Stick Horse Cowgirl V: When the Frost is on the Punkin

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodders in the shock...
When the "frost is on the punkin" is when I get in the mood to bake breads and desserts and cook savory broth-based soups and stews. Winter settles heavily on my spirit with the chill in the air and lack of sunlight, so these last days of autumn when the leaves have already fallen from the trees is when I begin gather in to hibernate. If I didn't have to get up and go to work, I could stay in my nightgown all day, sipping my favorite English Breakfast tea, reading, cooking and perhaps a little needlework.



To compensate for the lack of sunshine, I light candles and oil lamps to help dispel the gloom of long dreary days. I do love my fireplace, and this season is when we begin to light a fire every night and on Saturday mornings. Thank heavens for our woodburning fireplace--it's truly the heart of our home! In the ten years we've lived in this country house, we've never had to purchase firewood. We have so many trees on our property and kind neighbors who offer their fallen trees, that we have had plenty. So in the spirit of sharing and thankfulness on this week before the traditional holiday, I would like to share a favorite recipe that I often make in autumn. I will be baking it this weekend to take to the school where I work for our Thanksgiving Feast in the classroom.

Frost on the Pumpkin Bars


Cake:
Mix together in a large bowl: 4 large eggs, 1 cup of vegetable oil and 2 cups of sugar and 1 (16oz.) can of pumpkin. In another bowl mix 2 cups of flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, l tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. ginger, 1/4 tsp. cloves,and 1/2 tsp. nutmeg. Beat eggs, oil and sugar. Add in dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Pour batter in 12" x 17" jelly roll pan or rimmed baking sheet. It WON'T run over. Bake 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Place on a rack to cool. *I use 1/4 tsp. allspice instead of cloves. It can be used to replace ginger and/or cloves if you wish. I prefer the slightly more delicate flavor of allspice.

Frosting: One 8 oz. brick of cream cheese, 1 stick butter, 1 tsp. vanilla, 2 1/2 c. powdered sugar and 2 T. milk. Blend well with electric mixer and frost cooled cake. Cut into bars. This is a simple but delicious dessert that never fails to please! They are SOOOO good!

Besides sharing our thoughts and recipes, "C" and I both really believe in promoting our friends in the blogging community. So in this spirit of community, I hope everyone will drop in to visit at Chickens in the Road. Suzanne McMinn is a talented writer/blogger who we both enjoy a lot! She has amazing photography, good humor and wit and awesome recipes to boot! She is in the final running of a contest sponsored by Sam-e for Good News Blogger. She is perfect for this job and it would also be lucrative for this single mom. From her site you can click on Sam-e to vote for her every day til December 7! I hope you'll watch her short video promotion-it's great!

On a final note, I have discovered a talented artist you might be interested in. Her name is Julie Whitmore . Julie has an Etsy shop and does custom orders. Her unique faience pottery is amazing in it's originality and charm. Visit her and let me know what you think! It's all about community and sisterhood. V.