type: SquashOct

To find any theme recipe from this year type: recipe2018

For 2018 the monthly recipe themes will be:

   January - Chicken Soup (ChickJan)

   February - Beef Stew (StewFeb)

   March - Jambalaya (JambMar)

   May - Ham and Shrimp Dishes (ShrHamMay)

   June - Bread recipes (BreadJun)

   July - Grilling (GrillJul)

   August- Garden Delights (GardAug)

   September - Salsa, Corn and Jelly (SCJSep)

   October - Squash Dishes  (SquashOct)

   November - Pumpkin Recipes 

   December - Herbal Cocktails 

Butternut Squash and Sage Pesto Gratin

Sage is one of the herbs of fall and this recipe uses sage perfectly.  Plus it is a smother of great cheeses!

This is another wonderful side dish for Thanksgiving or any fall meal.  The richness of the butternut squash and the seasonal flavors of sage combine beautifully and will go well with a sage seasoned bird.

Butternut Squash and Sage Pesto Gratin

4 to 8 sprigs of fresh sage or about 1/4 cup fresh leaves.

4 Tbls toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano
4-5 garlic cloves
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2-3 Tbls water
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into medium cubes
1/4 cup water
Salt and pepper
2 cups crumbled gorgonzola cheese, divided

For the pesto
Combine sage leaves, pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic and extra virgin olive oil in a food processor and pulse. Add water and continue to pulse until smooth. Keep in refrigerator until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Fill a large pot with a couple inches of water and bring to a boil. Insert your steamer into the pot and place the cubed butternut squash on the steamer rack. Cover and steam for about 25 minutes or until the squash is very tender. Place in a bowl and put in the refrigerator to cool for 15-20 minutes. Once the squash has cooled, put it into a blender and add water. Puree until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread half of the squash on the bottom of the baking dish. Spread half of the pesto sauce evenly over top. Sprinkle with 1 cup gorgonzola. Repeat the layers. Bake for 60 minutes or until the sides begin to brown.

To find any recipe featured this month - use the search box and type: SquashOct

To find any theme recipe from this year type: recipe2018

For 2018 the monthly recipe themes will be:

   January - Chicken Soup (ChickJan)

   February - Beef Stew (StewFeb)

   March - Jambalaya (JambMar)

   May - Ham and Shrimp Dishes (ShrHamMay)

   June - Bread recipes (BreadJun)

   July - Grilling (GrillJul)

   August- Garden Delights (GardAug)

   September - Salsa, Corn and Jelly (SCJSep)

   October - Squash Dishes  (SquashOct)

   November - Pumpkin Recipes 

   December - Herbal Cocktails