First Snow!

The first snow makes my kids estatic, but I will miss the flowers, and the gorgeous gold and red leaves. I left some strangers out in the cold accidentally, and that first snow took us all by surprise! I always want to make our jack o' lanterns into pumpkin bread, and these were patiently waiting, but the snow came first—their faces even look startled, don't they?!


Poor apples got it too!

Just in case your pumpkins were more fortunate than mine, and you are still hanging onto them, try my favorite pumpkin recipe: Pumpkin Pike. We named it "Pike" because we were experimenting to create a recipe that my pumpkin-growing (but pumpkin-pie-not-liking) son could enjoy using his home-grown pumpkins. This combination of "pie" and "cake" did the trick. It is really a cake with lots of pumpkin in the recipe—very yummy!

Pumpkin Pike

1 cup honey
1/2 cup butter
4 eggs
1 plus 3/4 cups cooked pumpkin, well drained (or 1/2 of a large 29 oz. can of pumpkin)
2 cups whole wheat flour, freshly ground
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1 cup carob chips or chocolate chips

Cream butter and honey. Add eggs and pumpkin and mix well. Gently stir in flour, baking powder, soda, nuts and carob chips until just blended. Pour into a 9 x 13” glass baking dish. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm.